A Complete Guide To The Historic Boylan Heights Neighborhood + Things To Do

The historic Boylan Heights neighborhood is one of Raleigh’s premier places to live and one of six historic neighborhoods in the city. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district in 1985, and is most well known for its 250+ Queen Anne and Colonial Revival buildings.

Located on the immediate edge of downtown, Boylan Heights offers plenty of attractions and activities besides admiring its historic landmarks. Boylan Heights is a creative hub, with trendy galleries, an Art Walk, and chic shops. You’ll find some of the best bars, breweries, and restaurants in and around the Boylan Heights district, as well as being just across the road from Dorothea Dix Park, the largest park in Raleigh. Below is everything you need to know about Boylan Heights, including its history and what there is to do there.

History of Boylan Heights

The district was founded when William Boylan, one of North Carolina’s wealthiest and most influential businessmen, became heavily involved in land transactions in the Raleigh area. He helped facilitate the building of the railroad that would eventually run through Boylan Heights and downtown Raleigh, and he gifted a plot of land to his son, William Montfort Boylan, right outside the city limits of Raleigh at the time. Boylan Heights was one of Raleigh’s first planned suburbs, with development beginning in 1907. 

When real estate firms began developing old plantation lands just beyond the city limits in response to the early twentieth century housing shortage, the hundred-acre wooded portion of William Montford Boylan’s estate offered a good location. Parcels went on sale in 1907, and all were sold by 1915. A large parcel was reserved for a neighborhood park, and smaller parcels were reserved for bungalows, the most dominant house type in Boylan Heights. Here craftsman-style bungalows sit along with transitional Queen Anne/Colonial Revivals and Dutch Colonials, while mature shade trees dominate the streetscapes.

On the immediate southwest edges of the district, the streets extend from the downtown grid but curve aesthetically to match the contours of the hilly terrain. The hills of the neighborhood lend themselves to a picturesque and truly residential neighborhood overlooking downtown.

The most expensive houses in Queen Anne or Colonial Revival architectural styles were built along South Boylan Avenue, a showpiece of Boylan Heights. More modest homes, chiefly in the bungalow style, were constructed further below, with the neighborhood’s largest dwellings at the top. Deed restrictions and covenants by the City Council ensured that the largest houses were at the forefront.

The spacious lots on S. Boylan Avenue feature large houses with deep front-yard setbacks, expansive lawns, and inviting front porches, whilst the rest of the development is made up of modest bungalows on smaller lots and shallower setbacks. Many residents enjoy incredible views of the skyline as well as their own slice of privacy, and this close-knit community is highly sought after by creatives as well as families.

Snapshot of Boylan Heights Neighborhood

Boylan Heights is one of the neighborhoods in Raleigh we could see ourselves eventually living in. We walk and drive through this area a lot, dreaming of owning one of the historic homes in this walkable neighborhood that’s lined with magnificent crepe myrtles and dogwood trees and within close proximity to downtown. Boylan Heights is one of the most expensive places to live in Raleigh, and tends to attract professionals looking for a close commute to downtown, retirees, and families.

• Location: 1.4 miles southwest of downtown Raleigh (Map of neighborhood)
• Size: 0.106 square miles
• Population: 473
• County: Wake County
• Median listing price: $1.3 million (Price per Sq/Ft: $464)
• Average rent cost: around $1,700-$2500 per month for a 2-bedroom home
• Zip code: 27603

Schools in Boylan Heights

Boylan Heights is home to Project Enlightenment, an early childhood education and prevention program of the Wake County Public School System for young children from birth through kindergarten. Nearby public schools include: Wiley Elementary, Daniels Middle, Needham Broughton High. 

Things to do in Boylan Heights

A small, tight-knit community calls the neighborhood home, organizing regular events such as the Artwalk in the winter. Whilst the neighborhood itself doesn’t have any restaurants or shops, which helps to create a peaceful atmosphere, there are several excellent options a few steps away!

Art Walk

We enjoy the annual Boylan Art Walk through the historic neighborhood. It happens every year in December, and in 2023, it celebrated its 30th year!

What is Art Walk? Artists showcase their art on porches of select homes, plus in their yards and on concrete sidewalks throughout the neighborhood. The vast majority of homes take part in the Art Walk, and it’s this recognition of the creative community that gives the Boylan Heights neighborhood’s distinctive character.

I love this local artist, Amy Friend, whom I discovered at the Boylan Heights Art Walk a couple of years ago. She draws these birds with red threads in different settings (see image above on left). The red thread symbolizes her desire for adventure and freedom versus a need for security and roots. You can see more of Amy’s work here.

