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I have been reading the forum for a few weeks now trying to pinpoint some areas to check out for possible relocation. We will start planning visits this coming April. Would love to get any feedback you have to offer about the locations that I think might be a good fit for my family, but first a little about us...
We currently reside in Arlington, VA and Southern MD (south of Annapolis). My husband works from home and beginning in July 2014, I will be staying home with our 2.5 year old. I have family that lives in Eastern NC (between New Bern and Greenville), and although my husband would love to be near the ocean, I do not think that area of the state is a good fit for us.
City wishlist:
-We would like a city with a zoo, aquarium, and/or science center and a lot of green space.
-A walkable downtown with stores, restaurants, community activities, green space, and plenty of easy parking
-My husband must have a minor league baseball team in town.
-Dance studios that offer adult and children's classes.
-Youth and adult (men's baseball/softball) sports league
-Public libraries that offer children's programming
-A food co-op or farmer's market would be nice. (Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Fresh Market, etc. would do)
-Upscale women's and children's consignment shop(s) would also be appreciated as we are dropping down to a single income.
-Homeschool co-op (if we go this route in the future)
-University/colleges in the city
-Community theater
-Relatively safe (as long as we practice common sense) in the areas we need to frequent like grocery stores, banks, movies, stadium, downtown during the day
-Good private speech therapists for early childhood
Neighborhood wishlist:
-Rent no more than $1300 per month; Purchase no more than $230,000
-Houses 1800+ square feet with a yard (I like many styles from ranch, bungalow, tudor, split level)
-Within a 15 minute drive to downtown
-I would like to live in an established type neighborhood, no brand new construction (if it isn't built out), within the city limits.
-Park(s) within walking distance
-I would like to join a swim/tennis club to meet other families within general neighborhood or community.
-Safe for playing outside, riding bikes
-Within 3 miles or so for basic groceries, gym, coffee
-I've been a teacher/specialist for the past 13 years in both public and private schools; knowing that a lot of different factors play a role in what can make a "good" school and a "good" fit for each family, I am not too concerned with the schools as long as it wouldn't hurt resale value if we choose to purchase
Currently on our list to check out:
Greensboro
Durham
Charlotte
Davidson
Greenville (??)
Currently on our list to check out:
Greensboro
Durham
Charlotte
Davidson
Greenville (??)
I am curious why not Raleigh or Cary as the schools have better reputation than Durham. The schools is southwest Durham probably won't hurt your resale value. Prices are lower in other parts of Durham partly because of the poorer-rated schools.
OTOH, Durham has the baseball Bulls, which has a lively following.
I would give some towns in Western NC a look as well, if you don't mind being that far from family. Specifically Hickory and Asheville. They fit the profile that you're looking for, however I'm not sure how the speech therapists are. Rent/house prices would be cheaper in Hickory than Asheville, but Asheville has more going on as far as farmer's markets, greenways, etc. Asheville has the Tourists, their single A minor league team, and Hickory has the Crawdads. Both teams are in the same league and play each other regularly.
You're talking the Triangle there. No question in my mind. I think you could do any of the three major areas (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) depending on what appeals most to you.
City wishlist:
-We would like a city with a zoo, aquarium, and/or science center and a lot of green space.
The NC Zoo (very good natural habitat zoo) is in Asheboro (not Asheville), but the NC Museum of Life & Science with lots of animals is in Durham and it is fantastic. I like it a lot better than Discovery Place and the rinky dink Nature Museum in Charlotte. There is a new aquarium at SciQuest in Greensboro, too, which is an easy day trip. I think all the other aquariums in NC are on the coast. There are free museums in downtown Raleigh (Museum of Natural Sciences, Museum of North Carolina History) as well as a pay to go children's museum (Marbles). There is also a small kids' museum in Chapel Hill (Kidzu) and the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill, both cost money. All of the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) is easy to access from another point in the Triangle. I live in Chapel Hill, but the Museum of Life & Science was our go-to museum when the kids were younger (still great now, but they're tweens and less interested) and it's about 20 min from my Chapel Hill.
-A walkable downtown with stores, restaurants, community activities, green space, and plenty of easy parking
This sounds like Carrboro, Chapel Hill's sister town, or Chapel Hill.
-My husband must have a minor league baseball team in town.
The Durham Bulls are a really great minor league team with a lot of fan support and a great stadium. Easy to go to from any point in the Triangle, but especially from Durham (duh) and Chapel Hill.
