Do Any Other North Carolinians...well...kinda "hate" North Carolina? (Raleigh: employment, schools)
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What happened with the Global Transpark effort in Kinston?
I can answer that question with an easy answer. The state made the stupid decision to open the GTP in 1991 without the infrastructure already in place to support it and without any future planning for it. They mistakenly assumed the large runway was all it needed. They didn't think about freight movement on the ground. It had no interstate (much less freeway) access and no direct rail access and as such, it was one of the biggest reasons companies have turned away from locating there.
Although the US-70 corridor between Raleigh and Morehead City was designated Future I-42 last year and a direct rail spur was connected to the GTP in 2012, the horse has already left the barn.
I can answer that question with an easy answer. The state made the stupid decision to open the GTP in 1991 without the infrastructure already in place to support it and without any future planning for it. They mistakenly assumed the large runway was all it needed. They didn't think about freight movement on the ground. It had no interstate (much less freeway) access and no direct rail access and as such, it was one of the biggest reasons companies have turned away from locating there.
Although the US-70 corridor between Raleigh and Morehead City was designated Future I-42 last year and a direct rail spur was connected to the GTP in 2012, the horse has already left the barn.
GTP in Kinston is a often-sighted "flop" story in UNC-system business classes. Biggest claim to fame now is that ECU football team flies out of there instead of the Greenville airport for away-games.
If "Follow the money" was ever appropriate, the GTP is bound to be the perfect application. I shudder to think who made fortunes off that ill fated venture. Meanwhile the rubes in the surrounding counties had those GTP license plates, at a premium, for years!
OP, I could have written your post when I was 29 and living in Atlanta. My family moved there when I was 12, and I never connected with the place. I did some travelling during my 20s and 30s, and I thought about moving to any number of cities, but jobs and family kept me where I was. At age 37, I finally decided to move -- to Portland, Oregon. It was one of the best things I've ever done. Portland was the perfect size for me -- big enough to have all the cultural amenities I wanted, but small enough that it lacked the drawbacks of really big cities like Atlanta and Seattle. And the PNW is stunningly beautiful.
For 17 years, I thought Portland was as close to perfect a city as I could imagine. But we've been "discovered." Too many people have moved here for the infrastructure. Traffic is horrendous. People have become stressed out and more rude than they used to be. Our homeless problem has gotten really bad. The cost of living has increased. Our notorious climate, which didn't bother my wife or me for many years, finally got to us this winter.
Meanwhile, almost 20 years away from the South has given me some perspective. We've made some recent visits. My wife, who is from Hawaii, loves the greenery, the food, and the friendliness of the people. Oregon beaches are among the most beautiful in the world, but the water is ice cold, and the air temperature gets truly warm for only a brief period each year. We both long for ocean water one can swim in. Hawaii has its own problems, not the least of which is the high cost of living.
Four couples we know from Portland have moved to the Raleigh area over the past few years, and they love it. My wife is getting close to retirement, and I can work from anywhere. After considering several places, we're almost certainly going to move to Raleigh in a couple years. Five years ago, if you'd told us we'd consider moving to the South, we would have said you were crazy.
My point is that one's perspective changes over the years. If I'd never left Atlanta, I probably would have hated myself for it for the rest of my life. Both my wife and I like Atlanta now, but it's far too big for our tastes. So, by all means, spread your wings and try some place else. I know people who love Las Vegas. Maybe you will, too. Maybe in 20 years, you'll miss NC and want to return. Maybe you won't. It's all good, as long as you're happy where you are.
I have lived elsewhere. When I was much younger, I thought this place was dull as dirt and I could only be satisfied if I moved further west. Did a stint in Chicagoland and realized that I really do love it here in NC.
Granted, I've not lived out east where you do. Eastern NC is my least favorite part of the state.
No matter where you go in this country or any other, you'll always find a view or a place that'll top another you've seen.
I can tell you that living outside NC was good for me.
Maybe you should move, too.
Fwiw, I didn't get my first masters until I was 41. I got my BA at 33. I took time off and was very nontraditional in my educational pursuits.
I'm in another grad program now, in fact. Just because I felt like doing it.
Go on out and do some things and see what you like.
Wow....... Honestly you sound almost like an older me, which is a good thing.
I am born and raised in NC, thought the same way as you about the state. How I needed to get out and see the world, be a man of the world so to speak for the last 7 years. It has it's ups and downs, but it has led me to see and experience things that happen around the world. I have met many good friends from all of Africa, Asia, and the ME. It has opened my eyes for sure to how grateful we should be living in the USA.
I am now living here in California, Los Angeles to be exact. Living and Working here in the LA area has allowed me to finish my BS at 33, and provide for my wife and kids. I can literally look out my kitchen window and see mountains that are taller than the Smokies, they certainly have a charm about them but they are not as majestic as the Apps.
But now I am ready to move back to NC, the state that is home and the state I love. Yes, there are problems with NC but overall it is a great state. You can still afford to buy a nice house and yard in NC for a decent amount of money.
When you fly into RDU from LAX the difference is striking to say the least. When you leave LAX and look out the window, all you see is a concrete jungle and everybody stacked on top of another. Then when you fly into RDU, it is literally like flying over a carpet of green. Yes, there are houses and businesses that you see but you still see alot of trees, and God do we love our trees in the South.
Don't get me started on the beaches either. Yes, California has some VERY NICE beaches, but the water is ice cold and that's not good for toddlers at all. I miss the beaches of NC and SC. Where it is a gentle sloping beach, which may or may not have a left over pool from high tide that the toddlers can play in with minimal supervision. Beaches where you can go out for a long way at low tide with no problem. Also I will love going back to beaches where you don't have to worry about the homeless camping out there, or worrying about finding needles in the sand.