Typically, over one hundred artists and craftspeople sell a wide range of glasswork, jewelry, metalwork, woodwork, fiber, clay work and ceramics, photography and prints, multimedia, painting and other art. You simply wander around the neighborhood streets on foot and take in the local art scene. It’s a great way to start the holiday season.

Rebus Works

Rebus Works is such a cool little neighborhood shop that is part coffee shop, art gallery, and grocery store! Established in 2003 as a community-oriented gallery run by artists, for artists, and a joint project of local photographer Shonna Greenwell and printmaker Lee Moore, they focused on media and artists that were less frequently featured in other Raleigh locations.

Pop in here for a really good coffee and tasty treats (or stay for a while and work online), and enjoy the cool and quirky decor with open space and nice lighting. Admire the art on display, grab a quick bite made with local produce, explore the local products in the grocery section, or maybe indulge in a draft brew (or grab a can to go). 

They also have a weekend market with local vendors. A definite hidden gem in Raleigh that truly supports local. Lovely spot to visit with your partner or a friend, or even solo. 

Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing

“I wouldn’t mind Wye Hill being my neighborhood local,” I say to Caroline as we drive through Boylan Heights. Just a short walk across Boylan Bridge (which offers magnificent skyline views) brings you to one of the best local downtown Raleigh restaurants and breweries with its own unrivaled view of the downtown skyline. Yep, come for the refreshing brews and creative food and stay for the fantastic views!

Here you can expect innovative meals with a healthy twist, an amazing outdoor patio area or cozy indoor seating, and refreshing craft beers. Whilst Wye Hill is a Brewpub, there are some great signature cocktails and wine on the menu too!

I’m a fan of the Wye Hill Burger and Deviled Eggs. There’s also a kids’ menu. When you visit the Art Walk in Boylan Heights, do as we did and stop in here for brunch!

Consider Wye Hill a top neighborhood spot for brunch, lunch or dinner. Even though we don’t live in Boylan Heights, we bring all our visiting friends who are first-timers to Raleigh here!

• Address: 201 S Boylan Ave, Raleigh
• Website: WyeHill.com

Boulted Bread

Even though Boulted Bread is not officially within the boundary of Boylan Heights (its old location is planned to become a 7-story development), it’s definitely worth walking the few extra steps to this chic, local neighborhood bakery loved by the locals. Residents of Boylan Heights and Raleigh locals flock here for their fix of pastries and loaves of bread made with local and organic grains.

As one of the most popular bakeries in Raleigh, they serve phenomenal artisan bread and sweet and savory pastries created in a bright, rustic bakery. 

Popular items include their Morning Bun, Chocolate Croissants, Seeded Levain bread, and Nordic Rye Bread. And they do decent coffee.

• Address: 328 Dupont Cir, Raleigh
• Website: BoultedBread.com

Sam Jones BBQ

Another two blocks away from the boundary brings you to Sam Jones BBQ. Opening in early 2021 to much fanfare, Sam Jones, out of Winterville, NC, has some of the best BBQ in North Carolina and is undoubtedly one of the best BBQ joints in Raleigh. 

At their W Lenoir Street location in Downtown Raleigh, they smoke whole hogs on site every day and are famous for their chopped BBQ, Fried Chicken, Mac and Cheese, Collard Greens, and baked flat cornbread (if you don’t like cornbread, the sweet potato muffin is my pick!)

At Sam Jones, you can choose from indoor dining or outdoor seating on one of their picnic tables  – inside, there’s seating at the bar and several dining tables. A popular lunch spot with the locals; if I lived in nearby Boylan Heights, it would definitely be in my weekly planner for a lunch date!

• Address: 502 W Lenoir St, Raleigh
• Website: SamJonesBBQ.com/raleigh

Vault Craft Beer

Take a 5-minute walk down the hill from S Boylan Ave, and you’ll arrive at Vault Craft Beer, who have done a fantastic job of bringing a slice of history back to the Raleigh community. This building was previously the First National Bank and home to the first ‘drive-thru’ bank in Raleigh. And now, instead of a bank teller counter, in place are 16 taps for draft beer and two large built-in coolers with cold beer to take home.

Founder of Vault, Greg Kelly, and partners focused on preserving the history and mid-century modern architecture of this little drive-thru bank, using the bank’s lobby in 1957 as the inspiration, with a goal to serve as a community gathering place for another 60 years! They also added a new canopy on the West side where the drive-thru lane used to be, which acts as a great outdoor seating area perfect for families (dog-friendly too!) 

