So is one situated in a better location overall in the Triangle?  Without considering traffic, Mid-Town Raleigh’s proximity to I-440 gives it an advantage here, as you’re really able to get anywhere in just about 15-20 minutes.  You’re right by, with the potential to live in, the North Hills Shopping Center itself, which is a major entertainment space for many in Raleigh.  It’s a short drive into Downtown Raleigh as well as the newly named Lenovo Center where the Hurricanes and Wolfpack play. 

North Raleigh is also situated pretty well in the Triangle given its’ proximity to I-540, which still allows quick access to the RDU Airport, RTP and Durham, but it does take longer to get to Downtown Raleigh, the PNC Arena, and certainly some of the more popular suburbs like Cary and Apex.  And given that there aren’t really any major entertainment destinations in North Raleigh itself, you will find yourself traveling to Mid-Town and Downtown Raleigh for those offerings.

Traffic

On the topic of traveling, commute times in both locations can be heavily impacted by traffic.  As a whole, traffic and overall congestion is much worse in Mid-Town Raleigh than North Raleigh, especially right by North Hills.  Outside of North Hills and the main roadways surrounding it, secondary and more minor roads really aren’t that heavily congested.  And despite the congestion of North Hills and I-440 in the area, you can still get to Downtown Raleigh in 20 minutes or so.

Now if you have to get onto I-440, I-40, or Glenwood Avenue to go to RTP, traffic gets much worse.  But, North Raleigh isn’t a whole lot better, as traffic is a challenge on main commuting roads like Falls of Neuse, Six Forks, Capital Blvd, and I-540.  The overall congestion on a day to day basis is MUCH less than Mid-Town Raleigh, but the commutes to Downtown Raleigh, RTP and the RDU airport are more on the order of 30 plus minutes depending upon how close you live to I-540. 

So overall, you will deal with traffic in both of these locations, but outside of the Falls of the Neuse and I-540 area in North Raleigh, there isn’t much congestion on a day to day basis.

General Feel

The overall look and feel of these locations have both similarities and differences.  Mid-Town Raleigh was built years earlier than much of North Raleigh, which has really exploded over the past 20-25 years.  So much of what you see in Mid-Town Raleigh from a shopping center and neighborhood standpoint will feel older with a lot of character, dense tree coverage, and overall fairly dense.  The theme of Mid-Town Raleigh has been knock down and rebuild, which is what is happening with the North Hills Shopping Center as well as many older homes in neighborhoods.

North Raleigh as a whole will feel a little newer overall and more spread out, but it’s not new to the extent of many of Raleigh’s growing suburbs as there still are not many new construction neighborhoods going up anymore.  There is still plenty of tree coverage though, so both locations do a great job of maintaining Raleigh’s character as the City of Oaks. 

Living Spaces

Let’s move specifically into living spaces to compare options and costs for renting and owning, but before we do, if you need any real estate assistance in Raleigh or the Triangle area as a whole, please reach out as we would love to help you like we’ve helped so many already from these blogs.

If you’re looking for any sort of walkability, living near North Hills in Mid-Town Raleigh is really your only option, as they have some newly built apartments that are attracting many young professionals and have most of what you need there on a day to day basis.  Rental prices in North Hills are a little less than Downtown Raleigh but honestly not much, averaging typically between $1200 and $2000 per month for 1-2 bedroom units.

North Raleigh really doesn’t have anything comparable to renting in North Hills, so rental prices for your typical apartment complexes will naturally run less than Mid-Town Raleigh.

When it comes to neighborhoods, this is where the separator comes, as Mid-Town Raleigh is quite a bit more expensive than North Raleigh, even though some of the most expensive homes in Raleigh are actually in North Raleigh.

Mid-Town Raleigh’s neighborhoods were built years ago, many in the 70s, 80s and 90s, so homes that have not been remodeled are dated and generally, on the smaller side.  You see a lot of ranch and split-level style homes, generally with 1500 to 2500 SF.  But while the home itself isn’t valued high, the lot prices are given its’ prime location, which drives the prices up substantially.  Lots can be upwards of $300k to $500k, with those right next to North Hills approaching $1M.

For this reason, you see many homes being torn down and replaced with multi-million dollar, new construction homes.  It is very common to see a $3M house sandwiched in between two smaller, ranch style homes that are likely valued around $600k. 

So while the average price for homes in the Mid-Town Raleigh area is $920k, you’re really either buying generally a smaller, older home for between $600k to $1M, or a newly remodeled or new construction home for well over a $1M and many times in the $2-4M range.  If you’re into flipping homes, or want to flip your own while you live in it, this area has some great options if you can wrestle one away from these custom builders!

