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I posted this on the Raleigh and Charlotte sites and was interested in feed back from the Greensboro area.
Really want to move. Currently reside in Hampton Roads, Virginia. been here all my life and hate it. Of the places we are condsidering (Knoxville, Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro areas), we have briefly visited three out of four. Knoxville was very pretty, but seemed a little run down in areas. It appeared that the economy was very bad there. You could get a lot of house for the money though. Charlotte, I have been to 4 times now. I'm a HUGE Carolina Panthers fan. Always liked the area and felt the peolple were really nice. Seems like the schools are not as good and not as good of a place to raise a family as the Raleigh area. Last weekend, after doing a lot of housing/ community research, we visited Clayton and Garner. We really loved it. Again, I was amazed at how we were treated so kindly in NC. People always ask for specifics, so here it is. The reason I hate where I live is because it is becoming increasing rude and growing crime. I remember a time when someone would hold a door open for you, let you pull out in traffic and give you eye contact when they spoke to you. That no longer exists here. The schools are bad. I graduated High School in the early 90s from a violent school and I learned more of what I could buy from who and for how much than anything else. I'm sure it has not gotten better. I'm tired of hearing sirens and gunshots all the time. I now have the responsilbility of raising a family of my own. I have a 5yr old girl and a 3yr old boy. I try real hard to teach them respect, manners and morals. When they leave the house I want that to be echoed instead of spinning my wheels. I guess I'm asking if you can help me decide if this is the right place for me. I am a journeyman electrician with mostly residential experience. Should have my masters license in about 9 months. My wife is a RN in Labor and Delivery. The pay here is 17% below the national average. Does anyone know how the job market is for electricians? We need to work near urban enviroments for our careers, but want to live outside of the city. I am looking for a newer construction 2 story home with 4 bed 2.5 bath on around.5 acres in a nice family oriented neighborhood. I would like to keep it around $200. We want to be somewhere quiet, but where our kids can have friends in the neighborhood to play and great schools. What is there to do for fun if you have kids?Can we make it in that area? Looking to move into a new home next June after baby girl's kindergarten is over.
Yes, the Hampton Roads area is an awful place to live now. I have many friends who hate it there also. If you are looking at the Triad area, look at the town of Clemmons just west of Winston Salem. They have a beautiful park there and lots to do for families. Plus you are very close to Virginia and the Blue Ridge Parkway, Smith Mountain Lake. Good Luck!
I can only speak for the Greensboro area. To me, Charlotte is expensive, has serious traffic issues and rising crime rates. The areas you mentioned south of Raleigh are very nice.
I moved from New Jersey twenty years ago, for the cheaper housing and a better environment for my kids. I would never move back to Jersey. Many of the issues you mention are a problem everywhere now. I think a lot of it is the way kids are raised these days. There is crime in Greensboro, but except for a few areas, it's not an issue. You can easily find crime statistics and all kinds of info here on city-data, which should help you make a decision. Two of the high schools that were always considered the best in town, now have gang problems. My 14 year old daughter goes to one of them, but I feel like she's pretty safe there.
People are in general more freindly in North Carolina than they were in NJ. I hope this helped a bit.
Thanks for the feedback guys. I really appreciate you taking the time to help. It's such a hard decision to make. Especially, since I've been if the same place my whole life.
You also might want to look into the coastal areas from Greenville south to Wilmington. Due to the high number of retirees and the medical schools and hospital nursing jobs are always in demand. due to the growth and military bases there will be electrician work as well. post a thread onthe coastal forum and see what u get for responses
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