Hi Everyone,
Just came back from Raleigh this past weekend (my husband and I live in a beautiful area in NJ near horses, farms,the beach - 1 hour from NY). We are considering moving to the area. However, we were very disappointed with downtown - minimal night life and no quaint areas with outdoor dining and boutique shops, etc. I have also been to Charlotte many years ago ('97) and thought it was very pretty. At that time, I also thought the night life was lack luster. We are 35 and 41, but still enjoy going out and like to dance. Everyone in Raleigh was in their early 20's (I know it's a college area) so I have no idea what people do in their 30's who are single!!

We expect to start a family in the very near future so schools and family things will become important. I would like to go back to Charlotte to see what's changed. It looks much livlier in Charlotte from the pictures, but I'm concerned about the crime and schools. Can anyone give any advice with regard to the two cities? Are the schools worse in Charlotte? Does it take longer to get to the beach than from Raleigh?
Thanks!!

There was a recent post about Raleigh vs. Charlotte. Click on my name and it should appear in the list.

Within one hour of each place, you should be able to find a horse farm so don't worry about your animals but you might not be in Wake (Raleigh) or Mecklenburg (Charlotte) counties.

Check out the NC Dept of Education website for "ABC" scores. It's the test all NC kids take and you'll finding rankings somewhere on the website.

I don't know about Char-Meck schools, but the Raleigh-Wake County systems gains around 3,000 kids a year. The district is having a hard time keeping up with building demand. When a new school opens, it is already overcrowded. The school system redistricts every year.

The easiest beach to get to from Raleigh is Wrightsville, about 2 hours down I-40. From Charlotte, probably around Charleston, SC down I-77 to I-26. If you end up in Charlotte, you can join the discussion "Which way do you go to Myrtle Beach." Also from Charlotte, you can take Highway 74 to the Wilmington area beaches.

Hmm, Charlotte is closer to SC where you can buy lottery tickets and fireworks.

I'm not really into nightlife, but inthe Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) you can find concerts, university sponsored events (lots of schools in the triangle) and Durham Bulls. Learn to love college basketball. It is required. In the Triangle you can pick a team, in Charlotte, just say you like "Carolina"

I'm a 43 yr. old NC native who grew up in the rural east of NC, attended college in the NC Triad (Greensboro), and currently reside within the Triad again, albeit the "small town" area of Elon College.

Raleigh has always been accessible and family friendly. Charlotte does not enjoy that same rep among natives, but it has always been the favored city for vacationing or relocation by northerners (which I think is now a blanket term for anyone who doesn't relocate from within the southeastern US).

Charlotte's traffic, IMO, is horrible, which is why my husband did not accept a job there. However, the Triad area (which lies between Winston-Salem and Research Triangle Park in Raleigh-Durham) is the new hotspot for "growth." Apparently that means for new neighborhoods, wooing new businesses with tax incentives, new schools, new infrastructure, and, of course, higher taxes.

Such is the price of progress, I suppose. Anyway, a couple we met who were originally from Chicago most definitely preferred the diversity of restaurants and activities in Charlotte. So, it really depends on where you're coming from and what you're looking for.

You can certainly find family friendly neighborhoods in CHarlotte. They're there as long as you can afford them. Raleigh's new growth has mostly been suburban, and then, of course there is the town (it's really a city) of Cary. Residents there call their city "Containment Area for Relocated Yankees." Cary's close to Raleigh, also close to Durham.

Don't overlook Greensboro. IMO, if offers the best at present of all worlds. It's more sophisticated and diverse than its surrounding smaller areas, boasts excellent colleges and a strong school system, also several good private schools, and it's much easier to navigate than either Raleigh or Charlotte.

Good luck - if you move to NC, then welcome. Hope you like our little ole state.

May I ask where you went in downtown Raleigh? Remember, it is winter and not all business are pushing outdoor dining? If you can give me a name or area you went to, I want to make sure you did not skip where many of the places are.

Hi Subway_Scoundrel,
We went to the Glenwood South area - which seemed to be the only place to go for a little excitement. We had some great food and stopped by the Oyster bar (pretty much empty), some Irish pub with a live band, the blue martini and 518 all in the same vicinity. And yes, I did think about the weather in terms of dining options not being outside just yet. I guess I was looking for "charm" during any season. Maybe I missed it in Chapel Hill? We went to Franklin St. and it was nice, but not what I expected. I visited in '97 and remember it differently - more cobble stone streets and lots of people dining and shopping in the evening during warmer months. Is there another section that I missed?

Just a quick comment on The Triangle and outdoor dining........... Most of the year, one does not want to dine outside in this area. In a typical year, we go very quickly from winter to a steamy, hot, humid summer. You really do not have a lot of weather conducive to eating outside, unless you love heat and humidity! Nightlife in Raleigh or Charlotte will not compare favorably with what's available living an hour from New York.......... If that's very important to you, I would not relocate to this area.

