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We are in the process of relocating to triangle area from California. I have a 11 yr old kid and he will go to middle school after summer this year. We are looking for west cary as it seems thats the hot area for most of the development in the last few years. But Mills park middle is capped and I think it will continue to cap due to relocation of people like us :-).
My question is, how is East cary area and middle school situation there? Property in east Cary is definitely costlier and low inventory. Is it like Cupertino/Palo Alto of Bay area with DDMS and GGHS school combo etc?
We are also looking for Apex but looks like Lufkin Road is the only option if we go for that area. First the school is YR, not sure how our kid can handle that change and also its almost 6-7 miles aways from West Apex (Bella casa area). whats the general school bus commute time for that distance? Here in CA, we drop our kids to school and it takes 5-10 min.
Hello and welcome to the area. You are right about Mills Park, that cap will not be lifted anytime soon. Which area are you viewing as "East Cary"? I was confused when you said it was more expensive and had less inventory than West Cary. Are there specific neighborhoods you are looking at there?
From Bella Casa to Lufkin is a distance, I know someone moving near that area and their child will be starting Lufkin. You always have the option to drive your child if you are concerned about the length of the bus ride, and some can be long. Lufkin I believe has one of the earliest start times, so the bus is very early too. Another thing to realize is that you would be given a calendar option. So if Lufkin is your base assignment you would have a traditional calendar option, for my friend it was Apex Middle. They want YR so they are happy with Lufkin.
We are in the process of relocating to triangle area from California. I have a 11 yr old kid and he will go to middle school after summer this year. We are looking for west cary as it seems thats the hot area for most of the development in the last few years. But Mills park middle is capped and I think it will continue to cap due to relocation of people like us :-).
My question is, how is East cary area and middle school situation there? Property in east Cary is definitely costlier and low inventory. Is it like Cupertino/Palo Alto of Bay area with DDMS and GGHS school combo etc?
We are also looking for Apex but looks like Lufkin Road is the only option if we go for that area. First the school is YR, not sure how our kid can handle that change and also its almost 6-7 miles aways from West Apex (Bella casa area). whats the general school bus commute time for that distance? Here in CA, we drop our kids to school and it takes 5-10 min.
Appreciate any pointers or recommendation.
The area for DDMS and GHHS is still, technically, West Cary.
East Cary is going to be the area closer to East Cary Middle School, really. If you look up West Cary Middle School, you'll find that that USED TO BE the area of Cary called "West Cary," but the town has really grown since then.
In reality, all the middle schools in Cary are pretty darned good. The high schools are all good high schools. Move wherever you like, really. Ditto this for Apex.
Also... carpool lines can be long around here. You might be in line for 10 minutes... you might be in for 5, you might be in for 15. Depends.
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One of my good friends is relocating here and in the same situation with a middle schooler. I am not a fan of year round middle school, although my kids have gone to year round at elementary. My major issue with year round middle school is that you miss a lot of specialized camps which are only offered in the summer.
All the middle schools are pretty good but of the ones without a cap I think you should strongly consider Davis Drive Middle School or West Cary. If you decide year round school is an option Salem Middle School is also good. I haven't heard good things at all about East Cary Middle School.
These are just my opinions, I know others may disagree, but thought I'd chime in as I've got a friend in your same situation.
RedZin's advice on carpool lines is very good. They can be a huge time suck.
Are you only considering new construction?
Why not West Cary MS?
Of course, your housing needs and price point play into it.
Hi Mike,
We are considering resale option. And I think West cary MS could be a good option but I wasn't sure if its west of Cary :-)
We are looking for <5 yr old home in 400K range. 4+ bed. Most of our friends are near Amberly in West Cary or Bella Casa so that was my focus area but we are open for other areas too.
Consider West Lake Middle as well (Apex PO but actually in Cary Limits).
Thanks for suggestion. But it looks way too far away from RTP. I'll be working over there.
Any particular thing you want to recommend about West Lake middle or the area nearby? My search was mainly focus on Cary and Apex. I went to 12Oaks in Holly spring, like it but high HOA and distance was the problem.
Thanks for suggestion. But it looks way too far away from RTP. I'll be working over there.
Any particular thing you want to recommend about West Lake middle or the area nearby? My search was mainly focus on Cary and Apex. I went to 12Oaks in Holly spring, like it but high HOA and distance was the problem.
It's not that far because you can hop on 540. It's not as close to RTP as the western parts of Cary. West Lake is a very good school, but it's year round. Amberley is a pretty nice place to live with all the amenities. Lots of retail development going on now too.
Beazer Homes is going to be building on Evans Rd. Just about a quarter mile from W Cary MS.
Don't know the product or price point, and I would assume it will be hard to be <$400,000.
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