Burlington

East Burlington is a residential community just outside Downtown Burlington, North Carolina, experiencing rapid economic growth. "Around eight years ago, I was told that Burlington would become one of the most popular places to move to," says Jamie Skaalerud, a Realtor and Burlington resident. "I can say that since then, that's definitely become true. We have big companies in the area that are major employers, so there's been an influx of people moving in and a revitalization in the city, especially downtown." Aside from downtown's local bars and coffee shops, residents also get a chance to enjoy a glimpse of the past: Main Street is registered on the National Register of Historic Places due to its commercial buildings dating back to the mid-19th and early 20th century. Meanwhile, Burlington sits halfway between Greensboro and Durham, making it a viable option for residents who need to commute to these larger urban centers. Skaalerud says, "A lot of people might see Burlington as somewhere you just commute out of or drive by, but most people I know like to stay close to home. We've got lots of great stuff here, and more things coming." Skaalerud says there's a mix of styles, but some of the most common are "single-family, single-level housing." Skaalerud: "I would say bungalows and ranch-style homes are what you're going to see most of in the area." Houses here sit closely together on green lawns with narrow driveways. Brick ranch-style homes are often spotted in the Alamance Hills subdivision, while properties in Norwood tend to be earth-toned bungalows. Prices start at $153,000 and go up to $290,000. "There is a lower cost of living here compared to some of the surrounding cities, so that is definitely a draw," Skaalerud adds. There are no sidewalks, but residents still play, walk or bike around the neighborhood. Many front yards feature trampolines and bikes. Schools here fall under the Alamance-Burlington school district. R. Homer Andrews Elementary School has around 522 students enrolled and receives a C-plus overall. Broadview Middle School, with around 800 students, earns a C-minus. Over 900 students attend Hugh M. Cummings High School, which garners a C-plus overall. Cumming's sports teams have brought home several state championships, including in football and women's track. The nearest green space is Oakdale Town and County Park, located right at the neighborhood's east end. The park is 50 acres of forest and features various walking trails, as well as paddle access to the Haw River. "There's a bunch of parks inside Burlington, and there's also the Haw River right outside the neighborhood. Everyone goes there to hike or kayak," Skaalerud says. Fairchild Park is part of the Fairchild Community Center, a massive 28,000-square-foot facility on 10 acres of land. The center has two full-size basketball courts and hosts leagues for sports such as volleyball, badminton and more. While most of East Burlington is residential, the area is known for its taco and pupusa trucks scattered around Route 70. There are also small plazas that hold local shops and restaurants. More options are located in Downtown Burlington, particularly on Main Street, which is lined with 20th-century brick storefronts. Skaalerud says, "We have a lot of hole-in-the-wall businesses popping up. There's a bunch of options in downtown, like Valerio's and Danny's Cafe. I'm a cheeseburger gal, though, so my favorite restaurant is this mom-and-pop shop called Chris's, a bit further south of Burlington." Grocery stores include Food Lion and the Walmart Supercenter. Greensboro and Durham are the nearest major cities. State Route 70, which runs through the neighborhood, connects to Interstate 40, leading commuters to these major hubs, both less than a 35-mile drive away. There's also an Amtrak stop in Burlington. Burlington's regional airport is under construction; most people fly out of Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Right in the heart of the city, Downtown Burlington is home to some of Burlington’s best-known shops, restaurants and parks. A day spent walking along Front Street might include stops at local breweries and eateries, perusing artisan wares and attending an event at the city’s Historic Depot, a public park and amphitheater. “It’s got a real community feel,” says Kelly Osborn, a Realtor with Allen Tate Realtors. “It’s super quiet and quaint, with great recreation and events.” Burlington is an increasingly popular city for commuters due to its position along Interstate 40 between Greensboro and Durham. “Alamance County is definitely growing. We’ve got new builders coming