Charlotte or Raleigh (Durham, Apex, Mooresville: real estate, crime rates, new house) - City-Data Forum

beittels · 09-10-2006, 05:21 PM

Ok... I need to get opinions... if you had your choice, would you move to Charlotte or Raleigh and why? My wife and I considering a relocation from Washington DC burbs. Which city would getthe better ratings and why?

shaylahc · 09-11-2006, 03:23 AM

I think it depends. I am currently in Apex (outside of Raleigh) and we are getting ready to go in to contract to build a house in Union county. The biggest reason for us in moving to that area is cheaper real estate. We can have a brand new house built for almost 30% less than it would cost to build a new house here. Plus, I have not been very happy with the Wake County school system.

Good luck making your decision! I think either way you can't go wrong. NC is a beautiful place to live and raise a family.

kelle · 09-11-2006, 10:48 PM

It's a tough decision, but here is what I've learned through my research. Please know that I haven't been to NC in the past decade, so this information is purely from the research I've done online:

-Charlotte does have better housing prices in the suburbs: More square footage for your buck

-Charlotte has the bigger city feel

-Charlotte has more open space/bigger yards for houses

-Raleigh (not Durham) suburbs have lower crime rates (see (broken link))

That's what I've found so far...if anyone has anything else to add that actually has lived in both areas, that would be really cool

SRH · 09-13-2006, 02:40 PM

We looked to move to Raleigh a couple of years ago and we went to visit Charlotte 2 weeks ago for a possible move. Personally, Charlotte rocks over Raleigh. Charlotte has all the wonderful amenities of a big city, but it is clean and the suburbs are close in. The Charlotte school systems seems to be better than Raleigh, but it does seem like kids are still switching schools a bit too much. Raleigh was a beautiful place, flowers, trees and the people were super nice and it does seem like a great place to raise a family, but Charlotte offers all the same, plus a GREAT downtown area.

Good luck with your decision!

Washingtonian · 09-13-2006, 03:44 PM

I lived in the MD/DC area (Silver Spring) for over 15 years. I like Charlotte because it has a small urban feel. You can find foods from different ethnic groups, you see a diverse group of people. It's also a huge football city. It's much like when the Redskins play in DC. All they need now is baseball. I haven't been here for basketball season but I like the opportunity to go to the game. I also like the Children's Theatre and Art programs. I went to a Greek Festival this weekend and had a great time. Every weekend there are festivals and events.

There are many parks and activities. Many outdoor activities such as bike riding, walking, soccer, golf, tennis, swimming. I seem to see people always active where I live.

Charlotte reminds me of the MD in many ways w/o the traffic, crime, and taxes. The schools here are crowded. I'm still trying to get a feel for the school system. My daughter is in a new elementary school this year and it appears to be a good school. From what I have seen, I don't expect that middle and high school will be that great unless the new Superintendent can make changes. If you have any specific questions, PM me.

a1m1700 · 09-13-2006, 04:08 PM

I agree Charlotte rocked it for me over Raleigh! To me it just had more life and it was a better fit for me. Also the weather played a big part too.

inthetriad · 09-13-2006, 06:29 PM

In a nutshell:

Raleigh= high tech, universities, RTP, educated, NC symphony and Opera. The cultural/educational/govermental center of NC.

Charlotte= banking, more of a bigger city than Raleigh, Panthers, Charlotte Symphony, etc. The financial capital of NC and the biggest city in NC.

Charlotte also "ties" both North Carolina and South Carolina together, making it the "Carolinas" city while Raleigh is a true North Carolina city.

dzrustyfan · 09-15-2006, 06:56 AM

triad...I think the "heart of NASCAR racing" is missing from Charlotte, no?

Weis02 · 09-15-2006, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dzrustyfan

triad...I think the "heart of NASCAR racing" is missing from Charlotte, no?

No - NASCAR has a huge raceway outside of Charlotte in Mooresville and many of the drivers live there... I think the charlotte area has bigger presence then the triad - those who live there can comment further.

inthetriad · 09-15-2006, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weis02

No - NASCAR has a huge raceway outside of Charlotte in Mooresville and many of the drivers live there... I think the charlotte area has bigger presence then the triad - those who live there can comment further.

I think dzrustyfan was trying to say that I accidentally left out NASCAR for Charlotte. NASCAR is very big in the Charlotte area. The Charlotte area also has many of the NASCAR drivers based there (like you said) and part of NASCAR'S roots are from the area.

Yes, the Charlotte area has a much bigger presence than the Triad. But you can thank the Triad as being the first big economic/cultural/educational engine in the state, and it greatly helped what the Triangle and Charlotte areas have become today.