Columbus vs RTP, NC (Cleveland, Cincinnati: transplants, sales, homes)

[rijn_in]

wow. Harsh words. Care to go into more details? So far it looks like people like the Raleigh/Durham area more then Columbus.

[cmhgirl]

going from NY to Raleigh, whao, that would be hard, my opinion. Columbus def. isn't what NY is but go to the right areas and you'll be ok. nice thing about C-bus, you can live a little out of town and still be downtown in minutes. Since you said you travel a lot, a condo or townhome would be good choices (I'm guessing) and there's lots of them and in great areas. Each area seems to have a core, where the resturants and bars are, and we have many bowling alley's. As for adult sports, I don't do that kind of stuff, but I do know between all the gyms and ice rinks and info you can find at the library, you can find something. As with any move, you have to get out there and make an effort to find what you want.
Winters can be harsh, they kinda go in cycles. Spring can be a little rainy, summer is great, except for the weeks (which seems like forever) that the temp. stays in the mid 90's. ugh! Fall is my fave time. Mild temps and the colors.
Oh another thought, the airport. Columbus has a nice airport. Nothing fancy, but it's just a stopping point. Does Raleigh have flights that go to where you need to go without connections?
Good luck in your choice.

[ZnGuy]

You'll love the winters in the Carolinas, my kids wear shorts, hoodie and flipflops all year 'round (actually they're crazy as it can get in 30s in the morning), it averages 51 deg in January during day. I know Southwest flies out of Raleigh so flights are cheap. If you are flexible you should consider Charlotte as you can get direct flights to most places since it is the main hub for USAIR. I can tell you that both areas are very transient and that there are thousands of NYers who have migrated to CLT & RTP.

[QCP]

I was just going to suggest Charlotte, based on the OP's post. You get the benefit of the weather in the Carolinas, plus a much more city-like feel, as the burbs are centered around a pretty vibrant downtown when compared to Raleigh, or even C'Bus for that matter. When comparing weather in C'Bus to NC, not even close. Even if all other things were considered to be even, NC is far superior geographically - climate, beach, mountains, greenery, SUN, SUN, SUN, etc. Anyways, that's just my opinion.

[west5548]

Raleigh for sure. I lived in Raleigh along with Charlotte and love Raleigh, leaving Columbus this year and have looked at moving back to Raleigh. It's a fast growing area, but spread out to a point that you don't feel as if you live in a large city with good shopping, tons of activities, and good high paying jobs. The winters are great, you'll see snow, but it's gone in a few days unlike Columbus, more sunlight, and the temps don't get brutal either (Don't let people fool you into thinking Columbus has a moderate winter climate, not the case). Your also close within a 2 hour driving range to beaches, the mountains, and other metro areas. Hands down, pick Raleigh, you'll be happy you did.

[rijn_in]

What don't you like about Columbus?

[GeminiGal]

Originally Posted by ZnGuy

My personal preference would be RTP....Carey, Apec, NC is a poplular area. Lived in both and hands down NC.

If you lived in the area, then you'd know that it's Cary & Apex!

OP I think this one is a tough call. I like the the Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill ). It really has a lot going for it because it's location between the coast & the mountains. The area boasts some great universities like NC State, UNC-CH, Duke and quite a few others. It has the advantage of Raleigh being the capital city and RTP (Research Triange Park), a world renowned very large techy business area.

The thing I dislike about the area is the horrible growth that has put a huge strain and the infrastructure, especially Wake County Schools.

I really like Columbus, as does my family. This area has been a refreshing change to the many cities we have lived in the South (including Raleigh).
One thing I have noticed here compared to the South is that there are MORE outdoor-type people and the weather here in Cbus is mild enough to accomodate that.

Even that part of NC has brutally hot summers. They have even had quite a bit of snow in that area this Winter.

It's a toss up - but at this point I'd probably pick Columbus. Don't be fooled into thinking that are not effected by the current economy - because they have been. COL is a factor as well - that area of NC is not cheap.

I hope that helps a bit. Good luck. I hope you give Cbus a try.

[GeminiGal]

Originally Posted by rijn_in

What don't you like about Columbus?

The other thing I want to mention is that this is not a very active (Columbus) forum. The thing that I have found that they are quite a few people that will consistently come to this forum and bash the area - even those that don't live here anymore.

I post here as often as I can because I really think this area is great.
I find that those that are constantly negative in there responses are not very reliable sources of information.

Again, good luck.

[rijn_in]

I visited Columbus and it does have some interesting areas around Downtown. I really like the Clintonville neighborhood with the park nearby. The baseball stadium in downtown looked great. Plus it was easy to get downtown and around the city with all of the highways. So there's a lot to like. My company has a large 10k employee complex in RTP. I don't have to live in RTP because of my travel schedule. I'm a tech guy... I read that the downtown mall will be replaced by a European style city park. I see a lot of great things happening in Columbus.

I have looked into the COL for Columbus and Raleigh/Cary. Raleigh is 3% more expensive, but the rentals are the same as Columbus. craigslist...

I didn't like the Apex/Cary area. I've driven around the area during one of my trips to the RTP complex. Durham was scary, but Southpoint is nice. Downtown Raleigh was difficult to get to and didn't appear to have a lot going on. It had amazing weather and tons of jobs. It looked like the entire area will turn into a San Jose/San Fran type city as it matures.

Originally Posted by GeminiGal

If you lived in the area, then you'd know that it's Cary & Apex!

OP I think this one is a tough call. I like the the Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill ). It really has a lot going for it because it's location between the coast & the mountains. The area boasts some great universities like NC State, UNC-CH, Duke and quite a few others. It has the advantage of Raleigh being the capital city and RTP (Research Triange Park), a world renowned very large techy business area.

The thing I dislike about the area is the horrible growth that has put a huge strain and the infrastructure, especially Wake County Schools.

I really like Columbus, as does my family. This area has been a refreshing change to the many cities we have lived in the South (including Raleigh).
One thing I have noticed here compared to the South is that there are MORE outdoor-type people and the weather here in Cbus is mild enough to accomodate that.

Even that part of NC has brutally hot summers. They have even had quite a bit of snow in that area this Winter.

It's a toss up - but at this point I'd probably pick Columbus. Don't be fooled into thinking that are not effected by the current economy - because they have been. COL is a factor as well - that area of NC is not cheap.

I hope that helps a bit. Good luck. I hope you give Cbus a try.

[rnc2mbfl]

Originally Posted by cmhgirl

going from NY to Raleigh, whao, that would be hard, my opinion.

Just curious...your comment is based on what?
Are you making assumptions about Raleigh or is this based on experience?