Murder Rate in Chinquapin?! (agricultural, food, farmer)

[SonofDixie]

Originally Posted by coped

That said, never been a fan of Duplin County. My grandmother lived in Faison. Scary, scary place.

What's so scary, scary about Duplin County?

[coped]

Originally Posted by SonofDixie

What's so scary, scary about Duplin County?

Lots of rural poverty, abandoned downtowns, very little to do, bad infrastructure, etc.

[SonofDixie]

Whiskeyrockarolla,

I'm going to be honest with you, there is nothing scary about Duplin County or Chinquapin (*****-uh-pin). You and your family really have nothing to worry about in regards to violent crime. However, I will be honest with you. If you're coming to the area with liberal beliefs, you're going to have a hard time fitting in with the natives. The area is pretty rural and traditional. There, obviously, aren't a lot of transplants and most people go back a few generations. Now, this isn't to say that folks won't be friendly to you. Most people will be friendly, but that may not mean inclusion into social circles.

I see you mentioned that you have a family. I don't know if y'all have school-age children or not. If so, sports, especially football, rule the roost. Hunting and other outdoor activities, like 4-wheeler riding, are big as well. Obviously, the schools have fine arts programs and whatnot, but I'd say they are secondary when it comes to community support.

In regards to the manure smell, it's not that bad and is only a few times a year. It won't affect you unless you're driving by a field or live beside one.

Hope this was helpful!

The stupid filters edited the word c-h-i-n-k.

[SonofDixie]

Originally Posted by coped

Lots of rural poverty, abandoned downtowns, very little to do, bad infrastructure, etc.

Since when did being rural and "having little to do" equate to being scary? Wallace has a cute little downtown area. River Landing Country Club, in Wallace, is very nice. Heck, they host a Division 1 golf tournament every year. The Duplin Winery and Bistro, in Rose Hill, offer good food and great wine. I could add more. Just because it doesn't appeal to you, doesn't mean it's scary. Sure, there's poverty, but most of these folks are friendly and they aren't criminals.

[coped]

Originally Posted by SonofDixie

Since when did being rural and "having little to do" equate to being scary? Wallace has a cute little downtown area. River Landing Country Club, in Wallace, is very nice. Heck, they host a Division 1 golf tournament every year. The Duplin Winery and Bistro, in Rose Hill, offer good food and great wine. I could add more. Just because it doesn't appeal to you, doesn't mean it's scary. Sure, there's poverty, but most of these folks are friendly and they aren't criminals.

As I said, I have deep Duplin County roots, but let's be honest here.

Wallace? It seemed pretty well abandoned last time I was there. Every other shop empty... plus it's mostly in Pender County, isn't it? The proximity to Wilmington helps it a bit. Duplin County was probably nice back pre-1950 when small towns mattered and when farming was less consolidated, but today, it's something of an economic wasteland, aside from those touristy attractions you mentioned. I'm sure there are still some farmers getting paid off by farm bill welfare there that are doing quite well.

Rural areas are scary largely because of all those meth houses. Duplin County is 3rd in the state for those. Also, if there is an emergency, you're quite a ways from any help. And rural hospitals tend to be sub-par (this is especially concerning if you have elderly folks or kids to worry about. Plus from what I remember there was tons of racial tension, particularly between the large population of Spanish speaking immigrants and the older folks.

Not to mention the close-minded thinking you mentioned in your earlier post. Everybody in town knowing your business and casting judgment on you for any deviation from their bizarre norms.

[SonofDixie]

You may have roots, but it doesn't mean you've lived there or been there in a long time. Almost all of Wallace is located in Duplin, aside from some rural land in Pender. All the stores, restaurants, and shops are located in Duplin. In fact, the city limits of Wallace are 100% in Duplin Co. River Landing isn't an attraction. It's a gated country club. So tell me how some of those backwards, poor, uneducated meth heads happen to live there.

Speaking of meth, I've never seen seen a meth lab in my entire life. It's not like they drop those things in the middle of town. I'm not naive, I know they're around, but they are usually going to be hidden in the woods so people can't exactly stumble upon them. I realize they are there, but your neighbors aren't going to accidentally blow up your house in the middle of night.

I never had to go to Duplin General, so I can't speak for the hospital. If you need specialized care, Wilmington is less than an hour away. With today's advances in medicine, it's not a big deal if you live in a rural county.

