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Thanks so much for all the responses! Like I said, I know these threads get old. It's good to hear some Glenwood Southers chime in! I'm googling everything mentioned in the thread. I think the fact I'm looking to lease in February is also why I'm not seeing much out there. I have a feeling if it were summer, there would be more things open. I saw tons of cute older houses for rent, but then I'd click the posting and it was a "wait list for Fall 2012" type of posting.
You've gotten some great advice on the best way to find a place, as well as where young partiers do and don't hang out. I would caution you on the Alexan at North Hills, as while the crowd is certainly NOT < 23, it's fun-loving and 23-35.
I have found for clients and friends that Craigslist IS the best option, as are downtown - simple "For Rent" signs barely stuck in the ground. In these times of rising rent rates, rentals have been going fast.
I'm going to go check out Oberlin Court and Park & Market today. Thanks for the tip on the Alexan! I'm going to take that off the to-visit list. I'll also drive around the neighborhoods off of Glenwood and look for rental signs as others have recommended, but I don't have a lot of faith. I wish it were the summer, because I'm willing to guess there is so much more available.
Regardless, I hope I can go ahead and put in an application somewhere this week. I am out of this lease in a month, and I am someone who obsesses over decisions like this. I'm neglecting other things I should be doing, which usually causes me to just finally pick one and only be semi happy about it.
One thing I do notice about the condo rentals, there are fun little condo association or owner quirks. In one condo, the owner doesn't want me to open the windows. In another condo, the condo association doesn't feel like a low-life renter paying close to what others are paying on their 1 bedroom's mortgage should be able to reserve the common area. I wonder if they'd rather I take the back stairs instead of the elevator?
Seems like you're looking at several areas, Downtown Raleigh (Glenwood South, Fayetteville St, Warehouse District) , Cameron Village (Oberlin), and North Hills (Park & Market). The decision should be simple depending on what you are looking for.
If you want walkability to restaurants, events, museums, etc, then Downtown Raleigh should be your answer. North Hills should be last. North Hills is a mixed use shopping center separated by a street. You'll may be bored of the shops/restaurants quickly and you will be needing to drive elsewhere. Park & Market apts is nice, but the rent is around $1200/1BR, which is pretty much the going rate in Downtown Raleigh.
Some may consider Cameron Village as in Downtown Raleigh, but it's not an easy walk to Downtown proper, maybe 15-20 minute walk. There are a lot of shops/restaurants in Cameron Village, but it's also right next to NC State so you'll encounter many college kids, esp at the Harris Teeter.
If I were you, I'd stick to Downtown Raleigh. Now within Downtown Raleigh, everything is walkable or free by the R-Line bus. There are many districts. Glenwood South is more rowdy younger crowd atmosphere with most of the dance clubs, restaurants, sports bars. It is on the most NW tip of Downtown. There are condo apts (Tucker) and condo owners that rent out (Paramount, 222, West). Warehouse District is closer to the center but less developed. There are condo apts (Hue) and condo owners that rent out (Park Devereux, Dawson). Then you have Fayetteville St which is the main street in Downtown. I feel the crowd is older, more mature working professionals than in Glenwood South. More working professionals since that's where the daytime companies are (all the banks, RedHat moving in, etc. ) No dance clubs but lots of restaurants and bars. Also Fayetteville St is where majority of all the downtown festivals and events are as they seal off the street. Convention Center, Museums, Performing Arts, outdown Concert Amphitheater are all within a 5 block radius.
Lots of condo owners that rent out (Plaza, 444, Hudson, etc) mostly around $1200/1BR. I see rental postings on craigslist, MLS, in the condo building lobbies, etc. Not sure if there are any condo apts around Fayetteville St.
You will never run out of wine options in Downtown Raleigh, there are at least two wine shops that someone here mentioned already at Seaboard and Glenwood South. There are beer factories and chocolate factories as well.
meanieme - I want to be in downtown, but there just aren't a lot of options available for renting right now. I don't know if it's a bad time of the year or what. It's certinaly very frustrating for me. If I had a roommate, there would be more options in 2bedroom/2baths, but I've lived on my own for quite some time now. The last time I found a roommate online, he turned out to be a prescription drug dealer. Needless to say, that completely freaked me out from ever finding someone too room with I don't know.
Dawson has a one bedroom for rent, but the window faces the Hue, and there is no common area. I was looking at the Quorum, but you'd have to spend hundreds to dress the huge windows, and the last straw for me was the fact I couldn't use the common area as a renter. I'm still working with a realtor on the West, but the apartment I liked, the owner doesn't want me to open the window. 222 only has a 2/2, Tucker & Hue are party pads, rentals on Fayetteville go $1400+, Paramount doesn't have any 1/1, Park Deverux has nothing, you get my drift.
It's really exhausting and frustrating. I know I've given a lot of what I wants, but I know there is no perfect place and always some compromise.
I think it's either slow time of the year or people are catching on to how great it is to live in downtown.
Although you can get more options on 2BR, I agree with you that I don't like to deal with roommates either. Lack of privacy, incompatible lifestyles, and what if he/she defaults!