Just checking. If you had, and maybe had, gone to Glenwood Ave from 42st street and turned right there is more down there. Late night Sushi place (Sushi Blues), More Irish pubs, about 2bars, numerous resturants, etc. Also, from Blue Martinni, if you walk across the Hillsbough St, there are more things across there. Then if you move across to Downtown, there are a few things on the other side at Moore Square. It could have been a slow night as if there is a big game going on, or other things happening. Shopping at night is whole different thing as Raleigh and much of the south has been taken over by strip centers, malls which drives people to malls for night shoppinjg. Raleigh is fighting to get some of this back but nighttime shopping is little and far between. Cameron Vllage is not far from downtown, but a little nightlife but shopping is not late. I am 42 and single and still go out so understand what you are wanting. It is here but again, alot of people still live the life of surburbia, especially after getting married and having offspring. A little further out is North Hills, which they are working to make this a mix-develop with walking shopping, apartments, etc. Due to high income, we have been taken over by malls. Also, the reason our downtowns are not as big as areas with same population is we actually have 4 seperate downtowns and alot of the high paid workforce works in RTP (around 60K-70K people), away and in between the cities--not downtown. But there is a big push to bring back the downtowns and it is in a positve move---unless the naysayers try to stop it and continue with surburbia. If you are looking at a area to live, you should look in the 5 points area that is near downtown and has a few places you can walk. The neighbors are great and it is the kind of neighborhood that has older houses, front porches so you will get to know your neighbors and that is what drives friends and things to do and how to know what is going on. From 5 points area, Glenwood south is only about a mile or so away so easy to get to. During the last 30 yeats, Raleigh grew a lot, but in many bad ways with strip centers and surburbia, and now the push is for downtown and internal infield, but people are fighting it since all they know are the strip centers and having a grocery store on every corner and being able to drive up for every need . In my own opinion, this growth model is like shooting ourselves in the head. Like any area, you create friends and you find what to do and where to go and create fun. Also, during the summertime, we have numerous concerts as Raleigh is almost always on every major tour. We have venues of all sizes including 2 large arena (Raleigh and Chapel Hill) and every club size. Alot of college sports and of course, Professional Hockey, but they are not playing now. In short, like anywhere, liking where you live is all about making friends and learning what the place has to offer.

Thanks for your great input. What you said does make a lot of sense. I started to think about Charlotte since I came home, but there are a few drawbacks - 10 hours instead of 7 to get home, nuclear reactors, crime and not-so-great school systems. So...I don't think we'll be considering it mainly for those reasons. I do hope that people can make an impact and bring back the village/town-like feel in Raleigh. There are many towns in NJ that have done a great job of that; Red Bank, Westfield, Metuchen, Montclair and others. It's a lot of fun to bring family to these types of places instead of strip malls and museums! Don't get me wrong, we liked North Hills and I do like upscale shopping, but I prefer attractive towns with an eclectic feel with shops owned by locals. If the city of Raleigh is looking for advice (the downtown alliance) they should definately look into how NJ did it. It's been very successful. What drives us away is the cost of living and milder weather. I pay $14,000/year in property taxes!!!!!

If nuclear reactors ranks high on your list of don'ts then you need to know about Shearon Harris nuclear plant in Wake County. Much closer to town than the ones near Charlotte.

There's something you probably should understand about living away from megalopolis. Cities aren't like the cities you imagine -- open all night, with an Old Town and then a financial center and maybe a shopping area. Cities are just where some of the state's major activities are centralized -- insurance or tobacco or state government -- and lunch is a busier time than any other during the day. The suburbs are where people live and play, and their "downtown" is either a major mall or a college mecca like Chapel Hill or Durham's 9th st.

Charlotte is a slightly more graceful city than Raleigh, but then it doesn't have Chapel Hill and Durham -- it does have Nascar and some nice lakes on the outskirts. And of course you are closer to mtns. and shore than in Raleigh.

You cannot possibly expect any pretty area of NC -- of which there are many many -- to also be a suburb of a worldclass city. We just don't have one.

What is going to happen if you move here -- be it Raleigh or Charlotte -- is that you will have a different life style. There are some clubs and nightlife, but yes, it's more student oriented.

Suggest this: "try on" Chapel Hill or Wilmington. Or what about Richmond?

Please, I beg you... If you plan to relocate to the Raleigh area from up north and say "it's nice, we like the weather, but here are the XYZ reasons why where we lived up north is better than your town and this is what you should do to change it"... Just consider why you really want to relocate in the first place.

I grew up and lived in the area for 22 years - you will certainly not be the first to relocate to the Triangle area and then comment on how where you're from is better. And as such, no one really wants to hear it. Over half of my childhood friends were children of Northern transplants - and they were lovely, but honestly, I don't care how you did it in New York.

You mentioned schools and a nuclear reactor as a reason not to choose Charlotte: you are aware that there's a nuclear reactor just 15 miles outside of Raleigh, and while decent, Wake County public schools are not spectacular (and it certainly depends on where you live as to if they're even good). I will mention one other thing, given your suggestions to improve Raleigh - make sure you understand that some people would describe it as "provincial". It isn't as cultured as the NY suburbs where you live, or the DC suburbs where I live. And that can be a drawback, so understand that before you consider a move.

I know I sound a bit snippy, but it's a bit of a pet peeve that over the last 20 years so many people have flocked to Raleigh for the weather and the cost of living and other things, only to try desperately to change it. Certainly, your suggestions are good, but to move to a place wanting to change it? Might not be the best idea.

Okay.