-Dance studios that offer adult and children's classes.
Plenty of those in Chapelboro and Durham, and I imagine in the Raleigh area as well, but I'm just not as familiar with dance studios there. My kids have taken dance in Chapel Hill for 10 years now.
-Youth and adult (men's baseball/softball) sports league Honestly, I am not sure on this, but I pretty sure yes. You could check the parks & rec for each town. Just not our thing.
-Public libraries that offer children's programming The Chapel Hill library is fantastic. I was just there. It's been newly renovated/remodeled/rebuilt and is a really gorgeous space. There were tons of little toddlers and preschoolers roaming around post-story time.
-A food co-op or farmer's market would be nice. (Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Fresh Market, etc. would do) Chapelboro and Durham have all of those and are renowned foodie towns having been written up in Bon Apetit, the New York Times and others. Great farmer's markets in both towns.
-Upscale women's and children's consignment shop(s) would also be appreciated as we are dropping down to a single income.
Again, not my thing (the upscale part), but I think there is an upscale women's shop in the area. Seems like I saw a sign or ad recently. The Red Hen in University mall in the Chapel Hill is a very nice kids consignment shop and the PTA thrift stores in Chapel Hill and Carrboro (recently rebuilt from the ground up) are very nice thrift stores. I usually shop there. Scored some "Lucky" jeans recently for myself for $2.
-Homeschool co-op (if we go this route in the future)
Great secular homeschool groups in Chapel Hill/Durham. Katie-Beth's is a homeschool store in Chapel Hill, too. The Chapel Hill homeschoolers run a Friday Enrichment group in the spring and fall. Really good homeschool vibe here.
-University/colleges in the city
Again, the Triangle has the most to offer here with UNC, Duke and NC State — the state's top three universities — in the area. There are also about 5-10 smaller colleges in the Triangle area. The Charlotte area does not have a top tier university, but Davidson is very highly regarded small, private, liberal arts college.
-Community theater
Lots of that in Chapelboro and Durham, both big shows (at the Durham Performing Arts Center) and small community shows, plus the famous Playmaker's theater at UNC.
-Relatively safe (as long as we practice common sense) in the areas we need to frequent like grocery stores, banks, movies, stadium, downtown during the day
Very safe. Durham has a rep as the less safe area of the Triangle, but I really think that is mainly certain parts of town. I don't feel unsafe there.
-Good private speech therapists for early childhood
Again, I don't have personal experience with this, but I have friends who have had their kids in speech in the Chapel Hill Carrboro Schools who have been satisfied. CHCCS has a great rep and we've been really pleased with elementary education there.
Neighborhood wishlist:
-Rent no more than $1300 per month; Purchase no more than $230,000
That's low, but doable in Chapelboro. Easier done in Durham. I saw homes listed in this week's Chapel Hill News under $200, but mostly they're in the $300s & $400s with some million dollar homes and a few cheap mobile homes, etc.
-Houses 1800+ square feet with a yard (I like many styles from ranch, bungalow, tudor, split level) Yes, anywhere in NC
-Within a 15 minute drive to downtown
I think most of Chapelboro and Durham would meet this criteria. Raleigh is bigger so you could get further out than that.
-I would like to live in an established type neighborhood, no brand new construction (if it isn't built out), within the city limits.
Many options in the Triangle
-Park(s) within walking distance
-I would like to join a swim/tennis club to meet other families within general neighborhood or community.
-Safe for playing outside, riding bikes
-Within 3 miles or so for basic groceries, gym, coffee
I would think that all that would be doable in all of the Triangle. In Chapel Hill/Carrboro there is a summer swim league that is very popular. There are pools you can join throughout CH/C that are neighborhood based, but not neighborhood exclusive. We belong to one that is w/in walking distance of our house. It's great in the summer and is a good way to meet people and keep up with friends and neighbors.
-I've been a teacher/specialist for the past 13 years in both public and private schools; knowing that a lot of different factors play a role in what can make a "good" school and a "good" fit for each family, I am not too concerned with the schools as long as it wouldn't hurt resale value if we choose to purchase
Durham schools do have a less good rep, so that's why housing costs are cheaper there vs Chapel Hill/Carrboro. I think there are some great school options in Durham, especially Central Park School for Children, which is a charter. We have been really happy with CHCCS and Carrboro Elementary.
