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Moving to Raleigh this coming summer and looking for neighborhoods(single family detached homes) that have restaurants, theater, parks, etc that you can walk to. We are empty nesters so not concerned about schools. Does Cameron Park and Hayes Barton neighborhoods fit this criteria? Can anyone provide details of these communities such as cost of homes. Any other recommendations would be appreciated.
Moving to Raleigh this coming summer and looking for neighborhoods(single family detached homes) that have restaurants, theater, parks, etc that you can walk to. We are empty nesters so not concerned about schools. Does Cameron Park and Hayes Barton neighborhoods fit this criteria? Can anyone provide details of these communities such as cost of homes. Any other recommendations would be appreciated.
Below are some links to pictures of the two areas. They are very nice. I think Hayes Barton is probably one of the nicest neighborhoods on Raleigh. Both offer a certain level of "walkability" to restaurants and shops. I would encourage you to check them out so you can see first hand if they meet your needs.
FWIW, the price points are high in those areas because they are very desirable. In Hayes Barton prices start in the 300K-400's. In Cameron Park they start more in the 500K-600's and keep going up.
Trust me...Move to Cary...not those places you mentioned!!!
Hi There.
Let me say "welcome" to you.
First, let's start with Hayes-Barton.
I'm going to assume that since you are "empty-nester's" you are in your 40's or up..if you're not, sorry...just assuming.
If that is the case, Hayes Barton is NOT For you. Also, we refer to it around here as "five points"....
Five Points is a total 20-something place. It has restaurants but its mostly a bar scene. It does have the Rialto which is the independent movie theater but you will also have to deal with the Rocky Horror Picture Show crowd every Friday night.
I'm 28 and I lived there for 2 years and that was enough for me. I am not one of those people that does the meatmarket/bar scene and I'm too old for Rocky Horror.
Also, the location sucks. Granted you have a little area to yourself but right behind it is Atlantic Ave which is a sketchy area and then you have downtown Raleigh which is okay..but not much to do, unless, again, you are into the bar/club scene. And getting to any REAL shopping areas is a ***** because the congestion and the condition of the roads are terrible.
As far as Cameron Park..thats really for the NCSU (our university here in Raleigh) crowd.
If you are the age range I'm thinking, and you just had your kids leave for school or get married or whatnot, I REALLY REALLY recommend you move to Cary – it's next door to Raleigh.
Cary is a GREAT area for empty-nester's and there are many many people in Cary from all over the country. In fact it has the cute nickname "central area for relocated Yankees" or something like that.
Cary is a safe (incredibly low crime – something like 1 murder every 10 years and very little burglary. In fact, its the only place I don't freak out if I dont lock my car doors and go shopping) yet it's also a built up area that offers many great neighborhoods close to any store you can imagine and any eatery you want. Cary also has a quaint downtown with nice boutiques and a great Pharmacy called Ashworths – it's like stepping into the days of yore – the pharmacist knows everyone by name. I love it.
Just from your description of yourselves you sound like Cary folk. I would recommend either moving to the Lochmere area of Cary or finding a place downtown Cary. You will not be disappointed.
One quick note -forget about "Walking distance" in North Carolina, anywhere. The two places you mentioned do have walking distance things but it's for the college kids or young professionals that can't afford a car and don't want to take the bus...our public transport is a disappointment. You will NEED a car here. However, our area has THE most roads in the whole state and getting anywhere is EASY EASY. I live on the border of Cary so I do all my shopping in Cary - and my husband works in Cary. Sadly we are just starting out and cannot afford to buy a house yet, but if we do, and we don't move out of NC, we will be buying in Cary. Raleigh is just not as nice as Cary to settle in to for us. And like I say, anything you could ever want is in Cary. There is a mall, a HUGE shopping area called Crossroads and numerous otehrs that have been sprouting up. The best part is, however ,that the housing and the businesses are not near each other but they are so close that it takes about 10 minutes to get anywhere you want to go.
I'm sure I'm going to get some flack for this post and I understand that everyone thinks differently but I've been here 12 years and I grew up in Chapel Hill (30 minutes from Raleigh/Cary AND ALSO a good place for empty nester's but I didn't go into that because you didn't say you wanted to move there but if you are not set on the Greater Raleigh area, then I would recommend moving to CH. It's also very transient and it has a great set of folks...though it is much smaller than Cary and it does have a University smack dab in the middle of it)
Anyway. I hope I dont get yelled at too much..this is my recommendation to you. Check it out, if you think I'm a moron - no hard feelings...but everyone I know that is between 45-65 either lives in Cary or wants to live in Cary now their kids are out on their own because its just such a safe, neat, clean area with lots of stuff to do for everyone.
Cameron Park for the NCSU crowd!?!? I'd love to see a college student afford to buy in that 'hood!
