High Point

A 36-foot-tall chest of drawers towers over Downtown High Point, serving as a nod to the city’s title as the furniture capital of the world. Condo complexes, mill homes and new traditional houses mingle near expansive furniture stores, trendy food halls and performing arts centers. The downtown district has seen a rejuvenation in recent years through an influx of new businesses and investments. “A lot of people are moving into the area because of the increase in jobs,” says Landon Stone, a real estate agent with BORO Realty Group. “High Point University has also invested a lot in the area, which has led to a boom in development and newer homes, encouraging more and more people to live here.” Locals may hear the crack of a bat or roaring crowds at Truist Point, home of the High Point Rockers minor league baseball team. Next door is Stock and Grain Food Hall, where visitors can take their pick from sushi, hot dogs and craft cocktails. North Main Street slices down the city’s center and is lined with breweries, casual lunch spots and and grocery stores including Harris Teeter and Publix. Residents head to Sweet Old Bill’s for brisket and barbecue, while Paddled South Brewing Company is a go-to spot to sip on a flight of beers while listening to live music. Shoppers can window shop at JeanMaria Boutique, search for deals at the Antique & Design Center of High Point or look for their next staple piece at one of many furniture showrooms featured at High Point Market. The 900-seat High Point Theater hosts a variety of shows—from comedy to live bands and musicals. A trolley rolls through town on several weekends throughout the summer for Social Saturdays. Locals can bring drinks on board and hop from stores to restaurants for special deals. In September, downtown comes to life for the High Point Music Festival, when local bands take the stage to perform everything from rock to country and R&B. “The area is really up and coming,” says Roberta Brinkley, a broker with Majestic Realty and Property Consultants. “The area has a lot of older established homes, so it still has that touch of nostalgia, but there’s also new condominiums being built.” Smaller 1,000-square-foot mill homes and bungalows with modest front lawns are starting to undergo complete remodels or modern upgrades. With lower square footage comes lower price tags, typically in the low to mid $100,000s. Two-to-three-bedroom condo complexes are popular for those who want to avoid lawn maintenance and be within walking distance of surrounding amenities. Those properties, along with new builds featuring one- and two-car garages, are priced around $300,000. Students are zoned for Guilford County Schools and may attend Northwood Elementary or Kirkman Park Elementary, which Niche rates a C-plus and B-minus, respectively. Those who attend Kirkman Park Elementary can filter into B-plus-rated Penn-Griffin School for the Arts. In 2003, Penn High School and Griffin Middle School merged and now serve sixth through 12th graders. The school features eight art disciplines that range from music and dance to theater and visual arts. Other nearby schools include C-rated Ferndale Middle and B-minus-rated High Point Central High. After graduating high school, students can stay close to home by attending High Point University, which sits nearly 1.5 miles north of downtown. Tucked just inside the gates of Truist Point is Blessing Park, one of the first projects completed as part of a downtown revitalization plan. Locals can take in views of the stadium or take their kids to the splash pad to cool off during the summer. There’s something for pups, too. A dog run gives them a place to stretch their legs or rehydrate during a walk. Washington Street Park features a fenced-in playground shaded by mature trees and picnic tables perched under pergolas. The Pit Mural Park has become a fixture in the community and a popular spot for selfies. Once a two-story parking garage, the deck was demolished and left behind a pit that's now the site of a revolving door of innovative murals painted by local artists. An extensive network of sidewalks allows residents to walk to most surrounding amenities. High Point Medical Center sits next to Truist Point and the Stock and Grain Food Hall. Public transportation is also readily available, with an Amtrak station in the heart of the city and High Point Transit System bus stops dotted along Main and Elm streets. To get to Piedmont Triad International Airport, locals will have to hop in their cars and drive roughly 16 miles north along State Route 68.