in from the Raleigh-Durham area,” Osborn says. Despite the higher number of historic homes in this part of town, Downtown Burlington is seeing its fair share of new and renovated homes arriving on the market. Downtown Burlington is the oldest area in the city, and it shows in this neighborhood’s homes. Some American Foursquares and Queen Anne farmhouses along the gridded streets date back to the 1910s. Charming bungalows from the mid-20th-century also populate the area, while ranch-style homes are common from the 1950s onward. These older homes, which may need renovations, generally list between $120,000 and $300,000. Other freshly renovated properties and brand-new contemporary Craftsman homes can be priced from $300,000 to $520,000. Townhouses, while rare, ask around $150,000 to $280,000. A full pipeline of Alamance-Burlington Schools is within a 2-mile radius of the neighborhood. Hillcrest Elementary scores a C from Niche and Turrentine Middle earns a C-plus. Walter M. Williams High, located in Downtown Burlington, receives a B. The high school is home to an Academy of Finance affiliated with the National Academy Foundation and is the only school in Alamance County to offer the International Baccalaureate Program. Burlington City Park is a destination for families across the city. While it has all the amenities of your average community park, from ballfields to a splash pad, it’s also home to some unusual additions. The park houses a restored 1910 Dentzel Menagerie Carousel, complete with dazzling lights and hand-carved wooden horses. “They spent a ton of money preserving the old carousel. It’s super cute, and there are other little kid rides like that, too,” says Katherine Burkholder, a Realtor with Re/Max Diamond Realty. Kids can hop aboard a miniature train to get shuttled around the park or take a ride on one of three other carnival-style kiddie attractions. A few blocks down Church Street is the Burlington Arboretum, another popular spot for fresh air. “It used to be this plain Jane area, but they’ve turned it into a beautiful arboretum in a historic neighborhood,” Burkholder says. Bluebirds nest along the park’s Charles Hawks Memorial Bluebird Trail, a stretch of 18 birdhouses maintained by the Burlington Bird Club. Beneath the park’s broad willow oak tree is an accessible treehouse suspended around the trunk, beloved by Burlington children. Folks from across the city head to the downtown strip along Front Street to shop unique boutiques and local restaurants. “Burlington Food Hall is over there, which is a great incubator for small businesses,” Burkholder says. “Burlington Beer Works is super popular and they’ve got outdoor dining. Right across the street is Tanner’s Wine Bar, and then down the block, you’ve got D&J’s Martinis.” Residents round out the night with a sweet treat from Smitty’s Homemade Ice Cream or a live performance at the Paramount Theater. Or, they can spend the day shopping along Main Street, where independent retailers advertise wares ranging from books and vinyl to clothes and antiques. The May Memorial Library is also located in Downtown Burlington, right next to its shops and eateries. “Alamance’s libraries have great programming like toddler storytimes, which is a great resource for young moms,” Burkholder says. For big-box shopping and grocery stores, folk head toward Holly Hill Mall, where there’s a Harris Teeter and Publix close by. Burlington’s Historic Depot was the city’s original train station along the North Carolina Railroad, but today its amphitheater and grassy gathering spaces are the sites of community events and concerts in the heart of Downtown. “They do little festivals throughout the year,” Osborn says. “The St. Paddy’s Day Bash is a big one, and you’ll see lots of local charities and restaurants at the Christmas parade, too.” Many people chose to settle in Burlington because of its proximity to both the Piedmont Triad and the Research Triangle areas. Greensboro is roughly 22 miles, or about a 30-minute drive to the west. To the east, Durham is approximately 35 miles away, a drive that typically takes 40 minutes. Interstate 40 lies to the south of the neighborhood and makes for easy travel around the region, though some residents do work in town. “Burlington is the headquarters for Labcorp, which is a major employer in the area. So the only tradeoff is that Downtown tends to have a little more office space, but there’s still some quaint businesses,” Burkholder says. Bus routes around town are operated by Link Transit and have stops throughout Downtown, while the Burlington Amtrak Station provides transit to far-flung destinations.

