Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm beginning the process of looking to identify a place to move to in the near future. My destination is the Mid Atlantic, most likely Maryland, Delaware, or Virgina. Pennsylvania and New Jersey are out, North Carolina is a distant option, but no further south.
I took an online survey and it suggested, Nofolk and Hampton in Virginia, and Balitmore Maryland has been a consideration from day one. With those three in mind and certainly any others worth consideration, I'm hoping to gather some additional information to help facilitate my final decision.
One thing I have to categorize as a must haves is a proximity to legitimate bodies of water (I grew up on the Great Lakes, ponds don't count)
Information I'm looking for is:
Overall feel of the area - general yes I know, but I'm looking to identify is it an upbeat area, positive, artsy, blue collar, etc.
Cost of living items - such as taxes (property, school, etc.), home market (crashing, booming, etc.), utilities and other such items.
Social events, networking - items such as festivals, concerts, etc.
Industry - is it growing, declining, does the area attract new businesses (where I am now doesn't), balance of private and government sectors.
Culture - Restaurants (diversified, basic, fancy, etc.), nightlife, whether or not there are strong sects of heritage based neighborhoods or culture centers.
I thank everyone for their assistance in advanced.
First, I figured I'd give this a bump to see if perhaps it will generate a response.
Second, I'm traveling down to the area in late September for a car show and was planning on spending some time in Baltimore, Norfolk, and Hampton to attempt to "get a feel" for the area and what each has to offer.
Does anyone have any recommendations in regards to places to see, restaurants to stop at, etc?
Again, I would greatly appreaciate any comments. Thanks.
The Waterside in downtown Norfolk is a fun place, at least it was when I lived there 6 years ago. Lots of dining options and it's on the river (probably why it's named what it is). Of course downtown BWI is awesome with the water taxi system and all.
I think that you'd find that parts of NC are going to feel less Southern than some parts of Virginia. So, while you don't seem to have an appetite for the South, you might want to check out Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill or Charlotte as options.
Baltimore will give you a very dense old big city feel right on the Chesapeake Bay. It also has old ethnic neighborhoods, Little Italy being the only one I can think of off the top of my head. Also has all the typical "big city" amenities such as pro sports, theater, music venues and ballet. But, all of this comes with a astronomical crime rate. Hampton Roads(Norfolk/Va. Beach) is also a large area but with not only the Chesapeake, but also the Atlantic Ocean and many, many rivers. No big league sports, but some minor league. It has theatre, music venues and ballet as well. Baltimore is a mix of blue collar and white collar, just depends on where you are. The suburbs are very white collar while the city is more blue collar. Hampton Roads is extremely military and blue collar/service industry. There is a small corporate base in downtown Norfolk though. The crime is also nowhere near as bad as Baltimore's, but there are some bad areas to avoid. Cost of living is cheaper in Hampton Roads I would suspect as well.
[quote=One Nine;10020510]
Overall feel of the area - general yes I know, but I'm looking to identify is it an upbeat area, positive, artsy, blue collar, etc.
Cost of living items - such as taxes (property, school, etc.), home market (crashing, booming, etc.), utilities and other such items.
Social events, networking - items such as festivals, concerts, etc.
Industry - is it growing, declining, does the area attract new businesses (where I am now doesn't), balance of private and government sectors.
Culture - Restaurants (diversified, basic, fancy, etc.), nightlife, whether or not there are strong sects of heritage based neighborhoods or culture centers. /QUOTE]
Upbeat, positive, artsy and blue collar don't generally go together...at least the blue collar part of it. Unless you're describing non-white collar/creative types. If that is the case I wouldn't necessarily recommend Norfolk or Hampton Roads. Baltimore is iffy also. More white collar or traditional blue collar, with not much in between.
For most of your criteria I would recommend Asheville, NC.
Especially the town of Black Mountain to the east. Lake Lure is nearby, which is a beautiful freshwater mountain lake. Asheville offers great restaurants/nightlife, lots of festivals/concerts, a lower cost of living than most of the Mid-Atlantic region and clean air/clean city/clean water. There are complaints of available employment but where exactly is that not an issue right now. Asheville was booming before the economy tanked, and that will continue as it offers a great quality of life.
nc is certainly an option, i guess i just wasn't leaning toward it, but i certainly can be swayed.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