Sandy Ridge isn’t home to expansive dunes but rather farms and forests interspersed with newly developed subdivisions. This geographically large suburb sits just west of Greensboro and north of High Point, which puts residents in a good spot to enjoy many of the Triad’s amenities. Notably, Piedmont Triad International Airport is only a 10-mile drive away, while Interstate 40 is just north of the community. Residents aren’t short on local attractions either, like Oak Hollow Park, a 1,500-acre lakefront green space with a marina, golf course and more. The north side of the neighborhood consists of ranch-style homes strewn on one to three-acre lots between farms and forests. “There are some larger properties and lots of opportunities for custom builds,” says Bonnie Owens, real estate agent with Mantle Realty and a nearby resident of 12 years. Homes’ large front yards decorated with mature trees afford residents a great deal of privacy. Usually constructed between the 1950s and ‘90s, these builds go between $250,000 and $500,000. Most residents live on the south side of the neighborhood, which has seen a lot of growth over the past few decades, with new constructions continuing to enter the market. Most of these builds follow Colonial Revival and New Traditional designs, with steeply gabled roofs, bay driveways and front walkways lined with leafy foliage. Often spanning two stories, these larger builds tend to offer 2,300 square feet of interior space and are usually priced between $350,000 and $550,000. The average square footage of a single-family stands at 2,700, which is well above the national average of 1,900. Southwest Elementary and Southwest Guilford Middle are within a 3-mile drive of most Sandy Ridge homes. Southwest Elementary earns an A from Niche, Southwest Guilford Middle is B-rated, and Southwest Guilford High scores a B-plus. Southwest Guilford High offers an assortment of career pathway programs from interior design to early childhood development. High Point University sits about 7 miles south of Sandy Ridge. The institution recently unveiled a new school of dental medicine and oral health. Sandy Ridge is located near the center of the Piedmont Triad. Interstate 40 passes to the north, leading east to Greensboro and west to Winston-Salem. Both are roughly 18 miles away, while High Point is 8 miles south. Interstate 74 runs to the south all the way toward Lumberton. Piedmont Triad International Airport sits roughly 10 miles to the northeast, while Novant Health Kernersville Medical Center is 5 miles to the northwest. Nicknamed the “home furnishings capital of the world,” High Point is home to furniture stores and manufacturers such as Marsh Furniture. “High Point is a huge center for the furniture industry,” says Owens. “People come from all around for these big showrooms and conventions. If that’s your industry, this is a great place to be.” Shopping centers surround the intersection of West Wendover Avenue/Skeet Club Road and Eastchester Drive. Grocery stores include Food Lion, Harris Teeter and Walmart Neighborhood Market, and retailers include Belk, Big Lots and Office Depot. These shopping plazas are also home to numerous fast-food joints and casual eateries. Mad Greek Grill gives locals a taste of the Mediterranean, from falafel pitas and pasta to baklava and kataifi, a crispy Greek pastry. Sammy G’s Tavern is popular for their Sunday brunches and seafood, while La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant serves up margaritas, carne asada and Tex-Mex cuisine. Additional restaurants sit on the east side of the neighborhood along Eastchester Drive. Family-run Country Barbeque offers Lexington-style barbecue and was ranked in 2024 by readers of Yes! Weekly, a Greensboro newspaper, as serving the second-best breakfasts in Guilford County. Chefs cook hibachi meals in front of diners at Fire & Sticks Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi. Open year-round, Robert G. Shaw Piedmont Triad Farmers Market sits just north of the neighborhood and offers fresh produce, plants, arts and crafts and more. Located at the intersection of Sandy Ridge Road and Sandy Camp Road, Beach South Volleyball Club offers a variety of lessons and leagues for those looking to play the sport. Youth baseball and softball teams play at Johnson Street Sports Complex, which features six different diamonds, as well as concession stands. Just southeast of the neighborhood Deep River Golf Range invites residents to practice their long game. Amenities at the nearby Deep River Recreation Center and Park include a playground, picnic shelter, tennis courts and rentable multipurpose rooms. Five miles south of the neighborhood, Oak Hollow Park overlooks its namesake Oak Hollow Lake. This 1,500-acre green space offers a golf course, public marina, picnic shelters and more. Several annual events and festivities take place in High Point. The High Point Theatre hosts live music, plays, comedy shows and more. Winter cheer comes early to High Point, with the Holiday Festival Parade marching through the city on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Floats, marching bands, beauty queens and even Santa Claus have participated in the past.

