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Greatschools.net, utilizing its test score grading Criteria, finds Wake County, NC schools to be a "7" overall. Martin County, Florida, for example, is rated an "8."
In Palm Beach County, just South of Martin County, the schools in the individual towns such as Jupiter, FL, are at or better than Wake County's better suburbs, such as Cary:
Charlotte, NC's schools are ranked a "6" ... which is on par with Palm Beach County's "overall" ranking, and surprising, since Palm Beach County is a huge source of ESOL immigration students that tend to bring scores down in immigrant communities.
The fawning over places like North Carolina as being "better than anywhere in Florida" is getting old. Outside of the progressive college influenced "Research triangle" and the hippie tourist village of Asheville, there isn't much that would compel me to ever want to live there.
You can find "nice people" everywhere in Florida. Seems an awful lot of people that spend their time whining and complaining, however, end up not getting warm receptions, or find themselves going, "why is nobody nice to me?" Maybe because people can sense the oozing, non-verbal contempt for everyone and everything around them?
My neighborhood is full of very nice people (most are not "natives") -- the kind that introduce themselves when you move in (and not just to ask you where you go to church) monthly happy hours at someone's home, invite you to parties and gatherings at their homes, organize community events to better the community, neighbors that stop and talk in the street to one another. Oh -- AND I live in South Florida, the "problem" area of Florida.
Couldn't agree with you more. Just don't get the hype about NC, especially Raleigh. Raleigh is just a not-as-good Tampa to me. Less diversity, worse weather, no waterfront. Not saying it's a bad place, just don't see it as a utopia as it is being touted by a few here. And other than Asheville, Wilmington and Chapel Hill - there is no place in NC I would even want to visit, let alone live. Asheville is lovely, we had a vacation home there for a few years, but the economy is based on tourism, no professional jobs unless you bring your own, and has a bunch of overpriced real estate. And the weather is COLD and grey for many, many months. As others have said, many went to NC a few years ago after the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005 and our now coming back, or have already returned. But yea, I guess for those that want a more "Southern" lifestyle, less diversity, lots of fried food and some cold weather I guess it's probably OK.
We have been here three years and don't see the hype. We live in johnston count clayton and all though it is peaceful, that's it. There is not much culture here, said by many different friends all from out of town all over US. I have family in Central Florida and am trying to be convinced as to why we should not leave. Jobs don't pay that much here in IT. There isn't a whole lot to do. Keep in mind I'm originally from NYC. Good food choices are hard to find. Lots of contract short term work in IT but not perm jobs. Big tech companies have been laying off then rehiring as temps.
Temperature is ok but not much different at all than Florida. We like heat and don't mind humidity. Cost of living is higher here now. With the exception of homes and real estate tax, all else is pretty much inline with NJ where we last lived for 13 yrs. Except I was making 37% more. Somethings you just can only research so far. The rest is left up to living it yourself.
So, can anyone tell me why NC would be better than Florida. Of course it's all relative.
I know ppl back up here in NY who tried the NC move and they all failed miserably but all for different reasons. One thing many NYers for example don't understand about NC if they haven't been there is it gets COLD. Its every bit as cold as NY in the fall/winter months. For a Floridian a NC winter would be absolutely brutal. I know when I was in Ft Lauderdale and moved back to NY I was wearing a winter jacket in October..lolol
As far as comparing NC to FL, FL has much better winter weather, better beaches, more overall to do and more exotic wildlife (which I like). After this economic debacle ends I think Florida will see even more growth than it did before the economy tanked. Just my opinion of course!
You live out in the sticks so I'm not sure what culture you expected there. Living in Clayton is nothing like living in Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill. It gets very country in NC not far out of the cities.
Also on you University claim UNC-CH is always named the best value for public colleges. FL's public college tuition is about to get raised much higher also.
Don't go by where I live, thanks all country of course if you know the area. I work in RTP, frequent Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill and trust me there is not much culture here. They try but there isn't much demand for it. If you call sports bars and chinese restaurants culture then you have me beat. In my previous job I travelled the entire state daily, all 100 counties for the project I was on for the state and believe me Triangle and Charlotte is the best they have but that is not a complement. If you come from a big city or highly diverse ethnic areas like Miami, NYC, LA, San Fran, Chicago, etc...then you'd understand and most likely agree. That is one main reason for transplants as we're called returning to our home state or previous state of residence. I don't like cold so NYC does not work for me. Heat I'll take anytime.
UNC and NCSU are good schools no doubt but they also are going up.
