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I used to party in Raleigh and hang out there. In my opinion...HR ALL DAY...hands down! Raleigh is overrated with little to do!!! Plus HR has beaches and just tons of fun and family things to do not to mention that the shopping is soooooo much better!
I used to party in Raleigh and hang out there. In my opinion...HR ALL DAY...hands down! Raleigh is overrated with little to do!!! Plus HR has beaches and just tons of fun and family things to do not to mention that the shopping is soooooo much better!
Economy: Currently Hampton Roads (higher GDP). Future outlook goes to Raleigh
Quality of Life: I thik it's more things to do in Hampton Roads
Transportation: Interstate access is a tie. HR is close to Rte. 13 which takes you to the northeast big cities.. Raleigh has 95 or 85 I forgot. Overall I chooe HR because you can take major cruises, two international airports, the port of virginia, norfolk international terminals
Cost of Living: Too high in HR. So I choose Raleigh,
Urban Living: Easily Hampton Roads
Diversity: HR because of the military
Actually, this goes to Raleigh-Durham. Raleigh has a GDP of $53 billion, Durham is at $32 billion. That's $85 billion. HR is at $73 or $77 billion.
You also underestimate the amount of diversity that comes to Raleigh-Durham due to the colleges. Remember, you have Duke, UNC, and NCSU. While HR has NSU and Hampton, Raleigh-Durham has NC Central (best law school for females), Shaw, and St. Augustines. Also, while the MEAC is Division I, the CIAA has more of a fan base. So diversity could be questionable.
You also underestimate the amount of diversity that comes to Raleigh-Durham due to the colleges. Remember, you have Duke, UNC, and NCSU. While HR has NSU and Hampton, Raleigh-Durham has NC Central (best law school for females), Shaw, and St. Augustines. Also, while the MEAC is Division I, the CIAA has more of a fan base. So diversity could be questionable.
I think so, definitely. Just between Duke, UNC and Research Triangle Park, there are swaths of Durham and Chapel Hill that are like walking into the United Nations, and it's omnipresent.
I think the difference between the metros are really differences in the kinds of diversity. The vibe in HR is very military, the vibe in The Triangle is extremely tech/academic, so across all ethnic boundaries, you have very different demographics dominating social culture in the areas. I think the oft-quoted statistic is that The Triangle has the highest per-capita concentration of PhD's in the world.
On that front, I like the braininess of parts of the Triangle - most of the time, though Chapel Hill is definitely a place that could use a bit more Skynyrd and a bit less Sonic Youth. And HR's relative unpretentiousness does (for the same kind of reason) sometimes seem like a breath of fresh air, from a distance at least.
If one just looks at the reality of how people are "voting with their feet", the Triangle is blowing away HR and most of the country. As this recession lifts, I suspect that we'll see a continued boom in both DT Raleigh and Durham and more renewal and development of the inner ring of suburban development along the lines of North Hills in Raleigh.
If one just looks at the reality of how people are "voting with their feet", the Triangle is blowing away HR and most of the country. As this recession lifts, I suspect that we'll see a continued boom in both DT Raleigh and Durham and more renewal and development of the inner ring of suburban development along the lines of North Hills in Raleigh.
I've seen some of the development of this place online and it looks amazing. This area and Crabtree remind me of smaller areas of Southpark. Next time I'm in Raleigh I've got to look at this area.
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