Raleigh is good, but good enough to choose over inexpensive Winston-Salem? (Charlotte: crime, chapel)

[Alanboy395]

I've been looking at moving to NC at the end of next year. I've really recently concentrated on the Triad area (winston-salem to be exact). I've researched Raleigh today and it seems to be more cleaner, safer, and has a little more going for it than Winston-Salem. My big problem is that when i asked where $25k would go farther (between Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Winston-Salem) people suggested Winston-Salem. Does this mean i'm going to have a hard time trying to live on $25k in Raleigh? And lets just say i get a promotion and get up to $32k when i move down. Is there really any reason outside of cost of living to settle for Winston-Salem when i could be in Raleigh if i made $32k instead of $25k?

[jjg39069]

My sister lives in Winston Salem and hates it....I know how strong of a word hate is....she hates it. I've gotten an ear full the past 2 days about her "red neck neighbors and co-workers" and how she is tired of dealing with the ignorant and uneducated. That's only one persons opinion. And I'm not intending to offend those that are from that area so please don't lecture me. I personally have met some very nice and intelligent people from that area...although they all now live in the Raleigh area.

I do think you'll have to be extremely innovative if you plan to live in Raleigh on $25k/year and stay out of debt and save towards your retirement.

Personally I would choose Raleigh or Charlotte before choosing WS. But it also depends on what your comfort zone is. WS may be more comfortable for you than a Charlotte or Raleigh.

Just my 2 cents.

[Alanboy395]

Originally Posted by jjg39069

My sister lives in Winston Salem and hates it....I know how strong of a word hate is....she hates it. I've gotten an ear full the past 2 days about her "red neck neighbors and co-workers" and how she is tired of dealing with the ignorant and uneducated. That's only one persons opinion. And I'm not intending to offend those that are from that area so please don't lecture me. I personally have met some very nice and intelligent people from that area...although they all now live in the Raleigh area.

I do think you'll have to be extremely innovative if you plan to live in Raleigh on $25k/year and stay out of debt and save towards your retirement.

Personally I would choose Raleigh or Charlotte before choosing WS. But it also depends on what your comfort zone is. WS may be more comfortable for you than a Charlotte or Raleigh.

Just my 2 cents.

thank you. One scenario I may explore is living in Winston-Salem until i can get my money right then try to move to Raleigh. Heck when i get done with my car note that will help my Raleigh cause.

[displaced.highlander]

Opinion of a NC native with long NC family roots...

Burlington/Greensboro/Winston-Salem is the "industrial" area of NC
Folks deride the Burlington/Greensboro/Winston-Salem area as "ignorant trash"

Chapel Hill / Durham / Raleigh is the "government and research" area of NC
Folks deride Chapel Hill / Durham / Raleigh as "loony elitists"

Charlotte is the "business" area of NC
Folks deride Charlotte as "stuck-up wannabees"

Obviously these are exaggerated generalizations: Durham has long been known as the crime capital of NC (perceived or real) and is also home to Duke University / Medical School; Downtown Winston-Salem smells like a big cigar from the tobacco facilities and is also the home to Wake Forest University / Medical School and Salem College; etc...

If I had to pick a place to raise a family out of these, it would probably be Winston-Salem.
If I had to pick a place to live as a young single, it would probably be Raleigh.
Chapel Hill and Charlotte would be lowest on my list: too many pseudo-intellectual left-wingers in the former and too many uncaring right-wingers in the latter - (exaggerated generalizations? - maybe...)

Asheville and Wilmington are fiefdoms unto themselves.

Fayetteville, Jacksonville, and Goldsboro are military towns.

[flipster]

highlander: You don't smell tobacco any longer in WS. RJR closed most of the factories.

It is much much cheaper to live in WS than the triangle.

I wonder where JJ's sis lives and works in WS?

[silverwing]

W-S is having a bit of an identity crisis.

Since Wachovia and First Union merged, that bank is now associated with Charlotte. The death of the tobacco industry signaled the end of a prominent part of its economy. The city is giving all sorts of incentives to industries like Dell in an effort to attract jobs, but that doesn't mean it has a poor economy. Places like Lewisville and Clemmons wouldn't be bursting with new subdivisions and businesses; same over on the eastern side of Davie County in Advance, Bermuda Run and Kinderton. Forsyth and Wake Forest hospitals are fighting each other over the right to expand, and just drive around the Hanes Mall area on a Saturday!

Living in W-S is going to be cheaper than the other large cities, but a lot slower and with less diversions, if the OP is of an age for that to be important. We've lived in the area for over a decade and it suits us; my spouse has worked in downtown W-S for longer than that and finds the people very smart and congenial. There are some parts of the city I'd avoid; it's not an area that is immune to slums and crime; but the outlying areas are becoming more populated with a variety of housing options.

I'd say at least come and look around. Unlike Raleigh, you can probably spend a day - maybe two - checking out the W-S area without fear of getting lost or harassed by traffic situations like you'll see in Raleigh.

You can also easily light here for awhile while you save $$ and check out the Raleigh situation by just hopping on the interstate.

[cooperwx]

Originally Posted by displaced.highlander

Opinion of a NC native with long NC family roots...

Burlington/Greensboro/Winston-Salem is the "industrial" area of NC
Folks deride the Burlington/Greensboro/Winston-Salem area as "ignorant trash"

Chapel Hill / Durham / Raleigh is the "government and research" area of NC
Folks deride Chapel Hill / Durham / Raleigh as "loony elitists"

Charlotte is the "business" area of NC
Folks deride Charlotte as "stuck-up wannabees"

Asheville and Wilmington are fiefdoms unto themselves.
Fayetteville, Jacksonville, and Goldsboro are military towns.

I'm not a fan of generalizations, but that's about as good at I've seen on these cities in a nutshell. Shows each area's calling card, and its negative stereotype. Of course there are exceptions (there always are), but if you have 100 words on this topic, this is it.

Great post.

[tippster]

I lived in Winston Salem for five years and I loved it. I came from Memphis, TN and it was nice to find an area so family-oriented and safer! If you want to live in a small town with big city conveniences geared for families this is the place for you.

Right now I am living in Charlotte and I am encountering more rednecks here than I did in Winston. I really don't like it here. It's expensive, heavier traffic, and ruder people.

And I agree with the other posters, 25,000 is not going to go very far in Raleigh. You really need to come down and visit the different areas. That's what we did.

[Alanboy395]

thank you all. I'm more focused on Winston-Salem now.

[NC man]

WS and Gboro both are much cheaper and they both have nice areas to live. I agree with the other posters descriptions of WS it does have alot of things going on downtown as well as Greensboro, better singles life with bars and Garage type bands ect. also real close to the mountains easy day trip. More people from NC then from other places like Raleigh or Charlotte which have been over run. Will see more winter weather there, but a good place to live.