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I'm in the process of house hunting and am researching neighborhoods in northeast Raleigh. I'd like to find something convenient to downtown and 440, yet affordable (affordable to me = < 200K) and prefer older homes to new construction. I've seen several listings in Northeast Raleigh that look promising. I have found a good amount of information here on Brentwood but would like to find out more about the neighborhoods on the other side of Capital around Trawick and Old Buffaloe road (ex. Starmount)? Anyone familiar with or currently live in this area? Thanks!
Almost everywhere in Raleigh is nice. There are only two general areas that give me pause. One is a very small section of SE Raleigh and the other is a slightly larger section of NE Raleigh. Capital Blvd is not the friendliest road to travel. If you are thinking of NE Raleigh you would be best served to figure out where you will be traveling to the majority of the time and test drive alternate routes. If you can find secondary ways to travel then start to focus in on specific areas along those routes and then come back and ask questions on them. You really need to be careful where you buy in these two areas. You can easily go from nice to not so nice very quickly. You should also note that most of our not so nice areas are better than many not so nice areas from other cities. It's all relative.
Starmount is a very old neighborhood, from I believe the late 1950s (all of the roads have "space"-sounding names, reflecting the obsession with outer space that followed Sputnik). The houses would also be old, of course. Its location is OK though as stated above, Capital is not a fun road to commute on. And, there are some "sketchy" neighborhoods in the NE Raleigh area, particularly east of Capital as this is; even if Starmount is not one of them, the strip centers and grocery stores that are in the area would be common to all of these neighborhoods. Large transient Hispanic populations. I would definitely suggest spending a day in the general area and getting a feel for NE Raleigh before deciding on there. Southall is a much newer subdivision just past Starmount, FYI.
I'm in the process of house hunting and am researching neighborhoods in northeast Raleigh. I'd like to find something convenient to downtown and 440, yet affordable (affordable to me = < 200K) and prefer older homes to new construction. I've seen several listings in Northeast Raleigh that look promising. I have found a good amount of information here on Brentwood but would like to find out more about the neighborhoods on the other side of Capital around Trawick and Old Buffaloe road (ex. Starmount)? Anyone familiar with or currently live in this area? Thanks!
Hello, Smiley_Gal,
Wow, I think I'm (as is often the case) much more positive about the areas in question than the previous two posters. I think Starmount in particular is really a terrific neighborhood for what it is. Obviously it's not fancy or swanky, and nor is it perfect (or else it wouldn't be nearly as affordable as it is). But I think that in most respects, its location is fantastic, and offers excellent value for the money. I agree that it's somewhat similar to Brentwood, although it's quite a bit smaller (which I think is why you don't see it mentioned as often on City-Data) and a little quieter, both of which can be both good and bad. Naturally, whether or not it's a good fit for you depends on what you're looking for and what your criteria are, as well as the specific details of the particular house you'd be considering. But based on the basic outline you gave of being convenient to downtown and the I-440 Beltline, with "older homes," but at an affordable pricepoint, I think Starmount would be great, although there are a number of other spots around Raleigh that also fit that description.
As far as the northeastern part of Raleigh in general, it's historically been the most diverse sector of the city by several measures, which at least to me is mostly good, although it doesn't appeal to everyone. Being an unglamorous and generally working-class part of the city has kept the property values mostly reasonable in Northeast Raleigh, but I would argue that the long-term trends are quite positive for places like Starmount and Brentwood. It seems to me like a pretty good place to buy a well-built, relatively inexpensive house. As the previous posters mentioned, northeastern Raleigh contains a couple of rough spots, especially some of the apartment complexes around Capital and Millbrook/New Hope and a few small but scruffy trailer parks here and there. I probably wouldn't want to live in those specific places, but they certainly wouldn't prevent me from living in northeastern Raleigh in general (and in fact I do live in northeastern Raleigh, closer to downtown), as in my observation and experiences those seedy spots don't have any more effect on a neighborhood like Starmount than anywhere else. I walk and bike through Starmount frequently at all times of day, and I would have absolutely no concerns about living there or in the other, similar neighborhoods of mid-20th-century single-family homes nearby. Is it Prestonwood Country Club? No, clearly it's not, but I think it's great for what it is.
As always, big points for Tompope. I'll second his comments.
I live in the King Charles neighborhood just inside the NE corner of the beltline. It's one of many neighborhoods which fit your description. In addition to Starmount & Brentwood, consider tossing the King Charles neighborhood (east of Raleigh Blvd) and the Woodcrest neighborhood as well (west of Raleigh blvd, closer to downtown, off capital blvd)
We've lived in Hedingham for almost 6 years now and love it. Very convenient to 540 and 440 and downtown plus the amenities are great for the low HOA fees
I think Windsor Forest is nice - very convenient to Capital.
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