What area should I consider when moving to the Raleigh area? (Durham: apartments, to rent)

[ApostolicFlightAttendant]

My roomate and I have come up with a list of things that we need in an area. I thought it be cool to list them and see what area's we should be looking into to RENT our next 3 bedroom apartment. We are moving from Sandy Springs (Atlanta) GA and are use to a certain kind of lifestyle. Here we go:

We would like a popular Mall nearby

Superwalmart and or Super Target in area

Sidewalks (to walk down, you'd be amazed how many neighborhoods dont have this )

Restaurants (we like to try a new resteraunt at least once a week).

Ethnically diversed neighborhood (we are black, but dont want to live in an all black area nor all white area, a nice mixture would be nice).

Low to NO crime.

Public Transportation option (just in case both cars break down, we'd like to be able to hop on the bus and go into town)

Added Bonus: A park nearby for those nice sunny days to stroll through.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

[lovebrentwood]

The Triangle doesn't have very good public transportation.

The malls in the Raleigh area are: Crabtree and Triangle Town Center; and in Durham (near the Raleigh border) there is Southpoint, and Cary Towne Center is in Cary.

Targets and Walmarts (even Super ones) are everywhere. Restaurants are everywhere.

You won't find anywhere that has absolutely no crime. Look at crime maps for more info.

As far as diversity, I think the Triangle is a very diverse area. I'm sure they must be out there, but I don't know of any "all-white" neighborhoods.

It's difficult to advise you of the best area for you if we don't know the general location of your workplace. Most people start with that and go from there.

[ApostolicFlightAttendant]

We both work from home.

We are NOT looking for an "all white" neighborhood as the above post seemingly implied.

How's the apartments in Cary? What about the Crabtree Valley Mall area? What about areas where young 30 something single and families live? Perhaps that will help narrow my choices.

[bullcityculture]

Well hello there ApostolicFlightAttendant, I don't know much about Sandy Springs I know some about Atlanta; and I will be the first to tell you this area does not have the many options (for anything) that you have in the Atlanta metro. Saying that, this area (the "Triangle" Raleigh and Durham and Chapel Hill) has a plethora of choices in its very different cities. The Triangle is a very ethnically diverse area, some more than others, so that shouldn't be a big problem. I know most about Durham and Chapel hill so thats what I can speak on. From what you have described the southern part of Durham sounds like an ideal place. Near the Streets at Southpoint Mall, 2 (thats right 2) super Targets, restaurants galore (Durham/Chapel Hill named foodiest town by Bon Appetit magazine), low crime and close by the American Tobacco Trail and several parks. On the public transit side, well not so much (it is still the south, were catching up). Again, I only know what I know and that would be Durham, but the whole Triangle area is great. I don't think you could go wrong living anywhere here.

[lovebrentwood]

I fully realize you weren't looking for an all-white neighborhood!!! I didn't imply that. I was, instead, implying that you won't have any problem finding a diverse neighborhood that you want.

Originally Posted by ApostolicFlightAttendant

We both work from home.

We are NOT looking for an "all white" neighborhood as the above post seemingly implied.

How's the apartments in Cary? What about the Crabtree Valley Mall area? What about areas where young 30 something single and families live? Perhaps that will help narrow my choices.

[ApostolicFlightAttendant]

Thank you both for posting, for anyone else that would like to post in regards to this subject, please feel free. Again thanks.

[rfb]

You don't say what you consider to be "nearby" when talking about proximity to malls and shopping. Are you looking for walking distance, a certain number of miles away, or a maximum number of minutes to drive? All can affect the places you may want to consider.

1. There are three major malls in the area. In Raleigh, there is Crabtree and Triangle Town Center. In Durham, there is Southpoint. There are other malls as well: Cary Town Center (in Cary) and Northgate (in Durham). There are also some upscale outdoor shopping areas: Cameron Village and North Hills. Don't discount either of these, even though they aren't technically a "mall".

2. Plenty of Wall-Marts and Targets in the area, and within a few miles (and usually closer) of the malls.

3. Ah, sidewalks. They are not ubiquitous in the Triangle. I don't live in the areas near the malls, so I can't comment directly. But, in general, I don't find areas near some of the malls all that "walkable". The Soutpoint area is newer and seems to have done a better job of this than the areas near the older malls, such as Crabtree.

4. Are you looking for local restaurants or chains? There are plenty of chain restaurants around. There are also local restaurants, and IMO Durham has the best assortment of those. That isn't saying you can't find them elsewhere, it is just I'm partial to Durham for dining out.

