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Spent a few days driving around last year, and now my wife and I are looking around again in a few weeks. I used Neighborhood Scout this time to start, and here are the top 13 results. Since we have no local knowledge at all, any comments or suggestions (wish list below) would be most welcome...
1 Cary, NC (Wakehurst Dr / Wedgemere St)
2 Raleigh, NC (Sycamore Rd / Leesville Rd)
3 Raleigh, NC (Falls Of Neuse Rd / Haymarket Ln)
4 Cary, NC (Swiss Lake Dr / Bond Lake Dr)
5 Cary, NC (Modena Dr / Giverny Pl)
6 Cary, NC (Jenks Carpenter Rd / High House Rd)
7 Durham, NC (Blands)
8 Morrisville, NC (Route 55 / Good Hope Church Rd)
9 Cary, NC (Upchurch)
10 Carrboro, NC (Hillsborough Rd / N Greensboro St)
11 Cary, NC (High House Rd / Davis Dr)
12 Apex, NC (Silky Dogwood Trl / White Dogwood Rd)
13 Chapel Hill, NC (Drew Hill Ln / Old Sterling Dr)
From an earlier post, our basic wish list: We're open to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill et al. Are there truly walkable neighborhoods where we can buy a nice, small (1800 sf plus or minus), move-in ready 3/2 for $300K or less? By walkable we mean easy walking or biking distance to restaurants, coffee shops, shopping and/or library. We currently live in a classic suburb where we have to jump in a car for absolutely everything, and don't want that situation again. Would prefer a small lot and high energy efficient features would be desirable (which probably means newer construction). Looking forward to the trip, and hope to make good use of the time...
Keep in mind that North Raleigh has always been somewhat suburban.
Cary WAS just the bedroom community to Raleigh and as it expanded, it pushed into Apex.
So...walkability seems to be a new "want" for buyer and many neighborhoods have shopping within the n'hood (Bedford, Falls River, for example).
Having explained all that, your best bet would be a larger neighborhood with shopping within biking/walking distance. That shouldn't be a problem finding in your price point.
1 Cary, NC (Wakehurst Dr / Wedgemere St) This is the Devereaux subdivision if I'm not mistaken - very nice area. Park Village is right across Jenks Carpenter, nice subdivision, big, swim team, Davis Drive schools. Devereaux is Salem schools I think.
4 Cary, NC (Swiss Lake Dr / Bond Lake Dr) Can't go wrong living near Bond Park.
5 Cary, NC (Modena Dr / Giverny Pl) Nice area, other side of Davis Drive from Park Village - not sure about under $300K
6 Cary, NC (Jenks Carpenter Rd / High House Rd) Wellsley/Upchurch Farms - not under $300K
8 Morrisville, NC (Route 55 / Good Hope Church Rd) This probably puts you around Carpenter Village - nice if you can get in under $300K
9 Cary, NC (Upchurch) Upchurch Farms? The Wellsely/Berkely/Somerset subdivisions? You won't get in under $300K.
11 Cary, NC (High House Rd / Davis Dr) Again, Wellsley, and the subdivisions around #5 above.
12 Apex, NC (Silky Dogwood Trl / White Dogwood Rd) Dogwood Ridge subdivision, very nice - not sure about sub-$300K housing but Pearson Farms is right next door - you can get in there $200K and they share a pool and swim team with Dogwood Ridge. Good solid area. "Meh" on the walkability. Technically you can walk to downtown Apex, but it's a hike.
The area around Davis Drive is pretty walkable to Stone Creek Village. Park Village is a little farther afield but if you like to walk you won't mind.
No offense but this is a very bizarre way to look for houses. I'm DM'ing you a nice website that will help you.
Your #10 in Carrboro could be very walkable, depending on where on Hillsborough you're talking about. North g-boro is very walkable IMO. You know you can just use google maps to zoom in and look at exactly how walkable all these areas are. Just pull the little yellow man down for street view and you can take your own virtual walk.
I think Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill/Carrboro are pretty different from each other, so in addition to walkability I'd look closer into which community is a better fit for your family.
I think you have poor to fair walkability in many/most of your selection.
If you drove Modena and Giverny, you were within 200 feet of me, and I can tell you, we don't walk to anything.
Walk Score is very low.
I live within l/2 mile of about 4 shopping centers but I'm not a walker! Besides, when I go to the grocery store, I do not intend to walk home carrying 6 bags of groceries!!! I "could" walk to Starbucks or quite a few other restaurants but I don't wanna!!!
Spent a few days driving around last year, and now my wife and I are looking around again in a few weeks. I used Neighborhood Scout this time to start, and here are the top 13 results. Since we have no local knowledge at all, any comments or suggestions (wish list below) would be most welcome...
1 Cary, NC (Wakehurst Dr / Wedgemere St)
2 Raleigh, NC (Sycamore Rd / Leesville Rd)
3 Raleigh, NC (Falls Of Neuse Rd / Haymarket Ln)
4 Cary, NC (Swiss Lake Dr / Bond Lake Dr)
5 Cary, NC (Modena Dr / Giverny Pl)
6 Cary, NC (Jenks Carpenter Rd / High House Rd)
7 Durham, NC (Blands)
8 Morrisville, NC (Route 55 / Good Hope Church Rd)
9 Cary, NC (Upchurch)
10 Carrboro, NC (Hillsborough Rd / N Greensboro St)
11 Cary, NC (High House Rd / Davis Dr)
12 Apex, NC (Silky Dogwood Trl / White Dogwood Rd)
13 Chapel Hill, NC (Drew Hill Ln / Old Sterling Dr)
From an earlier post, our basic wish list: We're open to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill et al. Are there truly walkable neighborhoods where we can buy a nice, small (1800 sf plus or minus), move-in ready 3/2 for $300K or less? By walkable we mean easy walking or biking distance to restaurants, coffee shops, shopping and/or library. We currently live in a classic suburb where we have to jump in a car for absolutely everything, and don't want that situation again. Would prefer a small lot and high energy efficient features would be desirable (which probably means newer construction). Looking forward to the trip, and hope to make good use of the time...
Most of the above houses are in good neighborhoods, family oriented with great schools, but Suburban. I can't think of anything useful that one can walk to from there.
I think you have poor to fair walkability in many/most of your selection.
If you drove Modena and Giverny, you were within 200 feet of me, and I can tell you, we don't walk to anything.
Walk Score is very low.
Oh come on Mike - the kids from Davis Drive Middle walk to Stone Creek all the time and that's farther from you! Get out there, man!
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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It's not on your list, and I don't know where you are commuting to, but I'll throw it out there since you have a variety of places listed. How about Hillsborough? If you live in the downtown area, you could walk to lots of places - restaurants, library, farmer's market, stores, etc. It's a quaint, historic town with a downtown center. I'm not sure of the price points, but it may be worth looking into.
Oh come on Mike - the kids from Davis Drive Middle walk to Stone Creek all the time and that's farther from you! Get out there, man!
LOL
It takes me more than a mile to get to Davis Drive through MacArthur Park...
And I gotta worry about getting mugged by some middle schooler? No thanks...
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