I really think you're looking at the Triangle from your description. You'll just have to come down and figure out which area feels like the best fit. Your price is low for Chapel Hill/Carrboro, but it can be done, especially since you're open to an older home. you would get more house for your money in Durham, but it's just about what fits your family best. If you like small towns you might also look at Hillsborough which is about 15-20 min from Chapel Hill and Durham (so you could still get to your Bulls games) and has a cute walkable downtown.
You're talking the Triangle there. No question in my mind. I think you could do any of the three major areas (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) depending on what appeals most to you.
City wishlist: -We would like a city with a zoo, aquarium, and/or science center and a lot of green space.
The NC Zoo (very good natural habitat zoo) is in Asheboro (not Asheville), but the NC Museum of Life & Science with lots of animals is in Durham and it is fantastic. I like it a lot better than Discovery Place and the rinky dink Nature Museum in Charlotte. There is a new aquarium at SciQuest in Greensboro, too, which is an easy day trip. I think all the other aquariums in NC are on the coast. There are free museums in downtown Raleigh (Museum of Natural Sciences, Museum of North Carolina History) as well as a pay to go children's museum (Marbles). There is also a small kids' museum in Chapel Hill (Kidzu) and the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill, both cost money. All of the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) is easy to access from another point in the Triangle. I live in Chapel Hill, but the Museum of Life & Science was our go-to museum when the kids were younger (still great now, but they're tweens and less interested) and it's about 20 min from my Chapel Hill.
-A walkable downtown with stores, restaurants, community activities, green space, and plenty of easy parking
This sounds like Carrboro, Chapel Hill's sister town, or Chapel Hill.
-My husband must have a minor league baseball team in town.
The Durham Bulls are a really great minor league team with a lot of fan support and a great stadium. Easy to go to from any point in the Triangle, but especially from Durham (duh) and Chapel Hill.
-Dance studios that offer adult and children's classes.
Plenty of those in Chapelboro and Durham, and I imagine in the Raleigh area as well, but I'm just not as familiar with dance studios there. My kids have taken dance in Chapel Hill for 10 years now.
-Youth and adult (men's baseball/softball) sports league
Honestly, I am not sure on this, but I pretty sure yes. You could check the parks & rec for each town. Just not our thing.
-Public libraries that offer children's programming The Chapel Hill library is fantastic. I was just there. It's been newly renovated/remodeled/rebuilt and is a really gorgeous space. There were tons of little toddlers and preschoolers roaming around post-story time.
-A food co-op or farmer's market would be nice. (Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Fresh Market, etc. would do) Chapelboro and Durham have all of those and are renowned foodie towns having been written up in Bon Apetit, the New York Times and others. Great farmer's markets in both towns.
Yup...what Poppydog said!
-Upscale women's and children's consignment shop(s) would also be appreciated as we are dropping down to a single income.
Again, not my thing (the upscale part), but I think there is an upscale women's shop in the area. Seems like I saw a sign or ad recently. The Red Hen in University mall in the Chapel Hill is a very nice kids consignment shop and the PTA thrift stores in Chapel Hill and Carrboro (recently rebuilt from the ground up) are very nice thrift stores. I usually shop there. Scored some "Lucky" jeans recently for myself for $2.
-Homeschool co-op (if we go this route in the future)
Great secular homeschool groups in Chapel Hill/Durham. Katie-Beth's is a homeschool store in Chapel Hill, too. The Chapel Hill homeschoolers run a Friday Enrichment group in the spring and fall. Really good homeschool vibe here.
-University/colleges in the city
Again, the Triangle has the most to offer here with UNC, Duke and NC State — the state's top three universities — in the area. There are also about 5-10 smaller colleges in the Triangle area. The Charlotte area does not have a top tier university, but Davidson is very highly regarded small, private, liberal arts college.
-Community theater
Lots of that in Chapelboro and Durham, both big shows (at the Durham Performing Arts Center) and small community shows, plus the famous Playmaker's theater at UNC.
-Relatively safe (as long as we practice common sense) in the areas we need to frequent like grocery stores, banks, movies, stadium, downtown during the day
Very safe. Durham has a rep as the less safe area of the Triangle, but I really think that is mainly certain parts of town. I don't feel unsafe there.
-Good private speech therapists for early childhood
Again, I don't have personal experience with this, but I have friends who have had their kids in speech in the Chapel Hill Carrboro Schools who have been satisfied. CHCCS has a great rep and we've been really pleased with elementary education there.
