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I have to chuckle at the people saying it is long commute from Chapel Hill to Raleigh, when half the board seems to think nothing of commuting from wake forest, clayton or fuquay to RTP.
Raleigh would be a further commute than I'd like, but we could get from 3 miles west of Carrboro off of NC-54 to the spillway on Falls of the neuse in under 45 min. The commute to Durham or RTP is as short as 10 min depending on where in chapel hill you are located.
I have to chuckle at the people saying it is long commute from Chapel Hill to Raleigh, when half the board seems to think nothing of commuting from wake forest, clayton or fuquay to RTP.
Raleigh would be a further commute than I'd like, but we could get from 3 miles west of Carrboro off of NC-54 to the spillway on Falls of the neuse in under 45 min. The commute to Durham or RTP is as short as 10 min depending on where in chapel hill you are located.
It's not a 'long' commute...but I just wouldn't count on it being 35 mintues or under to North Raleigh or Wake Forest for example.
Even areas that are closer are going to have their days where traffic is horrid. For example, I can make from WF to RTP in 35 minutes....except on Thursdays for some reason. Takes me 45 at least. (I figure some big company in RTP has flex time workers that have to be in the office Thursday morning or something.)
When I had to commute from Chapel Hill to NC State, I lived not far from Southern Village and actually took Farrington Rd down to 64, which turns into Tryon Rd over in Raleigh. The drive wasn't short (maybe 45-55 minutes), but the scenery as I drove over Jordan Lake at sunrise and sunset made it worthwhile. It's possible to do it- heck, I commuted for some time from where I live now, west of Carrboro, to Raleigh, but it's not for everyone.
I know there's a park and ride on Eubanks Rd. in Chapel Hill where one can hop on a TTA to Raleigh.
can any one recomend a good realtor who would drive me around the triangle so i can decide where to relocate to cary wake chapel hill or raleigh durham
My husband has heard about the Preserve at Jordan lake. I believe it is in Chatham. It looks like you get alot for your money there, beautiful homes with nice lots. Yet it doesn't seem as desireable as Chapel Hill. Any opinions about the pros cons.
Hi Lisa,
I love the Preserve at Jordan Lake(esp if you like golf). What makes you say it doesn't seem as desirable as other parts of Chapel Hill?
Lisa,
I live in Chapel Hill and for a while worked in Downtown Raleigh. I rarely had problems with the traffic.
Chapel Hill is a very desirable place to live in the Triangle and the real estate shows that. It is more expensive in Chapel Hill than other parts of the Triangle. Appreciation is also very good. There is still construction in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro School District, but most of it is $900,000 and above- but not all of it. There is a new mixed use neighborhood There are many neighborhoods in your price range. Given that the schools are so highly rated, lots of families move here. There are lots of walkable communities and there are free, safe city buses. Many people come to UNC and never leave or they come back when they retire. There is a very high percentage of the population that is educated. Education is revered in this university town. You may find carpenters with PHD's.
I am a realtor and I have sold homes all over the Triangle. People move to Chapel Hill from all over the world without jobs - I did in 2000. They pick the community and then make the job work. Then there are people that choose to live in other places in the Triangle because you can get more house for your money, but the not the "village community" of Chapel Hill.
I have never regretted my move here. I live in Meadowmont which is one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Chapel Hill. It is 2 miles from I-40.
Lots of people that live here work in other places, but many people never leave Chapel Hill to go to Raleigh or Cary - they may travel all over the world, but they have everything that they need in this open, welcoming home town.
What else do you need to know?
I could go on and on.
I would say the Preserve is less expensive both b/c it is not in the Chapel Hill school district and b/c it's quite a drive to Chapel Hill...you would have the address, but you may as well be living out in Chatham County somewhere--you'd be just as close to the actual town. That said, it's very pretty out there so if you like being out of town a bit, it could be a nice choice....I am not sure what private schools kids there go to--they all seem like quite a hike from there.
I wouldn't really agree that Meadowmont is one of the "most desireable" neighborhoods either. What I would say is that there are many different types of neighborhoods and you just need to figure out what you like best. If you like new construction on small lots with the same setback and basically no old-growth trees, but a small walkable downtown, lots of kids around...then you might love Meadowmont (plenty of people do!). Personally I can't stand that type of community--no character at all in my opinion. We drove into it with the realtor and told her to call and cancel our appointment--no way were we living in there, but that's because we wanted an older home (meaning pre-cookie cutter days) with a larger lot (we now have 2 acres right in the middle of Chapel Hill), with lots of old growth trees....just as desireable, but for a different clientele than the Meadowmont crowd.
Chapel Hill is great, and there are many types of neighborhoods to choose from--whatever your taste, you can probably find it!
Yes, New Yorkers and everyone else are welcomed here. I'm not from NC and have found people to be very friendly (just as they have been in every state I've ever lived in). Chapel Hill has MANY people not only from all over the US, but from all over the world. It's a very international community and very tolerant.
I appreciate everyone's feedback. We currently live in a big house on 2 acres and while is it a beautiful "New England" country feel - we do feel somewhat isolated. There is no neighborhood - family community type feel because you can barely see a house next to you. We loved it when we moved here and it is unbelievably serene and beautiful - but we want more of a family community feel. We previously lived in a townhouse community where you were right on top of your neighbors and virtually no land. Now we are looking for something in between - especially since we have a small child. So, the idea of Lake Jordan or Chatham with all it has to offer and the beauty- would not be for us. We definitely want a neighborhood-family friendly feel and prefer a community with somewhere for 1/4 -3/4 acre - but not more than that.
I appreciate everyone's feedback. We currently live in a big house on 2 acres and while is it a beautiful "New England" country feel - we do feel somewhat isolated. There is no neighborhood - family community type feel because you can barely see a house next to you. We loved it when we moved here and it is unbelievably serene and beautiful - but we want more of a family community feel. We previously lived in a townhouse community where you were right on top of your neighbors and virtually no land. Now we are looking for something in between - especially since we have a small child. So, the idea of Lake Jordan or Chatham with all it has to offer and the beauty- would not be for us. We definitely want a neighborhood-family friendly feel and prefer a community with somewhere for 1/4 -3/4 acre - but not more than that.
If you are not afraid of older houses (60's-70's) you might like the Lake Forest area surrounding it. Big lots for in town, alot over half an acre, tons of trees and woods, walking distance to the elementary school, great neighborhoods with alot of kids.
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