I rented there for a few years and LOVED it. Great houses....nice little parks and walking distance to Cameron Village and downtown.
Moving to Raleigh this coming summer and looking for neighborhoods(single family detached homes) that have restaurants, theater, parks, etc that you can walk to. We are empty nesters so not concerned about schools. Does Cameron Park and Hayes Barton neighborhoods fit this criteria? Can anyone provide details of these communities such as cost of homes. Any other recommendations would be appreciated.
A weekend of house shopping in Hayes Barton and Cameron Village would indeed be a treat!
As NRG said, you have identified two of the prettiest neighborhoods in Raleigh.
Prices in Hayes Barton comprise a wide range. You can get on the map with 900 SF for under $300,000, and if you have the wherewithal and desire, can easily spend 10 times that amount along St. Mary's St. and Cowper Drive.
It is common to see gorgeous classic 80+ year old homes with drool-worthy architectural detail that are ready candidates for updating and modern love in the $600,000's and $700,000's.
Cameron Park may be just a little more walkable, due to proximity to Cameron Village without any boulevards like Wade Avenue to cross.
But Cameron Park also is a little more compact than Hayes Barton, with fewer choices on the market at any given time.
It is reasonable to expect to invest $600,000 in Cameron Park for starting money. There are a couple of 95+ year old dandies that you could go to $1,000,000 on.
And some homes have been abused over time by investors, but overall, Cameron Park is just as pretty as NRG's photos will lead you to believe.
Keep in mind the further you "ring out" from Five Points, the cheaper the housing. Last year, we (nearing our 40's) sold our house in Cary and bought a really cute bungalow in the $200's in the Georgetown neighborhood near Five Points. We're within 2 minutes of a bus stop; 5 minutes to antiques, a convenience store, and a restaurant; and 15 minutes walking distance to the center of Five Points. We can even walk all the way up to the end of Glenwood in about 40 minutes so all of those options are ours. Our house is small, but it's perfect for two and we have a beautiful private backyard filled with birds and squirrels, and a view of downtown Raleigh across the street. We couldn't be happier living here. The area is diverse with all ages and kinds of people and also safe. We love walking around the neighborhood checking out the old houses, touring the "industrial zone" around Gavin Street, and watching the kids play in Roanoke Park. My neck of the woods may be too far from Five Points central for folks with or anticipating troubles walking, but overall this is a nice area in my opinion.
I agree Cary is great too. We lived in Scottish Hills off Lake Pine and one of the greenway trails ran right across the street from our house. We were within walking distance of a park and convenience store but not much else. Things are more spread out there compared to here. We loved living there too; the only reason we moved was to be closer to Glenwood and downtown Raleigh where we conduct the majority of our business.
silvergem22: I think that's "CONTAINMENT Area for Relocated Yankees" ;-) (but your term is definitely cuter)
First, let's start with Hayes-Barton.
I'm going to assume that since you are "empty-nester's" you are in your 40's or up..if you're not, sorry...just assuming.
If that is the case, Hayes Barton is NOT For you. Also, we refer to it around here as "five points"....
Five Points is a total 20-something place. It has restaurants but its mostly a bar scene. It does have the Rialto which is the independent movie theater but you will also have to deal with the Rocky Horror Picture Show crowd every Friday night.
I'm 28 and I lived there for 2 years and that was enough for me. I am not one of those people that does the meatmarket/bar scene and I'm too old for Rocky Horror.
Also, the location sucks. Granted you have a little area to yourself but right behind it is Atlantic Ave which is a sketchy area and then you have downtown Raleigh which is okay..but not much to do, unless, again, you are into the bar/club scene. And getting to any REAL shopping areas is a ***** because the congestion and the condition of the roads are terrible.
As far as Cameron Park..thats really for the NCSU (our university here in Raleigh) crowd.
If you are the age range I'm thinking, and you just had your kids leave for school or get married or whatnot, I REALLY REALLY recommend you move to Cary – it's next door to Raleigh.
Cary is a GREAT area for empty-nester's and there are many many people in Cary from all over the country. In fact it has the cute nickname "central area for relocated Yankees" or something like that.
Cary is a safe (incredibly low crime – something like 1 murder every 10 years and very little burglary. In fact, its the only place I don't freak out if I dont lock my car doors and go shopping) yet it's also a built up area that offers many great neighborhoods close to any store you can imagine and any eatery you want. Cary also has a quaint downtown with nice boutiques and a great Pharmacy called Ashworths – it's like stepping into the days of yore – the pharmacist knows everyone by name. I love it.
Just from your description of yourselves you sound like Cary folk. I would recommend either moving to the Lochmere area of Cary or finding a place downtown Cary. You will not be disappointed.
