relocating to North Carolina (Charlotte, Raleigh: apartment, for rent, chapel)

[katie]

My family and I are relocating to North Carolina and have seen many apartment/homes for rent that look wonderful. We would like an area that has a really good high school where newcomers would be welcome, a town with activities for youth. My husband has his own computer business and I am a store manager so something not extremely remote but not in the center of the city. I have choices of Taylorsville, Lenoir, Gastonia, Raleigh, Jacksonville, Asheboro, Apex and Yanceyville. It is hard to choose from up here in Massachusetts. Any knowledge of these towns would be helpful. Look forward to hearing from you.

[Robojudge]

Katie,
I live in Chapel Hill, NC, but I lived most of my life in western North Carolina. I work primarily in Raleigh and Durham (adjoining cities). Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill comprise an area called the "Triangle." I am very familiar with all of the places you mentioned, but most familiar with Lenoir, Taylorsville, Gastonia, Raleigh, Jacksonville, and Apex. I used to live within 20 miles of Lenoir and Taylorsville. Both are small towns in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains. Lenior is heavily industrialized, primarily with furniture manufacture. Nice places, but, in truth, neither has grown much in many years, and the furniture industry has been experiencing some real economic challenges. I also did a lot of work in Gastonia, a larger town and within 20 minutes of Charlotte, our largest city. Many people working in Charlotte live in Gastonia because it is far enough away from a large and growing urban area to feel like you live in a manageable small town. My guess is that it is larger than Casper.
Chapel Hill is adjacent to Raleigh and Apex (Raleigh and Apex are in the same county). As the State capital, it is growing significantly, but still very manageable. Other than government, it is best known for the Research Triangle Park (RTP to us locals), where is it one of the primary computer technology centers in the country. Hotbed of national computer technology. Relatively flat terrain, and within three hours of the North Carolina coast. Apex is rapidly growing bedroom community of Raleigh, with lots of new residential development. Apex itself has a very small "downtown" area, but my guess is that most residents work and shop in the larger surrounding Raleigh area. Both are very nice places.
Jacksonville, of course, is primarily known for Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base. It is located in coastal North Carolina. Other than Lejeune, heavy retirement area for former Marine Corps and Naval personnel. Within short distance of the North Carolina coast, and strong retirement influence throughout the region.
Asheboro is in central North Carolina. Best known for the North Carolina Zoo. Relatively small with good quality of life. In fact, all of the communities you mention offer a high quality of life.
Our weather is very mild in the winter (67 degrees at 5:00 PM todat), with occasional snowfall. A few inches of snow can immobilize our State. Schools close, people make runs on grocery stores, etc. You would think the world was coming to an end. Summers are normally hot and very (and I emphasize the word "very") humid. Fall and spring are magnificent, with colors beyond description. We claim that our winters last 2-3 weeks whether we need it or not, with long fall and springtimes.
As to remoteness vs. big city, Raleigh is the only large metropolitan area you mention, but, coming from Hickory, Raleigh is very manageable. Busy, but not overwhelming. Raleigh is three hours from the coast, and I can be in Washington, DC within four hours. Charlotte is two hours away. I consider Apex to be a suburb of Raleigh. Gastonia and Jacksonville are medium size cities, and my guess is that Gastonia, because of its proximity to Charlotte has more business opportunity. Gastonia is 20 minutes from Charlotte, 3 1/2 hours from Atlanta, 1 1/2 hour from Greenville, SC, and 3 hours from Charleston, SC (one of God's great gifts). In truth, though I love Lenoir and Taylorsville (and have family in both), they are fairly stagnant economically, and school systems leave something to be desired if you have children. Both have smaller po****tions, and residents travel to Hickory, Asheville, Boone/Blowing Rock or Charlotte for entertainment. Fast food restaurants and barbecue places would be the normal eating places.
North Carolina is a great State, and, though biased by birth and family here, I wouldn't consider living many other places. It offers a slower lifestyle, conservative culture, and a strong southern Bible belt heritage.
By the way, with Camp Lejeune, Fort Bragg, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, and Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station, like most southern states, it has a very strong military heritage.
Hope this helps. I came across your message because I'm considering running a marathon in Casper in June, and I was looking for information about the place to see if it's a race I want to run. Good luck.

