^ Eh...unless you're planning on starting an insta-family, I don't really agree with that train of thought. First...he's single right now, so he's definitely a good ways away from marriage and possible family. Even if he meets someone in the near future, you're still looking at 3-5 years before needing an upgrade in space. I don't think there's anything wrong with only staying in your first place for 5 years...especially if its a condo. Not too many people get a condo as their "forever home" anyways. And he can buy another place and rent the condo out if the selling price isn't right.

6/16/2014 10:57:36 AM

^^ plenty of mordecai and Oakwood has not been fixed up or gentrified yet, its still the best place to buy a home.

6/16/2014 11:29:13 AM

Just something to think about is all just depends on your plan. Worked out well for me and would have been a nightmare had I bought a place and had to turn right around and sell it a few years later. Granted I ended up with someone who already owned and had a child so I guess that makes things different in my perspective. The thought remains the same though that I knew I didnt want to remain single and felt like owning a place may make things difficult down the road. It is definitely all about your plans and goals though.

6/16/2014 11:32:20 AM

I just feel like if I was in a situation where I was in a relationship and needed more space or whatever, it would be a lot easier to rent out a condo than to rent out something in North Raleigh. I also don't ever see myself dating/marrying somebody that already has a child but you never know.

6/16/2014 12:29:04 PM

Quote :

"I disagree with this... There are way too many low income rentals in east Raleigh. The owners of these homes are the types that are content with not selling making the up and coming not so up and coming."

This is an exaggeration. Yes, there are plenty of these rentals, but at a rapidly increasing pace, their owners are being offered prices they can't refuse for marketable homes.

My best friend lives on East Hargett Street, and in the two years since she's purchased, there are no less than seven houses that have been renovated and sold within a two block radius. Similarly, on my street in Longview, two houses that were low income rentals have been purchased by young families in the past twelve months.

[Edited on June 16, 2014 at 1:19 PM. Reason : 3]

6/16/2014 1:16:06 PM

Definitely going to be trying to get in on one of these places downtown soon... thread is relevant to my interests.

6/16/2014 1:18:01 PM

Quote :

" " North Raleigh is a dime a dozen. I usually like to live where I play, not where I work." Er not many people work in North Raleigh. Perhaps you're the outlier."

Those were two independent statements I made.
North Raleigh homes are a dime and dozen >> nothing unique about home nor location.
I usually like to live where I play, not where I work. >> some folks like to live in Morrisville or RTP because it is closer to work, but nothing to play out there.

If you really want to walk to bars, restaurants, events, you need to be at the core and just buy a condo like 444. Oakwood is semi-walkable distance from Fayetteville St. Mordecai is just too far, you'll still need a car.

[Edited on June 16, 2014 at 4:31 PM. Reason : k]

6/16/2014 4:30:23 PM

Also, have you looked at Hudson, Dawson, Park Devereaux, even those across from Artspace which the name escapes my mind, although they are a bit older. These can all be hand for low 200s, and put you in the thick of things. Remember, location, location, location.

There's a big difference between walking right upstairs to get home vs. walking 10-20 blocks.

[Edited on June 16, 2014 at 4:33 PM. Reason : k]

6/16/2014 4:33:19 PM

Quote :

"you'll still need a car"

It's one mile from Mordecai to central downtown. No car needed for that. Plus the R-Line could be an option for nights out.

6/16/2014 4:43:52 PM

If I'm drunk, I'm not walking a mile home in the dark.
If I need to grab something from home or want to rest up or freshen up, I'm not going to walk all the way back home either.
I don't like waiting for the R-Line either.

It's all about price you pay for convenience.

[Edited on June 16, 2014 at 5:10 PM. Reason : k]

6/16/2014 5:07:25 PM

That's why there are cabs

6/16/2014 7:24:30 PM

I'm gonna go ahead and say that Mordecai is legit. You can walk to the middle of downtown in 15 minutes. Get a bike and it's 5 minutes.

also a cab home is like $5 with tip. Go home krazedgirl, you're drunk.

[Edited on June 17, 2014 at 12:46 AM. Reason : ]

6/17/2014 12:45:48 AM

Mordecai to something on the far side of downtown is a $5 cab ride, no need to walk if you don't want to. Before we sold the house in Oakwood we would usually take a cab home unless the weather was perfect, and it was easy because how close we were. You don't need to be right downtown to enjoy downtown living, a few blocks out works just fine.