Like any place in the world, there is some racism displayed by all races. However, the majority of the people are friendly. People of different colors in Duplin Co. are used to interacting. That's usually how it works in small, Southern towns with a diverse racial makeup.

Also, I forgot to mention that the Town of Wallace bought the old train depot. They renovated it and now it houses a small museum. That area, in downtown, also hosts the annual Carolina Strawberry Festival. Chairmen of the Board played live music this past year at the Strawberry Festival. I'm surprised they came considering this place is a wasteland.

Farmer welfare, huh? Were you aware Duplin Co. is the number one hog producing county in the state and is the number two turkey producing county in NC? Please just quit trying to talk about a place based on what you Googled and may remember from a few childhood visits. Look, I pointed out the negatives and was honest with the OP. You're just trying to bad-mouth the place. As soon as you said most of Wallace was in Pender County, I knew you weren't familiar with the area.

People like you make me laugh, yet shake my head. Always trying to criticize a place because it has a certain set of norms you deem too conservative or outdated. There's nothing wrong with people not wanting to be friends with folks who live a lifestyle with which they don't agree. I never said the locals would run you out of town with torches and pitchforks. The vast majority of my friends are very similar to myself. I like that. Some people like a broad, diverse group of friends and that's fine too. Neither is wrong or right. However, you can't force people to like you, especially if you're outspoken or critical. Only an idiot would move to a rural area like Duplin County, try to be outspoken about their progressive ideals, and expect to make lifelong friends. That's just the way rural, Southern towns are, and I like it just fine. If you don't like it, you can always move elsewhere.

[coped]

Originally Posted by SonofDixie

You may have roots, but it doesn't mean you've lived there or been there in a long time. Almost all of Wallace is located in Duplin, aside from some rural land in Pender. All the stores, restaurants, and shops are located in Duplin. In fact, the city limits of Wallace are 100% in Duplin Co. River Landing isn't an attraction. It's a gated country club. So tell me how some of those backwards, poor, uneducated meth heads happen to live there.

My apologies about the county-line geography knowledge. You're not making much sense here regarding River Landing. Just because there's a gated country club out there doesn't mean that most of the county isn't pretty dismal. When people start gating themselves off, they're doing it for a reason. I mean, gated country clubs are pretty common in Latin America.

Originally Posted by SonofDixie

Speaking of meth, I've never seen seen a meth lab in my entire life. It's not like they drop those things in the middle of town. I'm not naive, I know they're around, but they are usually going to be hidden in the woods so people can't exactly stumble upon them. I realize they are there, but your neighbors aren't going to accidentally blow up your house in the middle of night.

No but there are a lot of desperate people about looking for meth money and generally doing crazed things. That's a side of rural America that is much more prevalent today given all the hopelessness and lack of jobs out there.

Originally Posted by SonofDixie

I never had to go to Duplin General, so I can't speak for the hospital. If you need specialized care, Wilmington is less than an hour away. With today's advances in medicine, it's not a big deal if you live in a rural county.

Just under an hour might as well be 1,000 miles in a real emergency. Rural public schools aren't great either, so if you have kids, youll need to budget for that.

Originally Posted by SonofDixie

Like any place in the world, there is some racism displayed by all races. However, the majority of the people are friendly. People of different colors in Duplin Co. are used to interacting. That's usually how it works in small, Southern towns with a diverse racial makeup.

That's not what I saw in Faison. Granted this was 10 years ago, but I can't imagine much has changed.

Originally Posted by SonofDixie

Also, I forgot to mention that the Town of Wallace bought the old train depot. They renovated it and now it houses a small museum. That area, in downtown, also hosts the annual Carolina Strawberry Festival. Chairmen of the Board played live music this past year at the Strawberry Festival. I'm surprised they came considering this place is a wasteland.

That all sounds really nice. I will have to check out the museum if I am ever down there again. But Chairman of the Board.. Really? A beach music band of 60-70-year-olds came to a place less than an hour from the beach? Sounds right up their alley. I think that's pretty much all they do now, tour NC and SC. And definitely indicative of the demographic there - old.

