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We just moved to Apex about a month ago. I love our new neighborhood! There are lots of friendly people and tons of kids. Meeting our new neighbors has been super easy and everyone seems really cool.
I'm 20 minutes from my job near DT Raleigh (25 if the traffic on 1 get bad...lol) and my wife is 20 minutes to her job in RTP, although she leaves very early, but taking NC-540 would be 20 minutes regardless, since there is never any traffic on it at all. Parts of Apex are actually a lot more centrally located than most people think, since DT Raleigh, the middle of RTP and the Southpoint area of Durham are all an easy 20 minute drive from my house. While the tolls would cost my wife $75 a month to use 540 to 147, she probably saves half of that in gas and she now averages about 4 miles per gallon more than if she took rt. 55. So for $35-40 a month to use the toll rd, she saves countless hours and never has to deal with any traffic what-so-ever, which IMO is well worth the cost for now.
I can't find the actual crime rate stats, although I have seen an article stating that Apex was one of the 3 lowest crime rate percentages out of any municipality in NC. The Poverty rate is only 2.9% (compared to Wake Forest @ 8.5%) according to Census Quick Facts. The poverty rate and crime rate usually correlate with each other, so a very low crime rate in Apex would make sense.
I'm sure Wake Forest is a great town, but in Apex we're closer to both DT Raleigh, Cary, RTP and Southpoint.
City data crime index lists Apex at 142.0 with 319.6 being US average (higher number =more crime). Wake forest is listed at 180.3
I like Apex a lot too. It grows on you. If and when I purchase a house in the Triangle, it will most likely be in Apex. Though I must say things are changing so fast down here, that Holly Springs and even F-V could be the next "Apex" in feel in the next few years.
Most confusing part of Apex: how on God's green earth does Hwy 55 run east to west?! Its clearly north and south. I'm still confused by the roads here! One minute I'm on 540 for free and then its 540 toll! Still its a great place to live.
Not sure if this has been mentioned, but this Saturday (May 4th) they will have "Apex Peak Fest" along Salem Street all day in downtown Apex. Music / Food / amd lots of stuff for kids. I think there may even be a few food trucks there.
CJJ38: drop me an email at bonniegallant@ comcast.net and I would be happy to give you her name and contact information. She is great!
Seems like many of the realtors down here do it all. Apt hunting, relocation guides, one even took my resume to help me find jobs. They're kind of like a personal relocation guru that you can call on through each phase- relocation, apt, job and then eventually a house purchase. I was surprised by that.
Apex is a gem within the triangle area. The only suburban town that still really holds that small town charm. Wake Forest is a close second but it is pretty far out; whereas "the peak of good living" is centrally located within the Triangle.
I have found Apex charming too. I have found Hillsborough, Pittsboro and even Fuquay Varina to be pretty nice too. This area has more old fashioned downtowns than I previously thought (compared to Upstate where they are everywhere). NY still has more but NC holds its own. I'd add Wake Forest and Holly Springs to the small (very small) but decent old fashioned area downtown.
You really have to seek it out though, here. The huge sprawling shopping centers like Beaver Creek Commons, as nice as they are, really overshadow the small downtowns here.
It's nice to get different people' s opinions. Our plan is to rent our first year in Apex, continuing to explore other surrounding areas. It's all new to us do it will be fun to do this. We are pretty outgoing so we are hoping to meet people pretty readily. We'll see what happens! I also plan to become involved in some community stuff so that should help as well. Looking forward to our move. Big change and adjustment ahead but I think we are up for it!
About ten years ago on Ten-Ten in Apex, I drug addict got INTO MY CAR and asked for money. I had my 18 month old baby in the car with me!! I've never cared much for Apex since then. But like someone else said, maybe things have changed over the years.
City data crime index lists Apex at 142.0 with 319.6 being US average (higher number =more crime). Wake forest is listed at 180.3
Yep. I think the OP was just unlucky when they chose their neighborhood in Apex and conversely lucky when they did so in Wake Forest. There are certainly more places in Wake Forest that I would feel unsafe buying a home than in Apex, thought it's by a small margin and neither of them are really *that* bad or dangerous.
I have lived in Apex for 13 years (across from Beaver Creek Shopping) and love it here. Here are some of my opinions based on what's important to my family. I hope I don't offend anyone, that's not my intent.
1) Shopping - When I first moved here, there was no shopping. Then Beaver Creek Shopping Center came and it provided all the shopping I needed. Also, Crossroads is only 10 minutes away but I never need to go to Crossroads. Plus Beaver Creek has tons of space to expand.
2) Environment - Apex really gives me a suburban feel but yet Apex downtown also provides the small town charm. They hold events there, for example Peak Fest is this weekend, it will be packed! In comparison, I don't find Cary downtown as charming nor accessible esp if you live in West Cary. It doesn't seem as vibrant.
3) Location - Apex (again based on where I live) has easy direct access to Downtown Raleigh and Inner Beltline by taking HW 64. We go to downtown Raleigh a lot for events. It would actually take us longer if we lived in say West Cary or parts of North Raleigh. Apex used to be far from RTP, but now with the 540 Tollway open, that solves that problem, albeit you have to pay for toll (the only negative). I agree Holly Springs and FV are growing fast and could be the next Apex, but they are even farther south and less accessible. 540 Tollway does help Holly Springs, but not sure about FV.
4) Schools/Kids - Apex schools are ranked high. Tons of kids in my subdivision. Very family oriented town.
5) Outdoors - Apex has lots of greenways. The Apex Community Lake is nice. There is a 2 mile paved walkway around the lake. Also, you are a straight shot to Jordan Lake in under 10 minutes.
6) Crime - Very low near non existent. In the over a decade that I've been here, the only bad local news stories about Apex I could recall was that factory meltdown and the Apex Target domestic shooting. And those are really random.
You can't go wrong with Cary either, just that it's sprawled and depending on what part of Cary you may find it hard to maneuver. Cary feels too cookie cutter boring clean for me. Morrisville to me is a mess. In the tiny space that it is, it has too many houses and stores popping up everywhere that there is no character to the city. I think it's a victim of trying to keep up with growth without any city planning. The town feels claustraphobic to me and RTP traffic cuts through Morrisville 6 ways to Sunday.
To me, Apex is perfect for my family and has the best blend of everything. Any other questions, just ask away.
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