One quick note -forget about "Walking distance" in North Carolina, anywhere. The two places you mentioned do have walking distance things but it's for the college kids or young professionals that can't afford a car and don't want to take the bus...our public transport is a disappointment. You will NEED a car here. However, our area has THE most roads in the whole state and getting anywhere is EASY EASY. I live on the border of Cary so I do all my shopping in Cary - and my husband works in Cary. Sadly we are just starting out and cannot afford to buy a house yet, but if we do, and we don't move out of NC, we will be buying in Cary. Raleigh is just not as nice as Cary to settle in to for us. And like I say, anything you could ever want is in Cary. There is a mall, a HUGE shopping area called Crossroads and numerous otehrs that have been sprouting up. The best part is, however ,that the housing and the businesses are not near each other but they are so close that it takes about 10 minutes to get anywhere you want to go.
I'm sure I'm going to get some flack for this post and I understand that everyone thinks differently but I've been here 12 years and I grew up in Chapel Hill (30 minutes from Raleigh/Cary AND ALSO a good place for empty nester's but I didn't go into that because you didn't say you wanted to move there but if you are not set on the Greater Raleigh area, then I would recommend moving to CH. It's also very transient and it has a great set of folks...though it is much smaller than Cary and it does have a University smack dab in the middle of it)
Anyway. I hope I dont get yelled at too much..this is my recommendation to you. Check it out, if you think I'm a moron - no hard feelings...but everyone I know that is between 45-65 either lives in Cary or wants to live in Cary now their kids are out on their own because its just such a safe, neat, clean area with lots of stuff to do for everyone.
Please ignore all of the nonsense above. The author of the post above is obviously bitter about something. The Five Points area is great and offers so much, I just wish I could afford to purchase a home in that area.
First, let's start with Hayes-Barton.
I'm going to assume that since you are "empty-nester's" you are in your 40's or up..if you're not, sorry...just assuming.
If that is the case, Hayes Barton is NOT For you. Also, we refer to it around here as "five points"....
Five Points is a total 20-something place. It has restaurants but its mostly a bar scene. It does have the Rialto which is the independent movie theater but you will also have to deal with the Rocky Horror Picture Show crowd every Friday night.
I'm 28 and I lived there for 2 years and that was enough for me. I am not one of those people that does the meatmarket/bar scene and I'm too old for Rocky Horror.
Also, the location sucks. Granted you have a little area to yourself but right behind it is Atlantic Ave which is a sketchy area and then you have downtown Raleigh which is okay..but not much to do, unless, again, you are into the bar/club scene. And getting to any REAL shopping areas is a ***** because the congestion and the condition of the roads are terrible.
As far as Cameron Park..thats really for the NCSU (our university here in Raleigh) crowd.
If you are the age range I'm thinking, and you just had your kids leave for school or get married or whatnot, I REALLY REALLY recommend you move to Cary – it's next door to Raleigh.
Cary is a GREAT area for empty-nester's and there are many many people in Cary from all over the country. In fact it has the cute nickname "central area for relocated Yankees" or something like that.
Cary is a safe (incredibly low crime – something like 1 murder every 10 years and very little burglary. In fact, its the only place I don't freak out if I dont lock my car doors and go shopping) yet it's also a built up area that offers many great neighborhoods close to any store you can imagine and any eatery you want. Cary also has a quaint downtown with nice boutiques and a great Pharmacy called Ashworths – it's like stepping into the days of yore – the pharmacist knows everyone by name. I love it.
Just from your description of yourselves you sound like Cary folk. I would recommend either moving to the Lochmere area of Cary or finding a place downtown Cary. You will not be disappointed.
One quick note -forget about "Walking distance" in North Carolina, anywhere. The two places you mentioned do have walking distance things but it's for the college kids or young professionals that can't afford a car and don't want to take the bus...our public transport is a disappointment. You will NEED a car here. However, our area has THE most roads in the whole state and getting anywhere is EASY EASY. I live on the border of Cary so I do all my shopping in Cary - and my husband works in Cary. Sadly we are just starting out and cannot afford to buy a house yet, but if we do, and we don't move out of NC, we will be buying in Cary. Raleigh is just not as nice as Cary to settle in to for us. And like I say, anything you could ever want is in Cary. There is a mall, a HUGE shopping area called Crossroads and numerous otehrs that have been sprouting up. The best part is, however ,that the housing and the businesses are not near each other but they are so close that it takes about 10 minutes to get anywhere you want to go.
I'm sure I'm going to get some flack for this post and I understand that everyone thinks differently but I've been here 12 years and I grew up in Chapel Hill (30 minutes from Raleigh/Cary AND ALSO a good place for empty nester's but I didn't go into that because you didn't say you wanted to move there but if you are not set on the Greater Raleigh area, then I would recommend moving to CH. It's also very transient and it has a great set of folks...though it is much smaller than Cary and it does have a University smack dab in the middle of it)
Anyway. I hope I dont get yelled at too much..this is my recommendation to you. Check it out, if you think I'm a moron - no hard feelings...but everyone I know that is between 45-65 either lives in Cary or wants to live in Cary now their kids are out on their own because its just such a safe, neat, clean area with lots of stuff to do for everyone.
