Live Here
Explore the neighborhoods in the heart of Chapel Hill with me.
Lake Forest
Lake Forest is the area I recommend for clients looking for a private, secluded feel while still being about two miles from the center of our town.
Built around Chapel Hill’s largest lake and featuring 40 lakefront homes, the neighborhood is ideal for the outdoor enthusiast – running, walking, biking, bird watching, outdoor play for kids, you name it.
If a location of convenience is important to you, Lake Forest delivers. Surrounded by the Coker Hills and Booker Creek subdivisions, it is centrally located. Within minutes, you can get to Whole Foods, the Chapel Hill Public Library and the UNC campus.
This neighborhood was developed from the 1950s to the 1980s. You will find quite the range of housing styles, from ranch and traditional to contemporary. Over the years, many homes have been updated or added to – some have been completely rebuilt.
Coker Hills
If you’ve dreamed of walking your child to elementary or middle school each morning, consider Coker Hills/Coker Hills West.
This beautiful, wooded neighborhood consists of custom homes generally built from the 1960s to the 1980s, although there is some new construction. Lots range from one-third of an acre to 1.25 acres. Winding through the neighborhood is Booker Creek, home to plenty of wildlife.
Centrally located and adjacent to Lake Forest, you can easily access Chapel Hill necessities such as Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, the Chapel Hill Public Library and downtown.
Estes Hills
Estes Hills is an established neighborhood within walking distance to Estes Hills Elementary and Phillips Middle School. The homes are 50-60 years old, but many have been updated. Architectural styles vary, but you’ll find plenty of traditional, two-story homes, split levels and ranches – with some contemporary conversation starters mixed in. When you drive through, notice the landscaping, as the residents take great pride in their yards.
Franklin Hills
Located off of East Franklin Street, as you head to the heart of our town and to UNC’s campus, Franklin Hills was founded in the 1940s. It includes a newer group of more than 50 custom-built homes on Deming Road. Other roadways in this neighborhood include Hotelling Court and Deepwood Road.
Franklin/Rosemary Historic District
You can’t talk about living in Chapel Hill without mentioning the classic Franklin/Rosemary Historic District.
Nineteenth-century Federal, Greek Revival and Gothic Revival homes are mixed with charming farmhouses. Colonial Revival and bungalow-style houses were added in the 20th century, adding to the landscape.
As you can imagine, the demand for these historic homes, placed on large plots of land in close proximity to campus and to downtown shops and restaurants, is high. These properties are known for their mature trees, wide porches and low stone walls.
Greenwood
With close proximity to UNC, this is one of Chapel Hill’s most iconic and in-demand neighborhoods. Many of these homes were built by university professors in the 1930s (Paul Green, the dramatist who wrote The Lost Colony founded this neighborhood!) and have been renovated and upgraded through the years. The homes are mid-sized to large, with ample lots and plenty of privacy. Greenwood offers easy access to hiking and biking trails.
Westwood
A classic Chapel Hill neighborhood that’s a stone’s throw from UNC’s campus and UNC Hospitals, Westwood houses were built in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. You’ll find Victorians, bungalows, Cape Cods and traditional designs here, many with lush gardens.
Westwood offers major curb appeal, as many of these properties have been upgraded through the years.
Gimghoul
Sure, it’s home to the mysterious Gimghoul Castle, which was built in 1924 and supposedly hosts the Order of the Gimghoul, a secret society with numerous notable UNC alumni as its members.
But Gimghoul also boasts Bernice Wade’s impressive garden, something she’s been tending since the 1940s. Wade lives in a Sears kit home, but the neighborhood also features Colonial Revivals and bungalows.
Created as a neighborhood for UNC faculty, Gimghoul has about 40 homes, built primarily in the 1920s and 1930s. The neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. Residents enjoy both the picturesque natural setting – Battle Park is very close by – and the close proximity to all university events.
Until the 1920s, Chapel Hill was a village clustered around UNC’s campus. Gimghoul was the first residential development created outside of the village.
This is an affluent neighborhood where people tend to stay for decades. Many of these homes have seen very few owners.
Children living in Gimghoul attend Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools: Northside Elementary, Grey Culbreth Middle School and East Chapel Hill High School.
"Off Franklin"
Idyllic neighborhoods like Franklin Hills, Roosevelt and Glendale are private yet accessible from Franklin Street. Most homes were built in the 1950s and 1960s.
Nearby Roosevelt Drive, the Bolin Creek Trail and Battle Park are popular with runners and walkers who can easily cut through these neighborhoods.