West Raleigh
Dorton Arena in Raleigh, designed by Matthew Nowicki
West Raleigh lies along Hillsborough Street and Western Boulevard. The area is bordered to the west by suburban Cary. It is home to North Carolina State University, Meredith College, Pullen Park, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, the Islamic Association of Raleigh, Cameron Village, Lake Johnson, the North Carolina Museum of Art and historic Saint Mary’s School. Primary thoroughfares serving West Raleigh, in addition to Hillsborough Street, are Avent Ferry Road, Blue Ridge Road, and Western Boulevard. The PNC Arenais also located here adjacent to the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. These are located approximately 2 miles from Rex Hospital.
West Raleigh is a ‘hood that has gone through some changes over the last several decades, but is now seeing the growth of new homes and businesses with each passing day. A lot of this revitalization can be attributed to its close proximity to both downtown Raleigh and North Raleigh, which provides an easy commute for those working in either area.
The name West Raleigh suggests it’s situated west of something–most likely or central Raleigh, though it actually lies northeast of downtown. Westgate Entertainment District is located here, as are Lake Johnson Park, Lake Crabtree County Park and Blue Jay Point County Park which are all popular spots for sports games, fishing & picnics! Since it borders most surrounding counties you’ll find recently built homes with larger lots on a good number of streets here–a nice escape from the higher-density housing that characterizes much of Raleigh.
However, if you work downtown or in North Raleigh this is a great location for its affordability and easy access to other popular ‘hoods—Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary are all within 30 minutes! So give West Raleigh a look if you’re thinking about buying a new home & want something convenient & affordable!