Neighborhood wishlist: -Rent no more than $1300 per month; Purchase no more than $230,000
That's low, but doable in Chapelboro. Easier done in Durham. I saw homes listed in this week's Chapel Hill News under $200, but mostly they're in the $300s & $400s with some million dollar homes and a few cheap mobile homes, etc.
-Houses 1800+ square feet with a yard (I like many styles from ranch, bungalow, tudor, split level)
Yes, anywhere in NC
-Within a 15 minute drive to downtown
I think most of Chapelboro and Durham would meet this criteria. Raleigh is bigger so you could get further out than that.
-I would like to live in an established type neighborhood, no brand new construction (if it isn't built out), within the city limits.
Many options in the Triangle
-Park(s) within walking distance -I would like to join a swim/tennis club to meet other families within general neighborhood or community. -Safe for playing outside, riding bikes -Within 3 miles or so for basic groceries, gym, coffee
I would think that all that would be doable in all of the Triangle. In Chapel Hill/Carrboro there is a summer swim league that is very popular. There are pools you can join throughout CH/C that are neighborhood based, but not neighborhood exclusive. We belong to one that is w/in walking distance of our house. It's great in the summer and is a good way to meet people and keep up with friends and neighbors.
-I've been a teacher/specialist for the past 13 years in both public and private schools; knowing that a lot of different factors play a role in what can make a "good" school and a "good" fit for each family, I am not too concerned with the schools as long as it wouldn't hurt resale value if we choose to purchase
Durham schools do have a less good rep, so that's why housing costs are cheaper there vs Chapel Hill/Carrboro. I think there are some great school options in Durham, especially Central Park School for Children, which is a charter. We have been really happy with CHCCS and Carrboro Elementary.
I really think you're looking at the Triangle from your description. You'll just have to come down and figure out which area feels like the best fit. Your price is low for Chapel Hill/Carrboro, but it can be done, especially since you're open to an older home. you would get more house for your money in Durham, but it's just about what fits your family best. If you like small towns you might also look at Hillsborough which is about 15-20 min from Chapel Hill and Durham (so you could still get to your Bulls games) and has a cute walkable downtown.
Wow, thank you Poppydog and everyone else for your thoughtful responses!!!
I was also thinking the Triangle area initially, but once I started reading the forums, I started to feel that there might be other areas that might appeal and meet our needs. I was focused on Durham because it seems like a more affordable city in the Triangle. Although we do have wiggle room in our budget, if we go to the 300,000-400,000 range, I probably could only stay home until our daughter entered school in three years and then the possibility of homeschooling would be out. So the Triangle is definitely on our list and you have given me A LOT to consider in regards to Chapel Hill/Carrboro.
I will also add Asheville to the list to visit and research more about Hickory. I have heard some good things about the area and think it might have a few similarities to parts of Washington State, where I was born and raised. I grew up on the Olympic Peninsula (20 miles west of Seattle) and went to college in a small town in Eastern Washington near Spokane (and I loved both areas).
I will also be sure to check out Winston-Salem when we visit Greensboro.
Thank you again, your first hand information is much appreciated.
Asheville is very beautiful and could well be worth a look. I don't think the Asheville Tourists are in the same league as the Durham Bulls as far as a minor league team. The Tourists are Class A and the Bulls are Triple A. But Durham is not in the same league as Asheville as far as beauty goes, either. Asheville is a gorgeous town.
Asheville has a tourist-based economy and jobs can be scarce and pay low, but if your job travels with you that's not as much of a concern. It's another great foodie town. Asheville has UNC-A, but it's a small school. Western Carolina is a little bigger in nearby Cullowhee, but neither is a major university.
Durham's economy, like the rest of the Triangle, has a diverse base, but is particularly strong in tech, biotech and medicine. Duke Hospital is widely recognized as one of the best in the country, if not world.
I think most people who move to Asheville do so because they really love the mountains and are often willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen, whether it's compromising on the job or making other sacrifices. A lot of people move to the Triangle for "a great place to raise a family" and to continue in their careers, esp in tech. Cisco, IBM, Glaxo-SmithKline, etc are here in Research Triangle Park.
Hello,my family and I are relocating in the summer to nc. I would love to no,what town is a safe place to live at with children. Asheboro or Asheville.I have middle age children and down!! Please help
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