Resort Style Living - Raleigh, NC Neighborhoods Ranked!

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The Ultimate Raleigh Rankings are in, and these Raleigh-Durham-Chapel-Hill area neighborhoods will make you feel like you’re on vacation.  

I’m Alison Wojnarowski with the W Real Estate Group in Raleigh, and I’ve performed a numerical analysis to find the Raleigh area neighborhoods with the absolute BEST amenities.  

More information on the analysis can be found at the bottom of this blog, but at a high level, we ranked the following high level categories based on a combined 30 factors: Pools, Recreation, Golf, Tennis, Clubhouse, Events, and Neighborhood Shopping Centers (which only considers shopping centers built within the neighborhood itself).  We also considered age and quality of the amenities as well.  

Let’s jump right in and take a look at #5-10, and to clarify, the scores will appear lower as the criteria was tough, and not every neighborhood had every single category like shopping centers, or golf, so the scores were lower overall.  

#10 - Bedford (Overall: 5.4, Pool: 7.0, Recreation: 8, Golf: 0, Tennis: 5, Clubhouse: 1, Events: 10, Shopping Centers: 3.5, Quality: 8)

So coming in at #10 is the gorgeous North Raleigh neighborhood of Bedford.  With nice pools, multiple parks and greenways, and it’s own small shopping center, Bedford will keep you entertained.

#9 - Governor’s Club (Overall: 5.7, Pool: 5.5, Recreation: 3, Golf: 8.5, Tennis: 6, Clubhouse: 10, Events: 7.5, Shopping Centers: 0, Quality: 6)

At #9, the Governor’s Club is a gated community known for its’ golfing and fine dining.  

#8 - Briar Chapel (Overall: 5.8, Pool: 7.5, Recreation: 9.5, Golf: 0, Tennis: 5, Clubhouse: 4, Events: 7.5, Shopping Centers: 0, Quality: 10)

Number 8 brings Chapel-Hill into the mix with the popular Briar Chapel.  Highlighted by a really cool pool area, more parks than you can count, and even its’ own mountain biking trails, there’s not much that Briar Chapel doesn’t have.

#7 - North Ridge (Overall: 5.8, Pool: 7.0, Recreation: 2.0, Golf: 8.0, Tennis: 10, Clubhouse: 7.5, Events: 7.5, Shopping Centers: 0, Quality: 6)

Coming in at #7 is North Ridge, which is highlighted by its’ country club.  Golf and tennis lovers will enjoy North Ridge, and the pool area is great for kids with multiple slides to enjoy.

#6 - Heritage (Overall: 6.1, Pool: 7.5, Recreation: 9.0, Golf: 6.0, Tennis: 2, Clubhouse: 6, Events: 7.5, Shopping Centers: 0, Quality: 8)

Number 6 brings us to Wake Forest with the beautiful neighborhood of Heritage.  With two large pools and even a lazy river, Heritage has plenty to keep you entertained in the summer.  Its’ multiple parks are pristine, and it comes complete with its’ own golf course.

Alright, moving into the top 5, we will go into a little more detail.  

#5 - Wendell Falls (Overall: 6.2, Pool: 3.5, Recreation: 10, Golf: 0, Tennis: 0, Clubhouse: 4, Events: 10, Shopping Centers: 10, Quality: 10)

Starting us off at #5 is Wendell Falls.

Wendell Falls does it right, and if it had golf and tennis, it would easily top this list.  

Its’ pool with a water slide sits right next to a beautiful pond, which is overlooked by its’ Farmhouse Cafe.  

There are so many parks throughout the community that all have a different style and theme, and some excellent playgrounds to go with them.  

But perhaps its’ greatest draw is its’ shopping center, which is still expanding but already stocked with its’ own Publix, Starbucks, restaurants, and more.  

It really is a community that has everything you need right there, as there are even Elementary and Charter Schools within it as well.

#4 - Amberly (Overall: 6.5, Pool: 8.5, Recreation: 9.5, Golf: 0, Tennis: 5, Clubhouse: 4, Events: 10, Shopping Centers: 4.5, Quality: 9)

At #4 is Amberly, another community that has just about everything you need.

Amberly has its’ own small shopping center complete with a grocery store and restaurants, and an open field right out in front where it holds many of its’ neighborhood events.

It has multiple parks around the community, a dog park, and a paved walking trail around a beautiful lake.

But its’ best features are its’ pool, as it feels like you’re on vacation when you’re there as it looks like a small waterpark.  And there’s a nice playground and even a mini-soccer field right next to it.  

#3 - Prestonwood (Overall: 6.6, Pool: 6.5, Recreation: 4.5, Golf: 10, Tennis: 10, Clubhouse: 10, Events: 7.5, Shopping Centers: 0, Quality: 6)

Coming in at #3 is well renowned Prestonwood.

If you like tennis and golf, Prestonwood is the pinnacle of both in the area.  It has 54, yes 54, holes of pristine golfing, and 15 tennis courts.  There are tons of programs and tournaments held here year round. 

And the clubhouse is gorgeous and absolutely massive with multiple dining options that overlook the course.

It has multiple pools with a waterslide overlooking the golf course ponds, and also has a very nice gym with a variety of classes.

The only thing holding Prestonwood back from the top spot was its’ lack of recreation, as it only has one small playground for the kids throughout a very large community; however, there are many parks within 5-10 minutes to enjoy.

#2 - Twelve Oaks (Overall: 6.8, Pool: 7.5, Recreation: 5, Golf: 6, Tennis: 6, Clubhouse: 8, Events: 10, Shopping Centers: 0, Quality: 10)

Number 2 on the list brings Holly Springs into the fold with its’ marquee neighborhood of Twelve Oaks.  

It has three different pools throughout the neighborhood that each have their own unique offerings, and several playgrounds throughout for the kids.  It even has its’ own community garden.

Its’ 18-hole golf course runs throughout the community and with the neighborhood newly built, the clubhouse is updated very nicely with multiple dining options.  There are multiple tennis and pickleball courts as well.

Twelve Oaks also does a great job building its’ community, as there are many events held year round.  

#1 - Hasentree (Overall: 6.9, Pool: 7.3, Recreation: 6.5, Golf: 7, Tennis: 8, Clubhouse: 9,  Events: 10, Shopping Centers: 0, Quality: 8)

At the top spot, we have Wake Forests’ premiere neighborhood of Hasentree.

Hasentree has a stunning clubhouse overlooking the 18th hole with its’ own bar and fine dining restaurant.  The 18-hole golf course is one of the best in the area and runs throughout the neighborhood, lining the back of many houses.

It has multiple pools with a perfectly manicured pool deck to make it feel like you’re on vacation.  One of the pools is just a couple feet deep with a mini-water park in the middle, which is a perfect place to let your kids play while you relax.  

And it has an active tennis and pickleball community as well.

There’s even a lake with paved walking trails around it in the middle of the neighborhood, which provides plenty of shade during the summer months to enjoy a nice walk.

Hasentree is also constantly putting on events throughout the year for all ages, so it has created a great community among its’ residents.

So that’s the top 10 neighborhoods with the BEST amenities in the Triangle based on our detailed analysis, but there are tons of neighborhoods around here that have really great offerings as well.

If you’re interested in any of these neighborhoods or have any real estate needs in general, please don’t hesitate to reach out as we would love to help you.

Alison Wojnarowski

Team Leader - W Real Estate Group

Email: alison@wgroup-kw.com

Mobile:  919-504-5265

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