Best place in Triangle for Relocated, Middle-Aged Man (Raleigh, Durham: apartments, chapel)

[redorange35]

Hello. I am strongly considering moving from DC to NC, especially since my boss said I can work remotely for the indefinite future.


What is the best area or neighborhood for a single, middle-aged man who will have to work out of his apartment every day?


I have begun to research the area (after deciding that Florida is not for me). Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Durham, and Cary are on my list, though I'm open to other suggestions.


I would like to be within a reasonable driving distance to a Whole Foods and decent restaurants. Hiking/running trails and museums are also nice.


Thanks.

[RaleighSentinel]

You’ve pretty much described most of the core cities that make up the Triangle.

[brickandiron]

Do you prefer more urban or more suburban? Cityscape view or trees and trails?

[MikeJaquish]

Apartments At The Arboretum | Apartments in Cary, NC


Restaurants right out your front door.
Parks and trails nearby.
6 miles to Whole Foods, past several more dining options.

Central to the entire Triangle.

[K4GPB]

4.5 miles from a Whole Foods.
Publix a few steps away.


https://www.liveatbradford.com


You can walk to all of this: https://www.bradfordshops.com/


NC-540, Bojangles real close by.

[HatchChile]

Originally Posted by K4GPB

4.5 miles from a Whole Foods.
Publix a few steps away.


https://www.liveatbradford.com


You can walk to all of this: https://www.bradfordshops.com/


NC-540, Bojangles real close by.

Is that a selling point?

[FaustoCoppi]

Originally Posted by redorange35

I would like to be within a reasonable driving distance to a Whole Foods and decent restaurants. Hiking/running trails and museums are also nice.
Thanks.

Running trails is easy as there are many throughout the Triangle, but museums? Yes, we have museums, but as a former DC area resident, the museums here are an order of magnitude less (although typical for an area its size) than what you would find in DC, where you can get lost for days in any Smithsonian museum alone. I really enjoy some of our local art museums, but you can absorb the bulk of it in an afternoon. I'm sure you're not expecting DC's level of quality and size here, but even then, you may need to temper your expectations.

Most of the Triangle feels like Vienna/Reston general area. Raleigh's downtown is sort of like Bethesda vs. anything in DC or even Arlington.

It's very easy to get around here though. People think they have bad traffic, which is cute.

[NYC2RDU]

Originally Posted by FaustoCoppi

Running trails is easy as there are many throughout the Triangle, but museums? Yes, we have museums, but as a former DC area resident, the museums here are an order of magnitude less (although typical for an area its size) than what you would find in DC, where you can get lost for days in any Smithsonian museum alone. I really enjoy some of our local art museums, but you can absorb the bulk of it in an afternoon. I'm sure you're not expecting DC's level of quality and size here, but even then, you may need to temper your expectations.

Most of the Triangle feels like Vienna/Reston general area. Raleigh's downtown is sort of like Bethesda vs. anything in DC or even Arlington.

It's very easy to get around here though. People think they have bad traffic, which is cute.

I don't intend to derail the purpose of the thread, but I laughed when I read your traffic comment. Having relocated here fourteen years ago from the NYC area I still chuckle when people caution about how bad traffic has gotten in the Triangle. At it's worst it still pales in comparison to what I knew from living up North. And as someone who has also had to deal with DC traffic way, way too many times, know that in a certain way, DC can be even worse than NYC. There are maybe 3-4 bad spots during peak rush hour times, but leave thirty minutes before/after when those typically occur and you're just driving slower than you'd like. Expand that to sixty minutes and you won't even know that traffic is a thing in the Triangle.

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and Cary all have Whole Foods. Living within 5-10 miles of the Raleigh Whole Foods on Wade Avenue would put you in nice proximity (easy drive) to downtown Raleigh Restaurants, the NC Museum of Art, and the Raleigh Greenway System, as well as several parks like Umstead and Dix Park.

If you are looking for more suburban living there is a 2nd Whole Foods in North Raleigh off Six Forks Road. There are apartments nearby but it is a more suburab setting so more strip malls etc...But you would still be within 30 minutes of all the other stuff I mentione above.

I'm sure the Cary, Durham and Chapel Hill locations offer a lot of what you are looking for, I just don't know as much about them.

[Myghost]

Originally Posted by redorange35

I would like to be within a reasonable driving distance to a Whole Foods and decent restaurants. Hiking/running trails and museums are also nice.


Thanks.

Somewhere near NC Museum of art (NCMA). Within a few miles, there is Umstead State park for hiking and running, NCMA has greenway trails that tie into DT Raleigh, Durham, Clayton, etc. Five Points is near by, there is a whole foods at Wade Ave and I-440, and DT Raleigh is just a few miles away for great food!

If you start at NCMA, and search within a five mile radius, I think you'll find what you want.

Other than that, "middle aged man" can be anything, anyone, so you have to check out the area and see what's good for you.

If you want something more suburban, Cary is great, and the food options are already good, and always growing. (Ignore people who tell you Cary is only chain restaurants, they are wholly ill-informed.) DT Cary might actually be worth looking into, if your budget will support it.