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We are relocating to Raleigh or Cary this summer. It appears we can definitely get more house for our money in N Raleigh. Can you suggest any socially active neighborhoods with a pool. We have a 4 year old and a 1 year old.
In terms of it being social I totally agree. But I would hate myself if I lived there (particularly towards the back of the neighborhood) and had to drive to RTP (which I do). And you're also not getting as much for your money in terms of house. But if I had to relocate all over again I would give strong consideration to a planned community like Bedford because the density of housing, abundant availability of sidewalks (walking, cycling, jogging, ect.) and the higher percentage of transplants greatly accelerates the process of making friends and building a new network. But still, that commute would kuh-ill me.
Most sub-divisions in North Raleigh have pools, club houses, etc. You'll find that if you make an effort to participate in the social events throughout the year you'll find most of them will meet your criteria in terms of friends for you and your children.
You should focus on what you want in a house and let that guide you. We wanted a bigger, more mature lot where all the houses didn't look like, well, all the houses. While we can literally go days without talking to a neighbor we actually have made dozens of excellent friends over the six plus years we're living here.
Good luck with your relocation and house search. And generally speaking you can trust the Realtors that hang out here on City Data, I've almost always found their advice to be amazingly accurate.
I also live in Bedford and it is a fantastic community. Have lived here since we moved to NC in 2006 and seen my family grow here. It is VERY social. It always amuses me when people say people don't know their neighbors any more... well here we know everyone on our street, the street behind us, the next one down etc. Great swimming pool, fun swim team in the summer for kids. It's an idyllic place to raise a family. We call it "The Bubble" because it's literally like being in a bubble where everything is idyllic. And with the easy access to the new Greenway it has a big edge over other communities. And lastly it feels "right sized". It's big enough that you have the momentum for a good clubhouse and pools, but not as huge and sprawling as say nearby Wakefield or Heritage.
Now back in '06 I also worked in RTP and it used to be an easy commute... Falls of Neuse was relatively quiet and 540 was empty. Today FoN is horrible. Since it went two lane all the way it's actually worse than ever and the traffic lights all seemed designed to be out of synch. Used to take me 8-9 minutes from the house to be on 540. Now it can easily take 20 minutes at 8am. All this before you get to go on Raleigh's newest car park that is the 540 in the morning. While it may not be quite Atlanta league yet, by the time all the development is done around 401 it will be. (We already skip 540 and do the backroads now in the morning). So for RTP it's a long and not particularly pleasant commute. But the OP made no mention of RTP. There are a lot of people here in North Raleigh that work in.... North Raleigh! Or if you work downtown there is very nice access via Atlantic Avenue.
I've gotta say overall if you are looking for socially active with a 4 and 1 year old you will think you are in heaven in Bedford.
Thanks so much! We are very lucky because we don't commute. My husband works from home & I am a yoga teacher. If anyone here is a yogi, I'd love some input on the Raleigh yoga scene.
Not much of a yoga scene that I'm aware of, but plenty of "hot mommas" to develop one here in Bedford A lot of run/bike/swim crowd here, though maybe that is just the social circle we mix in
Yes, Bedford is the same as Bedford at Falls River. I also live there and it sounds like the perfect place for you. We are a very social community with lots of planned activities and interest clubs. Most of our neighbors are transplants and are eager to make friends and connections. On my street families who don't have family visiting for the holidays will do Tgiving, Easter, even Xmas dinner together.
Like somebody above said, there are a large number of people who are physically active. Lots of runners, walkers & bikers but I also know some who do pilates and yoga as well.
Falls River is another good neighborhood but the pool is a private club with additional fees. The great thing about Bedford is that the pool is included in the monthly HOA dues which are $60 or $65 a month.
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