5. Most areas in the Triangle are reasonably diverse. Durham tends to be the most diverse.

6. Plenty of safe places in the Triangle. There are few that I would consider to be "unsafe". Once you narrow down your choices a bit, taking the advice above and checking out the crime maps for the area sounds like a good idea.

7. Public transportation in the Triangle is poor, and you will likely need a car to get around. If you have time and patience, you can typically get from Point A to Point B. But I doubt you will want to use that as anything but an emergency option.

8. Lots of nice parks in the area.

[ApostolicFlightAttendant]

Now thats what I am talking about. You answered my questions to a "t". To respond:

1. We would not want to walk to the mall, we would want to be within a 5 mile driving radius. (hope that helps)

2. Resteraunts: Cant stand chain resteraunts, we prefer if at all possible speciality resteraunts and or resteraunts that might only have 2 locations (if you know what I mean). For instance, Applebees, Fridays and Chillis are not the type of resteraunts we normally frequent. On the other hand, Cheese Cake Factory and Maggiano's are (and then of corse those mom and pop resteraunts).

3. What are some of the name of the famous parks known for people watching. My roomate and I love to go to Piedmont Park here in Atlanta and sit under a tree and talk and people watch. Looking for something comprable.

4. Public transportation would only be for emergencies, not for daily use. With our luck even with newer cars, we just want to have that option just in case something goes wrong. Right now we drive AND we live at the train station here in Atlanta. Its a nice option (we just hate the crime here in Atlanta thats why its time for us to move and to be closer to family in Wilmington).

[bvanevery]

You might try the section of Glennwood Ave. / HWY 70 between the I-440 "inner loop" and the I-540 "outer loop." Crabtree Valley Mall is at the SE end. It's a real mall and also has some upscale restaurants that, while not quite what I'd call unique, are better than chains. Cheesecake Factory is there for instance. A WalMart Supercenter is at the NW end, along with a huge pile of super yuppified outdoor strip mall stuff. The airport is at the NW end of this area, and William B Umstead State Park extends from the airport to the southeast. Transportation in Raleigh ain't great but if there's gonna be any, I guess it would be along this corridor. Traffic in rush hour will probably be pretty bad as it's a major route from Raleigh to Durham.

WalMart Supercenters with groceries are not "everywhere." They're noticeably absent from Cary. Dummies in Cary go to member clubs like BJ's, which don't actually offer any discounts on anything. I make heavy use of the Supercenter on the way to Garner, in the south of Raleigh on Fayetteville Rd. There isn't anything else worthwhile down there though. Just crappy cheapo non-yuppie strip mall stuff, and Mexican grocery stores that I don't want to know where they got their meat from.

I don't think Raleigh has much in the way of parks for people watching. That said, Pullen Park next to NCSU can be pretty busy during the summer. It's a charming park, like something out of an Impressionist painting. Has a small choo-choo train running around it, a merry-go-round, a duck pond, oriental bridges, and sculpted bushes.

I don't recommend living anywhere near NCSU. It's an early 20s college scene, not a 30-something adult scene. I'm next to Lake Johnson myself, southeast of NCSU. As much as I've enjoyed walking around the lake with my dog, I'm tired of being around mostly college age women that I never interact with. Pity I don't like jogging, as that seems to be the thing to do around the lake. I think most of the professionals park themselves in north Raleigh, Cary, or other places near Research Triangle Park. Some might be choosing to live right smack in downtown Raleigh, I'm not sure.

Downtown Raleigh has restaurants that aren't chains. For instance, I like the Duck & Dumpling, a higher end Chinese / Asian restaurant. I ate at the Sitti Lebanese restaurant one time, thought it was decent, and would try it again. Sitti also seems deliberately designed as a place to "be seen," like a big fish bowl on the main corner of downtown. Lotta cheap ethnic eats on the Capitol Blvd corridor in the eastern part of Raleigh, but nothing I consider worth living next to. I ate at the same Vietnamese restaurant for 10 years in Seattle and the best I can say about local fare I've tried, is it doesn't always make me cry. I need to learn to make my own pho.

[ljd1010]

[quote=bvanevery;12170636]
WalMart Supercenters with groceries are not "everywhere." They're noticeably absent from Cary. Dummies in Cary go to member clubs like BJ's, which don't actually offer any discounts on anything. I make heavy use of the Supercenter on the way to Garner, in the south of Raleigh on Fayetteville Rd. There isn't anything else worthwhile down there though. Just crappy cheapo non-yuppie strip mall stuff, and Mexican grocery stores that I don't want to know where they got their meat from. quote]

Wow - dummies in Cary? Hmmmmm..never been to a BJs around here. Not once.

Nothing else worthwhile on the way to Garner? Mexican grocery stores? A disparaging post to say the least.

Just wow.