Originally Posted by SonofDixie

Farmer welfare, huh? Were you aware Duplin Co. is the number one hog producing county in the state and is the number two turkey producing county in NC? Please just quit trying to talk about a place based on what you Googled and may remember from a few childhood visits. Look, I pointed out the negatives and was honest with the OP. You're just trying to bad-mouth the place. As soon as you said most of Wallace was in Pender County, I knew you weren't familiar with the area.

It's not the worst rural place in NC, (not as bad as Robeson or Sampson for instance) but there are certainly nicer counties if you had to live in the middle of nowhere. Moore County for instance comes to mind. The proximity to the beach is nice, but that's about all I can see attractive about the place.

You forgot to mention the smell of the hog lagoons and turkey farms. Two of the foulest smelling agricultural processes out there.

People should know that rural life is not this bucolic image they have in their minds.

Originally Posted by SonofDixie

People like you make me laugh, yet shake my head. Always trying to criticize a place because it has a certain set of norms you deem too conservative or outdated. There's nothing wrong with people not wanting to be friends with folks who live a lifestyle with which they don't agree. I never said the locals would run you out of town with torches and pitchforks. The vast majority of my friends are very similar to myself. I like that. Some people like a broad, diverse group of friends and that's fine too. Neither is wrong or right. However, you can't force people to like you, especially if you're outspoken or critical. Only an idiot would move to a rural area like Duplin County, try to be outspoken about their progressive ideals, and expect to make lifelong friends. That's just the way rural, Southern towns are, and I like it just fine. If you don't like it, you can always move elsewhere.

This is one of the key reasons I choose to live in a larger city. I think some people don't realize how constricting rural Southern life can be. It's different than rural life in other regions of the country. There are codes and cliques. It's like perpetual middle school.

There is something wrong with the way small towns shun people for the most arbitrary things - or for their political leanings. The conspiratorial gossip is also ridiculous. The problem is, in a rural area, if one person doesn't like you, they can make your life hell. There's no finding another group if you don't fit in with the church group.

This is really what makes a place like Duplin scary.

[macjr82]

I admit Faison looks pretty dismal. I've commnetd more than one time passing through and seeing the established in 17XX "over 200 years and this all you have to show for it", but Faison feeds into N. Duplin elementary, Jr.Sr. High which has a legacy of turning out some awesome kids of which the vast majority go off to four year institutions. N Duplin is the case study for community schools with involved and caring faculty. The only reason the test scores appear mediocre on the surface is with the small population it doesn't take much to skew the results (less than 70 in the graduating class for 2012). The reviews tell the story, though.

Parent Reviews of North Duplin Junior Senior High School - Mount Olive, North Carolina - NC

Originally Posted by coped

My apologies about the county-line geography knowledge. You're not making much sense here regarding River Landing. Just because there's a gated country club out there doesn't mean that most of the county isn't pretty dismal. When people start gating themselves off, they're doing it for a reason. I mean, gated country clubs are pretty common in Latin America.



No but there are a lot of desperate people about looking for meth money and generally doing crazed things. That's a side of rural America that is much more prevalent today given all the hopelessness and lack of jobs out there.



Just under an hour might as well be 1,000 miles in a real emergency. Rural public schools aren't great either, so if you have kids, youll need to budget for that.



That's not what I saw in Faison. Granted this was 10 years ago, but I can't imagine much has changed.



That all sounds really nice. I will have to check out the museum if I am ever down there again. But Chairman of the Board.. Really? A beach music band of 60-70-year-olds came to a place less than an hour from the beach? Sounds right up their alley. I think that's pretty much all they do now, tour NC and SC. And definitely indicative of the demographic there - old.



It's not the worst rural place in NC, (not as bad as Robeson or Sampson for instance) but there are certainly nicer counties if you had to live in the middle of nowhere. Moore County for instance comes to mind. The proximity to the beach is nice, but that's about all I can see attractive about the place.

You forgot to mention the smell of the hog lagoons and turkey farms. Two of the foulest smelling agricultural processes out there.

People should know that rural life is not this bucolic image they have in their minds.



This is one of the key reasons I choose to live in a larger city. I think some people don't realize how constricting rural Southern life can be. It's different than rural life in other regions of the country. There are codes and cliques. It's like perpetual middle school.

