knightdale or garner (Raleigh, Durham, Cary: renting, house, safe neighborhood)

[born2fly]

Hi, We are moving down next week to Raliegh from Singapore and we weren't able to check the city out prior to the move. He will be working in Zebulon and we are thinking of renting and then buying in either Knightdale or Garner. Can anyone give me feeback on these cities. What are they like. We are a family of four with two kids. We are looking for a 4 bedroom house. Can you give me info on schools, safety, restaurants, parks,etc. Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[GarnerMama]

I moved from Knightdale to Garner 3 years ago. When we lived in Knightdale, we lived in a more rural area and it was very safe. The neighborhoods I've visited in Knightdale have all been safe. We chose Garner because of the children. Garner is a great plae to raise kids. In my opinion the schools are great. There are people on here that can give you detailed info about the schools and their ratings. Garner has a great parks and rec department with all kinds of activities for kids. I think Garner has more parks that Knightdale. Garner seems to have more of a "community" feel.

Both towns border east Raleigh, which is the less desirable side of town. But I feel safe in both towns. I go out shopping in the evenings with no problem, and don't worry about my safety in general. You shouldn't have a problem finding a nice 4 bedroom home in a safe neighborhood. Good luck with your move!

[born2fly]

thanks for your advice. As you mentioned that garner and knightdale both border e. raleigh and it being not the nicest neighborhood- would you have prefered to live some where else? How about Wake Forest? I think Cary will be too far of a commute for him to Zebulon. I have heard the traffic is quite heavy.

Does anyone have any other recommendations of a good place to live if you work in Zebulon?

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Originally Posted by born2fly

Does anyone have any other recommendations of a good place to live if you work in Zebulon?

I am not very familiar with Zebulon, but I would check it out before you decide you want to live elsewhere. I think your idea of renting is a good one. It will help you get a feel for the area. What type of living situation are you looking for? Do you like more rural or suburban living? What price range are you thinking of? What types of stores and businesses do you want to be near? The answers to questions like this will help you narrow things down. Honestly, since Zebulon is in the opposite direction of RTP and with the new 64 bypass I think you may have multiple options in addition to Garner and Knightdale (not that there is anything wrong with those areas). What kind of commute will you tolerate? If you are looking for a more suburban type of living I think there are certain parts of Cary and North Raleigh that will allow you to get to zebulon within 30 minutes. Wendell may be an option for you as well if you are looking for a more rural lifestyle. Again, price range considerations will help you narrow down the options. Good luck!

[saturnfan]

Zebulon is a good pick if your budget is tight.

[stanleyandjoan]

We just moved to Garner and are loving it. It has a nice small town feel but still has access to good shopping and the freeways which will get you anywhere. There are some areas that look a little run down but I still feel they are safe. Maybe wouldn't hang there on a Saturday night but no area's to avoid. We have three kids and feel it is a great place for them.

[Claire_F]

Why not Zebulon itself? We love it here.

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by Claire_F

Why not Zebulon itself? We love it here.

My wife and I agree 110%!!

[Charlton Dude]

Definitely not Garner. Many not so good areas and our agent states poor schools, which will affect resale.

[born2fly]

Thanks for all the posts. My husband will be doing pharma contract work in Zebulon, but it's possible that he could work in the future in Holly Springs, RTP area and some other place as the Pharmaceutical community is pretty spread out around Raleigh- Durham. We want something central with not a long commute. We just moved from a densely populated city and would like something suburban with good schools, possibly a community with a pool, libraries, etc. I guess the suburban dream. A place that is safe and a house with a good resale value that isn't overpriced. We would like a 3 to 4 bedroom house- 2,000 sqft +. Our budget is 180,000 to 250,000. Can anyone recommend a place that suits these requirements? Also, can anyone recommend a good buyers agent?