Couldn't agree with you more. Just don't get the hype about NC, especially Raleigh. Raleigh is just a not-as-good Tampa to me. Less diversity, worse weather, no waterfront. Not saying it's a bad place, just don't see it as a utopia as it is being touted by a few here. And other than Asheville, Wilmington and Chapel Hill - there is no place in NC I would even want to visit, let alone live. Asheville is lovely, we had a vacation home there for a few years, but the economy is based on tourism, no professional jobs unless you bring your own, and has a bunch of overpriced real estate. And the weather is COLD and grey for many, many months. As others have said, many went to NC a few years ago after the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005 and our now coming back, or have already returned. But yea, I guess for those that want a more "Southern" lifestyle, less diversity, lots of fried food and some cold weather I guess it's probably OK.
Agreed!!! I hear a lot of flack about Florida with hurricanes but how about the Tornados that surface when you're sleeping in NC?? At least hurricanes are predictable. Listen, I am one who will admit when they've made a mistake. Perhaps I didn't research this place enough but I think that researching for a year or so and visiting will generally not tell the whole story. It's like having a lover that spends nights at your place often but you do not know them well until you live with them or marry. For some it's a perfect marriage, for others it leads to separation or divorce. We always had this notion that living in Raleigh would be a good change and offer a lot of what we enjoy. Unfortunately you can't see everything unless you frequent the place. I guess what we saw the times we came down was all there is. So I am not bashing this area, just that there isn't much for us to enjoy. NC only has the triangle and charlotte for metros. Asheville for mountains and wilmington for coastal party town.
I know ppl back up here in NY who tried the NC move and they all failed miserably but all for different reasons. One thing many NYers for example don't understand about NC if they haven't been there is it gets COLD. Its every bit as cold as NY in the fall/winter months. For a Floridian a NC winter would be absolutely brutal. I know when I was in Ft Lauderdale and moved back to NY I was wearing a winter jacket in October..lolol
As far as comparing NC to FL, FL has much better winter weather, better beaches, more overall to do and more exotic wildlife (which I like). After this economic debacle ends I think Florida will see even more growth than it did before the economy tanked. Just my opinion of course!
Absolutely!!! I'm originally from NYC. We made it here by way of NJ. You are correct when you say that MANY NY'ers failed miserably here because when the smoke screen clears there isn't much else here. Again, that is relatively speaking. Some don't want the cold like me and am not ready to head back north, but I don't want to be here either. I see us continuing straight down I95.
I also agree with all the amenities, sites, culture, diversity, etc..that Florida has to offer. I mean Florida has several more cities throughout all regions of the state. Pensacola, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Daytona, Tampa, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Miami, and so on. NC, well I can name them on 4 fingers; Triangle (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill), Charlotte, Wilmington, Asheville.
I don't understand why people are getting so bothered or offende over comments that NC does not offer a lot of diversity. It does not. Not even 1 amusement park here. Myrtle Beach is where they go for that sort of entertainment although it is more of a golf hot spot.
I agree also that Florida will bounce better and faster because of all the plans installed for continued development of the economy. I don't see that for NC. Look at Charlotte. A lot of development and hype but they ended up with mucho congestion and unemployment.
Don't go by where I live, thanks all country of course if you know the area. I work in RTP, frequent Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill and trust me there is not much culture here. They try but there isn't much demand for it. If you call sports bars and chinese restaurants culture then you have me beat. In my previous job I travelled the entire state daily, all 100 counties for the project I was on for the state and believe me Triangle and Charlotte is the best they have but that is not a complement. If you come from a big city or highly diverse ethnic areas like Miami, NYC, LA, San Fran, Chicago, etc...then you'd understand and most likely agree. That is one main reason for transplants as we're called returning to our home state or previous state of residence. I don't like cold so NYC does not work for me. Heat I'll take anytime.
UNC and NCSU are good schools no doubt but they also are going up.
I don't think anyone would claims Raleigh could compare culture wise with any of the cities you listed.
Don't go by where I live, thanks all country of course if you know the area. I work in RTP, frequent Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill and trust me there is not much culture here. They try but there isn't much demand for it. If you call sports bars and chinese restaurants culture then you have me beat. In my previous job I travelled the entire state daily, all 100 counties for the project I was on for the state and believe me Triangle and Charlotte is the best they have but that is not a complement. If you come from a big city or highly diverse ethnic areas like Miami, NYC, LA, San Fran, Chicago, etc...then you'd understand and most likely agree. That is one main reason for transplants as we're called returning to our home state or previous state of residence. I don't like cold so NYC does not work for me. Heat I'll take anytime.
UNC and NCSU are good schools no doubt but they also are going up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Outta-NC
Absolutely!!! I'm originally from NYC. We made it here by way of NJ. You are correct when you say that MANY NY'ers failed miserably here because when the smoke screen clears there isn't much else here. Again, that is relatively speaking. Some don't want the cold like me and am not ready to head back north, but I don't want to be here either. I see us continuing straight down I95.