Set in North Carolina suburbia, Oak View is a centrally located community in High Point, about 18 miles from the city of Greensboro. The neighborhood is next to Oak Hollow Lake, a 1,500-acre park encompassing boating amenities, campgrounds and scenic views of the tranquil waters. For many, the lake is a getaway, but residents in Oak View enjoy the lake’s adventure at their doorstep. Tim Taylor of Tim Taylor Realty says High Point is a rapidly growing city. “Oak View is in high demand,” says Taylor. “There are lots of new homebuyers flocking to the area.” Most homes in High Point are ranchers and bungalows, but there are split-level and multi-story homes available as well. Red brick and painted wood-siding exteriors are popular; many homes sit on quarter-acre lots or larger with short driveways and attached garages or carports and towering, tall trees setting the scene. Many houses are midcentury constructions with renovations through the years to keep them modern. Homes start around $150,000 for single-story, midcentury options and are typically between $200,000 and $300,000 for newly renovated versions. Oak View is a heavily wooded area with trees lining the streets and backyards. “It’s a great place to settle down,” says Taylor. “I’ve even built a few houses in the area.” Local kids in the area attend Guilford County Schools, ranked the 3rd best school district in the Greensboro area by Niche. Home of the Eagles, Shadybrook Elementary, rated B, encourages parents to volunteer and get involved with their children’s school. Ferndale Middle receives a C-plus and students can join sports like wrestling and basketball. T. W. Andrews High, rated C-plus, offers Aviation Academy, a program that prepares students for careers in aerospace and engineering through hands-on learning, introduction to internships and job shadowing. Oak Hollow Lake Park spans 1,500 acres and features a campground, a marina with boat rentals and a tennis center with both outdoor and indoor courts. On the water, folks can go fishing and cast their lines in search of largemouth bass, black crappie and bluegill. Oak Hollow also features festival grounds where families can gather and picnic around the lakeside stage to enjoy musical performances. In addition, the 18-hole Oak Hollow Golf Course has been a neighborhood go-to since 1972 with serene lakeside views; the course also offers a pro shop and The Grill Room for golfers to grab a bite. About 3 miles away along North Main Street, Oak View residents can grab groceries at the local Walmart or Food Lion. Around here, residents can go shopping for secondhand treasures at Carolina Thrift Store or order from over 40 milkshake varieties at the Southern regional chain restaurant, Cook Out. There are also plenty of local dining establishments in the area, like Shinko Grill, a sushi restaurant, and High Point Bagels. For date night, head 2 miles away for Magnolia Blue to enjoy creative interpretations of classic Southern dishes. In Oak View, residents are close to many kinds of community gatherings; just off Shadybrook Road, the High Point Athletic Complex hosts baseball, soccer and football fields for games and practice sessions. High Point is also well known for the world’s largest home furnishings trade show, the High Point Market; held twice annually, the High Point Market brings in more than 75,000 attendees annually. Families can find pastimes along North Main Street, like mini golf at Putt Putt Center or catching a movie at the local AMC. High Point is a popular area for Greensboro commuters, and many residents drive to get around the city and its neighboring areas; residents in Oak View are close to Highway 68 and Interstate 74. However, High Point does offer public transportation through bus routes across the city, and some areas, like downtown, are walkable. Oak View residents are 15 miles from Piedmont Triad International Airport and 3 miles from Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist | High Point Medical Center.

Just beyond the serene waters of Oak Hollow Lake and a few short miles from downtown High Point is the highly sought-after neighborhood of Festival Park, a residential enclave that earns its name. "There's a lot of fun things going on in Festival Park," says Nicole Smith-Elliot, a Realtor with Carolina Home Partners of EXP Realty. "People love the idea of having various lake activities accessible to them." Residents have access to significant highway High Point East Belt, which makes commuting to High Point employers a breeze. Access to a vehicle is a must in this area, as there aren't any bus stops or public transportation readily available in the neighborhood. Festival Park is primarily residential, with several subdivisions dotting the area. These are bountiful, with a variety of late 20th-century houses that occupy comfortable, quarter-acre plots of land. Residents enjoy the close-knit feel of the suburban community and often take walks along the slow-paced streets. Many of these subdivisions have 21st-century homes constructed to accommodate the area's growth. For instance, the Barrington Oaks subdivision is full of homes with spacious garages and homey front porches, perfect for enjoying a cool morning with a warm cup of coffee. Also in the area are smaller housing options, including brick ranch-style homes shaded by an abundance of trees. Classic home styles like Colonial revivals, Cape Cods, Victorian revivals and Craftsman-style homes are common in the area. Home prices range from $67,000 to $625,000. Children in the area attend Jamestown Elementary School, which has an overall Niche grade of B-plus. Next, they can attend the Welborn School of Science and Technology, a magnet school with an overall grade of C. Teenagers attend T.W. Andrews High School, which has an overall Niche grade of C-plus. Earning the area its name, Oak Hollow Festival Park draws residents to its lakeside quarters, where various events are held. The park features eye-catching views of the lake, picnic shelters and an open field for lawn chairs and large blankets. The area is home to many popular events that not only attract residents but visitors from across High Point. The park hosts the annual Music, Wine and Arts Festival and the annual John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival. For a day outside, many locals enjoy exploring Oak Hollow Lake. The lake welcomes fishing and boating of all kinds—many opting for kayaks and canoes. Meanwhile, Oak Hollow Campground is just around the corner. Just three miles away, the campground features waterfront campsites, a swimming pool, bathhouses and laundry facilities. Hungry residents will find various options in the neighboring community of Oak View, with breakfast at High Point Bagels, sushi at Shinko Grill and southwestern fare at Barberitos. Caffeine cravings are satisfied at Queen Coffee Bean, while all other retail needs are met by the area's Target.

