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I appreciate your reply; what's your reason or many reasons, to avoid Knightdale? I feel like there are so many benefits and drawbacks to each area, I'm having to decide which is the worst of the best!
Thanks again!
I'll bite. Nothing's wrong with Knightdale in itself. But it doesn't lend itself well to your commute.
Let me frame this. Imagine living in Bowie but commuting each day to Tysons... and having to drive due to no train or (decent) bus options. On a smaller scale, that's Knightdale-to-Morrisville.
I'll bite. Nothing's wrong with Knightdale in itself. But it doesn't lend itself well to your commute.
Let me frame this. Imagine living in Bowie but commuting each day to Tysons... and having to drive due to no train or (decent) bus options. On a smaller scale, that's Knightdale-to-Morrisville.
This - there is just no reason to commute from Knightdale to Morrisville. I have a little familiarity with NoVA and this poster hits the nail on the head. If you walk into your Morrisville office on the first day of work and your new co-workers ask where you live and you say "Knightdale", the first question they will have is "WHY". By the same token no one working in Knightdale would likely choose to live in Morrisville.
There's too many nice places to live here to purposely put yourself in a hellish commute. Drawbacks to each area are generally limited to things like this (bad commute) and plane noise and just generalized bad location areas like backing to a main road and things like that.
Morrisville still retains its small town feel....I know a ton of people who live there and there is good and bad to that small town feel but as a transplant it can make the transition easier.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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Quote:
Originally Posted by papilgee4evaeva
I'll bite. Nothing's wrong with Knightdale in itself. But it doesn't lend itself well to your commute.
Let me frame this. Imagine living in Bowie but commuting each day to Tysons... and having to drive due to no train or (decent) bus options. On a smaller scale, that's Knightdale-to-Morrisville.
There are much shorter commutes to Morrisville than from Knightdale, and you don't have to live as far out from work here in the Triangle to find affordable housing as you do in Northern Virginia. Having said that, a commute from Knightdale to Morrisville will not be anywhere near as far or take nearly as long as a commute from Bowie to Tysons. It would be more akin to a commute from Dale City to Tysons.
In addition to being a longer commute, Knightdale is also a more of a blue-collar town (less highly educated) than Morrisville or Cary. Schools don't have as high of test scores either even though they are in the same school system (it's similar to the spread of schools in Fairfax County). Not that there's anything wrong with it; some prefer it and enjoy it. It is what it is. Demographics-wise, Knightdale would probably be more like Fort Belvoir or Dale City. While Cary or Morrisville would be more like Vienna or Tysons Corner.
There are much shorter commutes to Morrisville than from Knightdale, and you don't have to live as far out from work here in the Triangle to find affordable housing as you do in Northern Virginia. Having said that, a commute from Knightdale to Morrisville will not be anywhere near as far or take nearly as long as a commute from Bowie to Tysons. It would be more akin to a commute from Dale City to Tysons.
Knightdale to Morrisville is 27.1 miles, Bowie to Tysons is 32.1 miles, Dale City to Tysons is 26.7 miles. Going by data and knowing I-95, Dale City-to-Tysons ends up being the worse drive. (source: Google Maps)
Either way, we all agree that the drive is absolutely not worth it.
Quote:
In addition to being a longer commute, Knightdale is also a more of a blue-collar town (less highly educated) than Morrisville or Cary. Schools don't have as high of test scores either even though they are in the same school system (it's similar to the spread of schools in Fairfax County). Not that there's anything wrong with it; some prefer it and enjoy it. It is what it is. Demographics-wise, Knightdale would probably be more like Fort Belvoir or Dale City. While Cary or Morrisville would be more like Vienna or Tysons Corner.
Hope that helps.
This is a good description of the eastern part of the county in general.
I work in Morrisville and just bought a house in Morrisville. Schools are great and the traffic is not bad IF you time your travels well. My commute each day is 8 mins each way. Can't beat that. Your time has value.
I appreciate all of the replies and insight. I especially appreciate all the input provided from others who have come from NoVa.
1. Blue collar isn't an issue for me; I've enjoyed living on Ft. Belvoir and I was raised in a blue collar household. Skilled laborers, academics, senior executives, no preference as long as neighbors are "neighborly."
2. Is there anything wrong with Apex? It just seems like that poor little town has it's praises sung on all types of "where to live with your family in NC" but no one actually says anything about it who is from the area.
3. Thanks for making this transition a little less nerve wracking.
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Location: Cary, NC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NoVaExpat
I appreciate all of the replies and insight. I especially appreciate all the input provided from others who have come from NoVa.
1. Blue collar isn't an issue for me; I've enjoyed living on Ft. Belvoir and I was raised in a blue collar household. Skilled laborers, academics, senior executives, no preference as long as neighbors are "neighborly."
2. Is there anything wrong with Apex? It just seems like that poor little town has it's praises sung on all types of "where to live with your family in NC" but no one actually says anything about it who is from the area.
3. Thanks for making this transition a little less nerve wracking.
Apex?
Nope. Nothing wrong at all.
Just be aware of sprawl, and you can get pretty far down the road and still be in Apex.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeJaquish
Morrisville, Cary, Apex, all work.
However, Cary and Apex are vastly sprawling towns, and you can have a very short commute, or a much longer one.
Your desired lifestyle and your budget will be important details.
Thanks for all of the responses! I'm not interested in a brand new home. I would like something that was built within the last 20 years, if possible. Our other option is to rent for a year or six months then purchase once we learn more about the area.
In the areas being discussed, the lion's share of housing falls into that category, especially in Morrisville.
We traveled down Monday and Tuesday. Are the HOAs as strict as written? Found a lovely home in Greenbrier (Apex) and the guidelines seemed so strict. I'm buying a home and someone can still dictate how tall my vegetable garden grows? Anything that was available in Morrisville (in our price range of 300k) had lots so close together they seemed like townhomes. Any hidden gems or assurances regarding HOAs for those of us who haven't lived with an HOA?
We traveled down Monday and Tuesday. Are the HOAs as strict as written? Found a lovely home in Greenbrier (Apex) and the guidelines seemed so strict. I'm buying a home and someone can still dictate how tall my vegetable garden grows? Anything that was available in Morrisville (in our price range of 300k) had lots so close together they seemed like townhomes. Any hidden gems or assurances regarding HOAs for those of us who haven't lived with an HOA?
Most HOAs can change rules and new officers can replace current ones.
If you can get on the board, you might have leverage to control little "Hitlers" that want to interfere with your right to enjoy your property.
My friend just got one nosy a-hole off his board by getting elected in the jerk's place.
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Nothing's wrong with Knightdale in itself. But it doesn't lend itself well to your commute.
Anything that was available in Morrisville (in our price range of 300k) had lots so close together they seemed like townhomes. Any hidden gems or assurances regarding HOAs for those of us who haven't lived with an HOA?
