Comparing outlying areas of Raleigh - Cary vs Wake F vs Clayton (etc etc) (Durham: real estate, chapel)

[joey2000]

Opinions on what's good, bad, better or best in the outer areas" of Raleigh highly appreciated - I have seen some people's opinion in the big "worst towns" thread but would appreciate more info on these areas specifically from those who have lived there, as I might be moving to one of them but clueless as to which might be better in terms of "good" neighborhoods (people take care of their yards/homes, the streets aren't trashy, people more or less behave themselves, relatively quiet, etc and so on...).

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Originally Posted by bill545

Opinions on what's good, bad, better or best in the outer areas" of Raleigh highly appreciated - I have seen some people's opinion in the big "worst towns" thread but would appreciate more info on these areas specifically from those who have lived there, as I might be moving to one of them but clueless as to which might be better in terms of "good" neighborhoods (people take care of their yards/homes, the streets aren't trashy, people more or less behave themselves, relatively quiet, etc and so on...).

Based on your criteria listed above I would rate all three as equals. I think all three have nice people who take care of their property and behave themselves.

However, it is the amenities, stores, dining, entertainment options ect .... that set them apart in my mind. Also depending on where you work one location may be superior to the others in terms of commute.

[slynn41072]

Originally Posted by North_Raleigh_Guy

Based on your criteria listed above I would rate all three as equals. I think all three have nice people who take care of their property and behave themselves.

However, it is the amenities, stores, dining, entertainment options ect .... that set them apart in my mind. Also depending on where you work one location may be superior to the others in terms of commute.

I totally agree.

[Funky Chicken]

I don't think anyone who lives in any of the three towns you mention (Cary, Wake Forest, Clayton) and is happy there would be happy in either of the other two.
They are at opposite ends of the universe from a commuting perspective-a reasonable commute from any one would be an awful commute from the other two.
They certainly are different demographically, although Cary and Wake Forest are more similar to each other than either of those is to Clayton.
They certainly are very different in terms of size and town-managed resources.
As far as your concerns about yard/home maintenance and the like, that's probably more a function of neighborhood selection than municipality selection-this goes back to my point about people identifying with their subdivision and its place in the pecking order than the particular town they happen to pay taxes to. There are nicer and less nice neighborhoods in all three towns, and pride in ownership is not really tied directly to price-you would be surprised at the condition of some of the yards in some $500k neighborhoods.

[joey2000]

Thx very much to all.

FC, can you elaborate some more on the differences, eg demographically, convenience/degree of shopping avail etc?

Oh and re the commute, should not be a factor as I plan to telecommute. About how far is Clayton from most RTP popular areas OTHER than downtowns (eg parks, big malls etc)? No not a big shopper, but still prefer not to be too far out from some reasonable degree of "civilization."

[1966]

Bill,
I have a friend that lives in Riverwood in Clayton, which is off of 64, 264, 540 about 6 miles and it took him if I remember correctly 50 min to rtp. It takes about 18 min. to Triangle Town Mall. about 12 min. to White Oak shopping center in Garner. I feel we are close to everything you need and not to far from things you want. Clayton is growing rapidly and we also have some good restaurants. Schools are great people are friendly and there is a real sense of community. I've lived here going on three years, its all in what your looking for. It is much more rural than cary or wake forest but thats why I chose this area. The locals have lived here for ever and I've never felt unwelcomed by them I even have some of the southerners greeting me with a kiss on the cheek. Good luck with your move.

[joey2000]

Thank you very much, that's also very helpful!

Other thoughts of course appreciated more the merrier

[ferrickhead28]

Well, I lived in Raleigh all my life until last year when I moved to Clayton. Maybe I can help a little!

Cary: I do like Cary, dont get me wrong. I did glance around Cary when I was looking to move. I worked there a few times growing up and to me, the houses were way out of my price range. I also dont like the "rules" they have their (2 dog limit, strict rules about signs, etc). Its a very "formal" town. They do take EXCELLENT care of making it look nice (I dont blame them for the signs really) but it is a bit pricey. We lived in Apex for about a year and it was a bit more affordable than Cary.

Wake Forest: I remember when WF was a one-stop light town. It was alot of country, lots of farm lands and a lot of trailers. This was a long time ago. Now, I dont even recognize the place! Lots of shopping centers, new housing developments, etc. It has done a complete 180. I remember when the hype back then was that Wake Forest was goign to be the next "Cary". I laughed. People rushed to buy houses but I snickered. (They bought the houses cheap in other words). Now, I bite my tongue.
It really is quite nice! Its kind of "out there" as far as location, but it is easily accessible. Beautiful town.

Clayton: This is where I moved to! I love it. When we were looking around, I was just shocked on how nice the folks were. Everyone smiling, waving, very polite. It used to be all country back in the day, worse than Wake Forest (IMO). Now its very well built, extremely nice houses, very affordable. Taxes are cheaper, the houses are cheaper, food/gas is cheaper. I love it. When I lived in Raleigh working in RTP, it took me about 20-25 minutes to get to work. I lived in an older home, built back in the 70s. Now, I live in Clayton, in a brand new house twice the size of my old one and its alot less than what my old house sold for. I drive an extra 20 minutes to work but the house I bought now would probably be twice the price in Raleigh.

In my opinion, your best bet is to drive around each town. Check out the pictures we have here on this board. You'll know which one is right for you once you drive through it.

You really cant go wrong with any of them, they are all very nice!

Good luck!

[Dire Wolf]

Of the 3, Cary is a little unique. While it may technically be "outer" to Raleigh like the other 2, it is also effectively outer to Durham, too, and very close to RTP. In a lot of ways, Cary is a very central location in the Triangle, whereas the other two definitely feel like the outskirts.

[Funky Chicken]

I agree with DW. Cary is the bullseye geographically-it's central to all that the Triangle has to offer. That's part of the reason that Cary real estate is pricier than elsewhere.
If I am in Clayton and I want to get to shopping/dining/entertainment outside Clayton, I need to drive west towards Raleigh or alternately east towards Smithfield.
If I am in Wake Forest and I want to get to shopping/dining/entertainment outside Wake Forest, I have to drive south on Capital toward Raleigh.
If I am in Cary and want to do the same thing, I can travel in pretty much any direction and find what I need or want. When we lived in West Cary, we were 20 minutes or less from ANY of the following commercial areas-
Southpoint Mall-Durham
Crabtree Valley Mall-Raleigh
Brier Creek-West Raleigh
Beaver Creek-Apex
Crossroads/Cary Towne Center-Cary
Another 10 minutes and we could be at the north end of Capital Blvd or in downtown Chapel Hill or at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Again-this is not a knock on Wake Forest or Clayton, but simply an attempt to illustrate the differences between living in the three towns on a day-to-day basis.