I'm from the UK - where should I move to in NC? (Charlotte: insurance, hotels)

[claireandrob]

I posted something about a week ago but had only one response - a really helpful reply regarding my paraphrasing! I used the term 'partner' to refer to my 'boyfriend, S.O' and called him by his shortened name 'Rob' which apparently means a female!!
So, lets start again.
My S.O and myself are thinking of moving to NC and we were hoping you could give us some ideas as to where would be a good place to move. We would like an area good for families, sociable and with reasonable house prices... (does it exist???)
He is a chef and I'm assistant manager of a hotel.
We are mid to late twenties if this helps!

Thanks!!
Claire and Rob

[Hamish Forbes]

Hi, Claire and Rob. Other people can give you a better answer than I can. But my thought is that it might be helpful to know more about what attracts you to North Carolina. By way of analogy, I might say "I'm thinking about moving to the UK. What would be a good area?" You wouldn't know whether I would be more satisfied in rural Scotland or center-city London. NC is widely varied, although there is no Great City here that would satisfy a Londoner looking for the same. Short of that, it seems to me that many of our mid-sized towns might meet your needs, although I would suggest avoiding some of the more economically depressed ones. For example, you might like Greensboro or Winston-Salem. Best of luck with your search.

[lovebrentwood]

Short answer: Wherever you are fortunate enough to find jobs that will cover your living expenses is a good place for you.

Narrow it down to where you can find jobs (keeping in mind that health care insurance takes a chunk of change here compared to the UK), then you can get feedback about those areas. You can see what jobs are available in your fields by checking job boards online.

I would think the larger cities and tourist areas are your best bets. But the tourist areas are "hot" only during the tourist season.

"Rob" doesn't mean female. But when people say "partner," they often mean gay/lesbian partners. Otherwise, they just say girlfriend or boyfriend.

[Hamish Forbes]

Originally Posted by lovebrentwood

Short answer: Wherever you are fortunate enough to find jobs that will cover your living expenses

Yes -- this is a very important consideration -- jobs are not easy to find right now. Worth keeping in mind.

[meh_whatever]

Agree. Wherever you can find jobs that will support you. Also, do make sure you can actually come here without being married to your SO. He's a citizen, IRRC?

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by claireandrob

I posted something about a week ago but had only one response - a really helpful reply regarding my paraphrasing! I used the term 'partner' to refer to my 'boyfriend, S.O' and called him by his shortened name 'Rob' which apparently means a female!!
So, lets start again.
My S.O and myself are thinking of moving to NC and we were hoping you could give us some ideas as to where would be a good place to move. We would like an area good for families, sociable and with reasonable house prices... (does it exist???)
He is a chef and I'm assistant manager of a hotel.
We are mid to late twenties if this helps!

Thanks!!
Claire and Rob

North Carolina has places like these across the state. A little more about your preferences would help to narrow the suggestions.

Number one rule as others point out--MOVE to where you have a job (or if you do not need employment) move to a place you can afford...otherwise WELCOME and choose wisely...there are many great choices.

[CallieSkye]

We just moved here from Scotland and are staying in the North Hills area till we figure out the lay of the land. Believe it or not, the drivers are worse here than they were in the UK! Be prepared for crazyness! Love everything else so far though.

[Raleigh27612]

I suggest taking some day trips to get a lay of the land. We have everything from beaches to mountains,so you have to figure out what would make you happy. Wilmington is growing; Raleigh is a great place to live; Charlotte is a sprawling bustling city, Asheville has the mountains and lots of tourist spots. We have great restaurants and hotels across the state, so hopefully you will have job opportunities. Things are starting to pick up a little.

[superk]

Originally Posted by CallieSkye

We just moved here from Scotland and are staying in the North Hills area till we figure out the lay of the land. Believe it or not, the drivers are worse here than they were in the UK! Be prepared for crazyness! Love everything else so far though.

I have some friends here in the Charlotte area who are all from Scotland. They really like this area, and just officially became US citizens, although they had a hard time ordering a "bread and butter pudding" (is that the right name?) at a local "Scottish" tavern.

[NewUser]

Originally Posted by CallieSkye

Believe it or not, the drivers are worse here than they were in the UK! Be prepared for crazyness! Love everything else so far though.

I think that our worst sin is with "lane discipline" .. i.e., drivers who camp out in the left hand lanes even though they are not passing anyone, requiring other drivers to go around them on the right side. This creates chaos.

I remember the first time that I drove in the UK. I was driving out of London on my way to York. I think that it was on the M1. There was nobody in the right lane, but I was driving in the center lane, American style (i.e., there was nobody in the right lane but I decided to hog one of the passing lanes anyway ), when a guy came up behind me and started flashing his lights. I pulled over to the right lane and he went by . . . .helping to enforce my lane discipline. . . . .slow traffic keep right.