Want to see what's for sale?
Who this area suits
Is this your part of the valley?
Buyers who want a bungalow they can walk out of to coffee or a movie, people who want the river greenway at the end of the block, and Carilion commuters who want a short drive or ride to the hospital.
Where it is: Southwest of downtown along Grandin Road, Memorial Avenue, Main Street and Crystal Spring Avenue, on both sides of the Roanoke River below Mill Mountain.
Streetcar suburbs, grown up
Raleigh Court and Grandin Village grew up in the 1920s along the streetcar line: craftsman bungalows and foursquares, sidewalks, and a small commercial strip on Grandin Road that has been a National Register district since 2002. The Grandin Theatre opened in 1932, closed in 2001, and reopened a year later after a foundation raised the money to restore it.
Wasena is the river neighborhood
Wasena was farmland until bridges and transit reached it. A land company laid it out in the early 1900s, and it went on the National Register in 2012. Today that means 1920s and '30s cottages and small bungalows, Wasena Park, and the Roanoke River Greenway along the water.
South Roanoke sits under the mountain
South Roanoke is at the foot of Mill Mountain, with shops and restaurants on Crystal Spring Avenue and Carilion Roanoke Memorial close by. Historic houses mix with newer infill, and the Mill Mountain Greenway climbs from the valley floor to the park and the Star.
On the Register, mostly not under review
Wasena, Norwich and the Grandin Road strip are National Register districts, which can open the door to rehabilitation tax credits. The city's H-2 review overlay is centered on Old Southwest, so most exterior work here doesn't go to the Architectural Review Board. Confirm it for the parcel.
Near the river means asking about the river
The river is why the greenway is so good, and why flood maps matter. After the 1985 flood, the city and the Army Corps of Engineers built a flood reduction project designed to hold a 25-year flood and to reduce, not prevent, a 100-year one. Check the FEMA zone for the address before you fall for the porch.
One thing to watch here
Many of these houses are about a century old. Budget for what a 1920s house hides (wiring, plumbing, the roof, the foundation) and hire an inspector who works on houses this age every week.
The practical facts
- Jurisdiction
- City of Roanoke
- Places
- Grandin Village, Raleigh Court, Wasena, South Roanoke, Norwich
- Downtown Roanoke
- 10 min
- Carilion Roanoke Memorial
- 5–10 min
- Mill Mountain Park
- 10 min
- Blacksburg
- 45 min
Schools
Roanoke City Public Schools, with Patrick Henry and William Fleming high schools. Zones follow the address; check the division's school locator.
Communities in and around Grandin & South Roanoke
A starting point, not a complete list — ask us about the smaller pockets.
| Neighborhood | Where | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Grandin VillageBungalows · Walkable | Roanoke · City of Roanoke | 1920s craftsman bungalows and foursquares around the Grandin Road shops and the 1932 Grandin Theatre. |
| Raleigh CourtBungalows | Roanoke · City of Roanoke | A 1920s streetcar suburb of bungalows, foursquares and sidewalks, with Patrick Henry High School on Grandin Road. |
| WasenaHistoric · Riverside | Roanoke · City of Roanoke | An early-1900s suburb on the Roanoke River, on the National Register since 2012, with Wasena Park and the river greenway. |
| South RoanokeEstablished | Roanoke · City of Roanoke | At the foot of Mill Mountain, with Crystal Spring Avenue shops, the Mill Mountain Greenway, and Carilion Roanoke Memorial close by. |
| NorwichHistoric · Riverside | Roanoke · City of Roanoke | A small river neighborhood in the city's west end along the Roanoke River Greenway, listed on the National Register in 2024. |
What are you looking for here?
The agent who is right for a 1915 foursquare here is not the agent who is right for a new build. Pick what fits.
Historic Homes
Victorians in Old Southwest, bungalows in Grandin and Wasena. Beautiful houses that come with rules, tax credits, and a century of maintenance.
What to knowGreenway & Trail Homes
Ride the river greenway to work, walk up Mill Mountain, ride Carvins Cove after dinner. Here, outdoor access is a real buying criterion, and you can map it.
What to knowHealthcare & Remote Moves
Carilion is the region's largest employer, and the valley is a practical base for remote work. Plan the house around the shift schedule or the home office.
What to knowOther parts of the valley
Downtown & Old Southwest
Lofts above the City Market, Victorian blocks a few streets away, and the Star on the mountain over all of it. The walkable, historic heart of the city.
Explore this areaSalem, Glenvar & Catawba
Its own city, with its own schools and its own electric company. A real Main Street, Roanoke College, and the road out to McAfee Knob.
Explore this areaCave Spring & Southwest County
Established suburbs off Route 419, the Parkway along the ridge, and Back Creek and Bent Mountain where the county turns rural.
Explore this areaThinking about Grandin & South Roanoke?
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