My wife and I pondering the possibilities of a relocation to the Raliegh/Durham area and I know some AGEers live in or around that area.
So, is it a shit box? or wonderful? Cheap and Sleazy or light and breazy?
My wife and I pondering the possibilities of a relocation to the Raliegh/Durham area and I know some AGEers live in or around that area.
So, is it a shit box? or wonderful? Cheap and Sleazy or light and breazy?
The people up here are assholes!! Wait, that is just CB and Dean!! LOL
I like the area, traffic sucks through the RTP area, but it is nice. I do not live here though, just work here about 25 - 35% of the year it seems.
I live 2.5 hours south in Charlotte. I am sure Dean, CB, Sharky, and Old Painless can enlighten you further.
I like it here. 1.5-2 hours to the beach. 3 to the mountains. Relatively cheap cost of living. But its a lot slower pace of life compared to say D.C. or any other major metro area (i.e. the last movie you can catch is likely a 9:50pm show, restaurants shut down around 10ish, etc.). Nice country and plenty of parks and such.
The traffic is rough around RTP, but far less than a major metro. You actually move as compared to the beltline in DC.
Plenty of college sports, concerts and other events here. Pro hockey, two minor league baseball teams (Bulls & Mudcats), and plenty of golf. Hell Pinehurst #2 is just about 45 mins away (if you can afford it).
Any specific questions I didn't cover here?
I grew up in Chapel Hill, which is the third part of the Research Traingle Park, or RTP (the other parts being Durham and Raleigh). I lived in Chapel Hill from 1985-1998. The scenery, parks, rivers, forests, Blue Ridge Mountains, etc. are quite remarkable. Gorgeous forests, gorgeous ancient mountains, gorgeous beaches, all in one state.
You will find music festivals, art festivals, big-name world tours (a lot of them but not all) and thriving local music scenes (hopefully still going!). The cost of living is much lower than a place like New York, and the general populus much, much friendlier and more approachable. The friendly nature of people is what I miss most about North Carolina. I had so many friends throughout high school, college, and beyond, and now getting older in a place like New York...you don't even know if you can trust the people you meet, let alone develop many meaningful friendships.
As CB said, you will miss the diversity of peoples and art that you get in a major metropolitan area, like New York, DC, Boston, etc. You gain benefits in safety, less expenses, less pollution (noise, air and traffic). I think the state of North Carolina would be one of the best places in America to raise a child. If you like the big city life, though, you will not find it much at all in the Blue Ridge state.
I am pretty sure that the RTP area has been at or near the top of most "Best Areas to Live in America Overall" lists for two decades.
I'll echo what the others have said and add my two cents. I've lived in Raleigh, Durham, and currently live in Chapel Hill. All three towns have a different feel. Raleigh is more 'metro' although still nowhere near DC-ish. Durham is a bit more laid-back and is having a revival of the old african-american blues/jazz scene. Chapel Hill is more of an artsy-fartsy area with a lot more liberal population. Cary is pretty non-descript and is appropriately deamed (Containment Area for Relocated Yankees). :-$
All in all, the area is low-cost, has a relatively good high tech job market, and is within 20 miles of 3 major college campuses. The school systems are better than average (Chapel Hill is the best by far) and there's a lot of family-based entertainment available.
Well I showed up late to the party. You guys all said it pretty well. But to add my .02
I live in a small town called Hillsborough, situated just west of Durham and just north of Chapel Hill. I can be in Durham in 10 mins, Chapel Hill in about 10 mins, Raliegh inside of 25 and Cary, well I don't really have any reason to go there. :smt002 But my point being there are small towns just on the outskirts of all the large cities that offer all the convenience of living in the Triagle but less hassle and traffic than living in Raleigh, Durham, or Chapel Hill. Personally, I love this area, it offers a lot of diversity and that's only growing the more people move into the area. I think right now we are one of the fastest growing areas in the country too. I suppose, that says something good about us.
Dean brings up a good point. As CB can attest, it can get country REAL QUICK in the triangle. That's the best part of the area, IMO. Within 20 miles of RTP you can choose to live an ultra urban, suburban, or rural lifestyle.
yep, yep, and yep. I aggree with everything above. Though, housing costs are rising very quickly. The only other place I would consider living is somewhere in Colorado.
With all of you living in that area, why is there no AGE meet there? I could actually make it to that one! :goatlove1
We had it in South Charlotte. Some of the Raleigh area guys came down! It was only 2.5 hour drive. But we could have a blowout at Dean's House!!! I would say CB, but some people are afraid of livestock. :goatlove1Originally Posted by Mayhem23"
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