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Hi, all.
We recently got married, and are looking to relocate to NC. We currently live in upstate New York, but we both enjoy warmer weather, and more friendly people. The things that we are looking for the town are city that is walkable, or at least has a good park inside the city because we are outdoors people. We would like to city to have a good variety of shopping available ( that doesn't mean that we are looking for Prada or Gucci. lol TOO EXPENSIVE). We are looking for well-planned city which has lots to offer its community. We recently travel to NC for a visit, and the basic thoughts are these; we were impressed with chapel hill since they seems to have strong downtown culture and we like that very much. That city also have beautiful campus and seems very walkable. We also visited Greensboro, and our first impression was that the area was dumpy, however, after snooping around, we found it quite charming and full of possibilities. We like the downtown area as well as Science Center which has a petting zoo. We also thought the people were extremely friendly. Here is the problem. We are currently travelling around Raleigh, the place we are really confident to move to, and Raleigh was actually quite disappointing comparing to two other cities (No offense! It is just our personal preferences.) I don't know whether we might have expected too much or not, but it doesn't seem to be balanced city which has residential, shopping neighborhoods, and entertainment. It all seems to be office buildings, and upscale restaurants in between. Did we miss something? Of course, we like the fact that it is very clean, very safe, modern-looking, and friendly city. However, we were hoping to see more life rather than offices. We will visit Durham tmr to see if we like it more as well as Charlotte. So folks, here is the question. From what you have read above along with your personal experience being in these areas, what place do you recommend for us to move?
I don't think there's a significant difference between the major population centers of NC regarding quality of life. All of them are great places to live. The difference is more in size, and "concentration". Charlotte is larger than the others, and the city center offers lots of buzz in a concentrated area. But getting around is a pain because traffic is the worst in the state. The Triangle (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill) offers much of the same amenities, but they are much more spread out. Advantage is that you can easily partake of all 3 cities' offerings, but the downside is that it's not all in one place. That said, the footprint of the Triangle is not much bigger than the footprint of the Charlotte metro area, so again, probably more alike than different.
You might also consider Winston-Salem. It's much smaller than Charlotte, but it has a good vibe and the downtown area is really growing with lots of new shops, restaurants, and entertainment options. Like the Triangle, the Triad (W-S, Greensboro, High Point) allows one to take advantage of the offerings of all three cities.
But the overriding concern would be jobs, assuming you need them. Where you find one will be the main factor in your move.
Raleigh was actually quite disappointing comparing to two other cities... but it doesn't seem to be balanced city which has residential, shopping neighborhoods, and entertainment. It all seems to be office buildings, and upscale restaurants in between.
Raleigh has grown very fast, and I don't think the growth was "planned" at all. However, there are nice residential neighborhoods.
Have you considered Greenville, South Carolina? People rave about its downtown. There are also jobs in the area, as the state has a more business-friendly climate than NC.
Last edited by goldenage1; 06-14-2013 at 11:52 AM..
Visit Wilmington, it is an actual planned community with a grid, unlike many of the sprawling piedmont city's. There are some areas of that grid that likely won't appeal to you but there are some that you want to tour in a horsedrawn carriage.
In Wilmington you have four great parks...Halyburton, Hugh McRae, Ogden and the most overlooked Greenfield Lake, which has an amphitheater, check out the summer schedule with G Love and Special Sauce and Bruce Hornsby...James Taylor played a show there a few years ago...
Not to mention the beaches in Wilmington and the famous "loop" at Wrightsville Beach. There is a Battleship Half Marathon, Wrightsville Beach Marathon, Ironman Triathalon, as well as many other local races and events that bring folks in from outside the area.
Which city would be easiest to find work in? If you're ambivalent on the quality-of-life parts, employment should tip you in a direction.
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