Greater Raleigh is always alive with events, festivals, a great dining and nightlife scene, and many newer attractions.  To a lover of streets and squares, buildings and trees, landscape and architecture, Raleigh’s historic neighborhoods can be attractions in and of themselves.

When the city was first established in 1792, the first buildings and homes grew up around the state capitol and square.  As Raleigh boomed, neighborhoods popped up to the north and south, east and west. Today each neighborhood is a distinctive historic area worthy of a walking or driving tour.

Explore the North Blount Street neighborhood, which first began developing in the 1870s and was the most fashionable neighborhood in the area until the First World War.  Here, you’ll find beautiful and classic homes such as the North Carolina Executive Mansion.

For a wonderful array of 19^th century Victorian inspired dwellings and the richest diversity of architectural styles in the area, take a tour of the charming Oakwood neighborhood.  Or, to see more history from Raleigh’s historically black neighborhoods from the 1860s to 1940s, go further into the East Raleigh and South Park neighborhoods. 

In Glenwood-Brooklyn and Cameron Park neighborhoods on the north and west side of downtown Raleigh, you’ll see Queen Anne, Georgian, Tudor and Mission colonial revivals.  These walkable neighborhoods also display some Spanish architectural influences.

With history spanning two centuries and a bright future that has no limits, Raleigh has beautiful and fascinating neighborhoods to explore. On your next visit, take a few neighborhood tours to see why the area has been ranked the best place to live in the country.