6/17/2014 6:20:38 AM

Quote :

"There's a big difference between walking right upstairs to get home vs. walking 10-20 blocks."

I agree with you here.

A mile walk from Mordecai is too much. I live half a mile from five bars in North Raleigh and while the walk up there isn't bad, the walk back sucks.

Also, you can still get a DWI on a bicycle so I don't see the advantage there. Cabs are alright for the weekends when you'll be out all night but if you're just trying to grab some food and a quick drink after work it's a lot less practical and even if the cab fare is $5 you still have to tip so it would end up being $7-8 each way.

6/17/2014 11:27:16 AM

its interesting to see how mentalities differ. people who live in areas that aren't dense, such as raleigh, are hesitant to walk even short distances. i used to be that way but after moving to dc proper my opinion changed. now if something is up to 1 to 1.5 miles, I'll just walk the damn thing.

a mile, to or from bars, isn't a lot to walk. maybe if you're black out but if you're in a state where driving is a reasonable alternative then a mile walk isn't bad. a leisurely mile walk will take you 15minutes. you can barely hail a cab, ride and pay in that time.

6/17/2014 12:10:02 PM

Quote :

"A mile walk from Mordecai is too much. I live half a mile from five bars in North Raleigh and while the walk up there isn't bad, the walk back sucks."

You do realize that they are bars much closer to Mordecai than a mile, right? A mile is to all the way to central downtown. There are more than five bars within a two minute walk.

6/17/2014 1:24:30 PM

(shhhh, don't tell anymore people about the Person St area)

6/17/2014 1:26:49 PM

You guys must be a fast walker. From central downtown to Mordecai Park is 1.6 miles. That's a 20+ minute walk not factoring in waiting at stop light intersections, etc. As a girl, I'm not walking almost 30 minutes to get home in the dark.

I'm currently living at Hudson. I enjoy being able to walk right upstairs to home to freshen up, change outfits, take a break, use the bathroom, whatever. It's especially convenient during major festivals, events, food truck rodeos, concerts, etc. And they have something going on all the time along Fayetteville St.

Now, eventually if I get married, have kids, need a yard, and want to remain in downtown, I'll look at Oakwood or Boylan Heights.

But until you've lived in downtown near Fayetteville St, you won't know what you're missing. I was trying to help the OP see that making a purchase at 444 is a good decision. I didn't mean to touch a nerve on those that are living in Oakwood/Mordecai.

[Edited on June 17, 2014 at 2:14 PM. Reason : k]

6/17/2014 2:11:56 PM

Quote :

"its interesting to see how mentalities differ. people who live in areas that aren't dense, such as raleigh, are hesitant to walk even short distances. i used to be that way but after moving to dc proper my opinion changed. now if something is up to 1 to 1.5 miles, I'll just walk the damn thing."

I agree. When I visit friends in NYC or DC I'll walk for miles but it just doesn't feel like it. Not sure why that half a mile to my current place seems to suck so much - maybe I've just seen it a thousand times and DC/NYC seems new and exciting idk.

Quote :

"You do realize that they are bars much closer to Mordecai than a mile, right? A mile is to all the way to central downtown. There are more than five bars within a two minute walk."

Forgot about Seaboard Station. I'm not knocking the area at all, I'm just saying if a friend calls me and says "hey we're downtown at x" 9/10 it's going to be near Fayetteville St. and I'd rather be a short walk away.

The best building downtown in my opinion is The Dawson because you're less than five minutes from Fayetteville/Moore Square/Warehouse District/Glenwood. But, I can't afford it. The only downside I hear about Nash Square is the fire station noise, and the gay clubs if you're facing that street.

6/17/2014 2:38:35 PM

Quote :

"I agree. When I visit friends in NYC or DC I'll walk for miles but it just doesn't feel like it. Not sure why that half a mile to my current place seems to suck so much - maybe I've just seen it a thousand times and DC/NYC seems new and exciting idk. "

The difference is in density. In NYC or DC, no matter how much you walk, you'll still always be surrounded by a lot of things to do, places to eat, etc.

In Downtown Raleigh, there's nothing between the Fayetteville St area and Seaboard Station or Person St.

6/17/2014 6:05:24 PM

Quote :

"The only downside I hear about Nash Square is the fire station noise, and the gay clubs if you're facing that street."

There's only one gay club left on Hargett. The rest closed.

7/9/2014 5:22:27 AM