High Point Lakeside community with a laid-back lifestyle With panoramic views of Oak Hollow Lake and plenty of local shopping, the northern High Point suburb of Deep River is known for its active lifestyle and neighborly vibes. “People there do this thing called ‘curbing,’” says Scott Moore, Realtor for Graymac Realty, who lived in the community for multiple years. “They pull chairs out to the edge of the street and chat while the kids play. It’s a fun, cute thing they do a lot.” Streets here are lined with pine trees and mostly lead out to narrow, one-way roads; the neighborhood’s eastern border connects to NC Highway 68, though, providing easy access to the Palladium Shopping Center and locally owned restaurants. People settle down here for the proximity to downtown Greensboro 9 miles south and higher -rated Guilford County schools, and residents love gathering at nearby lakeside parks for seasonal events on and off the water. New and old housing communities in Deep River Deep River is mostly made up of small communities of single-family homes, both established and new. In wooded subdivisions like Oak Hollow Estates and Whites Mill, late 20th-century homes — either ranch style or two-story New Traditional — sit along well-paved, sidewalk-less streets, averaging around $320,000. Closer to Oak Hollow Lake, late ‘90s Colonial Revival and Tudor-inspired properties with up to five bedrooms typically range between $450,000 and $700,000; set along longleaf pine-shaded cul-de-sacs, within walking distance of the water, these homes sit on quarter-acre lots and feature swings on their open front porches. Closer to the neighborhood’s center, on streets laid out on a grid, New Traditional homes from the 2020s cost upwards of $500,000, plus monthly HOA fees of around $50. Catching a movie and local shopping at the Palladium The Palladium Shopping Center is a 3-mile drive from Deep River and includes regional food chains, a movie theater and small, locally owned shops; BOHOBLU of High Point sells women’s clothing and accessories and HangUps offers custom picture framing and art décor. Locals can drive 2 miles south to the well-known Odeh’s Mediterranean Kitchen for warm beef shwarmas and gyros, or head a mile further to the Heron Village strip mall, where family-owned Capra’s Italian Deli serves freshly cut cappicola and provolone subs. A mile south of Heron Village, Harris Teeter is a local go-to for groceries, department stores like Belk and big-box retailers like Ross are scattered along NC Highway 68. Firework fun at Oak Hollow Festival Lake Park Every July since 1973, the neighborhood has celebrated the Fourth with the Uncle Sam Jam at Oak Hollow Festival Lake Park 3 miles south of the neighborhood; residents jam out to live musical performances, snack on food from local vendors, and lay down blankets on the grassy lawn near the lake to watch fireworks light up the sky. About 6 miles from the area, the massive High Point City Lake Park hosts WinterFest each December, with bounce houses, photos with Santa and rides on a light-strung miniature train. For some local culture, residents can head to the High Point Theatre in downtown Greensboro to catch concerts and plays. Award-winning schools for Deep River students Kids here can start school at Southwest Guilford Elementary, which is rated an A by Niche, and continue to Southwest Guilford Middle, which scores a B. The B-plus-rated Southwest Guilford High is known for its unique disciplinary approach called “Restoration Station” where instead of keeping students in a separate room for in-school suspension, they meet with faculty members to reflect on the incident and how to be better. With this new approach to conflict resolution, Southwest Guilford High was awarded the 2022 Guilford County Hubert B. Humphrey Award, a distinction that recognizes the most improved schools in the county. Youth programs at Deep River Recreation Center and access to Oak Hollow Lake Deep River Recreation Center , located a mile north of the neighborhood, features basketball courts, baseball fields and playgrounds for toddlers and older kids; throughout the year, parents can enlist their children in after-school programs, and in summer, adults can sign up for indoor cricket matches and basketball leagues. The 800-acre Oak Hollow Lake hugs the neighborhood’s western border, making it easy for residents to fish near the sandy shore, or launch sailboats and kayaks from the Oak Hollow Marina; the