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When we planned our move to NC we crossed Durham off of our list due to schools and crime. I know a lot of people love Durham but it just was not for us.
My husband actually grew up there (and still has family there) and is shocked at how bad the crime is. Sure you can find a nice home in a somewhat safe neighborhood but then you have to drive through pockets of really bad areas. And the bad areas keep spreading and bringing their crime to the nicer areas.
We finally settled in the north Raleigh area (north of 540 west of Capital Blvd) and have been very happy here. We are also a multiracial family so we did want an area with some diversity.
I'm intrigued by this point as it would appear that the opposite is actually happening but obviously everyone will have their own perspective.
High-crime area of Durham seems to increasingly be concentrated in an eastern pocket of the city. SW Durham is and has always been a very nice family area; DT Durham is booming, and even SE Durham is starting to develop more nicely in the past 10 years or so. North Durham is basically blue collar/rural.
Agree with others that it's hard to think of an area in the Triangle that a multi-racial family wouldn't feel welcomed. Then again my family is white as can be so my perspective is likely not the same as someone in a multi-racial family.
MacGregor Downs.
Lochmere
Brookhaven in Raleigh.
Yeah, the popularity of .15 acres or less makes it a challenge.
I also wish that we had more design that was appropriate for the site, rather than "Donald Trump Combover" architecture of false facades and crapola, with nothing interesting on the other three sides.
I used to drive through MacGregor on my way to work and it can be interesting to wonder what will come next as far as housing styles, but then every once in a while you get a truly ugly house....and now people are tearing them down which I guarantee will not help.
My old town in NY was filled with lovely old houses and people moved in and started doing tear downs and rebuilding them with questionable design elements given the history and reputation of the town. There was one house about a mile from mine that everyone called the Taco Bell house. That's exactly what it looked like, except it was pink stucco. Or more likely, fucco.
Then there was the teardown on my street that was rebuilt with every design element you can think of that was hot 10 years ago - and that was just on the outside. No theme, no thought, just "this is in style so stick it on the house". It replaced a lovely craftsman. Oh well.
MacGregor Downs.
Lochmere
Brookhaven in Raleigh.
Yeah, the popularity of .15 acres or less makes it a challenge.
I also wish that we had more design that was appropriate for the site, rather than "Donald Trump Combover" architecture of false facades and crapola, with nothing interesting on the other three sides.
All of those have larger lots, though.
And they're lovely. Well, I like MacGregor best because it's aged enough that you have everything from original properties to originals with additions, to heavy remodels, to teardown-rebuilds, to new construction on empty lots out there.
So much variety, and big lots.
On tiny lots, that would not work.
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Not sure where in RTP but I'd put north Raleigh on your list. West of capital blvd and near 540 puts you to RTP in 25 mins max. Maybe longer if there's a wreck. Lots of nice neighborhoods with pools. Given your criteria you may like an area like Falls Riverbut it may also be too cookie cutter and not wooded enough. Stone bridge and Harrington grove come to mind but not sure what prices in those have done lately. Most north Raleigh schools are great. Some are year round so not sure your feelings on that.
I would include North Raleigh in your search. The general area bounded by I-440 and I-540, west of Six Forks and east of Leesville will provide you with a good selection - Stonehenge, Westlake, Greystone, Springdale, and a lot more. North of I-540 is Stonebridge, Byrum Woods, Black Horse Run, Saddlebridge, etc.. All are established neighborhoods, will have larger wooded lots (~1 acre north of I-540, typically closer to 1/3 to 1/2 acre south of I-540), good schools, and a reasonably short commute to RTP (15-25 minutes, depending on where you live and where in RTP you are working).
sounds like you might like chapel hill. Most older neighborhoods built before the 90s don't have hoas and you can have firepit and whatever else you want in your backyard. You should be able to find a home in an older non-cookie cutter neighborhood for $400k. Families of all races and backgrounds welcome. Great schools. There are club pools that you can join in chapel hill that aren't necessarily neighborhood pools. Some are like heritage hills and some aren't like exchange pool. Check out the summer swim league in chapel hill for more info on pools that participate in that: www.chapelhillsummerswimleague.com/
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