[jennie3940]

hi my name is jennie and i am from new hampshire i just wanted to let you know that i used to live in maysville nc and i worked in jacksonville while i was there. I absolutley loved it. I would like to go back someday. that is how much i loved it there. the people were so friendly and it was such a laid back place...you would love it there. esp comming from mass. I wish you the best on you decision and you and your family a very happy life where ever you choose to be...jennie

[victri]

Hi, I'm new here. That's a great intro of the various areas. I too will be relocating to the Raleigh-Durham area. I'll be back in school (Duke) hopefully to get my MBA while my better half will have her company transfer her to a local office (Kit Creek Road? Is that within RTP?). We have no kids. Just 2 dogs for now. We're from Singapore (South East Asia), but I've lived many years in "year-round winters" Canada and sunny Hawaii and California, so climate change isn't much of a hassle for me. What's a couple inches of snow compared to Canadian winters?

Our main concerns are safe neighborhoods, traffic and proximity to shopping and groceries. I've read from other forums that traffic can be a huge problem. We'll probably rent for awhile before deciding on a place to settle. Any good suggestions? I'm guessing that somewhere between her workplace and my school would be a good area to look at (maybe around Lake Avon?) though I can't find much info about the area.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Vic

[Robojudge]

Vic,
Yes, Kitts Creek Road is located in the RTP. As to traffic, I-40 and the Durham Freeway carry much of the traffic, but, like everything else, that's relative. When I visit Washington, DC or Atlanta, they make Raleigh traffic look like a walk in the park. I-40 traffic into the RTP coming from the South of the RTP (Raleigh, Cary, etc) is heavy in the morning and the reverse in the evening. Traffic returning south in the evening is heavy.
Shopping/groceries are plentiful in Durham, but I would encourage you to work with a realtor in selecting a good neighborhood. There are some areas of Durham that leave much to be desired. There are many areas that are heavy with Duke staff and students, and which are easily accessible to the RTP. If you know nothing about the area, I'd urge you to contact a realtor, set you financial considerations, and request locations which are convenient to Duke and the RTP. Good luck - you'll love North Carolina (I hope).

[jennie3940]

does anyone know anyone in maysville nc

[lovemaine]

We are relocating to NC in April. We spend a few days in the Raleigh area last week to check out the area since we had never visited before. After researching Apex and Holly Springs online, we decided to check those 2 towns out. I was surprised to see some of the impoverished areas that are right by newer neighborhoods. Both towns seemed pretty nice though. Housing prices are reasonable (we're coming from NJ), and Wake County schools are supposed to be some of the best in the state. Compared to NJ, traffic was a breeze in Raleigh, even at rush hour. Even though Cary is a little pricier than the other towns I mentioned and also quite a bit bigger, it is a very nice area with a lovely downtown. Luckily we will be working with a relocation specialist, which will hopefully make the house hunting and move little easier.

[nancy]

hi!!! my family and i are looking to relocate from ny how do i get in contact with a relocation specialist? thanks..also can anyone tell me their opinion on morrisville?? homes/schools???? thanks

[lovemaine]

Hi Nancy! The company my husband will be working for is setting up the relo specialist to work with us. We should start the process in the next few weeks. I'll post again when I know more. You may also be able to find a relo agency on Google. Good luck!

[Lillie Sanders]

Originally Posted by katie

My family and I are relocating to North Carolina and have seen many apartment/homes for rent that look wonderful. We would like an area that has a really good high school where newcomers would be welcome, a town with activities for youth. My husband has his own computer business and I am a store manager so something not extremely remote but not in the center of the city. I have choices of Taylorsville, Lenoir, Gastonia, Raleigh, Jacksonville, Asheboro, Apex and Yanceyville. It is hard to choose from up here in Massachusetts. Any knowledge of these towns would be helpful. Look forward to hearing from you.

The Raleigh and Apex are near the Research Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill). The schools/universities are great. You can't go wrong with these areas. The cost of housing varies. You could handle a commute from nearby towns that may be your choice for buying a home. Garner and Clayton are within 10 - 20 minutes of Raleigh and Apex. I highly recommend these areas. I am a native of the area and taught there for a while. I will be relocating to Garner this year.