We enjoy a cold beer here, chatting with Greg about his story and vision. Pop in for a brew, watch a game on the screen, and keep an eye on their website for vinyl nights, trivia nights, and food trucks. 

• Address: 518 W South St, Raleigh
• Website: VaultCraftBeer.com

Dorothea Dix Park

South Boylan Ave, the main road through Boylan Heights, continues southwest across Western Boulevard and into Dorothea Dix Park, the largest park in Raleigh on a whopping 300+ acres with impressive skyline views and a lovely space with wide-open fields, rolling meadows, and tree-lined streets.

An easy 10–15-minute walk would get you to the heart of Dix Park from Boylan Heights, another bonus of being in this historic neighborhood. 

There are traffic lights at Western Blvd that allow you to cross safely, but an overhead pedestrian zone walkway would be a fantastic addition – hopefully that gets incorporated into the City of Raleigh’s master plan for a transformative public space at Dix Park.

Dix Park is a lovely space at any time of the year for a stroll, a picnic, and it plays host to numerous events and festivals, including the field of sunflowers and Falling for Local. Don’t miss the free guided tour of Dix Park.

• Address: 2105 Umstead Dr, Raleigh
• Website: dixpark.org

Admire views from Boylan Bridge

One of our favorite views of the downtown Raleigh skyline is from Boylan Bridge – in fact, it’s the view you see on our homepage on this site! While the bridge itself isn’t anything special to look at, the views you get from here are the most iconic views of Raleigh you can get.

It also spans multiple train tracks and has a cool view of the Raleigh Union Station (Amtrak Station) in the background. The railroad junction you see from the bridge is called the Boylan Wye – and the name refers to the Y-shaped layout (“wye”) of the tracks. And, you can walk to the Wye Hill Kitchen and Brewery from the bridge, which is always a bonus.

Stay at Heights House Hotel

Keeping up with the historical theme of Boylan Heights, how does the idea of staying in a property that dates back to 1860 and offers a glimpse at Raleigh’s deep history sound? Previously known as Montfort Hall, this property was the plantation home of prominent citizen William Montford Boylan and today stands as a landmark at the northern entrance to the Boylan Heights Historic District. 

The Italianate style mansion, now known as Heights House Hotel, sits on the highest point of the historic neighborhood and is one of the few remaining pre-Civil War houses in the Raleigh area, and a National and Raleigh Historic Landmark. In 2018, Sarah and Jeff Shepherd acquired the property with a vision of transforming it into a boutique hotel to be enjoyed by locals and visitors to Raleigh.

They envisioned a “Modern Victorian” experience that honored the history of the house, and whether you stay for just a night or an extended stay, Heights House has several tailored rooming options, from historic luxury suites to new standard rooms. The unique design gives you a glimpse of what the residential interiors would have looked like in the 19th century, whilst still boasting modern amenities and luxurious features.

Sitting on an acre of land, Heights House is capable of accommodating any number of events, from weddings to private dinners. And even if you’re not staying at the hotel, you can enjoy a drink at their bar, The Parlor (reservations recommended), and choose from a curated menu of Italian-influenced craft cocktails, an all-Italian wine list, and local beers.

• Location: 308 S Boylan Ave, Raleigh
• Website: HeightsHouseNC.com

Things to do nearby Boylan Heights

Of course, Boylan Heights’ prominent downtown location means you’re on the edge of the fantastic Warehouse District that offers an ever-growing choice of restaurants, cafes, bars, and breweries. Plus, all the best bars, restaurants, and cafes in Downtown Raleigh are within walking distance or a 5-minute drive, as is the Red Hat Amphitheatre and Performing Arts Center! And, you’re a short bike ride away on the greenway from Pullen Park, the first public park in North Carolina, and the fifth oldest operating amusement park in the US.

Boylan Heights Podcast Episode

You can learn more about what it’s like to explore Boylan Heights in our podcast episode below, where we talk about:

• Where Boylan Heights is located
• What makes Boylan Heights a unique and wonderful place to live
• A little about the style of homes in Boylan Heights
• Sunrise and sunset at the iconic Boylan Bridge
• The artistic vibe of Boylan Heights with its annual Art Walk and galleries
• It’s proximity to Pullen Park, Dorothea Dix Park, the Warehouse District and Glenwood South District
• Some cool neighborhood bars, cafes and restaurants

For those who may prefer watching a video of us podcasting, we filmed that for you too, which you’ll find on YouTube each week.