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Just did a quick comparison of I-465 in Indy to I-440 in Raleigh. The area encompassed by I-440 is MUCH smaller than that by 465. (The distance between the northern and southern ends of I-465 is 15 miles, east to west is 11. I-440 is only 5.5 miles from north to south, and about 7 east-west.) The result is that more of the area outside of 440 is "in the city."
It's good to hear there is middle class housing inside the beltline. I'm having trouble finding many 3BR's between $150,000 and $225,000.
Okay, ITB technically refers to anything inside of the Raleigh Beltline. It is a very diverse area, with a wide variety of covering all price points, ages, and architectural styles. However, when you hear someone refer to "ITB", they are typically referring to the wealthier/older areas and neighborhoods; Oakdale/Mordecai, Oakwood, Boylan Heights, the Downtown/Glenwood South Condos, Cameron Park, Budleigh, Bloomsbury, White Oak, Hayes Barton, Glen Eden, Country Club Hills, Anderson Heights, Glenwood Brooklyn.... the list goes on. A good rule of thumb when it comes to defining exactly what is and is not ITB is this;
Bordered on the South by; Edenton St./New Bern Ave. and Hillsborough St.
Bordered on North and West by I-440
Bordered to the East by the Oakwood Cemetery and then Wake Forest Rd.
Keep in mind, that this does cut out parts of Oakwood, Mordecai, and the Downtown Condos and all of Boylan Heights. However, it is a good generalization as to what is considered "ITB".
I would just like to add that while this does sound very elitist and pretentious (because it is), I actually happen to live in Garner, the blue-collar rural suburb of Raleigh (so I'm not just an elitist ass), and that my generalization is what Real Estate agents use when defining ITB, as it most accurately encompasses the "aura" of "ITB"
I would also like to say that the longview gardens/Raleigh Country club area has some wonderful homes on relatively large lots for not much money. Its a nice area, albeit not the safest, and is within walking distance of the best high school in the state. The better parts are found along N King Charles south of lord berkely, N Lord Ashley and, Lord Berkely, Longview Lake Dr., Albemarle Dr., along New Bern itself in this area, and within the triangle formed by Poole Rd., New Bern Ave, and S. Peartree Ln.
What is officially "inside the beltline" and what is typically considered "inside the beltline" are not necessarily the same animal. The official part is easier to define...just look at a map. :-) Over the years, "Inside the Beltline" to the RE market has typically meant the NW quadrant of the city that might be best described as starting downtown in the Glenwood South area and extending through the neighborhoods to the West and North of it all the way to the Beltline. This location has a long "old money" history in Raleigh and has had an enviable geographic location near much of what the city has to offer....or, looking at it the other way...much of what the city offered was built to be convenient to those who lived in the NW quadrant of the old city (more likely scenario in my opinion). Major shopping areas of Crabtree, North Hills and Cameron Village are ultra-convenient to this quadrant of the city. NC State University boarders to the South of the area. Access to the State Fairgrounds, the RBC Center, Rex Hospital, The Art Museum and all of Downtown are also ultra convenient to that part of the city. Even access to RTP is a straight shot via Wade Ave (which turns into I-40W). All this keeps the location very desirable in the RE market. As the city grows and interest in being closer to the city center grows with it, this area of town has influenced successful development and neighborhood upgrading on its edges to the East (Mordecai, Oakwood, etc.) and South (Boylan Heights) and even played a part in the emergence of Glenwood South. Areas outside the beltline have also seen their property values benefit from being nearby. This is especially true for areas just South of Crabtree and those neighborhoods near North Hills (that whole midtown effect).
I suspect that, as the city continues to grow, the concept of ITB will continue to change as investment in other neighbhorhoods accelerates.
A previous post mentioned that ITB in Raleigh is a lot different from similar situations like Indianapolis due to scale. That's an important distinction because Raleigh was a very small city less than 50 years ago and its supply of older charming neighborhoods is limited. Over time, this limited amount of supply has driven prices up faster than the rest of the city due to demand.
Whoa, I cry "foul" on this statement! All areas "Inside the Beltline" are indeed inside of I-440, and cannot be considered otherwise. It is merely a description of a physical location. I think what you really meant to say is that there are some areas inside the beltline that are going for far less than $300/sq ft. That is a good thing, because it means that Raleigh is a real city with diverse neighborhoods close to its city center, much like most other cities in the world. The day that all homes ITB become $300/sq ft will be a very sad day for the diversity of Raleigh.
To answer the OP's question, there are "good" and "not as good" areas Inside the Beltline, just as the same exists surrounding the city outside of 440, in that there are many upscale neighborhoods that a smaller percentage of the population will be able to afford, and there are contrasting lower-income areas as well. However, there is a bit more of a stark contrast ITB, because there is not really any middle-class housing available there - just one extreme to the other.
Some of Raleigh's most prestigious addresses are ITB - old Raleigh money so to speak... ya know.. my granddaddy knew your granddaddy and they all went to Hayes Barton Church.....there is a "vibe" in that area...that's for sure....
I remember when Raleigh was smaller and kids that went to Broughton High or Martin Middle school would tease kids that were not from ITB. Now they seem to be the minority, but the old money mentality is probably still the same.
However, there is a bit more of a stark contrast ITB, because there is not really any middle-class housing available there - just one extreme to the other.
Yes, I've been thinking for a while that you're either wealthy enough to live ITB or you're too poor to live anywhere else. There isn't much middle ground there at all.
One thing to be concerned about with the more affordable areas if you have kids is that your kids will most likely be bused out to a distant school. If you live in Western ITB (west of Capital), your child will most likely (99.99%) be assigned to a neighborhood school, most likely a magnet school at the middle and high school levels. If you live east of Capital, especially downtown or east of there, your kids have a very good chance of getting sent very far away for school. You might have an awesome magnet school a mile from your home but they'll be sent to Leesville.
As someone who moved her from another state, is not particularly wealthy nor has parents that are or come from any "old Raleigh" family AND who has lived inside the beltline since I moved here, I can safely say that I have been just as welcomed and happy living here as any place I can imagine. It is close to downtown and the arts and cultural offerings as well as great restaurants; it has a more laid back...non cookie cutter feel; I can walk to a restaurant, coffee shop and grocery store, etc. I have diverse, interesting neighbors from all sorts of places, many not originally from North Carolina. I have a nice yard with old trees, lots of them. I wouldn't live outside the beltline even to get a much bigger house.
I don't think the "moneyed folk" inside the beltline are any different than the "moneyed folk" in Wakefield or elsewhere. They have their lives, I have mine. What do they have to do with me?
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What is really ITB