Oak Hollow Sailing Club here holds monthly regattas where folks race each other in their brightly colored boats. Some locals trek a few miles west of the neighborhood to practice their swing at the public 18-hole Oak Hollow Golf Course. Commuting in Deep River Residents can directly access NC-68 along the eastern border of the neighborhood to connect to Interstate 40 about 4 miles north. Downtown High Point is roughly 9 miles south of the neighborhood via Interstate 74, and Greensboro is a 12-mile drive east via Wendover Avenue. Since High Point Transit buses don’t stop in Deep River, most people drive to get around, and Moore says traffic can get heavy near NC-68 on the eastern border and along Skeet Club Road. The North Carolina Department of Transportation plans to widen over four miles of Johnson Street, which connects to Skeet Club and Interstate 40, reducing congestion near Deep River. Cone Health MedCenter is roughly 3 miles north of the neighborhood, and Piedmont Triad International Airport is an 11-mile drive via NC-68.

Located between High Point and Greensboro, suburban Florence’s peaceful planned communities offer the convenience of nearby shopping and Oak Hollow Lake’s natural beauty. With nearby major roads like Wendover Avenue and Eastchester Drive, Florence’s residents can easily drive the 7 miles to downtown High Point or 14 miles to Greensboro and can jump on Interstates 40 or 74 for longer trips. “If you can’t find what you need in High Point, it’s just a quick hop over to Greensboro or Winston-Salem,” says Kathryn Boehm, a real estate agent with the Windsor Real Estate Group who sells homes in the area. Late 20th- and early 21st-century ranch-style and split-level homes sit on quarter-acre lots with paved driveways and manicured lawns, and Florence’s residents can be found walking their dogs along quiet, sidewalk-less streets that end in cul-de-sacs. A two-bedroom detached ranch-style home can cost $180,000, while a three-bedroom contemporary Craftsman in the Whitestone subdivision can cost $340,000 plus $145 in monthly homeowners association fees. Townhouses with small yards and spacious garages are also common. Prices vary by subdivision and include HOA fees; a two-bedroom in Hickswood Crossing can cost $182,000 plus $205 in monthly fees, while a three-bedroom in Whitestone can cost $320,000 plus $145 in monthly fees. Local kids can start at Florence Elementary, which earns an A-minus from Niche, then attend the Welborn Academy of Science and Technology, which earns a C. The C-rated T. Wingate Andrews High offers an Aviation Academy, which prepares students for aerospace and engineering careers, and the Early College Academy of Health Sciences, which focuses on health careers. Kids might also attend the private Piedmont School from kindergarten through Grade 12; with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1, students here receive individualized instruction, and the school’s John Yowell Academy serves students with attention-deficit disorder or language-based learning differences. “The area is close to a ton of parks,” Boehm says. Residents can cool off by Oak Hollow Lake, a 1,500-acre park where locals can rent sailboats, go fishing or play on the playground. Just east of Florence, locals can play baseball and soccer at 200-acre Gibson Park, which has hiking trails and access to the Bicentennial Greenway, a 5-mile paved path. Jazz fans flock to Oak Hollow Festival Park for the annual John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival each fall, where Grammy-winning artists, like Keb’ Mo’ and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, perform over two days. The Uncle Sam Jam, a family-friendly July 4th celebration, brings around 10,000 people to Oak Hollow Festival Park to watch fireworks over the lake. Residents can start their day at locally owned Core Coffee, which offers fresh lattes and smoothies, then enjoy Latin street food like arepas and fish tacos at Sofrito Latin Innovation Kitchen. At the nearby Palladium at Deep River, locals can shop at big-box retailers like Walmart and Big Lots or catch a movie at Palladium Cinemas. I-40 is 4 miles north, and I-74 is 2 miles south. The Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation’s bus stops on Eastchester Drive and heads to Greensboro and downtown High Point. Novant Health’s Kernersville Medical Center is 6 miles away, and the Piedmont Triad International Airport is an 11-mile trip.