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Ok, like everyone else the hubs and I are moving to Raleigh next summer! We're packing up the baby (5 months) and the cat and moving out of the Bay Area, CA (just south of SF). DH will be working in RTP (Cisco) and would like a commute at or under about 30 minutes. He tends to keep early hours (7-4) so hopefully would only catch the earliest traffic.
I am a stay at home mom so I'd like to be somewhere where things are walkable - supermarket, farmer's market, maybe near a little downtown if possible. Of course I can drive but the more we can get out and about without the car the better.
We are also on the 'crunchy' side and not religious. So think hybrid cars, solar panels, cloth diapers, maybe some yoga. But otherwise we are pretty normal early-30s folks.
We are coming to visit in April or May and would like to tour a few neighborhoods. The plan is to rent for 6 months to a year until we figure out where we want to be more permanently.
Things I'd like to avoid - big development neighborhoods, new construction (if this is avoidable in the Triangle!), few trees. Having to drive everywhere to get anywhere. We'll eventually be looking for a medium size 4 bedroom house that is hopefully in an older, more established neighborhood (Craftsman home would be ideal but not sure if that architecture is common there?). I'm guessing our house budget will be in the $500k range, as we're coming from owning a home in the (gasp) $700k range. Hopefully there we'll get more than 1100sf!!!
Any suggested neighborhoods? Initial thoughts were Carrboro, Chapel Hill, but don't know what traffic is like!
Sounds to me like you're already on the right track (re: Chapel Hill & Carrboro). In addition, I think there are some craftsman style homes near downtown Durham & Raleigh. Hopefully someone who is more familiar with those areas than I am can name specific neighborhoods.
I am a stay at home mom so I'd like to be somewhere where things are walkable - supermarket, farmer's market, maybe near a little downtown if possible. Of course I can drive but the more we can get out and about without the car the better.
We are also on the 'crunchy' side and not religious. So think hybrid cars, solar panels, cloth diapers, maybe some yoga. But otherwise we are pretty normal early-30s folks.
Wow, I'm surprised Mrs Steel didn't mention her neighborhood of Woodcroft! It's really pretty with lots of trees and walking trails. On one end (plus one mile) there is a pilates studio, a cafe (and some other stuff). On the other end there's a grocery store (that will probably change soon, since a large one is being built down the street) + sushi, mexican, american, ny style pizza, a kosher store (I wouldn't call it a deli)...
I live in neighboring Hope Valley Farms, and would consider myself on the crunchy side, too, and these are my favorite neighborhoods.
One of the things I like best (besides the trees) is that there are always people out walking, jogging, families pushing babies in strollers...all ages, all races...
Most other developments look like ghost towns to me.
No farmer's markets in walking distance, however. I do most of my produce shopping in a nearby Asian market.
Ps
If you buy a house in WoodCroft, you'll double your sq footage, and even have a TON of cash left over for upgrades.
Sounds like Carrboro would be great for you, although I don't know how many houses are available there in walking distance from the town these days. Five Points in Raleigh, or my neighborhood...which has no real name, but is in Raleigh between Wade Avenue and Lake Boone Trail...ish.
Gurl, the only reason why I didn't mention Woodcroft is because I think the most expensive houses in the community are in the $350K range. Looks like the OP wants something a bit pricier.
Oh wow, WoodCroft is beautiful! It looks and sounds like it is completely right up our alley. One question I have - I have heard crime is worse in Durham than other areas. Is this the case? Or is it more neighborhood specific?
Gurl - That's so reassuring! I am just used to anything under $700k being a total dump. As it is, our house is tiny and in a neighborhood that borders a sketchy one, and as a result we have burglaries in the area at a rather alarming rate. I don't want to have to worry about break-ins in my next home. That's the reason for asking about crime...
I can't believe we could have OVER 2k sf!! And for under 400k? I can't even fathom!!
Durham's crime rate is higher than in surrounding towns, but it is certainly not the worst in the state. The crime is focused mainly in the east-central part of town. Woodcroft is in the southern part of Durham & feels quite safe to me. As far as I'm concerned, the location is fabulous. We're about 1 mile away from I-40, which is extremely convenient. There are 3 grocery stores & tons of other shops & restaurants within a 2 mile radius, including Soutpoint Mall, the mall's movie theater, Super Target, etc. I also like that we're very close to RTP since my husband will be working there soon (I know people who claim the drive is 15 minutes). And we're not too far away from Chapel Hill so I can conveniently drive over to Trader Joe's or A Southern Season in about 15 minutes. All this & beautiful walking trails, too! You can imagine why we love living here.
As I said before, though, be sure to see what's available in Chapel Hill & Carrboro, too. You'll get more for your money in Durham, but I always believe in investigating all of your options & following your heart in order to find what works best for you.
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