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From what you say you are looking for, I'd suggest you check out Pittsboro! Small town, not far from Chapel Hill. Pittsboro itself is quite artsy. Chapel Hill is a great college town. Carrboro, an offshoot of Carrboro is also nice....artsy, Weaver St Market, green living etc.
How long would a commute from those towns take, and how bad would the traffic be? They caught my eye and I thought it looked like a reasonable commute.
There are still a lot of places in Raleigh that are not "planned communities". True, most of what's been built in the past 20 years or so is like that, but Raleigh DID exist before it became "relocation central" and there are some older areas of town, even within the city limits, that are almost "rural" in look and feel. For example, Ray Road, in NW Raleigh and a not-bad commute to RTP, has a very rural feel. But it's impossible to say "this street" and "that street" fit what you're looking for--you'll need to take a trip down and look around for yourself or with the help of a real estate agent.
Last edited by Green Irish Eyes; 04-30-2011 at 03:36 PM..
Reason: Edited out reference to deleted comment
Thank you, for the thoughts, Francois. I will check that area out.
I definitely plan to go down there at least once for a few days to get a feel for it, once I narrow down the locales that might fit my needs- I think that's very important to do.
Former New Englander here... Well, you asked for any advice... my best piece of advice that I can't stress enough - rent first, no matter what you do. This area is not like anything in New England. It's not town-based, where you can say "this area of town is good/bad, and has these kinds of characteristics, with good/bad schools". There are small pockets of areas within each town around here that are vastly different. For example, Cary has a certain perception among some around here as being "Stepford" and planned community to the nth degree - and if you visit certain areas, you'll likely see that's pretty close to the truth. But there are some extremely "non-Cary" Cary areas that could be perfect for you based on what you described. (I made an offer on a house in one of those areas, and I am on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from any kind of "Stepford" mentality.)
You can't learn this area in one visit, or even a few. It will take months of searching and learning the area to really find out where you'd like to settle down. Renting for at least 6 months gives you time to discover the area. It's awesome, and each town has many different incredible aspects to offer.
My last piece of advice - try to adapt to the laid back NC vibe. Not that you've indicated otherwise.... just general advice. I see a lot of other transplants down here, whom I can only assume came down here for the "better weather/better way of life" reasons. Yet so many seem to carry their old mentality with them. Stress, tailgaiting, unhappy faces, constant rush and keep your head down. I just don't get it - I guess old habits die hard. The weather is great here, and so are most of the people - it's really a great place to be. Relax, smile, be open to change, and you're likely to love it here!
My last piece of advice - try to adapt to the laid back NC vibe. Not that you've indicated otherwise.... just general advice. I see a lot of other transplants down here, whom I can only assume came down here for the "better weather/better way of life" reasons. Yet so many seem to carry their old mentality with them. Stress, tailgaiting, unhappy faces, constant rush and keep your head down. I just don't get it - I guess old habits die hard. The weather is great here, and so are most of the people - it's really a great place to be. Relax, smile, be open to change, and you're likely to love it here!
The laid back NC vibe is incredible, but takes a bit of getting used to. When we made the offer on our home, the listing agent did not respond to repeated messages for several days. Weekdays. Finally, our agent had her broker call the listing agent's broker.
Oh, she'd had her phone turned off. Sorry.
This happened several other times with her. How does one make a living as a real estate agent and leave your phone turned off for days at a time?
Check out East Durham / west Raleigh (Bahama, 70 and Miami Blvd to Falls Lake.
Plenty of older Homes established trees and large lots (I have 1.5 acres and about 1/2 acre fenced for the dogs) plenty of privacy and 20-30 minutes to everywhere and alwas reverse commutes and in your price range.
But really anywhere in the "countys" around here you will find what u need, good luck
Yes, and places like Timberlake, Creedmoor, and parts of Rougemont might be possibilities depending on what part of Raleigh you are commuting to. Actually, I have a friend with a nice house on 7 acres, 5 pastured and fenced, way back off the road with lots of privacy in your price range. DM me if you want more details.
I can add Coachman's Trail in far North Raleigh to list. It's a 70s neighborhood built on rather large lots in a very wooded setting. I think you might like it based on what you said. Its location is between "Raleigh" to the south and the Falls Lake recreation areas to the north.
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