I didn't like Dawson either. No amenties/pool, some parking uncovered, no security, no lobby, and I guess the unit you saw facing Hue is a bad view!
Quorum units have nice quality materials but again, no real amenties/pool. And I can't believe you can't use the common area as a renter. I've never heard that before and how would they know? You're a paying resident either way and should be treated like one!
At Glenwood South, West would be my top choice. Very nice interior, nice amenties, rooftop pool, etc. I don't understand the restriction of opening the window. Isn't that what windows are for? And I thought most of the 1BRs at West don't even have windows that you can open, and most don't have a balcony. 222 and Paramount would be my second choices. 222 has an apt feel. Paramount is nicer, just make sure your view is not blocked by the senior living center building or staring at Mc Donalds below.
Tucker is a party pad. I don't know about Hue but I would actually choose Hue over the Dawson. Hue has a nice pool.
When are you looking to move? Let me keep my eyes and ears open. I'm pretty in touch with the real estate and rental market in downtown raleigh.
I think it's either slow time of the year or people are catching on to how great it is to live in downtown.
Although you can get more options on 2BR, I agree with you that I don't like to deal with roommates either. Lack of privacy, incompatible lifestyles, and what if he/she defaults!
I didn't like Dawson either. No amenties/pool, some parking uncovered, no security, no lobby, and I guess the unit you saw facing Hue is a bad view!
Quorum units have nice quality materials but again, no real amenties/pool. And I can't believe you can't use the common area as a renter. I've never heard that before and how would they know? You're a paying resident either way and should be treated like one!
At Glenwood South, West would be my top choice. Very nice interior, nice amenties, rooftop pool, etc. I don't understand the restriction of opening the window. Isn't that what windows are for? And I thought most of the 1BRs at West don't even have windows that you can open, and most don't have a balcony. 222 and Paramount would be my second choices. 222 has an apt feel. Paramount is nicer, just make sure your view is not blocked by the senior living center building or staring at Mc Donalds below.
Tucker is a party pad. I don't know about Hue but I would actually choose Hue over the Dawson. Hue has a nice pool.
When are you looking to move? Let me keep my eyes and ears open. I'm pretty in touch with the real estate and rental market in downtown raleigh.
The developer actually lives in the Quorum, and with only 32 (I think) units, I'm sure he has a good understanding on who rents and who bought. It seems a little ridiculous to me as well to take away the only amenity you have to offer from the renters.
My lease is up Feb 16th, but I'm overly anxious about knowing where I will be living, and it's already hard enough to find something. I'd hate to wait it out until the end of January to see what opens up, because I'd imagine anything that will be open Feb 16th would be advertising now.
The West does seem to be the best option downtown so far with what's open. It's kind of bizarre to me that West and Quorum are about two blocks away, both are $1250, but one offers a pool, gym, and lobby person, while one offers none. You're paying for the marble bathroom I guess? The bathroom is great, but really I mean come on! The 1 bedrooms I looked at in the West have one window you can open.
I just wanted to update and say I went with leasing one of the few downtown condos available. I wish I could have found as great of a deal as I did on the apartment I rented in downtown Austin, TX, but there just isn't enough competition to warrant any sort of deals or discounts. I am so excited to take my much neglected bike in for a tune-up and hope to get a lot more use out of it than I do in South Durham.
For people searching, here are my opinions on what I viewed. You can read more about what I was looking for in the first post, but in a nut shell, I'm single and late 20's. I'm not a party girl, but I do love to downtown atmosphere (so long as I can get some quiet).
Quorum: Dead, expensive for no amenities. If you lease from an owner without window dressings, you're probably going to have to spend $100s of your own money to dress the windows with Condo Association approved shades. Also, as a renter, you can't reserve the common area. I love my quiet and having a home as a sanctuary, but there is something rather eerie about this place. Good for: Feeling pretentious. Bad for: Amenities
The West: Loved this place. The 1 bedroom/1 bath floor plan that I looked at doesn't have a bedroom door. I didn't think I'd like it, but after seeing it, it's unique. Especially after looking at box after box floor plans. You get a pool, common room, gym, and security/person sitting in the lobby. Good for: Character and Amenities. Bad for: (~750 sq ft 1 bedroom plan) Little closet space; No bedroom window.
The Dawson: The one available had a view of a small parking area and the Hue. I can't imagine what that could sound like on the weekend to have your windows facing a side of the Hue with a zillion balconies, but perhaps I'm thinking the worst. Huge floor plan for less money than West and Quorum, but no amenities. It is across the street from the Flying Saucer, which some of my friends consider an amenity in itself. Good for: Square feet and Beer. Bad for: Amenities & (possibly) Peace & Quiet
The Tucker (Apartment Community): This place was nice, but it reminded me of a college dorm. Granted, a really really nice college dorm that you'd only see on a TV show like Saved by the Bell: The College Years. Seriously, I've never seen a dorm as nice as where they lived. But anyway, they have a pool, huge gym, arcade room, common area, business center, George Clooney picking up your trash... (no, no, I'm kidding). If I had to pick between the Tucker and the Hue, I'd pick the Tucker. However, you will pay a lot to live here. In my opinion, too much. And I'm also biased because I lived in a state capital with multiple colleges and universities, and you would be shocked at how many parents will pay for their 19-year-old to live in a $1250+ per month apartment. And when they come home late not being able to handle the purple shooters and red headed sluts they were throwing back, you will become very aware. Note: I don't know if this happens at the Tucker. I was told they have cameras, but I've also read things online that I felt could be said for the place I lived in Austin. If I were 22, I'd live here in a heartbeat. Also, for $1250, I would have gotten a corner floor plan with very few windows. So, why wouldn't I just go with one of the high-rises with a view if I'm going to pay that much? Miss Pac-Man doesn't really make me want to give up windows and a view. Good for: Making everyone in Eco 102 jealous of where you live. Bad for: Value
Outside of downtown:
Oberlin Court: I've heard good things about Oberlin, but they didn't have availability for when I was looking, unless I wanted to open a lease a month in advance.
