your best bang for the buck is around the 40-42/mcgees crossroads area just inside of johnston county...


the only "not so good" deal around there is for starter homes, there have been way too many built the last 5 years...

but if you're thinking something thats not a starter home on a larger lot, look out there

I can get to campus from the 42/I40 intersection in about 15 minutes


plus when 540 comes through it'll be closer to rtp

and when the clayton hwy70 bypass is completed you're gonna save another 20-30 minutes on your trip to the beach

6/27/2007 10:21:20 AM

Lake benson in garner has a new neighborhood, bordering lake benson park. The homes at the end of the street are already done, and sold for over 1 mil each, but other lots in the neighborhood can be had at about .5 acre, with a home under 500k. Driving from there in the morning can be between 30-45 minutes into RTP, depending on traffic.

Downside is that traffic wont get much better, but rather worse, but it is a nice quick ride into ncsu up south saunders st.

BTW, 540 isnt the fastest of roads, and will get worse and worse over the next 5 years.....

In my opinion, anything east of the leesville/creedmoor exits on 540 is going to be just as bad of a drive to RTP as east raleigh is now.... stay within that boundry, and you are lookin at max 20 minutes for the long haul.

6/27/2007 10:54:20 AM

New houses in Wake Forest are completely over priced and the yards don't have any land...In the Heritage area of Wake Forest, the houses are $350,000+ and the $350,000 homes are mostly the garage...It's crazy...

6/27/2007 6:44:04 PM

nMy folks built a house in Waterfall Plantation (about 1/2 mile down Thompson Mill from 98) in '99 for $475,000. Pretty nice, a lot of land and a nice pool and hot tub area. They sold it for about the same price (maybe 10-15k more). Their house out in Cali is a bit bigger but has NO yard and it cost $1.4M.. gotta love NC prices.

I don't know about Heritage though...

---- and to whoever said you can get to RTP in 10 minutes with no traffic from WF, that is so incredibly wrong. It's 10 miles alone from US-1 to NC-50 (Creedmoor Rd). RTP is still about another 10-15 miles from there..

[Edited on June 27, 2007 at 6:53 PM. Reason : x]

6/27/2007 6:50:36 PM

I just don't think anything on the east side of Raleigh is a practical suggestion for this person. Sure, that area is growing just as fast, and the roads connecting Knightdale/Garner are better than the roads connecting HSP/FV, but you're still a long freakin way from RTP. My admin lives in Knightdale at the moment, and she has a 40-50 minute commute to Cary during rush hour. Those suggesting these areas, apparently aren't driving in from here during the rush hour.

6/27/2007 11:13:18 PM

yeah they are better off living in Durham or Chapel Hill

6/28/2007 2:58:42 AM

^^A few months ago i did a few drives knightdale to crossroads in 20 minutes during am rush hour via 264 and 40. The person said downtown was important as well as rtp. if you're inbetween downtown and rtp you're going to pay a butload so knightdale is a good alternative to be right near downtown and then however long 540 takes to get to rtp. (about 20 mins to the airport which is where you hit the traffic. who knows from there.)

6/28/2007 3:07:59 AM

living in knightdale is like driving a daewoo.

shit, might as well do both.

6/28/2007 4:43:25 AM

^ hehehe, excellent analogy

^^ Ok, so you drove from Knightdale to Crossroads in 20, tack on another 15 to get from there to where Weston Blvd meets Evans (I do this multiple times a week), or another 10-12 to get to the Harrison exit. Then tack on another 10 to get to the edge of RTP + more to get all the way to your office wherever that may be. This is assuming normal rush hour traffic that isn't flowing at full speed but isn't going 20mph. Factor in a really slow day once a week on average due to rain, wrecks, old men, Asian women.

But you're right, they need to figure out which carries more weight, that daily 1-1.5hrs they will hose driving to and from work + all the gas versus how often they go downtown and how much they enjoy that convenience.

6/28/2007 7:58:00 AM

yeah if you are working in RTP you just need to buck up and get a place around the area. Fuck moving to eastern wake i.e knightdale, garner, clayton, or even holly springs.

Even driving from RTP to NCSU area everyday for three semesters got fucking frustrating. If i took on a full time job out there, their is no way i would live more then 15 miles away. I would rather just get a gun out and shoot myself in the head.

6/28/2007 12:19:41 PM

I really like this neighborhood for convenience to everything: http://tinyurl.com/2jxnbj
It's convenient to RTP via either I-40 or Wade Ave. entrances and it is a quick drive to downtown, NCSU, etc. You can watch the fireworks at the fairgrounds from your deck and you can walk to the ESA if you want.

The only reason I didn't suggest it earlier is because krazedgirl was so adamant about .25 acre lots being too small.

6/28/2007 1:05:05 PM

Quote :

"^^ Ok, so you drove from Knightdale to Crossroads in 20, tack on another 15 to get from there to where Weston Blvd meets Evans (I do this multiple times a week), or another 10-12 to get to the Harrison exit. Then tack on another 10 to get to the edge of RTP + more to get all the way to your office wherever that may be. This is assuming normal rush hour traffic that isn't flowing at full speed but isn't going 20mph. Factor in a really slow day once a week on average due to rain, wrecks, old men, Asian women. "

WTF do you even know the raleigh area well? anybody in their right mind would take 540 if they were going from knightdale to rtp.

Why would they go to cary to go to rtp? am i missing something?

40 between cary and durham is one of the worst traffic areas in the country

from knightdale you shoot down 540 from end to end is about 20-25 minutes tops. then you hit the traffic at the airport when you reach 40. I have no idea how long it takes from their but you're only a few miles away and it will probably be quicker to get off at 70 and take tw alexander into rtp (~5-10mins)

so no way it takes more than 40-45 minutes to get to rtp from knightdale or anywhere on 540.

[Edited on June 28, 2007 at 1:27 PM. Reason : and what is a daewoo?]

6/28/2007 1:17:25 PM

a few extra bones out of my pocket every month is far worth the suffering and misery of dealing with traffic 5 days a week 50 work weeks a year. If you really must jew over a few hundred then garner, knightdale, or holly springs is your way to go.

When you bitch about waiting an hour to get home everyday we on TWW well say we told you so.

6/28/2007 2:49:29 PM

and we'll laugh at you just to pour salt in your wounds.

6/28/2007 3:02:33 PM

Knightdale doesn't go in the same category with holly springs and garner. Knightdale has fast commute times, 264, 540 and is right next to Raleigh.

Traffic on 540 and 264 is the least volume in the area. 40 or highways that aren't built yet is what you want to avoid. Hur, are you from Raleigh or do you just go to school here because you seem very confused.

North Raleigh is prime because it is not too far from downtown or rtp. Knightdale is right next to north raleigh a little further from rtp but a little closer to downtown.

Take a drive on 540 some morning or evening and you will see that its the best highway to travel on.

6/28/2007 3:22:12 PM

Quote :

"40 or highways that aren't built yet is what you want to avoid. Hur, are you from Raleigh or do you just go to school here because you seem very confused."

I am from Charlotte. But I have gone to school here since 2003. I have worked three semesters in RTP and i have also had a part time job near North Hills besides having traveled through all the mentioned raleigh suburbs for various reasons. I know all the major roads/ highways / towns in wake county better then some people I know who have lived here all their life.

[Edited on June 28, 2007 at 3:29 PM. Reason : l]

6/28/2007 3:29:04 PM

I am gonna use this opportunity to vent and say I wish they would widen 401 from the 70 split (Lowe's) at least down to Old Stage.

6/29/2007 11:12:38 AM