Raleigh area...

[nichelobe]

We're vacationing on the Outer Banks next week and plan to break up the drive by stopping one night in the Raleigh area on the way. We're seriously considering a move to Raleigh in the next year or two, so I'd like to use what very little time we have there to take a quick look around. Any help/tips/thoughts are welcome here.

Things to consider:

- Schools are of the utmost importance, and I hear Cary may be the best place to consider? If not Cary, where should we consider?
- We'll have Saturday morning to look around. I'd love to go to a cool area or fun, casual restaurant for breakfast/brunch. Any ideas?
- If you have an area we should consider, do you know of a district and/or neighborhood that would give us a good feel for the vibe there?

The plan right now is aimless driving, so any direction is appreciated.

[lb2006]

My sister & BIL live in Holly Springs and like their schools/options there. It used to be pretty rural, but in the past 10 years is now a thriving suburb of Cary/Raleigh.

If you want the name of their neighborhood, feel free to PM me and i'll send it to you for googling They are within a mile or two of Target, restaurants, etc. Very close proximity.

[nichelobe]

Thanks! My daughter is 2.5 now, so we'd be looking at schools all the way from elementary to high school. As for neighborhoods, the house style doesn't matter quite as much to me as the environment. I'd love to be in a neighborhood where I can safely run, bonus points if there's a great bike/running path. Bonus bonus points for a great running community. Definitely not rural. We'd want to be within 15ish minutes to cute restaurants and shopping, closer is better. The nature of our jobs would probably put us working near the downtown area, but we don't mind a minor commute.

Our budget for the house would be <$300k, but if there's an area closer to $250k, that's even better.

Thank you for these questions! Seriously, it helped just to think through what we really want.

I'm going to google those restaurants and Holly Springs. Any further ideas?? Thanks again - I really appreciate it. mryrcn

[jcbarbee]

I don't have kids, so I am no help with the schools. Sorry!

For restaurants, I ditto Raleigh Times, Joule, Beasleys Chicken & Honey for downtown. 

Tupelo Honey is a yummy restaurant for brunch/lunch right outside of Cameron Village with has lots of shops, more than downtown. 

Raleigh has a great greenway trail, it goes all through the city and is perfect for biking and running. I live near an entrance and absolutely love it. 

www.raleighnc.gov/parks/content/PRecDesignDevelop/Articles/CapitalAreaGreenwayTrailSystem.html

We moved to Raleigh 2 years ago and it was the best decision we have made. I absolutely love it. If you have anymore questions, let me know! 

[love1999]

Based on your price range and wishes, Holly Springs could be a great option for you. You can typically get a little more for your money than being in Raleigh or Cary. There is a Target, Dicks, Petco, Marshalls, Ulta, in town so far and by the time you would probably move, there will be a Bed, Bath and Beyond, DSW, movie theater and others. You can be in Cary in under 15 minutes, Raleigh and downtown in 20-25 minutes, the RTP area in about 30 minutes, downtown Durham in about 40 minutes. Very family friendly and consistently rated a great place to raise kids and one of the safest places in NC. PM me if you want some more info, neighborhoods to look at, etc.

Other good options for brunch would be Toast Cafe or La Farm Bakery in Cary. Oh, and Holly Springs has a great farmers market on Saturday mornings across from town hall from 8:30 to 12:30. You could pick up some things to take to the beach with you.