I am moving back this year with my family from CA and we are quite happy to be moving. We want to experience buying a decent house with some acreage, that will not cost you a arm and a leg.
I moved to NC from Ohio in 1982. I lived in Michigan prior to that. Upper (lower P) Michigan is beautiful, but the winters are harsh. In Ohio, we lived in the snowbelt, just south of Cleveland. The winters there were harsh, too. The summers can be hot in NC, but they can be in Ohio and Michigan, too. But there isn't much A/C up north.
NC became my home as a teen and I love it here. I've never had a desire to move back up north. We recently moved from the Raleigh area to the mountains and we love it here even more. Cool summers (we're at 4400 feet), comfortable winters and a slower, easier way of life. I could probably live in the Outer Banks, too. I love the sound of the waves and just being near the ocean. Maybe, one day if we have the money, we'll have a place there, too. Probably not, but dreams are nice.
The thing is, the pecking order goes further than that. Within each region there is yet another priority list that is based purely on emotion and the certainty of a city's residents of their superiority. NC cities get dumped on by pretty much all other cities in the south as well. Were it up to C-D, everyone should be moving out of Raleigh and Charlotte, to Richmond and Nashville, for instance.
Yeah I've noticed Richmond has become "cool" over in that forum in the past year. I'm not really sure why, I guess the proximity to DC helps? I barely venture over there anymore so I'm not sure. There's really nothing remarkable about that city to me, but whatever floats their boat I suppose.
Nashville I get, it's unique enough in being a music and entertainment hub.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lkmax
Again, I never said rednecks are stupid. I said I think their camo and loud, jacked-up trucks are stupid.
Jacked up trucks are indeed stupid. I find the people who own those things to be obnoxious too, both on the road and in real life. At least with suped-up Civics, you don't have a problem seeing over them in parking lots.
Wow....... Honestly you sound almost like an older me, which is a good thing.
I am born and raised in NC, thought the same way as you about the state. How I needed to get out and see the world, be a man of the world so to speak for the last 7 years. It has it's ups and downs, but it has led me to see and experience things that happen around the world. I have met many good friends from all of Africa, Asia, and the ME. It has opened my eyes for sure to how grateful we should be living in the USA.
I am now living here in California, Los Angeles to be exact. Living and Working here in the LA area has allowed me to finish my BS at 33, and provide for my wife and kids. I can literally look out my kitchen window and see mountains that are taller than the Smokies, they certainly have a charm about them but they are not as majestic as the Apps.
But now I am ready to move back to NC, the state that is home and the state I love. Yes, there are problems with NC but overall it is a great state. You can still afford to buy a nice house and yard in NC for a decent amount of money.
When you fly into RDU from LAX the difference is striking to say the least. When you leave LAX and look out the window, all you see is a concrete jungle and everybody stacked on top of another. Then when you fly into RDU, it is literally like flying over a carpet of green. Yes, there are houses and businesses that you see but you still see alot of trees, and God do we love our trees in the South.
Don't get me started on the beaches either. Yes, California has some VERY NICE beaches, but the water is ice cold and that's not good for toddlers at all. I miss the beaches of NC and SC. Where it is a gentle sloping beach, which may or may not have a left over pool from high tide that the toddlers can play in with minimal supervision. Beaches where you can go out for a long way at low tide with no problem. Also I will love going back to beaches where you don't have to worry about the homeless camping out there, or worrying about finding needles in the sand.
I am moving back this year with my family from CA and we are quite happy to be moving. We want to experience buying a decent house with some acreage, that will not cost you a arm and a leg.
You'll love living here again. I love California, and have spent a good amount of time out there. Mostly in NorCal, and I often think of moving there, but we're still not ready to spend what we'd need to spend to get a house like we want in San Francisco.
I, too, LOVE flying into RDU after being in CA. It's wild. The humidity, oddly enough, thrills me. I always feel like I'm parched in California and here? Nothing but balmy air. It's glorious!
I hope your move back goes well. You have seen what you needed to see and it's always there for you to visit again whenever you like.
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-Louisiana has no good beaches or mountains. It's a big swamp. New Orleans is fun sure, it's a year round party. It also has poverty unlike anything you could ever find in NC, and the race relations there make NC look like a progressive utopia.
-Florida - You could argue the beaches are slightly better, but nowhere near the best on the planet. Go to the Mediterranean or the Bahamas to get cliffs and coves that add way more dynamism and character. As far as I'm concerned they're pretty much the same. Just a big sandbar with water really. One thing I do love about Florida is all the clear water springs and caves that are fun to dive. One of my favorite experiences was snorkeling with Manatee. But... no mountains.
-The Rockies - I've spent a very large amount of time in the Rockies. I love the Rockies. That doesn't stop me from loving the Appalachians as well. They're beautiful in a different way. The Apps have lushness and a greater palette of color. Also more waterfalls. The Rockies have elevation which I do envy of course... and the tradeoff for living in the Rockies is if you lived there, you wouldn't get a beach.
There are tradeoffs to living anywhere. NC's strength is being a jack of all trades. It's a master of none, but you have a bit of everything here. In other places you'd be going cold turkey without one of the things you want. NC is great for the indecisive person.
Yes! The Appalachian mountains have the greatest biodiversity on the planet. The Rockies sure as hell don't. I've been to both, love both, but love the NC mountains more. So atmospheric. So lush. So filled with waterfalls.
Agree with everything you said, except about the Florida beaches. Which Florida beaches? It matters.
Spend some time in the Florida Panhandle beaches, like Destin, and the emerald water is as clear as the Bahamas with 99% pure quartz white sand washed down from the Appalachians. No cliffs, but rare coastal dune lakes and longer stretches of beach . . . not slightly better than NC beaches; WAY better. Just the color of the water alone is more vibrant than any in NC.
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