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Really? Let's look at the demographics of Virginia and NC just for one second.
Virginia
Total population-8,001,024 (1 million new residents since 2000)
Non-Hispanic Whites-64.8%
blacks-19.4%
Asians-5.5%
Latinos-7.9% Virginia QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
^^^I don't see it here. Wait a second...... The difference is probably within the two NC counties that are attracting the most new comers. Let's look at Virginia's largest counties vs NC's largest counties.
Now, I can't speak for Raleigh; but I can show you who is moving to Charlotte.
Demographically, the newcomers resemble the population that was already here, with a couple of distinctions. In terms of race/ethnicity, half were white (non-Hispanic), one-quarter were black, and about one-tenth were Hispanic, much like the existing population. However, about 11 percent were Asian, compared with 5 percent of the existing population. City of transplants still draws them in | UNC Charlotte Urban Institute
My point here is that the 1.5 million newcomers to this state (1/2 million more than Virginia over the same time period) are NOT finding this state to be "lacking" in any way, shape, or form. And NO, it's not because they are a bunch of white racists minority-phobes. If that were the case, the Charlotte city council (a city that's 45% white; still the largest single ethnic group within the city) would NOT have voted in a city council that looks like the following... Charlotte City Council Home
And that lovely black female standing to the left of Mayor Anthony Foxx is open about her lesbian relationship; she recently became Charlotte's first openly gay/lesbian elected official and won with 78% of the vote.
Charlotte elects first gay city council member : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis (http://www.news-record.com/content/2011/11/09/article/charlotte_elects_first_gay_city_council_member - broken link)
As far as NC vs VA; I LOVE them both. However, if you (or anybody else) thinks for one second that newcomers to NC are moving to some backwards, racist (against minorites), 1950s Mayberry "throwback" y'all need to seriously snap out of THAT dream. It's 2012; aunt B, Opie, and Pa are either dead or too old to care. FWIW, that show was based on the mountains/foothills of NC anyways (which is NOTHING like the rest of the state).
But then again, he did choose to hold his 2012 convention in Charlotte. I guess he didn't realize how backwards and racist (against minorities) this state is?
TOUCHE!
The smugness that eminates from some in the DMV is beyond nauseating, in my opinion.
You CAN'T be serious. She could have just as easily moved to another part of Virginia, and if she moved to Charlotte or the Triangle, she will have the very same issues. HUGE epic fail in logic on your part.
I hope you're right. I haven't been to North Carolina in a while. Maybe things have changed.
Tough call. I currently live in Virginia and I think it is a nice state. I've never lived in NC, but have visited a good bit. It is difficult to compare a whole state to another state b/c there is so much diversity and difference in each state depending on what part you are in. I think I give the edge to Virginia, but it is close...
Virginia: Very diverse cities to choose from: Richmond is old south, NoVa is new money and centered around DC culture, Hampton Roads has a mid-atlantic/military vibe, Charlottesville is liberal with academic vibe, Roanoke is more blue collar, etc. Great universities such as UVA, Washington & Lee, William & Mary, Virginia Tech, etc. I enjoy the easy access to the big east coast cities. Lots of history here, especially with all the Presidents/founding fathers that came from the state.
North Carolina: I love the NC beaches, but some of the cities seem a bit vanilla (esp. Charlotte and Raleigh). Has a more southern vibe to it. I tend to think of college basketball and NASCAR. Great universities such as Duke, UNC, Wake Forest.
as much as i love my home town (alexandria), i had to escape nova before it ate me alive. WAY too dense, way too expensive, and the winters flat out suck. most of the transients are miserable husks, too.
southwest virginia, the blue ridge mountains specifically, are stunningly beautiful.
for livability, i'd probably choose north carolina. i've spent a lot of time in charlotte and raleigh and i think both cities offer a high quality of life if you're raising a family.
This is really a tough decision for me. I lived in Northern Virginia in Reston, which is the poster child for DC urban sprawl, for nearly two years and HATED it. Everyone drove everywhere for everything leading to terrible traffic congestion, the housing was generally bland and cookie-cutter, there were mostly chain restaurants and retail venues to choose from, etc.
HOWEVER, I really, really, really loved many other communities in the state, including Winchester, Front Royal, Fredericksburg (which is now arguably the outermost 'burb of DC), Richmond, and Charlottesville. The scenery driving on Route 7 between Leesburg (which USED to be "quaint" but is now a suburban hole) and Winchester was absolutely breathtaking. I really miss Winchester and would love to come back from Pittsburgh sometime for a weekend getaway (perhaps coupled with a jaunt to Luray Caverns and maybe a stop in parts of the Eastern WV panhandle on the way back home).
I'm not at all familiar with North Carolina, but I've heard nothing but great things overall.
I knew this white lady who used to live and work in NoVa, but she very evidently could not stand the diversity and being around so many minorities. So she left and now lives in North Carolina. Many examples like this are kind of telling about what kind of people that state attracts.
nova is one of the most non-racist areas in the mid atlantic.
unnecessary comment
Last edited by atlantagreg30127; 01-13-2012 at 12:50 PM..
Reason: language
as much as i love my home town (alexandria), i had to escape nova before it ate me alive. WAY too dense, way too expensive, and the winters flat out suck. most of the transients are miserable husks, too.
^ That's because most of we transplants moved there for career opportunities and then realized the higher salaries offered weren't THAT much higher to compensate for the astronomical cost-of-living, traffic congestion, sprawl, and other maladies that NoVA was noted for. I became very bitter very quickly realizing I moved so far away from my family only to have my standard of living decrease.
If I hadn't jumped ship to Pittsburgh I would have settled in Winchester and power-commuted daily to work in Tysons Corner.
^ That's because most of we transplants moved there for career opportunities and then realized the higher salaries offered weren't THAT much higher to compensate for the astronomical cost-of-living, traffic congestion, sprawl, and other maladies that NoVA was noted for. I became very bitter very quickly realizing I moved so far away from my family only to have my standard of living decrease.
If I hadn't jumped ship to Pittsburgh I would have settled in Winchester and power-commuted daily to work in Tysons Corner.
no doubt.
most people who migrate to nova are career-minded. i grew so tired of people asking me what i did off the bat, as if that's all they cared about.
winchester to tysons? would you be planning on leaving the house at 3am? otherwise you'd last a month before you started killing people.
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The difference is probably within the two NC counties that are attracting the most new comers. Let's look at Virginia's largest counties vs NC's largest counties.
