Homeowners in Avent West like to think of it as "the last affordable inside-the-Beltline neighborhood," according to Leslie Watts, past president of the Avent West Neighborhood Association.

This weekend the neighborhood will open its doors for its third annual home tour.

Located near N.C. State University, Avent West consists of about 1,200 homes in the area formed by Avent Ferry Road, Athens Drive and Western Boulevard. Most of the homes are brick ranches and split-levels built from the 1940s through the 1970s, but many have been extensively remodeled.

Watts, who has lived in Avent West since 1991, describes it as a diverse neighborhood with an "old-timey" feel, including a mix of young families and married professionals. Students can walk to nearby A.B. Combs Leadership Magnet Elementary and Athens Drive High School.

Eight homes are on the tour, including the Ashburton Road home of Raleigh City Council member Thomas Crowder, who rebuilt after the original structure was destroyed in a fire in 1998; an Onslow Road home that was remodeled for wheelchair accessibility; and an English-cottage-style house on Fox Chase Court.