What are the people like in NC? (Raleigh, Greensboro: crime, neighborhoods)

[lovesMountains]

I would say extreme opinions both pro and con should be taken with a grain of salt. And remember, there is no such thing as heavan on earth - every place has some imperfection. I happen to think NC has a lot fewer imperfections than say Los Angeles, but I know there are people who love living there and wouldn't dream of leaving. Me you couldn't pay a million dollars to live in California. Doesn't mean its not beautiful or doesn't have a lot to offer - it just wouldn't be right for me. I'm really sorry some of you didn't find NC to be the right place for you. Good luck in your next homes

[mariegirl]

I was born and raised and still reside in NC. I absolutely love the "natives" and love the "transplants". It really has turned into an extremely diverse place - socially and economically. People are soooo just people. You get the best and worst of them and as long as you don't associate the jerks with the state you're in, you'll be fine!

[X-Greensboro Resident]

I'm originally from DC area and of MiddleEastern descent (double strikes agains me, right?), I lived in NC for 12 years and never had any problems with the locals or otherwise. I met some of the best people ever who are family to me, quite literally, my wife is from there! Some of the things people have mentioned here like working mom may be true especially the yankee stuff but the bottom line is how you act in society and what kind of vibes you put out. If one acts like a jack and is negative and rude, then that's what you get back, that's true anywhere. But if you are generally a happy person with common courtesy, you'll love NC or any other place, really. Check out Chapel Hill area, you'll love it. Stay away from Duke please... Go Heels!!

[fromcenFL]

Originally Posted by busymomof3

the Lake Norman area.....

How would someone from Lake Norman even come in contact with a NC native? Lake Norman area, Mooresville, down to Huntersville are more transplant than anything!! And Charlotte (city limits) is almost nothing but transplants! So you basically have a beef with how *insert name of state they came from* transplants have treated you, how does that reflect poorly upon NC itself?

I lived in Charlotte, and had some pleasant encounters with people, and some very UNpleasant ones which were usually with transplants from the NE for some reason, as far as having to flee our apartment in Charlotte before we even found a home to buy because neighborhood kids were terrorizing our 7 year old son and their parents couldnt understand why we kept showing up at their door expecting them to do something about it. They were from NY and NJ.
I live in Mount Holly of Gaston County now and its light years apart from most of the Charlotte area. I've met most of me neighbors on my street and I havent even moved in yet, I've just been there working on it and remodeling for a month or so and people stop by to say hi and chat and have offered to help me should I need anything. Eating out at a local restaraunt you see people who know one another bump into each other and chat it up. But above all people are very genuine and kind. My wife bumped into a Gastonia native at work and introduced him to me, next thing we know they're inviting us to their house and our kids are playing with their kids and he's helping me work on my house since he's in construction. Its like a friendship born quicker than any I ever had in FL.

Busymomof3 I just think you live in transplant-ville and have missed out on what native NC'ers have to offer, I'm sorry. But I hope you never move any further south trying to escape NC because if you think humidity in NC is bad you don't know anything til you cross over inot GA or FL, hahahaha

[katie]

I would not move to Durham area as the crime rate is high and the school system is not very good. Wake County schools are very good if you want to move just a tad bit further. People are very welcoming to newcomers and neew students. Cary is one of the safest places to live in the nation. Yes there are mostly relocated people and it makes it very easy to move since you have a lot of neighbors going through the same stresses that you are. I love it here.

[roanoker 4]

In North Carolina, as well as southern Virginia, there is a fundamentalist protestant church on just about every corner. Religion plays a HUGE role in the daily lives of most Carolinians. It is sometimes hard for people from outside the South who hold different religious beliefs to ever "fit in" to the strict Bible Belt culture. This is a FACT!! There are many attractive reasons for people to move South but I think the young professional who may not be so rigid in their attitudes, etc may have a harder time adjusting than a retired couple from New York. There are tradeoffs everywhere and there is no perfect place. I do feel that North Carolina people still feel more a part of the South as part of the U.S. In Virginia, I think that attitude is dying now and Virginia has become more a mid-atlantic state than a southern state. Perhaps with increased numbers of "yankees" moving to their state, they will shed this southern view of the world.

[friendnc]

Originally Posted by roanoker 4

In North Carolina, as well as southern Virginia, there is a fundamentalist protestant church on just about every corner. Religion plays a HUGE role in the daily lives of most Carolinians. It is sometimes hard for people from outside the South who hold different religious beliefs to ever "fit in" to the strict Bible Belt culture. This is a FACT!! There are many attractive reasons for people to move South but I think the young professional who may not be so rigid in their attitudes, etc may have a harder time adjusting than a retired couple from New York. There are tradeoffs everywhere and there is no perfect place. I do feel that North Carolina people still feel more a part of the South as part of the U.S. In Virginia, I think that attitude is dying now and Virginia has become more a mid-atlantic state than a southern state. Perhaps with increased numbers of "yankees" moving to their state, they will shed this southern view of the world.