Sitting on the city's outskirts is Southwest Burlington, a neighborhood that oozes classic suburbia: Brick homes and leafy trees line the streets, all sectioned into neat plots of land. "I would describe our community as a beautiful blend of old-school America and the new," says Jamie Skaalerud, a Realtor and Burlington resident. "There's a lot of opportunity right now for growth; we're getting more and more people moving into the area." Lake Mackintosh, the city's main water reservoir, is situated right next to the community. It is a popular spot for kayaking and fishing. Interstate 40 also conveniently runs through the neighborhood, allowing for a quick trip into Downtown Burlington for shopping and dining. "A lot of people enjoy the fact that you get to live in this little community, but then you can hop on to the highway and enjoy the city," Skaalerud says. "Burlington as a city is right between Greensboro and Durham, but not too far from Raleigh either." Various subdivisions populate the west side of the neighborhood. Homes sit on manicured green lawns lined with sidewalks, streetlamps and trees. The sidewalks make it easy to get around residential areas: Many front yards feature bicycles and scooters. Almost every home in a subdivision comes with a driveway and garage. "There's a lot of new construction happening because we're experiencing economic growth," Skaalerud explains. "The majority are single-family, quality homes." Many are built with brick and take inspiration from Craftsman architectural styles. Prices start at $230,000 and go up to $597,000. Schools here fall within the Alamance-Burlington school district. Highland Elementary School has around 650 students enrolled and receives a B overall. Turrentine Middle School, with around 930 students, earns a C-plus. Over 1300 students attend Walter M. Williams High School, which garners a B overall. The high school is known for its Academy of Finance, a program that aids high school students in networking and securing internships with local businesses. The neighborhood overlooks Lake Mackintosh, a river/reservoir running through the south side of Burlington. Because the river serves as the main water reserve of the area, motor boats and swimming are banned. "It's not the kind of lake you swim in," Skaalerud says. "It's somewhere you go to enjoy fishing and kayaking. There's also a small park area where you can throw some stuff on the grill." Hikers can head to the Oakdale Town and County Park, which has over 50 acres of forest and hiking trails. For more outdoor recreation on a nearby body of water, there's the Haw River to the east, described by Skaalerud as "a super popular spot." She says, "People go there all the time." There are various plazas nearby, home to numerous stores and restaurants.  One highly rated establishment is Grill 548, an upscale restaurant serving streak and craft cocktails. For a more fun and relaxed vibe, residents head to Cancun Mexican Restaurant, which serves enchiladas and tacos. Samantha Mosley, a Realtor and North Carolina native, says, "Downtown Burlington is super cute, oh my goodness. It really gives off that charming, small-town energy. When you walk around, there's a bunch of coffee shops, bookstores, bars, stuff like that." The area also earned a spot on the National Register for Historic Places and features buildings from the mid-19th and early 20th centuries. Grocery options include Food Lion and Aldi. Every September, Cedar Rock Park hosts the Alcovets Balloon Festival, an event that features locals watching hot air balloons float into the sky. "They take off on Saturday and Sunday, and people will go lay out in the grass and watch them launch," Skaalerud says. "I believe the funding goes towards veterans." To gain admission, residents have to purchase a parking pass, which offers one-, two- or three-day admission. Greensboro is less than a 17-mile drive away, while Durham is about a 40-mile drive away. Both of these cities can be reached via Interstate 40, which runs through the neighborhood. There's also an Amtrak stop in Burlington, with service to Raleigh and other destinations. Skaalerud adds that while Burlington has a regional airport, it's currently under construction: "Right now, only private companies or smaller planes fly out of there. Most people will go to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for travel."

