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My job is taking us to Wilson. My husband and I are sucessful young professionals, 26 and 29, newly married, have 5 pets and no kids, and need to buy a house QUICK, as I start my new job on December 1 and don't want to stay in a hotel any longer than necessary. We'd think about renting a house, but we need a yard, garage, and will probably have a hard time finding all this where we can also bring our dogs and cats.
We have been doing research and I can't figure out where to concentrate our real estate search...
We like to eat out. We don't go to chain restaurants much at all and prefer unique local spots. We like to sing karaoke at bars and we like to see cover bands. I'm a vegetarian. He is a drummer. We like shopping at Target. We like to have a grocery store very close that stays open past 10 pm.
Where should we live? What will commute be like from Knightdale, or Greenville? What about a place like Zebulon or Wendell - are there even grocery stores there? What is Smithfield like? Does Wilson shut down at 6 or 7 pm? Are there any bars there?
Greenville or Knightdale are where I am leaning...Thoughts??
Wendell may be a good option, or Zebulon. They are close to Raleigh which would have more dining options for vegetarians and would have more non-chain restaurants that would have vegetarian options. Not sure if Wilson has much for non-chain restaurants other than BBQ or steakhouses.
Greenville would be a decent bet but the commute would be 45 minutes or so.
How about living in Wilson itself? I have good friends who live there in the downtown and have renovated a very lovely old home. Above is a link to a nice house and agent. (I have no affiliation with the agent, etc.) But, personally, my thought is the less the daily commute the better. We waste too much time in cars as it is.
Good luck!!!
Last edited by SunnyKayak; 11-21-2010 at 07:58 AM..
Reason: realtor link
Wilson does have some nice older neighborhoods and has affordable housing. Before the recession hit I think it was getting growth from its proximity to Raleigh. It's a smaller city...so go with the right expectations and you might like what you see.
If you didn't have a job yet and were deciding on those four cities I'd live in Raleigh for sure, then Knightdale then Greenville then Wilson.
However, if the job is in Wilson, then I think it makes sense to live in Wilson. Greenville is probably a 30 minute drive city to city, longer commute door to door, although it's an easy drive. If you live near Raleigh it will be over an hour commute which doesn't make as much sense in my opinion.
I think it makes more sense to live in Wilson so during the workweek you have an easy commute, then on the weekends or every now and then you have a quick drive to Raleigh for "bigger" city benefits. Housing will be cheaper there as well.
I would live in Wilson there are several independent resturants that are not BBQ with very good chefs. People from other cities tell me about coming here to eat. We have lived here for quite a few years, and I can be at North Hills in Raleigh, or downtown Greenville in 35 minutes. Wrightsvile Beach is 90 minutes, Atlantic Beach 2 hrs. The homes are reasonable priced. Give it a chance. Wilson has a strong arts community with activities, and each of those resturants have nice bars in them.
There is nothing in Wilson, however many people like it. IMO, there is not much in Raleigh, but that's another story. I would not drive from Raleigh to Wilson twice a day, and I would not live so far from Raleigh that I had to think about going there.
Once you get out of the Wake County school system, housing prices are lower for a reason.
Wilson County Schools hold their students to a higher standard than the state requires, and with Wake School Board actions of late how could anyone recommend being apart of that system right now.
I would live in Wilson itself. Greenville doesn't have enough benefits for you to be worth the commute. Wilson is also closer to the Triangle and has a train to DC so you have easy access to fun things on the weekends. Congrats on the job and good luck!
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