I copied this from a post/response I made a few weeks ago. I hope it doesn't scare you away. We need a few more good Yankees in the area, even if you are Red Sox fans.
"Okay BC, here it comes, the good, bad and the ugly. We relocated to Lincoln County from NJ, five years ago. Were orginally supposed to settle in to the Mooresville area where there are many Northern transplants, but a house deal fell through. So we settled in on Lincoln County (further west than Denver) because it's only 20 miles West of Mooresville and you get more house for your money in a more rural setting. Thinking to myself, my father's side of the family was all Southern (Virginia) and while yes, there is small-mindedness, they get over it after awhile, right?
That 20 miles made a LOT of difference in attitudes. There are more and more Northern transplants coming into this area so it has gotten a little better in the past 5 years. Spouse is dark too, I am light. Wish I had a buck for every time someone asked my spouse - "What are yew?" They always assume Mexican. However, people smile at me until I open my mouth and they hear the Northern accent, then a different look comes over their face. That's changing a little bit too, again, as there are more of us in the area.
We live in a very nice subdivision, but everyone is mostly retired or just starting families, and we are DINKS (double income, no kids) in our mid forties, and there are not many here who have the same interests. We love to travel. Most people either go to the mountains or the beach, and that's it. Case closed. We don't go to church. Everyone else does. The second thing they ask you after "what are yew?" is "what church do you go to?" Every thing seems to center around church here and if you don't go to church, you really don't fit in. We only have a couple of friends here.
We're now looking into possible relocation to the RDU area, primarily for the reasons mentioned above.
Now the good things about NC. Yeah, there are a bunch and I don't regret moving to the State of North Carolina. I regret not researching the exact area I am in right now, so BC you are doing the right thing and asking the right questions.
The people, for the most part, are pretty nice. Being older, my spouse and I were brought up to be polite, hold doors open for someone behind you, say please, thank you, etc. Most of our generation was raised that way. That niceness is still here in NC, unlike NJ.
There are a lot of people here who will be sweet as pie to your face and then stab you in the back. So it's hard to know who the "nice" people are sometimes. The worst ones are the loudest bible thumpers. But there are good Christian people here as well who live what they preach. So you take the good with the bad.
The weather is much, much nicer here than anywhere in the North. Yeah, we have humidity, but it's not as bad as Florida. The winters are nice and mild. We have beautiful mountains and also beautiful beaches. What little I saw from my visits to Asheville, I did like a lot. Seemed more progressive, but the job market was not as varied.
Anyway, I wish you good luck on your search. I think you will like it here, you just have to find the area that fits you and your spouse."
Spouse and I did the trek to the RDU area a couple of weeks back. Found that the grass isn't always greener... IMO, this area is a lot prettier and nicer than the RDU area. It made me appreciate my Lincolnton neighborhood upon return.
As for moving into the historic area of Lincolnton, I wouldn't. If you look at the local online news - this one lets you see where crimes have occurred in Lincolnton -
The home for FREE classifieds, breaking news and stories you won't see anywhere else -- The Carolina Scoop you'll see that much of the crime is in the center of Lincolnton, the historic area and around. Spouse and I live in the county - just about 3 - 4 miles at the most past Pumpkin Center. The school system here near Pumpkin center has a better reputation/higher test scores and thus the resale value of our homes is better.
Also, stay away from the McAlister Road area in Lincolnton because it's like a fire sale out there since the new hospital is being built in that immediate area.
More advice would also be (before putting a bid in on a house) to check out the neighbors who are all around your house and across the street. Knock on each door and introduce yourself. This gives you an idea of who you may be living next door or across the street from. I strongly suggest this.
I would look into the newer (and more established are also nice) subdivisions. In the newer subdivisions you are likely to find people who have relocated from Up North and have common interests.
Real estate search link
Find A Home
Lincoln County GIS Web site - you can check out what houses in specific subdivisions have sold for and more.
County of Lincoln, NC - Official Website - GIS/Mapping
Lincoln County School System and Adequate Yearly Progress for each school
2009 LEA AYP Summary
NC Sex Offender Registry
North Carolina Offender Registry - I wouldn't want to live next door to one.
If there's anything else I can think of, I'll come back tomorrow night and post more. In the meantime, if you have any questions you can e-mail me at
jblythe71@hotmail.com I don't do the PM option on any boards.
I think you will be happy here if you know what you are getting into and do your research
before you put in an offer.
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Moving to Lincolnton - What's it Really Like?
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