Young Girl From Small town Trying to Relocate Need HELP (Raleigh: sales, rentals) - City-Data Forum

dlmrjen2206 · 12-01-2010, 04:54 PM

I am 22 have grown up and lived my whole life in DE. I don't hate it here, it's small town feel, we are slower moving, and it's not as exciting as the "big city" but its MY home. With that being said, its time for a change. I have had a lot of struggle and some horrible series of events play out the past two years and as much as I love where I am from and being close to my family, I need a huge change. I need to move. Growing up on the Eastern Shore (Not to be confused with Simply the East Coast) I grew up surrounded by water, so naturally I need to have the waters close by. I have visited both South and North Carolina quite a few times, and I fell in LOVE. I do not know enough about either state to pick an exact city/town to move to though.
So What Do I Know...
I know I want to be near the water, I want to have a more developed night life/cultural/and fun entertainment scene, I want a good mix of younger people in the city, I want to be safe especially since I am moving alone, I want to be in a more "city" type area than where I am from, but it has to have a relaxed feel. (ie San Diego), I want to experience the "Southern Charm" that my Mama who's from the south always talked about when I was growing up. I also need to have a College nearby or with in a reasonable commute as I am finishing up with school still, (transferring shouldn’t be an issue). With that being said, yes I am still a "broke College Student" I have worked full time since I was 17 in Sales and plan to work full time when I move, but I need housing to be affordable since I am not able to make the Reaaally BIG BUCKS yet

. Any and All information would be truly appreciated.

macjr82 · 12-01-2010, 05:28 PM

Your only real choice is Wilmington. Whic is expensive by NC standards, but I do not know how it compares to DE. The college there is UNC-W and it has all that you are looking for.

Another option would be Charleston, SC. The Charleston metro is about twice the size of Wilmingtons.

Those are really your only true options in NC/SC w/o making sacrifices to the some of the things you want.

Time2Travel · 12-02-2010, 05:03 PM

I agree. Wilmington is by far the best choice in NC. Huge college presence, great bar scene, lots of young people, culturally diverse, ocean, river front, ect, ect. I relocated here at age 21 and have been here every since.

dozeberrypillboy · 12-03-2010, 07:11 PM

I live near Wilmington and I love it, you cant go wrong

rachaelb · 12-04-2010, 04:27 PM

You may wish to consider how much more you will pay as an out of state student for tuition if you are finishing up. Another option would be to see if you could find a shared rental w/another college student. There are other threads I've read from the past year that go over different ways to save money when moving to a more expensive area, like Wilmington. I would seriously consider pros and cons of moving now to finish up college v. moving once you have your degree, in terms of out of state rates. I have recently gone thru this myself for my son and it is NO fun to pay higher rates just b/c you haven't been there long enough to get the lower tuition rates - even if you are getting loans or grants, it still takes a bite out of your money.

MrBojangles · 12-05-2010, 03:44 PM

I agree on Wilmington. According to people on here it is "hard" to find a job there. Also how much more schooling do you have left? Would it be worth working for a year to get in-state residency?

macjr82 · 12-05-2010, 04:22 PM

Wilmington is hard to find blue collar jobs. Jobs fall into two categories. Your standard low paying service jobs catering to college students and tourists and high paying tech, skilled, and medical jobs that you need higher education and experience for. You don't have those mid-range jobs that allow you to raise a family or live on your own w/o roommate.

Francois · 12-07-2010, 03:05 PM

You might look more into the "Tidewater" area of Virginia (Norfolk/Virginia Beach) or Myrtle Beach, SC which are both bigger cities than anything on the NC coast. Also the Charleston, SC area.

As consulting a map could tell you, Wilmington, NC is the only possibility in NC, but see above the other points about Wilmington. It's still not very big. "The South" includes more than just NC.

Richard Martin · 12-09-2010, 02:51 AM

Greenville may be a good fit too. It is larger than Salisbury and does have a major school (ECU) and tons of retail. It sits on the banks of the Tar River and Washington, NC with it's salt water is a half hour ride. The city has over 20,000 youths that attend ECU and there is plenty of life for the college age people. Crime isn't a problem as long as you stay out of the wrong parts of town. Rentals are cheaper here than in Wilmington.

miak100 · 01-07-2011, 05:13 PM

I would suggest Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill. Three major NC cities close together if you need to commute. This area has SEVERAL major colleges-Duke,UNC-Chapel Hill, NC STATE so there are plenty of people around your age. My cousin and his girlfriend-both 21- just graduated last year from UNC Chapel Hill (Sports Marketing and Health Careers respectively) and both have very well-paying jobs. There are many natural parks to jetski, swim, go fishing. I am originally from an area surrounded by rivers/beaches and I feel right at home here. I hope you will give this large area full of possibilities some thought. Good luck