nuts for single mom with7 & 9 y/o kids to live in dt raleigh condo? (Wade: apartment complexes) - The Triangle Area - City-Data Forum

sunisgood · 03-11-2011, 10:14 AM

i think it would be fun to live in dt raleigh w/in walking distance of the museums, moores sq, etc. i know there are some great itb neighborhoods close to dt but think it could be cool to actually be dt... guessing there are zip kids tho. sound like a horrible idea??

leighbhe · 03-11-2011, 10:59 AM

My guess is there are not a ton of kids in downtown, but there are ones in the neighborhoods surrounding the downtown area, and those are kids yours would go to school with, so that may work.

I live in a suburban neighborhood in wake forest and there are very few kids in my neighborhood, and my kids (who are 9 and 7) really don't care that much. They just have friends over.........

Leigh

CrawfishGumbo · 03-11-2011, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunisgood

i think it would be fun to live in dt raleigh w/in walking distance of the museums, moores sq, etc. i know there are some great itb neighborhoods close to dt but think it could be cool to actually be dt... guessing there are zip kids tho. sound like a horrible idea??

I would think the difficult part would be not being able to let the kids play outside while you're cooking dinner or working around the house. My kids love their bikes, playing ball in the yard, etc. I lived in an apartment for a brief period of time (9 mos) and it was horrible to have to make every bike ride a Destination Event. If we didn't go somewhere they couldn't ride their bikes or play outside. That got old FAST.

I'd love to live in a downtown condo, too. Did that for a while once and loved it. There was a little farmers market right outside my front door every weekend, little cafes within a minute or two in any direction, and I could walk to work. It was heaven. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. But I have young kids.

lovebrentwood · 03-11-2011, 01:39 PM

Yes, it's nuts.

My answer would be longer, but it hasn't worked out in the past.

suedonym · 03-11-2011, 01:44 PM

i wouldnt do it.

wait till the kids are gone, THEN live in a condo

Usedtobe VaNC · 03-11-2011, 07:05 PM

We live off Wade Ave, so near, but not IN downtown, although I spend most of my days downtown. I think my kids would love to live downtown. After they saw the pool area on top of West at North, they were ready to move in.

True, there is some downside to not being able to let your kids run in the yard while you are making dinner, but that is the only downside I see. You know, kids are living in cities all over the world...and there are MANY living in downtown Raleigh. I see them all the time. Your kids are not toddlers, so they are somewhat self sufficient too, which means you could go down and have coffee at a coffee shop and they could run in Moore Square or Nash Square, if they needed to have some run time. THey could walk to and from school (I see kids from Exploris and Museums magnet walking around downtown during the day, drawing, writing in journals, etc. and think "how cool would that be...living in the City rather than stuck on some suburban school campus"). Your oldest is, what, a year from middle school?

You will meet tons of people in your building, your neighborhood coffee shop and restaurants that you will go to regularly, and ArtSpace, etc. have great summer programs that they could walk to. Your kids will have lots of people, including other parents, that know them and help keep an eye on them (maybe even some sitters!). In the suburbs, you would be stuck with the luck of the draw for whether your street/subdivision is friendly, full of kids, whatever. While some on this site will tell you that theirs neighborhoods are friendly and full of kids, others are not quite so. Downtown is packed with people, you will see them everyday and more of them...just more chances to make friends, if you ask me. And I am not talking about "meeting" people to date or anything, I am talking about meeting people to know and be part of a community. I know there are a lot of young families downtown, too, both in the condos and in the neighorhoods along the edges.

I say go for it.

librarySue · 03-11-2011, 07:09 PM

I saw this and thought of you.

I personally would consider a condo for myself and my two girls...but to be honest, the rent is a bit high for me! I'd rather have a little more square footage and a bit of yard for the money.

Moderator cut: Links to specific properties are not allowed!

268 E Davie Street, Raleigh, NC 27601

librarySue · 03-12-2011, 06:42 AM

I think it is allowed for me to say I found that property on FM Realty and Hotpads.

I also wanted to add that there are lots of 'city' places to live that aren't a high rise with no yard. Plenty of duplexes, houses, apartment complexes will still give you that urban feel---walkable---without being totally citified.

RaleighLass · 03-12-2011, 07:26 AM

I think it depends on the age of your kids and if you have time and are able to take them to parks, or somewhere to ride their bikes in lieu of outside playtime in the yard or neighborhood. My child is in 7th grade and would LOVE to live downtown. Unfortunately, it wouldn't work for me. She is of the age where she is transitioning from outside playing to having friends over and doing the girly stuff (makeup parties, etc) so this age for girls is no biggie not having a street to play in.

I have seen my kids get so much out of having a neighborhood to explore, ride their bikes, play out in with their friends...I would be sure to find substitute for this otherwise your kids are going to get bored being inside Mo-Fr.

Have you considered a neighborhood in walking distance to downtown proper? Maybe Mordecai or Oakwood? You'd get a small house/yard, streets for bike riding, families around you, and you can walk/bike to downtown.