Rocky Mount is a nice city!!!!!! (Raleigh, Wilmington: transplants, hotels, houses)

[DanielleNC]

I have never been to Rocky Mount and didn't realize it was so aweful there. I live and grew up in Durham and I think it's pretty silly how some people talk so negatively about it (most of whom never lived here).

Anyways, just makes me wonder if it really is that bad there or if it is just more people downing an area they don't know. I will say though it looks like a lot of people from RM agree, unlike with Durham residents we ignore the ignorant

[queenie57]

I am happy to read this. My husband was given opportunities to transfer if he wanted to stay with his company and after researching, Rockymount was in our top 10 and it is where we are going. I guess it depends on what you want, but from what I can see Rocky Mount might be perfect for us! Coming from California, I know it won't be worse!

[Richmonder27]

Rocky Mount reminds me a lot of Petersburg, VA. About the same size too.

[Wire120]

Originally Posted by Richmonder27

Rocky Mount reminds me a lot of Petersburg, VA. About the same size too.

LOL, thats not good. Petersburg might even be more of a dump.

[Wire120]

Actually, I just looked up the racial statistics for Petersburg and its like a mini Detroit!!! Over 80 percent black, just like Detroit. Though Rocky Mount's is around 60-70 percent thats incredible for a 33,000 population city. And it has actually lost 20,000 people since 1980 when it had over 50,000. Insane

[Ann in Oriental]

Rocky Mount really is quite bad. I lived there from 12/86-6/03 so thats 17+ years. My kids all went to Red Oak Elem. and Middle and Northern Nash High. Red Oak area is okay but not Rocky Mount.My old friends tell me that they don't even allow their kids to go out at night there. The gangs have gotten quite bad, there is a high murder rate and it's just plain too dangerous! If you HAVE to live near there try Nashville, Red Oak or Spring Hope. By the way, for Queenie57, I lived in Calif. in my teens and 20's and I found Rocky Mount to be on a par with the bad parts of LA.

[vj23]

Would love to hear more please. I am looking to move from NYC to NC in the next 2 years after my daughter has finished college. I had not considered Rocky Mount. The areas that had intriqued me were Cary (Raleigh/Durham) and Cornelius (Charlotte). I have seen Cary being rated as #5 of the top 100 cities in U.S. After living 28 years in NYC (originally from New Orleans), I really do not want that big city environment anymore. NC would put me in betwen those 2 cities so it will make it relatively easy for visits. I am at the point where I want to take time to enjoy all the little things of life (forgive the cliche), and no more sucking car fumes and having to mark my territory! Living near mountains has always intrigued me, and I am very much into crafting, so I also thought about Asheville, but didn't like the ratings shown on the internet. I have been divorced now for 2 years, so security is a strong point, as well as a moderate cost of living (if there is such a thing anymore). Hoping to make a visit to NC early fall to check things out, just want to find the area to focus on first.

[ShadowNC]

I've been following this thread for quite a while and finally feel like I need to say a few things here. Some of the posts here are complete nonsense and some of them are correct. People in this thread are making it sound like everywhere you go in Rocky Mount someone pulls a gun on you, or tries to steal your car, which is absolutely ridiculous.

Just like almost any other city in the U.S. there are bad areas and good areas. I was actually involuntarily annexed by the city of Rocky Mount last summer and it pissed me off to no end. So if anyone were to come on here and have reason to write a completely negative post just to spite the city it would be me. I don't think that's fair to other people who are seriously looking for information about the area though.

Rocky Mount is split right down the middle by two counties. The Edgecombe county side is pretty bad and I wouldn't live there for free. The crime is bad to say the least. The Nash county side, while not ideal, is probably not much worse than any other mid-sized city in NC, and it's better than quite a few I'm sure.

If I had to recommend housing in the area I would definitely say look at the Nashville/Red Oak areas however, simply for the schools if you have kids. If you *want* to be inside the Rocky Mount city limits for whatever reason, I would make sure you live in an area that does NOT get it's electricity directly from the city. It is ridiculously overpriced and I've heard some real horror stories about high monthly electric bills. Try to get in an area that is served by Progress Energy if at all possible.

I wish people in this thread would stop generalizing the whole Rocky Mount area by saying stuff like "there are gangs everywhere!!". There are actually some really nice places to live in Rocky Mount, and just outside of Rocky Mount. I kind of wish the city would break into two separate cities. East Rocky Mount and West Rocky Mount. West Rocky Mount if judged on it's own would probably get some pretty decent reviews on here.