Hmmmm....new name, just joined. Methinks someone who loves Cary in disguise. Who could that be? Now, I do live in Cary, I am an empty nester and would have been very happy to live in either of the above Raleigh neighborhoods. They are both fantastic!
I agree with the two above posters. Don't know what silver is talking about. So many errors in his post. First of all, Hayes BArton and Five Points are NOT the same thing. Five Points is the name of the whole area, while the Hayes Barton neighborhood is the oldest and arguably one of the nicest in Raleigh, also one of the most expensive to get into. It is where some of the "old money" establishment in Raleigh have their homes (it is where Jessie Helms lived) but also a number of young families, new families to Raliegh, etc. Hayes Barton is near Five Points (an intersection with a number of shops, a great coffee shop, art house theater, one of the best restaurants in Raleigh...Bloomsbury). In the Five Points neighborhood there are tons of other areas which have all range of homes from small bungalows to larger homes. You will find a mix of older couples with older kids to singles to young families just starting out. I used to live a couple blocks from the Five Points intersecton and very much miss being able to walk to Bloomsbury, grab a nice meal at the bar and then go see a movie, etc. While Silver is correct there are some far edges of the Five Points neighborhoods which are a little sketchier, they are the more developing ends of the neighborhood and therefore more affordable, so yes there are younger people moving in those areas.
Cameron Park is not full of students. Historically it was a neighorhood of professors, and many are still there. However, now it is also full of professionals that want to live near their work downtown, young families, retirees that want to be near downtown like you, etc. I know tons of people that live there and love it. It is a very connected community with their own website and get-togethers. If you were to move there, you would likely meet lots of people very fast. It is even more walker friendly than HB/Five points area, as you can get to NCSU, Hillsborough Street (locopops, restaurants, the Y), and Glenwood South and Cameron Village.
And on the issues of Cary, while the small downtown is nice, Cary is largely a town on planned neighborhoods with cul-de-sacs. Nothing against that, it just does not sound like what you are asking about.
I am going to have to agree with the posts above that dispute the ridiculous assertions made by silvergem22.
Let me take some of the assertions one by one and dispute them:
1. The assertion that makes one believe that Atlantic Ave. is right behind Hayes Barton. Hayes Barton is primarily on the west side of Glenwood and the 5 Points intersection. According to this map Moderator cut: tos violation there are a few streets that are to its east. To get to Atlantic Ave. from Hayes Barton, one has to travel more than a mile east from 5 points on Whitaker Mill Rd., cross Wake Forest Rd., then cross railroad tracks before one reaches the very bottom of Atlantic Ave where it quickly spills into downtown. Even then, what's sketchy about that area? There are some warehouse type and service businesses along that stretch of Atlantic but there's nothing to be afraid of there.
2. 5 Points is full of 20 somethings. Ha! That's a good one. 20 somethings wish they could afford to buy in that area. Some of the establishments in the area do attract the younger and hipper crowd (Lilly's and 3rd Place come to mind) but there are also antique shops, The Hayes Barton Cafe and Dessertery, Bloomsbury Bistro, etc. that cater to a much more mature crowd. BTW, I agree that Bloomsbury Bisto is one of the best restaraunts in Raleigh for food...not so impressed with the atmosphere though!
3. Cameron Park is for the NCSU crowd. Well...let's give silvergem22 the benefit of the doubt that he meant the professors. Cameron Park does have a lot of professors but they certainly don't dominate it. But, then again, I can imagine that empty nesters might want to live in that sort of setting. I live just east of Cameron Park in the area just to the west of Glenwood South and never feel as if I am in university student area. Now, that doesn't mean that there aren't ANY students in the area. It just means that it's not noticeable to me. For what it's worth, the students at NC State have migrated to the South of the campus because,frankly, they were priced out of most of the charming neighborhoods to the north of campus. When I was a State student in the early 80's, students used to domniate much more of the area to the north of campus. But, that NEVER included Cameron Park. It has always been a sophisticated, politically progressive enclave.
4. I save the best for last......"The two places you mentioned do have walking distance things but it's for the college kids or young professionals that can't afford a car and don't want to take the bus..." HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA....... I love this one!...especially the part about "young professionals that can't afford a car" RIGHT!!! These are two of the most sought after places in the entire Triangle where prices are at the top of the food chain. People in these areas can most certainly afford to buy a car and probably any car they want. It's just that people in these areas choose to live in them because they want a certain sort of lifestyle and they have the means to make it happen.
Last edited by SunnyKayak; 02-07-2009 at 04:21 PM..
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Trust me...Move to Cary...not those places you mentioned!!!
