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Hi, this is aDad's wife. You all on City Data are amazing. My husband showed me the responses to my his posts and we have learned so much and gotten such great feedback. We are moving next month due to DH's job transer and viewing properties online. Can anyone let us know about the Kensington Meadows neighborhood in south Raleigh? Is South Raleigh nice?...The homes we are looking at are off Franklinton Rd. We like some homes in Clayton too, but this area off Franklinton is closer to DH's workplace.
I really like Wake Forest, but having a hard time finding a property...most are rented out when I call.
South Raleigh...I would avoid. We bought in Tryon Pines off Tryon Road just past lake wheeler in 2002. Not a very wise decision on our part. You can get a really nice new home for a much more affordable price than in areas further west or south of there; but IMO you get what you pay for. We ended up selling 3 years later for slightly less than we paid (this being in the height of the housing boom!) and renting in Apex just to get out of there quick! (our kids were assigned to Apex Schools eventhough we were in the 27603 zip code in Raleigh). I'm not sure if this is near the area you are looking at as I have never heard of that neighborhood or Franklinton Road....but we did not think that area of Raleigh was good for our family, there was gang activity.
Thank you ImInformed2. I used mapquest and saw that the area I am looking at is about 12 miles directly south from the home you purchased and now sold. Is there gang activity in that area too? The home I am looking at online in on an acre lot and it seems pretty "country." with most homes spread apart.
I really hope this area is ok...having a hard time finding a nice rental on a spacious lot that's doesn't come with a mortgage type payment. Want to buy our own home next year.
Thank you ImInformed2. I used mapquest and saw that the area I am looking at is about 12 miles directly south from the home you purchased and now sold.
Hi aDad's wife. . . . can you please be a little more specific with the area that you are referring to?
In your original post, you say that you are looking at houses in south Raleigh, off of Fayetteville Rd (401). The southern border of the Raleigh city limits is Tryon Rd. A little south of Tryon Rd is the intersection of Fayetteville Rd and US Hwy 70. This marks the northwest tip of the city of Garner.
As you head farther south on Fayetteville Rd, you enter unincorporated Wake county. No city "owns" this land. This continues all the way down to Fuquay Varina. When I'minformed2 mentioned living at Tryon Pines, this is actually in south Raleigh, on Tryon Rd, between Lake Wheeler Rd and Fayetteville Rd.
However, you then say that the houses you are looking at are 12 miles directly south of this neighborhood. Well, 12 miles south would be Fuquay Varina, which is a long way from south Raleigh. I live about 8 miles south the Raleigh city border, so maybe I can help, but I'm confused about where you are looking. I'm unsure where the Kensington Meadows neighborhood is.
The 27603 zip code mailing address is Raleigh, but most if not all of it is the unincorporated part of Wake County - some parts of the zip code are closer to Garner, others are closer to Fuquay. There are some really nice subdivisions in the area, as well as more modest neighborhoods, mixed with older homes/farms - a real hodge podge, really. You'll have $500,000 homes and run-down trailers both nearby. I think of it as a safe area.
I just looked up the neighborhood, and it is off of Banks Road, very near Fuquay Varina. There's a new elementary school opening up off of Banks next year, which my daughter will probably attend (we live in Fuquay).
It is defintely a rural area in transition (more subdivisions popping up in a variety of price ranges, albeit pretty slowly in the current economy). I wouldn't consider it south Raleigh - it's very different from the areas off of Tryon described above. Although the address is Raleigh, I'd read threads about Willow Springs for more info - this specific neighborhood is close to Willow Springs, and similar in it's feel, I think.
OK. Now I see where Kensington Meadows is. It is about 4 miles from my house and I actually rented a truck from a U-Haul dealer right at Banks @ 401 this fall. I did not venture farther down Banks Rd to this subdivision though, so I can't comment on the subdivision itself. If you look up this area on Google Maps, you can use the "street view" feature to get more detail.
So. . . .that means you would probably be doing your grocery shopping at Harris Teeter or Food Lion right there at the intersection of Ten-Ten and 401. There is also a Hardees, McDonalds, Wendy's, and a few other fast food restaurants. There is also a Dollar Store, Auto Zone, and a few other service type businesses. Don't expect any malls or nice restaurants nearby. I'm thinking that the closest "nice" restaurant will be at Eagle Ridge golf course. A benefit is that you would be about 2 miles from Wake Tech's main campus, so if you are considering going to community college, this would be a perfect location.
As FVmommy has said, this area is a mix of housing types. My neighborhood is across the street from a new $600K+ subdivision, but is mainly surrounded by small farms. You will see old farmhouses, mobile home parks, and some apartments due to the proximity to the Wake Tech campus.
I would consider this neighborhood closer to Fuquay Varina than Raleigh, and as such, I would pay more attention to posts on this forum that talk about Fuquay Varina and Willow Springs. I can tell you that I feel very safe in this area. My house is less than 1/2 mile to the closest fire station. I have accidentally left my garage door open all night and found nothing missing the next morning. The drawback is that we are 15-20 minutes from the nicer restaurants and shopping of Raleigh and Cary.
Thank you, NewUser for informing me about city limits and the unimcorporated area of Wake County that I am speaking of. I presently live in Poway, California so I try to get a feel for the area from this forum together with aerial and online street views. I was in the area last month to check things out so I am a tiny bit familiar with how the city is laid out.
I don't think we will mind living in a "rural area in transition", just as long as a grocery store is nearby. I actually thought to myself while passing by farms and small rural areas, "I'd love to live here." While in Raleigh I did come across a shopping plaza (I think I saw Michaels) that looked very new, plus a mall that also looked very new (Macys was there). I can't say exactly where it was because I was just driving around and just know that I was North of Raleigh, having come from Wake Forest and getting close to the airport. I saw every store I have here and a lot of chain restaurants.
I found a music school I want my children to take lessons at and that is in Clayton. I think the neighborhood I am viewing would be close by to that area also, so this may work. I am going to take FVMommy's advice and look up other forums regarding Fuquay Varina and Willow Springs.
By the way, when in Raleigh, everyone I came across was very friendly and helpful. Didn't run across any unkind person. I felt comfortable right away and my family and I are looking forward to our move next month.
Thank you again for all your help. You have all been very helpful in helping my husband and decide where to live our first year...we're still deciding, but alot closer to our decision. I truly appreciate everyone taking time to help me, a complete stranger. Thanks!!! Have a wonderful day!
aDad's wife
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