[Wire120]

Originally Posted by vj23

Would love to hear more please. I am looking to move from NYC to NC in the next 2 years after my daughter has finished college. I had not considered Rocky Mount. The areas that had intriqued me were Cary (Raleigh/Durham) and Cornelius (Charlotte). I have seen Cary being rated as #5 of the top 100 cities in U.S. After living 28 years in NYC (originally from New Orleans), I really do not want that big city environment anymore. NC would put me in betwen those 2 cities so it will make it relatively easy for visits. I am at the point where I want to take time to enjoy all the little things of life (forgive the cliche), and no more sucking car fumes and having to mark my territory! Living near mountains has always intrigued me, and I am very much into crafting, so I also thought about Asheville, but didn't like the ratings shown on the internet. I have been divorced now for 2 years, so security is a strong point, as well as a moderate cost of living (if there is such a thing anymore). Hoping to make a visit to NC early fall to check things out, just want to find the area to focus on first.

I dont like Cary personally. Its pretty much suburbia hell. Some great neighborhoods but its already too built up. Just east and south of Raleigh are some nice spacious areas.

[Wire120]

Originally Posted by ShadowNC

I've been following this thread for quite a while and finally feel like I need to say a few things here. Some of the posts here are complete nonsense and some of them are correct. People in this thread are making it sound like everywhere you go in Rocky Mount someone pulls a gun on you, or tries to steal your car, which is absolutely ridiculous.

Just like almost any other city in the U.S. there are bad areas and good areas. I was actually involuntarily annexed by the city of Rocky Mount last summer and it pissed me off to no end. So if anyone were to come on here and have reason to write a completely negative post just to spite the city it would be me. I don't think that's fair to other people who are seriously looking for information about the area though.

Rocky Mount is split right down the middle by two counties. The Edgecombe county side is pretty bad and I wouldn't live there for free. The crime is bad to say the least. The Nash county side, while not ideal, is probably not much worse than any other mid-sized city in NC, and it's better than quite a few I'm sure.

If I had to recommend housing in the area I would definitely say look at the Nashville/Red Oak areas however, simply for the schools if you have kids. If you *want* to be inside the Rocky Mount city limits for whatever reason, I would make sure you live in an area that does NOT get it's electricity directly from the city. It is ridiculously overpriced and I've heard some real horror stories about high monthly electric bills. Try to get in an area that is served by Progress Energy if at all possible.

I wish people in this thread would stop generalizing the whole Rocky Mount area by saying stuff like "there are gangs everywhere!!". There are actually some really nice places to live in Rocky Mount, and just outside of Rocky Mount. I kind of wish the city would break into two separate cities. East Rocky Mount and West Rocky Mount. West Rocky Mount if judged on it's own would probably get some pretty decent reviews on here.

This post would have made sense 20 years ago, but not now. First, you are delusional. Yes, pretty much 80 percent of Rocky Mount is a complete hell hole now. And you say the Nash side isnt that bad? West Haven had to hire their own cops to police that neighborhood no less. Its just notorious for home breakn ins. And that was once the nicest neighborhood in the city. Obviously Edgecombe is worse overall, but the Nash side is not that good now. I wouldnt live in any part of the city now. A lot of that crime from the very east side of Nash is even spilling over to the western parts of the city. I have friends who live just off Winstead avenue who had their house broken into twice in one week.

And also, there are "Gangs everywhere". You can see them at the mall or hanging out at the local Wal Mart. Rocky Mount has the worst crime in the entire state for lord sakes. You sound like you are stuck in 1986 Rocky Mount with the "The Western side of Rocky Mount would get good reviews" garbage. That area has picked up a ton on break ins. A lot of the people I know who lived on the Western side are moving out to Nashville\Red Oak, even further out and closer to Wake Forest because of the crime and especially school situation.

Rocky Mount is a dangerous hell hole, for the most part. Its gotten so bad I would rather live in Durham or Fayetteville. Im still urging a few of my last friends who still live there to move out. Splitting the city wouldnt do much. Everything is on the Nash side anyway. Whats even more disturbing is that it has the worst unemployment to boot, along with the worst crime in the state.

Just about the only semi safe place left in the city is Fords Colony near Wesleyan, because its gated.