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Hi all! I've been browsing the relocation topics here for quite some time, but haven't found a topic that quite encompasses what I'm looking for.
My husband and I, along with our two children are considering moving down to the R/D area next June after I graduate from nursing school. He would be able to transfer his job to downtown Raleigh, and I would most likely wind up at one of the bigger hospitals in the Durham area. What we're looking for is a suburb with the best commute to either place (if there's nothing dead center, a bit shorter for him is more important as he'll have rush hour to deal with daily), very good schools, safe, strong community for newcomers and a decent amount of recreation. Budget will be 200-350k. Any ideas? We're open to both new construction and charming older homes... the in between doesn't hold much interest for us!
The only suburb between Raleigh and Durham would be Morrisville, which would be convenient to both areas. Some parts of Raleigh and Cary are also very convenient to both Durham and Raleigh. We are near the intersection of Edwards Mill Rd. and Trinity Rd., so it's about 2 minutes to hop on I-40. We can be in downtown Raleigh in 15 minutes and south Durham in 20 minutes. Google Maps says Duke hospital is 27 minutes. Check out zip code 27607 which encompasses west Raleigh some unincorporated area between Cary and Raleigh (but will be annexed fairly soon by the town of Cary...no city taxes right now, though.) Really, anywhere near I-40 in east Cary or West Raleigh will get you to Duke in under 30 minutes.
Budget could be a bit higher depending on if/what we get for our current home... the market is so all over the place that we could come out with $0-$50k in equity... So, to be safe, we're assuming nothing and price range based on the 1 guaranteed salary.
You may not realize that you also have WakeMed in Raleigh, WakeMed in Cary, Rex Hospital in Raleigh, and Duke-Raleigh Hospital (which is now in the duke health system but is a smaller community hospital compared to the larger Duke University hospital). Rex Hospital is aligned with UNC. WakeMed is its own thing with WakeMed North campus, WakeMed Cary Hospital, Main campus at New Bern in Raleigh & others in the region.
If you live in Cary or Morrisville, you are pretty centrally located to Durham, Chapel Hill and Raleigh.
Thanks for the starting point! Any particular neighborhoods to consider and/or stay away from?
I'm really bad with remembering subdivision names. I am familiar with Medfield Estates, which is off Trinity near Chapel Hill Rd, because we've been looking there ourselves. It's a neighborhood with older 60's homes as well as newer homes. It's a beautiful area, but the neighborhood doesn't have an HOA and there are no restrictive covenants, so it might not be for you. It's mostly well-kept, with the occasional scraggly yard. There is also a community swim/tennis club that is optional. The lots are large, some with over an acre or two. There are still lots that haven't been built on, but they are privately owned and none are for sale right now.
You can also consider the northwest area of Raleigh. Lived there for 4 years while commuting to Duke and husband was commuting to Cary. It was 20 min for him (about the same time to DT Raleigh) and 25 min for me. We lived right near the Leesville Schools area and really liked it.
You could also look in west Raleigh, just outside the Beltline and close to Rex Hospital.
And WeLuvNC makes a good point about the hospitals in Raleigh - we have 3 in Raleigh and they are pretty major!
Thanks everyone! I think I'll start map-searching areas rather than city searching.
Question - the Wake County school situation (groan, I know) is so darn confusing. Are the districts assigned as the closest ones to you now? Are they set to change again soon? I never know whether or not to trust the districts listed on realtor dot com...
Also, to those who are asking - I'm not set on working in Durham at all... (unless I managed to get in the VA) I'd much rather work at, say, WakeMed in Cary- but the market for new grad nurses is not what it once was and Duke is really the only hospital I've seen actively recruiting for them.
I live in Morrisville and it cannot be beaten for access to both Raleigh and Durham. We do as much in downtown Durham as Raleigh. Same distance to Crabtree as Southpoint, etc etc. plenty of houses in the 250-350 range there.
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