Wake Forest vs North Raleigh (Cary, Welcome: houses, safe area, buying)

[beckycat]

What does everyone like about each place? In North Raleigh, are the stores, restaurants, entertainment in one generalized area? What about traffic? What about festivals and activities on holidays.

[Jules_NC]

I've been keeping up with your posts on Wake Forest and wanted to make one quick point about Wake Forest and "North" Raleigh - they are almost interchangeable in many places. The town of Wake Forest boarders on North Raleigh (literally, the city limits touch). We live in Wake Forest and do plenty of shopping, eating and entertainment in Raleigh - with a less than 10 minute drive. They are separate towns, with their own mayor and town commission (and different taxes) but they are not miles apart nor can you tell when you've 'entered Raleigh' or 'entered Wake Forest'. Both are in Wake County and share some services - the libraries, some parks, schools, etc.

The town of Wake Forest does have its own Christmas parade, its own seasonal events, Fourth of July fireworks, Farmer's Market, Art Walks and community events. If you want to go to the city of Raleigh's parades/events, you're just a few minutes drive. Although residents throughout the triangle attend other towns' events.

The stores and restaurants in Wake Forest are fairly centered around US 1/Capital Blvd. There is also a lot of development along US1A (South Main) and in the Heritage neighborhood area. In North Raleigh you'll find the 'arteries' (running generally south to north) to be Creedmoor Road, Six Forks Road, Falls of Neuse and of course Capital Blvd (US1).

Town of Wake Forest website: Welcome to the Town of Wake Forest, North Carolina
City of Raleigh website: City of Raleigh | Home

[northernsnob]

First can anybody tell me how to start a new thread, I'm computer challenged and can't figure this out, haha. I hear the Wake Forest Schools are top notch.. any thoughts?

[kimmarie]

I live in Wake Forest, and love it. My hubby and I lived in Raleigh on the Cary border for 2 years before buying up here, so we had a lot of time to drive around and check out the different areas, do some research, and figure out what we liked and didn't like. We both really like Wake Forest a lot. There's enough going on here so that we don't have to drive very far at all for anything, but our neighborhood is nice, quiet, friendly, and more affordable than what we were finding in North Raleigh. For some reason, it seemed we got a lot more for our money here.

The border of North Raleigh and Wake Forest is only about 2 miles from my house - in fact my bank is technically in Raleigh, so I never feel "too out there."

Schools - we don't have any kids as of yet, but that's one of the reasons we chose this area as well. It has a very good reputation for schools, and that was one of the things that helped us choose this area - just in case we DO have kids in the near future.

[citydweller]

To create a new thread go to the RAL homepage here. On the top left side you will see the button/link to create a new thread.

[beckycat]

Thanks for the info. We like both places, but we are just trying to see what is more suitable for us. We like a small town feel with shopping and restaurants closeby. I also like to be able to go out to the movies, bowling, etc. once in a while. I have been finding the houses to be more expensive in WF than N. Raleigh that's another reason I'm going between the two. I know it's best to come there again to decide. I'm just trying to gather all the info I can. And, it's exciting to hear from others. (That's why I love this forum)

[beckycat]

Kimmarie,
What sub do you live in and what prices do the homes go for?

[kimmarie]

Originally Posted by beckycat

Kimmarie,
What sub do you live in and what prices do the homes go for?

I'm in Staffordshire, which the hubby and I both really like. It's just off Capital, so close to restaurants, stores, etc. but also close to downtown WF. Downtown is small and quaint, but I really like it - it's got an old Main Street town sort of feel, but sort of artsy. They're actually in the beginning stages of rennovating/revitalizing that area, and I have a feeling there will be a lot more there in another year or so. My subdivision - houses are pretty much anywhere from 1300 sq ft to maybe 2200-2300 sq ft, and range from the $140k-$215 range. Most of the houses have a quarter acre of land or so and LOTS of old trees which is something we like.

I also like Olde Mille Stream subdivision a lot - that one varies even more, from small homes to probably mansions, but they have really nice homes in the $250k range. We liked Tyler Run subdivison also. Houses there seemed to be in the same range as our neighborhood. Cimarron is very affordable and a cute neighborhood, but I've heard both good and bad there, about materials used on the houses (siding, etc.). We have some friends that live in there and love it.

We're about 2-3 miles from a movie theather (a nice one), all the big stuff is here - Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, lots of restaurants, grocery stores, etc. Wakefield Plantation (North Raliegh) borders Wake Forest. The Triangle Town Center mall is about 9 miles from us, and it's quick driving and there are TONS of shops, restaurants, etc. there. I haven't yet looked for a bowling alley - great idea! Haven't done that in a while! We're also 5 minutes from Falls Lake, a huge recreational area here - boating, swimming, camping, mild hiking trails, picnics, etc. It's beautiful (even with the drought!)

We did like N. Raleigh a lot, but what we were finding was the lots were smaller and the sq. footage was smaller for the pricerange we were looking at - we got a lot for our money here, and really liked the area. And the traveling/convenience was really no different than many parts of N. Raleigh, depending on where you looked. N. Raleigh spans a large area.

[JoeChristmas]

We live in Heritage in Wake Forest and love it. Lots of young kids, so our two children are rarely bored. Seems to be a very safe area. We let our kids run around with the other kids without much supervision, and we feel very comfortable doing that.

As someone noted, shops are never far away. Triangle Mall in Raleigh is a 15 minute drive from my house, max. And that's if I have to wait a while at the traffic lights..... But we can do our core shopping very close to home. I usually ride my bike to the Harris Teeter for groceries. And of course there's a Target and WalMart just a few minutes away.

There aren't many good restaurants in WF, just the same lame chains you find everywhere. You will have many more options in N.Raleigh. So if you eat out a lot - we don't - you may want to be wary of that.

I work from home, so driving is not an issue. However, I would not want to drive along Capital in the mornings or afternoons. So if you can get more value for your money on your house in WF, by all means go for it. Just be prepared for a longer ride in the mornings, and the associated stress that comes with it.

--JC

[Desdemona123]

Originally Posted by JoeChristmas

We live in Heritage in Wake Forest and love it. Lots of young kids, so our two children are rarely bored. Seems to be a very safe area. We let our kids run around with the other kids without much supervision, and we feel very comfortable doing that.

As someone noted, shops are never far away. Triangle Mall in Raleigh is a 15 minute drive from my house, max. And that's if I have to wait a while at the traffic lights..... But we can do our core shopping very close to home. I usually ride my bike to the Harris Teeter for groceries. And of course there's a Target and WalMart just a few minutes away.

There aren't many good restaurants in WF, just the same lame chains you find everywhere. You will have many more options in N.Raleigh. So if you eat out a lot - we don't - you may want to be wary of that.

I work from home, so driving is not an issue. However, I would not want to drive along Capital in the mornings or afternoons. So if you can get more value for your money on your house in WF, by all means go for it. Just be prepared for a longer ride in the mornings, and the associated stress that comes with it.

--JC

There are more then chain resturants the WF - from tavern food to fine dining.....though yes, there are plenty of chains.

Briggs, Fine, La Foresta, Shuckers just across the road to name the ones off the top of my head....what are you looking for?