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I have read lots about NC on the forums, but still searching! We (family of four) live in CO and are looking to move to NC. We love the mountains and would like to be near them, but still near a large city for culture, possibly jobs, museums, etc. We thought about somewhere between Charlotte and anywhere close to the TN line...my husband does need a job(he has both investing/ins. and automotive/sales background) and we have young children so that is a huge factor for us. Basically this is what we are looking for: all four seasons, but less snow..I don't mind some, close enough to the mountains that we could get to them in an hour (right now we see them every day from the end of our street ), 20,000-40,000 population or even less would be ideal, great library, low cost of living, we cannot spend over $200,000 on a home. We love the outdoors and want to have the opportunity to be outdoors more of the year to hike, camp, fish, watch wildlife and site see as we do here. ANY advice would be appreciated in getting us closer to finding the right location. We know we will have to ballpark it and then once there...narrow down the right fit for our family.
Thanks!
First of all, we are 59/60 yrs old, so we aren't nearly as active as you folks are. Anyway, we moved from Parker, CO (28 mi south of Denver) last Oct to Huntersville (near Lake Norman). Due to my surgeries, hip replacement and rotor cup/shoulder (fall in snow/ice), wife and I had to move away from those "Eastern Slope/Front Range" snowstorms/blizzards. We lived there for 5 1/2 years. From what we have seen, taking two trips to the mountains to visit a casino, we don't see the hiking paths, camping and wildlife watching as we did in the "Rockies". Other than a small "animal habitate" in Cherokee, NC we visited, we have only seen one small Buck Deer since we have been here! There is fishing here though. There are also towns between Charlotte and the mountains, but these towns don't offer the cultural stuff the city of Charlotte does. As far as winter/snow goes......don't get that much in the Smoky Mountains or in North Carolina in general. Going to that casino, we only seen ONE snow ski resort......nothing like all the ones in Colorado!
So, DON'T expect NC to be like Colorado.....it's a whole different State!
By the way, people move here to "get away" from the winters/snow of "snow belt" type States. Good Luck.
I have been considering the differences between the two states and the biggest part of CO I would miss is the wildlife. We love to see hawks...on a weekly basis, saw a mama and 3 mo. old moose last year in the mountains, have heard the Elk calling and love all of the horses. We are very torn about that! My husband and I grew up near the water and miss that and also fall...fall here is nothing like fall in the East and I absolutely love fall! The dryness here, intensity of the sun and what we think is high cost of living are the things that we struggle with. I guess when you grow up with humidity...you can really hate the dryness (I know I'm in the minority:-) We are actually not far from where you lived. I would like your opinion on what you thought cost of living in Parker was compared to where you are now. I know no one can have it all in the place you call home...it really is hard packing up and hoping to make a life somewhere else that you don't know much about. We have been to the Smoky Mts. twice, hiked the A.T. and loved it. I guess my thinking is living where you can choose to go to the mountains or the ocean is ideal to me. I have to say...snow is pretty to look at, but I can do without so much of it and I don't have interest in any snow activities (snow shoeing maybe).
Thanks!
I suggest Hickory/Claremont area. Close to everything, including the mountains and only an hour from Charlotte. Out of curiousity, where in COlorado would you be leaving?
I have read lots about NC on the forums, but still searching! We (family of four) live in CO and are looking to move to NC. We love the mountains and would like to be near them, but still near a large city for culture, possibly jobs, museums, etc. We thought about somewhere between Charlotte and anywhere close to the TN line...my husband does need a job(he has both investing/ins. and automotive/sales background) and we have young children so that is a huge factor for us. Basically this is what we are looking for: all four seasons, but less snow..I don't mind some, close enough to the mountains that we could get to them in an hour (right now we see them every day from the end of our street ), 20,000-40,000 population or even less would be ideal, great library, low cost of living, we cannot spend over $200,000 on a home. We love the outdoors and want to have the opportunity to be outdoors more of the year to hike, camp, fish, watch wildlife and site see as we do here. ANY advice would be appreciated in getting us closer to finding the right location. We know we will have to ballpark it and then once there...narrow down the right fit for our family.
Thanks!
I would also highly suggest you check out Greenville, SOUTH Carolina - you would find a lot of what you are looking for there - including a better shot at finding a job than in western NC or eastern TN. Best of luck!
We were living in a 3-bedroom, 2-story house w/ 3-car garage in Parker. It had plenty of space in the house and a nice size backyard for dogs that we wanted. After 2 years there, even though we were both working and bringing home almost 80K a year, the house payments were just too much and the house just became to big for us. If it weren't for the winters that Parker and surrounding areas can/do get......we would have sold the house, bought a "ranch" style and still be living there! No doubt about that!!! We had been to Rocky Mountain National Park a few times, including during the Elk "rut" season. We went to numerous rodeos, 4th of July Parade in Greeley among other things.
The cost-of-living here is somewhat cheaper, but there are also less jobs. And, in case you might wonder what the elevation is here........let's put it this way........the highest peak of the Smoky Mountains is the same elevation as our house was at in Parker! North Carolina is nice, but it is very different from the "Eastern Slope/Front Range" of Colorado!!
Can anyone also tell me about the fall season and winter season? I'm used to lots of snow and do love to "watch" it snow, but am tired of so much...I don't mind some, especially at Christmas of course. Now Autum I absolutely love and miss all of the deciduous tree changes, just the scent of autum and kicking through leaves when I walk...we don't have that here. Yellow is the dominent color...it is beautiful, but not the same as having having that arrray of colors. I really do want to be where fall is lush and beautiful and more than a week long! Please give me some feedback on what those two seasons are truly like in and around Charlotte.
My husband and I have lived in the Charlotte area for 7 1/2 years now. We moved from Illinois where we had lots of snow and barely a fall. I love the fall here! It is starting to set in this week and the weather is beautiful! Average temp is anywhere from the upper 60s to the mid 70s. We usually have a nice long fall with very nice temperatures. We live about 2 hours from the Asheville/Boone/Blowing rock area and is a nice day trip to go and see the foliage. Lots of colors, it seems to vary depending on the type of summer that we have had. This year I am starting to see a lot of the red coming so it should be a very pretty fall.
I personally love the winter here, but if you like snow, you will miss it. I love snow, but would much rather drive to the mountains and see it that deal with it everyday. The mountain snow varies as well, sometimes it is pretty steady, other times it is just a dusting. The ski resorts are usually making snow on a regular basis. In Charlotte, we see more ice than snow. We usually get one or two decent snowfalls a year but usually not anything over 4 or 5 inches. Except for back in 2004 (I think) we had 17 inches fall in one day!! That was interesting, but it was 75 degrees the next day so it didn't last long. The tempuratures are pretty mild, usually in the 40's but occasionally dropping lower. Overnight lows are usually in the 30s. If we do have the "threat" of a winter storm, schools close and everyone runs to the store to buy water, milk, and bread! If we do actually get precipitation, EVERYTHING closes!
Overall though, I love it here. It has been a wonderful change for me and my husband. Fall is beautiful, winter is bearable, and spring is my second choice behind the fall. We kinda have the best of it all in my opinion! Hope that helps!
artisan, I highly recommend that you purchase a subscription to "Our State" magazine. The latest issue has a full-color pictorial article showing the various looks of fall throughout the state. Throughout the year there will be more similar articles showing the changing seasons throughout the state.
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Co/nc
Hope that helps!