A fact?? Far from it! I go to a large, conservative church here in Concord, and we have people from many walks of life, mixed race families, all different races, ect. NC, in general, is very accepting of others. There is a thread on the Charlotte forum where someone from the NE (I think) was wanting to know if their family, being Jews, whould be comfortable in the community. Several from the Jewish community gave very possitive views with no negative ones. The beautiy of NC is that, in general, people here feel they don't have to compromise or hide who they are to get along, weather they're liberal OR conservative. I'm not sure what experiences you've personally had would generate comments like "NC people still feel more apart of the South than the U.S./.....they will shed this southern view of the word", but I don't feel this way and most who've been here don't. Some do, but not most. I've lived here all of my 41 years and traveled extensively. With the people I've known who've moved here from other areas over the last 20 years (liberal, conservative, and in between), and from what I've seen on the NC/SC forums, I don't know where that's coming from. It just seems that a few people think if you're Christian, you're automatically racist, backward, and reject anyone unlike ourselves. Are there some like that? Sure, but most aren't. Some liberals are the same way, but I'm not going to make such blanket statements about all/most liberals. When you hear about racial problems these days, it's usually out west (like LA or Portland), not the south. No area of the nation is free of all problems or issues. "Open-mindedness" and "tolerance" work both ways. Just open your heart a little and don't buy into old, pre-1960's stereotypes that only causes division/isolation/misinformation.

[recruiter]

Wow! You could ask 100 people and get 100 different answers.
I have lived in NJ, NY, PA, CT and now NC. I miss NJ for its' good points, I miss being in NYC for its' atmosphere, don't miss PA or CT. Love being in NC and don't have any regrets about it.
No matter where you live, what you put into life and your surroundings, you will get back the same.
Sorry to hear that the people in the Lake Norman area did not like it, well you selected that area. There are tons of places in and around Charlotte not like Lake Norman.
As far as the diversity and how the community in Durham gets along, DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR IN THE NEWS OR READ IN A MAGAZINE!!! I felt safer walking the streets in NY at 2:00am than I did at 6:00pm in Philadelphia.

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by friendnc

A fact?? Far from it! I go to a large, conservative church here in Concord, and we have people from many walks of life, mixed race families, all different races, ect. NC, in general, is very accepting of others. There is a thread on the Charlotte forum where someone from the NE (I think) was wanting to know if their family, being Jews, whould be comfortable in the community. Several from the Jewish community gave very possitive views with no negative ones. The beautiy of NC is that, in general, people here feel they don't have to compromise or hide who they are to get along, weather they're liberal OR conservative. I'm not sure what experiences you've personally had would generate comments like "NC people still feel more apart of the South than the U.S./.....they will shed this southern view of the word", but I don't feel this way and most who've been here don't. Some do, but not most. I've lived here all of my 41 years and traveled extensively. With the people I've known who've moved here from other areas over the last 20 years (liberal, conservative, and in between), and from what I've seen on the NC/SC forums, I don't know where that's coming from. It just seems that a few people think if you're Christian, you're automatically racist, backward, and reject anyone unlike ourselves. Are there some like that? Sure, but most aren't. Some liberals are the same way, but I'm not going to make such blanket statements about all/most liberals. When you hear about racial problems these days, it's usually out west (like LA or Portland), not the south. No area of the nation is free of all problems or issues. "Open-mindedness" and "tolerance" work both ways. Just open your heart a little and don't buy into old, pre-1960's stereotypes that only causes division/isolation/misinformation.

You said it! I so agree

[Niki]

Originally Posted by friendnc

A fact?? Far from it! I go to a large, conservative church here in Concord, and we have people from many walks of life, mixed race families, all different races, ect. NC, in general, is very accepting of others. There is a thread on the Charlotte forum where someone from the NE (I think) was wanting to know if their family, being Jews, whould be comfortable in the community. Several from the Jewish community gave very possitive views with no negative ones. The beautiy of NC is that, in general, people here feel they don't have to compromise or hide who they are to get along, weather they're liberal OR conservative. I'm not sure what experiences you've personally had would generate comments like "NC people still feel more apart of the South than the U.S./.....they will shed this southern view of the word", but I don't feel this way and most who've been here don't. Some do, but not most. I've lived here all of my 41 years and traveled extensively. With the people I've known who've moved here from other areas over the last 20 years (liberal, conservative, and in between), and from what I've seen on the NC/SC forums, I don't know where that's coming from. It just seems that a few people think if you're Christian, you're automatically racist, backward, and reject anyone unlike ourselves. Are there some like that? Sure, but most aren't. Some liberals are the same way, but I'm not going to make such blanket statements about all/most liberals. When you hear about racial problems these days, it's usually out west (like LA or Portland), not the south. No area of the nation is free of all problems or issues. "Open-mindedness" and "tolerance" work both ways. Just open your heart a little and don't buy into old, pre-1960's stereotypes that only causes division/isolation/misinformation.

Amen!

It's been my observation that Southerners in general tend to be very patriotic. Not just about being Southerners, but about being Americans. Southerners also tend to have a soft spot for their eccentrics and their crazies - the ones who aren't quite "normal". lol