Park & Market (North Hills): "This would be your view. Isn't it great?! Except, they're putting up a hotel in that field, so it will eventually be blocked. Did I mention we're above a Harris Teeter!" I feel like that's Park & Market in a nut shell. You're still in that $1250+ range. Very nice, more adult than the downtown apartment communities, typical floor plans, gym, pool, common room, all the amenities. A massive community of over 400+ apartments, and their biggest selling point is that they are above a Harris Teeter. What happens at this Harris Teeter? I don't know about most people, but I don't get super excited about grocery shopping unless I'm starving, in which case, I don't know if that's best to live above a Harris Teeter. I need some sort of barricade between me and the Keebler Elf. Living above a cookie aisle is just dangerous. They do have a little shuttle that will take you across the street to all the shopping, but as I was pulling out yesterday, I thought about the area from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Oh my god. It would be a nightmare, and again, I keep wondering why these apartments want me to pay as much as leasing a downtown condo? Good for: Cookie Monster, Young Professionals working in North Hills. Bad for: Waistline
For apartment hunters, note that one side of the building could give a completely different experience in all of these places I talked about (Namely the Dawson). The reason why I still like where I lived in Austin is that I lucked out, and on my floor, there were a lot of professionals. I heard the floor below me was a party pad that others hated, so sometimes it's just luck getting good neighbors in some communities like the Tucker. What attracts me to condos is that if I'm living next to someone who is spending $300,000 on their home, they probably won't tolerate obnoxious renting neighbors. I think the Hue can be rented for closer to $1000, but I'm a little surprised the apartment communities are as much as a condo to lease. I didn't even look in the Fayetteville district because the cheapest condo leases started at $1400, and the other rents are already pushing it for me.
Thanks everyone for the advice! Hopefully the above can help someone else.
Last edited by dginnc; 01-12-2012 at 07:16 AM..
Reason: Typos
i've never lived downtown but had friends who have & do. i know that the hue did not get great reviews from them due to them overlooking the legends courtyard & the crazy noise at all hours of the night (& they are nightowls).
as for park & market, i work very, very near north hills. that entire area is a nightmare from mid-november through december. however, that side of six forks for the north hills area (where the HT, world of beer, restaurants like piola & zoe's kitchen) are actually not as bad. i often hit that HT on the way home from work & find it pretty easy in & out. however, the one time that i went up that parking deck to where the park & market apartments are located, i thought i'd rather poke my eyes out than deal with that crazy deck configuration trying to get out of it. i've never been in the apartments but i know for me that $1250 would go much further & if i were to pay that i'd much rather get a cute bungalow in mordecai then pay that for the apartment. but that's just me.
i've never lived downtown but had friends who have & do. i know that the hue did not get great reviews from them due to them overlooking the legends courtyard & the crazy noise at all hours of the night (& they are nightowls).
as for park & market, i work very, very near north hills. that entire area is a nightmare from mid-november through december. however, that side of six forks for the north hills area (where the HT, world of beer, restaurants like piola & zoe's kitchen) are actually not as bad. i often hit that HT on the way home from work & find it pretty easy in & out. however, the one time that i went up that parking deck to where the park & market apartments are located, i thought i'd rather poke my eyes out than deal with that crazy deck configuration trying to get out of it. i've never been in the apartments but i know for me that $1250 would go much further & if i were to pay that i'd much rather get a cute bungalow in mordecai then pay that for the apartment. but that's just me.
Some of them have never even been lived in, and they've been open for how long? 2010? I'm not thrilled about the rent I'm signing on to pay in downtown Raleigh, but I understand it's the location. But a place like Park and Market? If their least expensive floor plan is $1220, they should be offering more move in incentives. You can live downtown in a new place with new appliances and be walkable to so many things, or you can live at Park and Market above a Harris Teeter. I know they're trying to make it something by calling it "Midtown," but it's not. It's a shopping mecca. Also, there weren't very many houses open for rent other than a few with terrible kitchens. I love to bake, and a bad oven can make or break you. I know that sounds quirky, but it took me a while to completely cancel out the Quorum because of the gas stove. I finally woke up and realized I'm being completely stupid and unrealistic to want to pay that much money to live somewhere with nothing else to offer other than the Taj Mahal of bathrooms and a gas stove.
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