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I hate to offend but I'm convinced Lumberton might be the worst town in the state. If not Lumberton, some of the surrounding smaller towns in the counties of Robeson, Columbus, etc. That whole area of the state south of Fayetteville brings to mind the impoverished side of the Deep South, in many ways.
I would keep an eye on Rocky Mount in the future, IMO. Capitol Broadcasting Company has been having a heavy hand in the revitalization of it's downtown recently and they're not known for pissing money away. They did an impressive job with Durham's downtown. CSX is building a huge intermodal terminal in Rocky Mount, which will help the regional economy by adding jobs, as well as potentially helping to lure warehouses and other distribution centers to the area and could help existing ones to expand. US-64 becoming I-87 in the future would also help, since it puts Rocky Mount at the crossroads of two interstates and is the largest city on I-87's corridor between Raleigh and Norfolk.
I'm not disputing the fact that crime is high in Rocky Mount and it isn't a real desirable place right now. They really need to find a way to get it under control. But if/when they do, I think that area has a very good chance of taking off...or at least become a city that has more positives than negatives.
Might as well add Fair Bluff to the list. It didn't use to be but nothing has happened since it flooded. The State hasn't done a thing to help it. Was an article in the N&O and Star News about it.
Rocky Mount is on the wrong side of the Triangle. Meaning one could easily commute to RTP from towns like Hillsborough or Mebane, but Rocky Mount is a little too far east. Still, Rocky Mount is only an hour from downtown Raleigh so perhaps it'll grow. If Clayton can grow like crazy, I'm sure other towns south or east of Raleigh can also grow in the future. Towns located within an hour's drive of the Triangle have an advantage.
I would keep an eye on Rocky Mount in the future, IMO. Capitol Broadcasting Company has been having a heavy hand in the revitalization of it's downtown recently and they're not known for pissing money away. They did an impressive job with Durham's downtown. CSX is building a huge intermodal terminal in Rocky Mount, which will help the regional economy by adding jobs, as well as potentially helping to lure warehouses and other distribution centers to the area and could help existing ones to expand. US-64 becoming I-87 in the future would also help, since it puts Rocky Mount at the crossroads of two interstates and is the largest city on I-87's corridor between Raleigh and Norfolk.
I'm not disputing the fact that crime is high in Rocky Mount and it isn't a real desirable place right now. They really need to find a way to get it under control. But if/when they do, I think that area has a very good chance of taking off...or at least become a city that has more positives than negatives.
Lol, It's going to take way more than that to get Rocky Mount out of the dumper
Lol, It's going to take way more than that to get Rocky Mount out of the dumper
Agreed, even with the kind of growth the Triangle is experiencing, they would have to be a metro at least twice their size to affect change in Rocky Mount. Maybe once they get to $5 million+ residents Rocky Mount will be closer to the action and employment. So 50-75 years? I wouldn't hold my breath.
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