Southern Village is located south of town and is five minutes from UNC-Chapel Hill. This neighborhood was established in 1994 and has all the components of what is today called “New Urbanism.” Southern Village is over 300 acres with 550 single-family homes, 375 townhomes and condominums, 250 apartments, and 350,000 square feet of retail and civic space. The neighborhood is lined with sidewalks throughout. The houses, townhouses and condos are built on alley ways. The garages are almost all rear entry and the lot sizes are relatively small. Single-family homes typically have enough yard for a nice porch and small play area. The neighborhood is designed to foster gathering in area parks (Arlen Park, Calderon Park, Market Park Edgewater Park and more) and in the town center. Front porches are close to the sidewalks to make it easy to greet your neighbors as they stroll by. There is a walking path around the neighborhood as well as an elementary school (Scroggs) and a day care center (Chapel Hill Day Care). On the other side of the neighborhood is a middle school (Culbreth). Southern Village Swim and Racquet Club has a junior Olympic size pool, a baby pool, a clubhouse and six tennis courts. There are excellent tennis pros and programs at this club. Membership in the club is available only to homeowners in Southern Village. The membership is not covered by the homeowners dues. The dues cover the use of all neighborhood parks, the ballfield, baseketball court and the sand volleyball court. Market Street, which is within walking distance to all parts of the neighborhood, has a variety of entertainment, food and shops. There is a four-screen movie theater (The Lumina). Across the street from the Lumina is a nice park that is often used for concerts and movies. Other shops and cafes include:
- Dining and Movies
- The Lumina Theatre
- La Vita Dolce Espresso & Gelato Cafe
- Merlion Restaurant
- Edible Arrangements
- Subway
- Town Hall Grill
- Shops and Services
- Forever Young Spa
- Strays
- Travelink
- Tutti Frutti Yogurt
- Snap Fitness
- Southern Village Pharmacy
- Weaver Street Market
Over the course of the last several years Southern Village has gone through some changes. Some may not realize this but Google actually has an office in Southern Village. This office is inaccessible to those that are not Google employees. It is a unique fact that you can tell your friends and family when they ask where you live. You can reply, “I live in Chapel Hill right next to Google.”
Every Halloween there is a Halloween Fest that takes place from 3:00 to 6:00 pm on the day of Halloween. There are also events during the “Southern Summer” which include Food Truck rodeos, outdoor movies, the roots & leaves jazz series, and the North Carolina Symphony. It is safe to say that during summer weekends there will be plenty of entertainment for both the young of old alike.
If you are seeking an alternative to Southern Village with a neighborhood feel with shops and entertainment you may want to look at MeadowmontVillage. These two communities sandwich the University of North Carolina. If you plan to work at UNC or you want to be closer to your son or daughter that will be attending UNC both Meadowmont and Southern Village are a short drive from campus. In fact, each of these communities is on the UNC bus line so you won’t even have to worry about getting a parking spot on campus.