One thing about Mid-Town Raleigh neighborhoods is they generally do not have amenities, as most residents will choose to belong to somewhere like North Hills Country Club or Carolina Country Club, which are expensive on their own and many times have waitlists.  And, HOAs are hit and miss, and for the ones that have them, they aren’t very restrictive.  This can be a pro, but it provide more opportunity for neighboring properties to do something you may not be in favor of. 

Despite not having amenities to naturally bring people together and many times, a non-cohesive look to the neighborhoods, many of these neighborhoods still have a really great community.  The neighborhoods are built more around busier streets, so while they are still PLENTY of places for children to safely play, parents do have to be a little more mindful of which streets children play on. 

North Raleigh has a mixture of neighborhoods, and it changes as you work your ways north.  Its’ marquee neighborhood of North Ridge, which has one of the best country clubs in the area with pools, golfing, and tennis, looks and feels A LOT like North Hills neighborhoods, as you’ll see the mixture of older homes with newly rebuilt, $3-4M new construction homes, and the home prices overall are much like Mid-Town Raleigh.

As you work your way north though, especially north of I-540, home prices get much more affordable as a whole, with the average for the area at $650k.  You can get nice homes for around $400k-500k in neighborhoods like Durant Trace and Trails, that are in great locations by I-540.  But the most popular neighborhoods are Falls River and Bedford, which are both beautiful communities with tree lined streets and really great amenities including pools, parks, walking trails, and even a shopping center.  And homes in these neighborhoods are mostly between $500k to $1M.

There’s Wakefield to the north that also has its’ own country club with many homes prices between $500k to $1M as well, but it also has some mansions that millions.

And as mentioned before, just outside city limits are the more estate style neighborhoods and homes that are well above $1M, as this area provides more privacy and land in general, and is close to Falls Lake.

But overall, while North Raleigh has its’ fair share of expensive homes, it is overall much more affordable for most home buyers than Mid-Town Raleigh.

Schools

While on the topic of neighborhoods, we better talk about schools, and both areas are part of the Wake County Public School system and have some really great options.  The school facilities themselves are generally a little older in Mid-Town Raleigh than North Raleigh, but both offer a great variety of options that include traditional, year-round, magnet, and certainly charter and private school options.  North Raleigh MAY have a few more of those charter and private school options, but it’s not a major disparity.  I encourage everyone to do their own research on schools, but both areas do provide great options.

Entertainment

Now, let’s get into entertainment, which will include both restaurants, shopping, and overall entertainment, and due to the North Hills shopping center, Mid-Town Raleigh wins here by a landslide.  It has great restaurants, continues to grow its’ shopping options, has a movie theatre, fitness studios, and a variety of events that include farmers markets and live music.  And, Mid-Town Raleigh has Crabtree Valley Mall right in its’ backyard, as well as quick access to the sporting events of the Lenovo Center and Carter Finley Stadium.

North Raleigh has the entertainment that you would expect from a typical, suburban area.  There are plenty of shopping centers, great restaurants, with all the general stores that you need on a daily basis.  There’s a really nice Lifetime Fitness with a large outdoor pool and Lafayette Village, a French-themed collection of stores and restaurants that does have multiple events throughout the year. 

So North Raleigh does have everything you need, but it still doesn’t compare to what North Hills has to offer, and it’s a little further away from the Lenovo Center and Downtown Raleigh.

Parks

But where North Raleigh lacks entertainment wise, it makes up for in parks, as it has an amazing network of parks and greenways.  The 26-mile Neuse River Greenway Trail originates in North Raleigh, as well as Falls Lake being right next door.  There are nature preserves with a multitude of both paved and unpaved walking trails, and there are multiple playgrounds for families beyond what is already offered in most neighborhoods in places like Baileywick Park, Millbrook Exchange Park, Green County Hills Park, and Blue Jay Point.  So if you enjoy the outdoors, North Raleigh will keep you entertained.

Mid-Town Raleigh has several options, but nothing to the extent that North Raleigh offers.  There is a small park within the North Hills neighborhood itself, Shelley Lake has a 2 mile, paved trail and the lake with a playground of its’ own, and Lassiter Mill Park has a beautiful waterfall.

That highlights the popular Mid-Town and North Raleigh areas.  Which do you prefer?

Check out our other blogs the pros and cons of Raleigh NC and the best neighborhoods of raleigh NC.

If you need help finding your next home in Raleigh, Durham, or anywhere else in the triangle, our team at the W Real Estate Group would love to help!

Please reach out via our contact information below:

Phone:  919-504-5265

Email:  alison@thewgroupraleigh.com

Website:  www.thewgroupraleigh.com