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Inside the shopping center - yes, but the area around it is not bad, especially compared to Capital Blvd. Even around Christmas was not bad in the Crossroads area this year. I am guessing it is due to more on-line shopping.
Agreed.
It is sort of like Crabtree Valley Mall/Glenwood Avenue.
Do it wrong and it is painful. Get it right and it is no big deal at all. When you go to either place often enough, you learn how to avoid a lot of grief.
I never let traffic influence me for a trip to Crossroads, not even in the shopping center.
My husband and I are visiting this weekend to narrow down the areas we are going to want to live in when we move in a few months. I don't want to drive around aimlessly, any suggestions to get the real "feel" for an area? We will be checking out Cary, Holly Springs, Apex, Fuquay and Morrisville.
Without knowing your budget or any other info, check out Brighton Forest in Fuquay-Varina. It will have an Apex 27539 mailing address. Great neighborhood, gorgeous homes on wooded 1/3ish acre lots, country but so close to so many things and only 15-20 minutes to DT Raleigh.....on average, taking the proper roads.
I think you should take your budget and check out neighborhoods that match what you are looking for.
Why bother looking Inside the Beltline if that isn't the area that your budget allows you to go?
For example...if your budget is $350,000, look in all the areas you mentioned to see what that $350K gets you. Look at the school scores. From there, by driving around the neighborhoods and the areas, you will start to delete some of the areas that you aren't interested in.
Once you have narrowed down an areas you like, then you can check out the surroundings.
Once you have found a few neighborhoods you really like, you can then keep a watch to see when houses come on the market.
North Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville, Apex are close to most things such as shopping, jobs, etc. Holly Springs will get you more house for your money (usually) but you may be further out than you want to be.
Fuquay will be even further out so again, where you will be working can be an important factor.
Visit the Crossroads Plaza in Cary to see traffic at its worst. You really need to see if you can deal with that much money, cars and people in the same place. It remind me of Tysons Corner in Northern Virginia. Then pick out a housing development in your price range, and drive through it to see if you would want to live there. If it is warm enough on Saturday, see if there are people out on the streets socializing or jogging.
Drive on Highway 54 through Morrisville. There are places along the train tracks where the old south is still there: with small old bungalows with front porches. They are being replaced by mid-rise apartments. Morrisville blends into Cary as far as suburban developments go.
Visit Apex's small downtown. It is still small and cute. Get an ice cream cone if it is warm enough.
Drive down to Holly Springs and Fuquay and see if you prefer the more rural towns. Try to find a local, non-chain place for a pulled pork barbecue lunch, especially on a Sunday morning after church lets out. If there are lines out the door, it is a good place.
I see you have already received many comments on Fuquay. I have an in-law living in a golf course community, and he likes it. He works from home part of the time, so he doesn't have to commute into Raleigh all the time. I suggest picking out a development you can afford, and see whether you would like living there.
i think they actually work from home (can't keep up with all the relocators!) so commuting to work won't matter.
I think you should drive around and see what activities you like to do instead of focusing on neighborhoods, enjoy your visit before you focus on house hunting.
Commute will not matter when determining location. I don't think that traffic will even compare to what we are used to since we will be coming from 10 miles outside of Washington DC.
I don't want to live way out in the country where you have to drive 30 minutes to go get a gallon of milk if you run out but I don't want to live smack dab in a city. Our drive to a Target right now is about 15 minutes. We are looking for a neighborhood that the kids can safely go out and ride their bikes down the sidewalks, have kids to play with in the yard or court, be semi close to a park.
We aren't looking to move South for the old South feel but somewhere where I feel comfortable letting my kids play in the front yard or not having to worry about their safety when they go play in the play place at the Chikfila. A man just got shot not to far from us for a parking spot the other day and my father in law got hit in the back of the head at the gas pump while pumping gas last month with a tire iron. I know that there are crazy people and crime everywhere but it's getting REALLY bad up here. The schools are terrible and I am just trying to give my kids a better quality of life and give them the tools they need to succeed and go somewhere in life.
I don't want to live way out in the country where you have to drive 30 minutes to go get a gallon of milk if you run out but I don't want to live smack dab in a city. Our drive to a Target right now is about 15 minutes. We are looking for a neighborhood that the kids can safely go out and ride their bikes down the sidewalks, have kids to play with in the yard or court, be semi close to a park.
I don't know if it is in your budget, but I am going to suggest Avent Acres in Holly Springs. It has sidewalks, which are rare in the Triangle, and numberous cul-de-sac streets which look safe for kids. It is also close to the center of Holly Spring for that last minute gallon of milk from the pharmacy. It is also close to the grocery store, the community library, the Holly Springs elementary school and several restaurants on Highway 55. It is not as congested as Cary and not as far out as Fuquay-Varina.
Western Wake is a bit different than Raleigh. It's very new suburbia, even newer than most of North Raleigh. Go back ten years or so and a good chunk of Western Wake was more rural but that's not the case anymore. I'm talking about areas around the new extension of 540, closer to Chatham County. However, it's definitely true that Morrisville, Cary, and Apex practically blend into an enormous suburban area built off the back of RTP. If you're coming from Northern VA, I guess these areas would be more like outer suburbs along the lines of Manassas or Centreville. Cary always seemed like Fairxfax to me, as well.
As for "old Raleigh," just visit downtown and the neighborhoods surrounding it like Five Points. These areas are more like Arlington. For the real "feel," I would honestly just drive around North Raleigh like another user mentioned. Go up Creedmoor Road (Highway 50) from Crabtree Valley Mall to Highway 98 or Falls Lake. This would be your best view of North Raleigh. Driving up Six Forks Road or Falls of Neuse Road could also work, along with driving down Glenwood Avenue (Highway 70) from Durham to downtown Raleigh.
Commute will not matter when determining location. I don't think that traffic will even compare to what we are used to since we will be coming from 10 miles outside of Washington DC.
I don't want to live way out in the country where you have to drive 30 minutes to go get a gallon of milk if you run out but I don't want to live smack dab in a city. Our drive to a Target right now is about 15 minutes. We are looking for a neighborhood that the kids can safely go out and ride their bikes down the sidewalks, have kids to play with in the yard or court, be semi close to a park.
We aren't looking to move South for the old South feel but somewhere where I feel comfortable letting my kids play in the front yard or not having to worry about their safety when they go play in the play place at the Chikfila. A man just got shot not to far from us for a parking spot the other day and my father in law got hit in the back of the head at the gas pump while pumping gas last month with a tire iron. I know that there are crazy people and crime everywhere but it's getting REALLY bad up here. The schools are terrible and I am just trying to give my kids a better quality of life and give them the tools they need to succeed and go somewhere in life.
What is your budget for a house?
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