North Carolina: More like South Carolina or Virginia? (Charlotte, Raleigh: house prices, employment)

[tenken627]

I've always been curious about North Carolina.

Would North Carolina compare with South Carolina or Virginia more since it sits between the two.

In any aspect, whether it be economy, housing, recreation, traffic, etc.

I know historically North Carolina was always paired with South Carolina, but both seem to be moving in different directions right now.

[southernlady5464]

North Carolina...a valley of humility between two mountains of conceit.

That's what I was taught in grade school in SC. Liz

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by southernlady5464

North Carolina...a valley of humility between two mountains of conceit.

That's what I was taught in grade school in SC. Liz

That's funny!

But for the OP - NC is like the child of two very different parents - 50% like VA and 50% like SC. In my opinion, it is the prettiest state as a whole of the three. Our mountains are so beautiful, our beaches nicer than those in SC - after all, we are home to the wonderful Outer Banks

[FireballFL]

Originally Posted by tenken627

I've always been curious about North Carolina.

Would North Carolina compare with South Carolina or Virginia more since it sits between the two.

In any aspect, whether it be economy, housing, recreation, traffic, etc.

I know historically North Carolina was always paired with South Carolina, but both seem to be moving in different directions right now.

I would say both. North Carolina takes the qualities of both states. North Carolina thinks they are above South Carolina and Virginia thinks that they are above North Carolina, but when you break all the gibberish down, it is just one big state with 3 crooked capitals.

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by tenken627

I've always been curious about North Carolina.

Would North Carolina compare with South Carolina or Virginia more since it sits between the two.

In any aspect, whether it be economy, housing, recreation, traffic, etc.

I know historically North Carolina was always paired with South Carolina, but both seem to be moving in different directions right now.

Well both North Carolina and Virginia have some traffic hot spots. Northern Virginia, Raleigh, Charlotte, and the Tidewater area all are a mess with Northern Virginia winning the crown followed by Tidewater (Norfolk), Raleigh and then Charlotte.

Raleigh and Northern Virginia both have strong technology communities and very good employment opportunities.

Both North Carolina and Virginia have excellent Universities and Colleges.

The North Carolina Mountains are more spectacular than the Virginia mountains but housing is probably more reasonably priced in the Virginia Mountains.

Development in Virginia is concentrated in just a few areas with vast areas of the state south of 166 and west of I95 being very nice places to live if you can find a good job.

I find development in central North Carolina is more intense due to the geographic proximity of Charlotte, the Triad, and Raleigh.

Of course even there the NC development probably doesn't match Northern Virginia's intense development which is off the scale.

Though Virginia's eastern shore is nice, North Carolina wins hands down on the coast.

Virginia is a very anti-tax state and is having a hard time funding any road improvements.

I think there is a little more cooperation between cities in North Carolina than in Virginia.

Right now, I would give NC the nod as slightly more progressive than Virginia, though neither is close to becoming the Massachusetts of the south.

There are great people in both states, and I would not hesitate to recommend someone living in either one assuming you look before you leap since the variety living situations in both states is substantial.

Of course my pick for living is the NC Coast.

I have never lived in SC so I have no comment there.

-David Sobotta

[fd46468]

I was born and raised 30 minutes south of Raleigh... literally smack dab in between Raleigh and Fayetteville. I have lived in Raleigh, Wilmington, and am currently finishing up college in Boone, NC. I have friends living all over the state and travel to different areas of the state frequently. To me, North Carolina is definitely more like South Carolina than Virginia. Outside of immediate urban centers the state has an extremely southern feel. Especially in the smaller old towns, where everyone seems to know everybody and all go to the same Baptist church. If I had to pick an area to live it would be somewhere on the outskirts of Raleigh where house prices are still cheap, but you are still within a ride of all Raleigh has to offer. Raleigh is only an hour and 45 minutes from Wilmington which is close to some of America's greatest beaches. And Raleigh is close to the intersection of I-40 and I-95 which can take you East-West and North-South across America.

Charlotte is definitely the most ritzy and new city in the state, and to me doesn't really feel like a North Carolina city. Raleigh is more of an old town with an older downtown district and more character IMHO. Wilmington is actually a gem of a city, it has a riverfront, is close to beaches, has a great bar and entertainment scene, and is also home to great people. The locals down there are great.

Boone is a great little town that is just being discovered, and lies in the highest point of our mountains. Along with Asheville I find it the most beautiful place in NC. House prices in Asheville and Boone are high though I hear, but probably much cheaper than any similar areas in America.

All in all North Carolina is a great state with tons to offer, but I prefer Raleigh, Wilmington and Boone to Charlotte, Winston, and Asheville..

The three cities I mentioned have more of an Old South feel, which is what I myself have learned to love living in this state... If you are a relocating Yankee, you may be more comfortable in Charlotte with the rest of the Yanks... or possibly Cary just outside of Raleigh! (Cary is known as an Acronym for Central Area for Relocated Yankees around here!)

[NCN]

Originally Posted by tenken627

I've always been curious about North Carolina.

Would North Carolina compare with South Carolina or Virginia more since it sits between the two.

In any aspect, whether it be economy, housing, recreation, traffic, etc.

I know historically North Carolina was always paired with South Carolina, but both seem to be moving in different directions right now.

I was reading a book in the political science section of the library that described the different states. One sentence stayed with me. North Carolina was described as a "valley of humility, between two mountains of conceit."

Sorry, I had not read the other posts when I wrote this. I wish I still had not read the one from FireballFl. fd46468 grew up in Mayberry. Before anyone says anything, I know Andy was from Mount Airy, N. C. The fictional town was outside of Raleigh.

[Carolina_native]

NC can differ greatly from county to county. Some counties are very rural still and are dominated by farms, some counties are even losing population while a couple of counties over they are exploding with new growth.

[Amberette]

I definately think that MC compares to SC more. Virginia is ALOT more expensive and SC is ALOT cheaper. NC really is just one of a kind, but if I HAD to compare it, it would be to SC. I think NC is prettier, as far as nature and pines...than VA or SC.

[Dire Wolf]

NC differs a lot between the coastal plain, piedmont and mountains. From what I've seen, so do NC and Va. I think you'll find western NC more different from eastern NC than different from western Virginia. A city like Charlotte is closer to Columbia, SC than it is to Raleigh, so is going to reflect that.