Scottish Hills or Walnut Hills: Good Neighborhoods for families with young kids, or Not? (Raleigh: rentals)

[bargainmom]

Is this the downscale area of Cary? Is there a downscale area of Cary? If so, what area is it?

[lamishra]

There is sort of a downscale area, which backs up to my neighorhood, Irongate. Walnut Hills and Scottish hills areas are OK. I guess for Cary standards, they might sort of be considered "downscale" but I like it back there. There just aren't a lot of people who really like the older split level types of neighborhoods, so I think that keeps home prices down in those areas. Also, in a lot of the older neighborhoods, there are rental houses, BUT, being Cary, most of them are rented by families, not college students or gaggle of singles or anything. We have rentals on our street and you'd never know they were rentals.

I think Walnut Hills is pretty and it's very centrally located. Close to just about everything central Cary has to offer. It's a few blocks from the Cary mall, and a few miles from Crossorads shopping Center. Scottish Hills is a little further out.
I'm not sure about home prices, but I remembered Lake Pine being a nice area with home built more in the late 80's I think. Medfield Estates is nice too and is located slightly outside central Cary, but sort of between Cary and Raleigh. We also looked at houses there. Again, it's an older neighborhood with larger wooded lots and older, but nice, 70's built homes.

[bargainmom]

Hi Lamishra,

Yes, I really actually DO like the older style split level homes. I really like a house with mature trees on the lot. I can't imagine broiling in one of those McMansions with no trees in the summer!

However, I like a combination of some tall trees for shade and some cleared area for kids to play. Not just trees packed together, which I've seen in some of the more rural areas.

[traceyK]

We've lived in Walnut Hills for about 8 yrs now. We find it to be quiet, well kept, and you can get a lot of house for the money. Now you can walk to the new Triangle Aquatic Center from the neighborhood, as well as the mall. Being located very close to all the major highways (I40, 440, US1 and 64) make any commute quick and convenient. The shady treed lots are great in the summer, too. It really has been a nice place to live.

[MikeJaquish]

Originally Posted by bargainmom

Is this the downscale area of Cary? Is there a downscale area of Cary? If so, what area is it?

Both neighborhoods are great, IMO.

Scottish Hills is large, and offers dense woods to cleared lots.

Walnut Hills is closer to shopping.

Downscale? (Whatever??? )
Nope. Just affordable homes with real trees and very nice lots, particularly when compared to expensive newer stuff on postage stamp lots and no trees as is the current fad.

[DanielChang]

I don't think they are "downscale" neighborhoods.

Both Walnut Hills and Scottish Hills seem to have well maintained and landscaped yards, mature trees and well built homes. While they are neighborhoods that do have renters, they also have a good mix of owner occupied homes.

[LFChaves]

I have lived in Wlanut Hills since 1996. Property values have only gone up! Great location, nice sized lots, and folks are renovating these homes now so you get the best of all worlds. Great location, affordability, mature trees, and total control over your own property. I wouldn't live anywhere else.

[MikeJaquish]

Scottish Hills "downscale?"
Well, shucks, I see $800,000 homes where they can only envy hardwoods like these:

[Francois]

A dear friend of mine lives in Scottish Hills; she has young children and their neighborhood is teeming with them, it seems (which would not be my cup of tea, but if "family friendly" is what you're looking for, it looks like a storybook example.)

Now, the houses in her area are quite small, and virtually all have the exact same floor plan, but for a small family wanting to live in a great neighborhood for children to grow up in, look there.

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Originally Posted by MikeJaquish

Just affordable homes with real trees and very nice lots, particularly when compared to expensive newer stuff on postage stamp lots and no trees as is the current fad.

In addition to those positives, I notice that some of the homes in both nieghborhoods have basements! That is a HUGE plus in my eyes!

Nice pics by the way Mike!