Ready for the new neighbors! (Raleigh, Fayetteville: apartment complex, rental, houses)

[upperwestsiders]

Hi,

My husband, our dog and myself are moving to NC this summer from New York City. My husband has job in Wilmington, I am going to be at NC State and our dog needs a nice friendly walking area
We are looking to rent a place somewhere that would be a decent driving distance for both of us and need some input on what the safest areas would be. We'd prefer apartment complex compared to houses and a somewhat urban area, but we are pretty flexible.

Any advice is appreciated!
Thanks!

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by upperwestsiders

We are looking to rent a place somewhere that would be a decent driving distance for both of us and need some input on what the safest areas would be. We'd prefer apartment complex compared to houses and a somewhat urban area, but we are pretty flexible.

If you are truly wanting to be mid-way between Wilmington and Raleigh, you will be in a very rural area. Be prepared for culture shock. It is likely to be very safe, except for petty crime.

Some else had suggested Benson, but there seem to be no decent apartments. Wallace and Rose Hill (about 40 miles from Wilmington) have some small-town amenities, and there are apartments. Fayetteville is the only urban area that could be said to be between Raleigh and Wilmington. If you truly would be happier closer to Raleigh, Benson is about the closest "outer suburb".

If you located closer to Wilmington, perhaps the person going to NC State could arrange classes 2-3 times per week. In that case, I'd suggest a Wilmington suburb like Burgaw. If you look on Realtor.com, Burgaw currently has a rental in the "Country Club Villas" for $850, and several other apartment complexes.

[le roi]

that does not sound like a good plan.

[patricemendo]

considering you're from nyc, you're not going to find anything even close to what you'd think of as somewhat urban anywhere between raleigh/wilmington. i'm from nyc and live in fayetteville now (easily the most urban place inbetween r/w) and i find myself constantly singing the theme song to green acres. i say live in wilmington OR raleigh and one of you will just have to deal with a hellish commute (or maybe consider UNC at wilmington?) good luck!

[Francois]

Before you decided to do this, did you actually come and do the drive from Wilimington to Raleigh? 2 hours of the most boring road you can imagine. Why don't you consider going to UNC-Wilmington instead of NC State, or at least ECU in Greenville? Either you live in the middle of nowhere with an hour commute each way, both, or one of you has a two-hour commute. This will get VERY old, VERY quickly.

But you can absolutely forget a "somewhat urban area" in that part of the state. Again, have you been and looked at the area??

[yellowbelle]

Goldsboro or Fayetteville may be your only options, and both put a tremendous burden on your husband's commute. To be honest your plan sounds so crazy I doubt you've been here to do a test run or that your plan is far enough along that it's truly set in stone. (Maybe I'm just hoping for your sake.)

Do you have the option to complete your NC State degree online?

[LLN]

I think you need to re-think this. That is a long, lonely ride from Raleigh to Wilmington. It will get very very old, very very quickly. I second, and third, UNCW if at all possible. I notice a lot of people have this same advice...we are not wrong. Good Luck

[GatorinCary]

My daughter lives in Clinton -- pretty much half way between Raleigh and Wilmington. Definitely will be culture shock.

[RVAtoCNC]

Originally Posted by upperwestsiders

Hi,

My husband, our dog and myself are moving to NC this summer from New York City. My husband has job in Wilmington, I am going to be at NC State and our dog needs a nice friendly walking area
We are looking to rent a place somewhere that would be a decent driving distance for both of us and need some input on what the safest areas would be. We'd prefer apartment complex compared to houses and a somewhat urban area, but we are pretty flexible.

Any advice is appreciated!
Thanks!

I have to ditto the previous responders on this - if you had said you are looking to rent a house in a rural area with lots of land for the dog, you would probably get some favorable/helpful responses - but as you laid it out, there is really not much of anything that is close to halfway, and somewhat urban? . Noted your "upperwestside" handle. Have you all lived anywhere outside of NYC or other large urban or suburban areas in your life?? If not, the culture shock of rural NC will be EXTREMELY hard for you to deal with - I mean, it would be like me, a WV boy, moving to Angola, Haiti, or Madagascar or something.

[bgpeacock]

As others have said it is a 2+ hour drive from Wilmington to Raleigh all on I40 at 70+mph. All very boring all treelines forest and well blah. It would take about a week, especially with gas at close to $4 a gallon for that to get old. Only place really halfway is Benson and it is a very very rural small town. UNC Wilmington is right in town part of the same university system and a better option. I do know a couple of families who do just this and live in the wallace.Rose Hill area. About 45 mins into Wilmington 1.5 hour into Raleigh give or take traffic. Also very very small town rural.