NEIGHBORHOODS
Home, sweet home
Fayetteville's growth over the past two centuries can be compared to an onion. From the city's heart, along the Cape Fear River, development has gradually grown outward.
Today, some of the city's newest neighborhoods are along the farthest reaches of western Cumberland County.
Much of the high-end growth is outside the city, in new east-of-the-river subdivisions and country clubs, in rural stretches of southern Cumberland County and on former farmland to the west.
Fayetteville's oldest homes are closest to downtown and to the west along Hay Street. Many of these old mansions are converted to offices; some that are still residences are among the most expensive in the city.
Infill -- the practice of leveling old homes to build new, bigger houses and condominiums -- has been controversial in this historic area.
Closer to Fort Bragg, moderately priced neighborhoods are home to predominantly military families and retired veterans. The corridors of Morganton and Cliffdale roads are lined with relatively new condominium complexes, apartments and older subdivisions.
To the south of Fayetteville, Hope Mills and the Gray’s Creek area have boomed in recent years. New subdivisions have attracted families looking to escape the city -- including many who commute to Fort Bragg.
There's plenty of variety in neighborhoods in Cumberland County. Here's a sampling:
Staff file photo
The Gray's Creek area to the south of Fayetteville is experiencing a building boom. |
- Savoy Heights has more than 250 homes off Robeson Street and originally was named Ashley Heights after a manufacturing company. Home values are from $30,000 to nearly $90,000.
- Haymount refers more to a general area atop a hill overlooking downtown than a specific neighborhood. Over time, homeowners as far west as Fayetteville Technical Community College call themselves Haymount residents. There's a mix of bungalows, mansions, condos and apartments with a mix of "old Fayetteville" families and young military homeowners.
- Montclair is one of the largest subdivisions along Raeford Road, built from the 1960s through the early 1980s. The 800-plus homes range from $57,000 to $120,000.
- Bayfield's construction in the mid-1990s helped mark the boom in housing east of the Cape Fear River. With more than 200 manufactured homes off N.C. 24, it's one of the largest of its kind in the area. Expect to pay $50,000 to $100,000.
- Gates Four is a gated subdivision in western Cumberland County that includes a golf course and country club, which opened in 1967. Back then, the name of the course was Irongate, and it had about 100 members. Now there are more than 300 homes, many of which are valued at over more than $300,000.
- LaFayette Village is named after the famous French marquis. Straddling Hope Mills Road for more than 50 years, most of the simple and small homes carry tax values less than $80,000.
Who We Are
Quancidine GribbleHow long have you lived in the area? "Six years. I was born in Germany."
How do you get involved in the community? "Quilting. My mother taught me how to sew when I was 6 years old, but I didn't get into quilting until I was back home, cleaning the attic for an estate sale. I found a quilt that my grandmother had made. I realized that there was a lot of creative opportunity in quilting. Everything from wearable art to table runners can be created."
Tip: Gribble occasionally speaks at quilting exhibits in the area and can be seen on Time-Warner Cable's Community Channel every other Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Updated: August, 2007