Living in/around Greensboro, NC
Jan 4th, 2009, 01:04 PM
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Living in/around Greensboro, NC
An (American) woman I know in here in Basel told me her husband is being transferred to Greensboro, NC, probably a permanent move. They are working with the company's relo team and will be going to look around in a few weeks, but anyone here want to pass on their views about living in the area? We've never been there but I told her Fodorites give great advice.
They have 1 grown son, working in CA, so don't need a big house but would like to buy something after years of renting apartments. They're thinking condo or townhouse, budget somewhere in the $400k region.
Any good developments they should keep a heads up for? What's the best/worst about Greensboro/Winston-Salem and High Point (she is looking forward to shopping for great new NC made furniture!)
They have lived in Switzerland for several years, before that in the U.S. (Chicago area).
They have 1 grown son, working in CA, so don't need a big house but would like to buy something after years of renting apartments. They're thinking condo or townhouse, budget somewhere in the $400k region.
Any good developments they should keep a heads up for? What's the best/worst about Greensboro/Winston-Salem and High Point (she is looking forward to shopping for great new NC made furniture!)
They have lived in Switzerland for several years, before that in the U.S. (Chicago area).
Jan 4th, 2009, 01:37 PM
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Lived in Raleigh for 8 years (have lived in Columbus OH the past 7) so that this for what it is worth.
G'boro is not exactly a center of social activity. It is stuck between Winston-Salem and "The Triangle" (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill). I can't give you any feedback on locations other than at $400K they might want to consider CH or WS. Stay away from Cary - they don't call it "Contained Area of Relocated Yankees" for nothing. Fairly vanilla.
Furniture is not discounted as much as you would think.
I personally liked the Raleigh area - plenty of city life for me with enough contact with a county feel. Still a fair amount of native NC in this area. Weather gets steamy in the summer, but you can play 18 holes Dec / Jan / Feb / Mar when others are shoveling snow.
Major airports to get anywhere would be Charlotte or RDU.
What else?
G'boro is not exactly a center of social activity. It is stuck between Winston-Salem and "The Triangle" (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill). I can't give you any feedback on locations other than at $400K they might want to consider CH or WS. Stay away from Cary - they don't call it "Contained Area of Relocated Yankees" for nothing. Fairly vanilla.
Furniture is not discounted as much as you would think.
I personally liked the Raleigh area - plenty of city life for me with enough contact with a county feel. Still a fair amount of native NC in this area. Weather gets steamy in the summer, but you can play 18 holes Dec / Jan / Feb / Mar when others are shoveling snow.
Major airports to get anywhere would be Charlotte or RDU.
What else?
Jan 4th, 2009, 04:00 PM
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I have lived in Greensboro for the last 9 years after having lived elsewhere. It is a great place to raise a family and live - but not a tourist destination.For $400,000 you can get a new very very nice large brick home with a nice yard.Housing prices here don't appreciate like they do in Raleigh or Charlotte but they also haven't dropped as dramatically as they have in other parts of the country either. It is 4 hours from the ocean, 3 hours from the mountains and skiing (although its not like skiing in Switzerland.) There is a symphony orchestra, minor league baseball team, art galleries, some nice restaurants...enough to make it a pleasant place to live. There is a large and active expat community with people from Volvo, DeGussa, Syngenta and other corporations in Greensboro. There is a good airport in Greensboro. There is also the possibility of driving 1 hour 15 minutes to Raleigh (for NHL Hockey), and 1 1/2 hours to Charlotte for NFL Football). Like the rest of the Carolina's there are lots of opportunities in Greensboro to golf...the weather is great and the sky is usually Carolina blue.
Jan 6th, 2009, 06:16 AM
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I grew up outside of Greensboro and think it is a lovely small city. There is fine dining, arts (although you'll a larger selection in Charlotte or Raleigh), and a real sense of community.
The Greensboro airport (PTI) is an international airport and is often easier to fly in and out of than CLT and RDU. Although it may be more expensive than CLT or RDU, it is very convenient.
Winston-Salem is also a wonderful small city and worth considering. High Point has grown tremendously in recent years. There are still deals to be found on furniture- especially when several producers/factories open their "private" show rooms to clean out the previous seasons selections.
I completely disagree with BuckeyeBud- if her husband is working in Greensboro, you do NOT want to commute all the way from Chapel Hill or Raleigh. The triangle has a lot to offer, but it is not the end-all be all of North Carolina and neither is Charlotte for that matter. The Triad (GSO, WS, HP) is a great place to live in its own right.
The Greensboro airport (PTI) is an international airport and is often easier to fly in and out of than CLT and RDU. Although it may be more expensive than CLT or RDU, it is very convenient.
Winston-Salem is also a wonderful small city and worth considering. High Point has grown tremendously in recent years. There are still deals to be found on furniture- especially when several producers/factories open their "private" show rooms to clean out the previous seasons selections.
I completely disagree with BuckeyeBud- if her husband is working in Greensboro, you do NOT want to commute all the way from Chapel Hill or Raleigh. The triangle has a lot to offer, but it is not the end-all be all of North Carolina and neither is Charlotte for that matter. The Triad (GSO, WS, HP) is a great place to live in its own right.
Jan 6th, 2009, 01:06 PM
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Having grown up there and having family still living there, Greensboro is a great small city in which to raise a family or enjoy a quiter life with the advantage of being under 2 hours from Raleigh/Durham or Charlotte. You can be at the beach in 3 hours or skiing in two.
It has a very nice small community of arts and restaurants and is charming. $400K will go very far there.
The pedestrian area near the University and downtown has great old homes. There's a B&B there where my brother got married and members of the wedding party stayed.
High Point can be a bargain, but wait until just before or just after the furniture market for the best deals.
Enjoy!
It has a very nice small community of arts and restaurants and is charming. $400K will go very far there.
The pedestrian area near the University and downtown has great old homes. There's a B&B there where my brother got married and members of the wedding party stayed.
High Point can be a bargain, but wait until just before or just after the furniture market for the best deals.
Enjoy!