I also agree with all the amenities, sites, culture, diversity, etc..that Florida has to offer. I mean Florida has several more cities throughout all regions of the state. Pensacola, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Daytona, Tampa, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Miami, and so on. NC, well I can name them on 4 fingers; Triangle (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill), Charlotte, Wilmington, Asheville.
I don't understand why people are getting so bothered or offende over comments that NC does not offer a lot of diversity. It does not. Not even 1 amusement park here. Myrtle Beach is where they go for that sort of entertainment although it is more of a golf hot spot.
I agree also that Florida will bounce better and faster because of all the plans installed for continued development of the economy. I don't see that for NC. Look at Charlotte. A lot of development and hype but they ended up with mucho congestion and unemployment.
Considering you mentioned an amusment park along with diversity I'm going to assume culture and diversity have very different meanings for some.
Greatschools.net, utilizing its test score grading Criteria, finds Wake County, NC schools to be a "7" overall. Martin County, Florida, for example, is rated an "8."
In Palm Beach County, just South of Martin County, the schools in the individual towns such as Jupiter, FL, are at or better than Wake County's better suburbs, such as Cary:
Charlotte, NC's schools are ranked a "6" ... which is on par with Palm Beach County's "overall" ranking, and surprising, since Palm Beach County is a huge source of ESOL immigration students that tend to bring scores down in immigrant communities.
The fawning over places like North Carolina as being "better than anywhere in Florida" is getting old. Outside of the progressive college influenced "Research triangle" and the hippie tourist village of Asheville, there isn't much that would compel me to ever want to live there. Who cares, honestly? I mean, not trying to be mean, but you always getting defensive about S FL whenever places like Raleigh are mentioned gets old too.
You can find "nice people" everywhere in Florida. Seems an awful lot of people that spend their time whining and complaining, however, end up not getting warm receptions, or find themselves going, "why is nobody nice to me?" Maybe because people can sense the oozing, non-verbal contempt for everyone and everything around them? The people in NC are "hands-down" friendlier than they are in FL. FL is filled with NY'ers, foreigners, and grumpy retirees - lets be honest. Orlando and S FL are perfect examples of that bad mix. Where in NC can you say that? Charlotte? By far, friendlier than the Tampa's and Miami's. Raleigh? No. W-S? No.
I'm not saying the place is perfect, by good grief. I have never seen so many angry, rude, road raging idiots in my life. How do you explain the fact that I have seen more road rage and inconsiderate Moderator cut: languagein one place (Orlando) in 1 year than I have seen in a dozen yrs in NC? How do you explain that? And Orlando isnt (yet) as bad as S FL.
My neighborhood is full of very nice people (most are not "natives") -- the kind that introduce themselves when you move in (and not just to ask you where you go to church) monthly happy hours at someone's home, invite you to parties and gatherings at their homes, organize community events to better the community, neighbors that stop and talk in the street to one another. Oh -- AND I live in South Florida, the "problem" area of Florida. That's good - but that's NOT the norm in S FL. It is in Asheville, Raliegh, etc... You havent lived in NC so you really cant compare and contrast like I can ---> the difference is larger than large - the people, the way they treat eachother, the way they drive, everything is far more civil. It's that simple.
Last edited by doggiebus; 07-13-2009 at 02:59 PM..
There are several posters here who moved from Florida to NC and are now back in Florida.
You will find many of them who still post here and they are glad to be back in Florida.
Berryjuice is one of the most recent ones who lived in Fla and moved to NC and is now back in in Florida.
That's about 1 out of 50 people that have done that. Me, I've done it. But I wouldnt do it again. And Berryjuice, I wish her and her family luck and hope they like S FL, but I dont think the verdict is out yet on if that was a decision she would do again either. But I cant speak for her, but I can guarantee she is going to miss things about NC. Not shoveling snow and warm year round weather cant compare to the sanity of living in NC, the friendlier people, less crime, less road rage, etc... the people in South FL especially can be really nasty.
We have been here three years and don't see the hype. We live in johnston count clayton and all though it is peaceful, that's it. There is not much culture here, said by many different friends all from out of town all over US. I have family in Central Florida and am trying to be convinced as to why we should not leave. Jobs don't pay that much here in IT. There isn't a whole lot to do. Keep in mind I'm originally from NYC. Good food choices are hard to find. Lots of contract short term work in IT but not perm jobs. Big tech companies have been laying off then rehiring as temps.
Temperature is ok but not much different at all than Florida. We like heat and don't mind humidity. Cost of living is higher here now. With the exception of homes and real estate tax, all else is pretty much inline with NJ where we last lived for 13 yrs. Except I was making 37% more. Somethings you just can only research so far. The rest is left up to living it yourself.
So, can anyone tell me why NC would be better than Florida. Of course it's all relative.
You are from NYC originally so I suggest you move to FL. We need more people from NY down here in FL.
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