There is something wrong with the way small towns shun people for the most arbitrary things - or for their political leanings. The conspiratorial gossip is also ridiculous. The problem is, in a rural area, if one person doesn't like you, they can make your life hell. There's no finding another group if you don't fit in with the church group.

This is really what makes a place like Duplin scary.

[SonofDixie]

My apologies about the county-line geography knowledge. You're not making much sense here regarding River Landing. Just because there's a gated country club out there doesn't mean that most of the county isn't pretty dismal. When people start gating themselves off, they're doing it for a reason. I mean, gated country clubs are pretty common in Latin America.

There are gated communities in plenty of nice areas, as well. I grow up in a rural area and had no neighbors. It wasn't dismal and I had no issues with crime.

No but there are a lot of desperate people about looking for meth money and generally doing crazed things. That's a side of rural America that is much more prevalent today given all the hopelessness and lack of jobs out there.

Once again, desperate people steal occasionally. However, there are very few, if any, random murders in Duplin County. Most of them are gang related.

Just under an hour might as well be 1,000 miles in a real emergency. Rural public schools aren't great either, so if you have kids, youll need to budget for that.

If something serious happens to you, and they cannot provide adequate care, you will be moved to a hospital that can give you the proper care. This is the 21st century. Access to medical facilities in rural areas is not the challenge you make it out to be. Especially given that there are zero traffic stoppages in rural areas.

The Duplin Co. School System isn't as bad as you advertise. In fact, they have the Duplin County Early College High School. It is an honors school that holds it's classes at James Sprunt Community College. There are opportunities abound for children, even those in rural areas like Duplin. Much of it has to do with parenting and with children who want to take advantages of these opportunities.

That all sounds really nice. I will have to check out the museum if I am ever down there again. But Chairman of the Board.. Really? A beach music band of 60-70-year-olds came to a place less than an hour from the beach? Sounds right up their alley. I think that's pretty much all they do now, tour NC and SC. And definitely indicative of the demographic there - old.

It's not that old. You make sound like a retirement hotspot.

It's not the worst rural place in NC, (not as bad as Robeson or Sampson for instance) but there are certainly nicer counties if you had to live in the middle of nowhere. Moore County for instance comes to mind. The proximity to the beach is nice, but that's about all I can see attractive about the place.

You forgot to mention the smell of the hog lagoons and turkey farms. Two of the foulest smelling agricultural processes out there.

People should know that rural life is not this bucolic image they have in their minds.

To be honest, Sampson is no different than Duplin. If anything, people may like it slightly better since Clinton offers slightly more than any town in Duplin.

Turkey houses and hog houses stink. There's no denying that. However, it's only an issue when you drive by one. Hopefully the OP would have enough sense not to buy land right beside hog houses.

I'll agree wholeheartedly that many people don't understand rural life and discover they hate it once moving to a rural area. However, some people do, in fact, love it. There are many redeeming qualities.

This is one of the key reasons I choose to live in a larger city. I think some people don't realize how constricting rural Southern life can be. It's different than rural life in other regions of the country. There are codes and cliques. It's like perpetual middle school.

There is something wrong with the way small towns shun people for the most arbitrary things - or for their political leanings. The conspiratorial gossip is also ridiculous. The problem is, in a rural area, if one person doesn't like you, they can make your life hell. There's no finding another group if you don't fit in with the church group.

This is really what makes a place like Duplin scary.

Too much fuss is made about church as a social gathering in rural areas. Sure, it is a wonderful way to socialize, but there are plenty of other ways. The OP would have to tell me more about his interests, but I'm sure I could find something he'd enjoy. I won't deny some people will shun you for your beliefs, but you have to take the good with the bad. No area is perfect.

In your mind, you're comparing city life to rural life. There's a big difference. The OP has stated he wanted a country haven. He cannot find that in any decent-zized city. Therefore, there is no need for you to bash the way many rural folks live, just because you like city life better. City versus rural is irrelevant in this discuss because the OP was looking for a place in the country.

I realize you don't think very fondly of Duplin County, but it could definitely suit the needs of the OP. There is no point in debating the merits of this place with you. It's clear that you'd never enjoy rural living, but why try to denounce it when someone has made a thread specifically looking for it?

[Recip]

Most people are murdered by people they know. Random killings among murders is very low. So, as long as you trust your spouse and your drug dealer you're good to go.