I will be relocating to Raleigh from IL and would love some suggestions on what areas to consider for rental townhomes/nice apartments in what I think you call the "North Raleigh" area. My office is North of Raleigh Community Hospital. What areas should you avoid in Raleigh? i.e. in general Where are some great places to go for nightlife?

North Raleigh to me means the area between around Lynn Road to Capital Blvd. north of the Beltline. However, I don't live in Raleigh so I could be wrong with the area.

I'm not sure where Raleigh Community Hospital is, but the North Raleigh area is full of new places to rent or buy.

I wouldn't want to live too close to NC State University. I'm past the period of my life where I want to party the night away with undergrads.

Charlie Goodnight's is a comedy club and I think there is a bar/dance club with the complex. It is near NCSU.

ely,

Actually, North Raleigh is anything outside the beltline north. Raleigh Community (owned by Duke University) is in North Raleigh on Falls of the Nuese just off the beltline.

Tons of apartments/town houses in the area. There are also many nightspots within shouting distance of the Hospital.

Welcome to Raleigh! It's a beautiful area.

Curious

If you don't mind about a 10-15 min drive I really enjoyed living on Lake Lynn!

It was really nice. The apartments there aren't brand new anymore but the setting is great and it was a pretty convenient location.

Very close to Crabtree Mall and plenty of shopping/dining/grocery stores in the area.

I lived in a place called Cumberland Cove.

It is a decent sized lake that has a paved walking trail along the shore. Very active and used a lot by locals or at least it was 5 yrs ago!

Just avoid Capital Blvd area for housing. Falls of Neuse is good, Lynn is Good, I would tend to stick north of the beltline and between Creedmoor and Wake Forest Roads areas. Six Forks etc... Lynn runs across all of them.

I imagine Raleigh like a big wagon wheel...the beltline in the middle and on the top side you have SPOKES- Creedmoor, Six Forks, etc...heading north. There are a few nice places up behind Crabtree Mall as well. But you might encounter more traffic there around Glenwood crossing over to get to work.

IF you don't want to be surrounded by college kids then avoid areas near NCSU.

Cary wouldn't be very convenient for you in the rush hour times. But it is nice. I would avoid heading out East too. No need to be in the triangle area with your job.

As far as nightlife goes....

We used to hang out at the bars near NCSU...Old Bar, Have a Nice Day, there were several places near that area.

On Thursday nights in the spring/summer we would do the outdoor party/band/beer tent thing downtown. Alive after Five! It was always fun and we would usually end up at a restaurant downtown after they kicked us out. I love 42nd Street Oyster Bar...good music and great food! Another place I enjoyed was called 518 West or something like that...2 story italian restaurant.

IF my husband just didn't like the area...I would move back in a heartbeat! It wasn't metropolitan enough for him. (but he never lived there..only visited) I miss it.

Also near your work is a place called Lucky 32...I really liked that restaurant. Had a good rotating menu for the seasons.

I worked at an IBM building on Wake Forest Road.

Thanks for all the great info. I am going to be in town next week to explore the area. I have retrieved some apt/townhome info off Realtor.com and will check out a few places. In regards to traffic: Is there less congestion heading from the Triangle to other parts in the am and vice versa in the pm? Or is there congestion everywhere because of the growth you have had over the last several yrs? Is Wake Forest a nice area?

are you moving alone or with family/kids?

Are you concerned with schools?

Do you really want to drive the 45 mins from Wake Forest (the town right?)

The triangle is smack dab in the middle and gets traffic from all angles.

I had to switch from IBM to MCI and I din't drive much farther mileage wise-but it would take upwards of 45 mins in the morning if not more if there were an accident and I knew all of the possible backroads and I was barely on the edge of the triangle--MCI was technically in Cary near the Sam's Club over there.

It is not worth spending your mornings and afternoons in the car. Off traffic hours those places are quick and easy to get too.

I think the best rental townhouses in North Raleigh are at Summit Overlook. The very cool architecture features stone-front porches and mission-style details.

Summit Overlook
4703 Summit Overlook Drive
Raleigh, NC 27612
(866)804-0557

I do not have children so schools will not have an impact on where I move. Would Wakefield Plantation area be a 45 min drive to Millbrook & Falls of Neuse Road? Since my office is not in RTP I should be able to avoid most of that traffic but wasn't sure if the traffic from inside the 540 was bad as well.

Ely,

Your are now talking my area. No problem from Wakefield. We have a friend who works with my wife at the IBM building at Falls of Nuese and Millbrook. It takes her 15-20 minutes.

We live in a heavily wooded area just off Falls of Neuse between Spring Forest and Millbrook. My wife drives less than one mile to work!!!!!!!!!!

Curious