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Raleigh, NC - do you love it? Hate it? Help!!?

Raleigh, NC - do you love it? Hate it? Help!!?

Old Jan 2nd, 2003, 12:14 PM
  #1  
Lexa
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Raleigh, NC - do you love it? Hate it? Help!!?

I'm thinking about relocating to the Raleigh NC area from Boston. I'm looking for a slightly slower pace of life, moderate climate, less traffic than Boston, and a better cost of living. Are there any natives out there that can give me the inside scoop (good and bad!) on life in the Raleigh area? I'm planning a more in depth visit but wanted a native's (or transplant's) opinion on the good and the bad. Thanks in advance!
 
Old Jan 2nd, 2003, 12:41 PM
  #2  
Nancy
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Bad = far too many people moving down here in a short period of time - infrastructure way over-burdened (you won't find it as the South used to be prior to very large influx of people from other areas if that is what you are looking for), not the best school system, terrible traffic problems, one of the highest unemployment rates in the country currently, spread out and hard to get around, ice storms and strom preparedness (1 snow plow for the entire county)
Good = close to mountains or beach, best barbecue in the world, friendly people, rarely snows, buyer's market for housing.
I'm a native from Wilmington, NC who moved to Raleigh in 1988 after graduating from UNC-CH.
In the time I've lived here, I have seen the quality of life in the Raleigh area take a nose dive. So much so that we're thinking of moving to a smaller town to get away from the 2 hour waits in the better rests., the interminable gridlock on the highways, and the other things which I find so objectionable about what Raleigh has become.
 
Old Jan 2nd, 2003, 12:47 PM
  #3  
xxx
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I don't live in Raleigh but work there a couple of times a year.

I dislike the traffic and the sprawl. To each his own I guess.
 
Old Jan 2nd, 2003, 01:51 PM
  #4  
Howard
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To those people who disliked Raleigh because of sprawl and rapid population growth-- Name me a metro area in the sunbelt without that problem! _--

I know you could not think of one. Every city in the sunbelt has traffic, fast population growth and sprawl!
 
Old Jan 2nd, 2003, 03:02 PM
  #5  
Andrew
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Whether you will like Raliegh depends entirely on your lifestyle and preferences. Asking a local isn't much good unless you know how their preferences compare to yours. For example, do you like the city of Boston? Do you spend much time downtown, or do you live in the suburbs?

When I visited Raleigh last July I was disappointed. Even though all the locals we talked to seemed to love the place, they all lived in the suburbs. I could see why: Raleigh is spread out and doesn't have much of a downtown. I much prefer the vibrant downtown and urban neighborhoods of Portland, OR, where I now live. The people in Raleigh were very friendly, but the city wasn't for me.

Andrew
 
Old Jan 3rd, 2003, 04:38 AM
  #6  
Anne
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Most people prefer a suburban lifestyle, that is why the suburbs are popular. Raleigh is one big suburb.

Though it has one of the highest perecentage of college educcated people and three major universities in the metro area. This adds significantly to the quality of life!
 
Old Jan 3rd, 2003, 04:51 AM
  #7  
Collette
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Lexa, I love your name! I am a transplant- came to Durham from Providence in 2000 due to husband's relocation. I think the answer to your question depends entirely on what you want and where you are in your life. Raleigh Durham area is no Boston,and not even a close second to Providence in terms of culture, food, interesting and old architexture, vitality etc. Yes, you can get to mountains or beaches in 3 hours but you and I were less than an hour away from beaches in Bos and Prov and mountains not much further.

That said, it is definetly less stressful down here and the people are nice.. not that we northerners are not nice but it is just a different kind of nice. The weather is someimes too warm for me.. esp. in the winter... I like a little "bite" in the air and today is 55 degrees... Overall I say it is pleasant down here but kind of boring compared to up North...Often we go to a resturant or somewhere that the locals rave about and we find it just so-so. The other poster was right about housing though... lots of homes on the market due to everyone being layed off and you can definetly get more house for the money. Be sure you have a job before you come down... the economy does stink here right now.
 
Old Jan 3rd, 2003, 05:49 AM
  #8  
Lexa
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Thank you all for your replies - I've found this whole site so helpful in our quest to find a better quality of life. I often worried I would be disapointed with the lack of real "city life" in Raleigh b/c of my ten years in the Boston area (I'm origianlly from very rural upstate NY where I LOATHED the tiny town atmosphere and cow patties in the road!). I guess I'm looking for somewhere "in between" Boston, and small town USA.

My husband and I will have a 1 year old by the time we are ready to move and are dying to buy our dream house with a lawn to garden in and grass to play in. We'd like this combined with some shows to go to, nice restaurants to visit, and some sports to watch. But that's certainly not something we do every day. I love the ocean, and you're right, Collette from Providence - we're right by the ocean now, and how much do we go? Too cold!

My family vacationed in the beach areas of SC for years and I grew to love "The Carolinas" and I guess that's what is driving my interest in the area among other things.

From some other postings, I'm thinking Charlotte might be a "bigger city" that we may enjoy better? (we also like "lake" weekend getaways as we are used to NH weekends away - I hear Charlotte has a few big lakes?).

Thanks again for all the help - any more NC feedback is greatly appreciated!
 
Old Jan 3rd, 2003, 06:57 AM
  #9  
Collette
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Lexa, beware the lakes down here... the big one in Charlotte called Lake Norman is built near a nuclear reactor as is Lake Jordan in Durham... they are all man-made lakes... and not very pretty IMO.
 
Old Jan 3rd, 2003, 09:18 AM
  #10  
hmmm
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Lexa, Doesn't sound is if you'd like living in NC. It is most of the things you initially stated you wanted (slower pace, moderate climate, lower cost of living) but it's not cosmopolitan relative to Boston or Collette's beloved Providence.


 
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