We asked Raleigh residents what they think of tear-downs

What do you think of tear-downs in affluent neighborhoods?

“You go to some other bigger cities, these historical neighborhoods (in places like) D.C., every single house is beautiful, they have a lot of character. They’re in a position where they can age with the neighborhood. A lot of these houses and fixtures in the Raleigh and Triangle area don’t age well. North Hills wouldn’t exist if we didn’t have a tear-down. Twenty years ago, it was not a nice neighborhood at all, but now it is, because we were able to get rid of some of these older properties that weren’t able to age and grow with this area.” — Cameron Gillette, 28, computer programmer, North Hills

“It worries me a little bit, because of the displacement of people. I feel people that traditionally live in certain areas are getting displaced in the name of progress and revitalizing areas. (But) honestly, as long as people are not getting gypped, architecturally it’s fine. Some houses that have historic value, of course, I would see the need to protect them and keep the integrity of the neighborhoods, but it doesn’t bother me too much.” — Maria Long, 40, realtor, Knightdale

“(The new houses) are all beautiful, big homes, but they all look the same. I would go more for revitalizing an older home and keeping the personality.” — Anne Doman, 50, preschool teacher, Oak Park

This story was originally published July 13, 2018 at 11:46 AM.