South Burlington was once a network of rural, one-lane roads and industrial warehouses. But as the city continues to grow steadily, new builders have been eyeing this previously undeveloped section of Burlington, and fresh subdivisions are springing up. According to Kelly Osborn, a Realtor with Allen Tate Realtors, the neighborhood’s appeal is simple: “It’s minutes from Interstate 40, and a couple exits away from restaurants and shopping.” This suburb is connected to both the Piedmont Triad and the Research Triangle regions via I-40, making it especially convenient for commuters headed to Greensboro or Durham. It’s also near Burlington’s major shopping centers, which cluster along the highway. Still, South Burlington has a quieter feel thanks to its rural roots and is only a few miles north of Lake Mackintosh. Some ranch-style homes from the 1980s and ‘90s sit right off this neighborhood’s winding main roads on spacious lots, while newly built houses in crisp subdivisions show off rustic Craftsman stylings and barnlike rooflines. These often feature a mix of wood and stone siding and an attached two- or three-car garage. New townhouses have also started to populate the market, often stylized to look like ranch-style homes. “It’s great for easy, convenient living. The townhouses I sold, the landscaping was actually included with the homeowners association membership,” Osborn says. These townhouses list between $220,000 and $400,000, while rare two- or three-bedroom condos sell within the $150,000 to $200,000 range. Single-family homes are priced on the upper end, from $250,000 to $550,000. Alamance-Burlington Schools are just outside of the neighborhood. South Graham Elementary scores a C-plus from Niche, while Southern Alamance Middle earns a B-minus. Southern Alamance High also receives a B-plus and is known for its strong Future Farmers of America chapter, which won natural awards in the fields of landscaping and floriculture as recently as 2023. The club maintains the school’s greenhouse and hosts an annual plant sale for students and the community. Although this neighborhood has no parks, there’s no shortage of nature to be found along South Burlington’s winding, wooded roads. A few miles southwest of the neighborhood is Lake Mackintosh, a 1,150-acre reservoir and a hotspot for waterfront recreation. Lake Mackintosh Park & Marina offers myriad ways for residents to get out on the water, whether launching out from the boat ramp or renting a kayak. More than 60 miles of scenic shoreline with piers provide plentiful places for fishermen to cast off, while the playground and gazebo are popular for family picnics. There’s more kid-friendly fun to be had at Burlington City Park, just north of the neighborhood in Downtown Burlington. Beyond the typical amenities, this community park is known for its restored 1910 carousel, miniature train and other carnival-style kiddie rides. With its position along I-40, South Burlington is near multiple major shopping centers. “The Mebane Tanger Outlets and Alamance Crossing are probably the most popular places for shopping in or around Burlington,” Osborn says. Tanger Outlets Mebane is about 13 miles east, or a roughly 15-minute drive on the highway, and is home to dozens of name-brand retailers like Columbia and Levi’s. Alamance Crossing is Burlington’s largest shopping destination, an outdoor mall anchored by big-box stores such as Barnes & Noble and Dillard’s, with grocery stores nearby. Though chain restaurants tend to populate the I-40 corridor, there are more local places to shop and dine close by. “You’ll find the little local boutiques in Downtown Burlington or in Graham, which you’re also close to,” Osborn says. “Sandy & Co. is the best consignment store, and there’s the Press, which is a really cute coffee shop. The Graham Cinema isn’t as big as the chain movie theaters, but they still get all the new releases maybe a couple of weeks later than Regal. And it’s got an awesome little arcade, so it’s fun to take the kids.” With Interstate 40 bordering the neighborhood to the north, South Burlington is a gateway to the Piedmont Triad to the west and the Research Triangle region to the east. “When we moved to the area, I was working in Greensboro, and my husband was working in the Research Triangle Park, so we found that this was the halfway point between those areas,” says Katherine Burkholder, a Realtor with Re/Max Diamond Realty. Burlington is a popular bedroom community for commuters, as Greensboro is roughly 25 miles away, or about a 30-minute drive. In the opposite direction, Durham can be reached in a 35-mile trip, approximately 40 minutes by car. “You get a better tax rate in Alamance County than in Guilford or Orange County,” Osborn adds. South Burlington is also particularly close to Cone Health Alamance Regional, Burlington’s only hospital.