Raleigh or Wilmington??? (Charlotte, Cary, Morrisville: chapel, job market, school)

[ampetry]

If you were a young couple (20/21) looking to move to a more exciting place, would you move to Raleigh or Wilmington? I'll give you some info so that you can better answer my question.

My fiance is an Automotive Technician (mechanic) and I would be looking for a job as an Esthetician (skin-care specialist) after I go to school.

We absolutely love the beach/ocean, and would love to live right by it but could handle the 2 hour drive from Raleigh if we had to.

We need more activities for young people! The area we currently live in is for older couples with families. Also, it would be nice to live somewhere that doesn't close after 9 pm. The only thing that stays open past 9 pm in our area is Walmart, gas stations, one grocery store and two diners.

So, based on the information above, would you pick Raleigh or Wilmington? Why?

Thank you for any advice that you have, we really need some guidance!!!

[RDSLOTS]

Tough call, either way.

Maybe, if the two of you sit together and prioritize your 'wants.' Is being on/near the beach vs. places open later than 9:00 p.m., which I sort of take to mean 'night life,' of more value or interest to you? It may depend upon what jobs you two can land, and the cost of living in one areaa vs. another? Cost of living along the coast is higher.

Younger posters may be better able to assess the night-thing in Wilmington, but it appears to me that the streets of Raleigh, and the surrounding areas, don't roll-up early. As a young person, Wilmington and the beaches had a greater draw for me, but I also grew up in Wilmington. Now, however, I much prefer a lot of what Raleigh offers.

[Oyster07]

I would probably say Wilmington. We have a lot of people your age. I spent my early 20's in Wilmington and absolutely loved it. Moved back to Raleigh briefly in my mid-20's and it was too spread out. A lot of families (nothing wrong with that but not a lot of fun for young single person). Hope that helps.

[ampetry]

It seems to me that most people would agree that Wilmington is more for the younger crowd and Raleigh is more for families (correct me if I'm wrong). My concern though is that, from what I've read on these boards, Wilmington doesn't have a very strong job market. Can someone give me some insight on this? We certainly don't want to move to an area that doesn't have jobs for us! As I stated above, my fiance would be working in a car dealership and I would be looking for a job as an Esthetician after I go to school, but in the mean time I would try to find employment as maybe a cashier or something similar. Does any one have any information on either of these career fields in either location?

[Esher1430]

I'm interested in this thread too! I'm basically considering the same move, only I'm single, and Charlotte has been recommended strongly as well. The beach has a draw for me honestly, but i'd really like there to be a younger crowd present (mid to late 20s) meaning friends to make, and places to go out at night if you feel the need / clubs / etc.

Is Wilmington a close-up-shop-at-9pm kind of place? Also, can you surf there? I honestly don't know anything about atlantic waves....

[jmarquise]

yeah you can surf at wrightsville beach. they have good waves there. they hold tournaments and things during the summer. I would say that just the opposite is true about wilmington. raleigh is much more for younger people. look at the average age of people. wilmington is a lot more older, retired people and young families. I think that raleigh has more young people for the simple fact that they have more jobs there and college grads coming from NC state, UNC chapel hill, Duke, wake forest, ect.

[ryeager9]

Originally Posted by jmarquise

yeah you can surf at wrightsville beach. they have good waves there. they hold tournaments and things during the summer. I would say that just the opposite is true about wilmington. raleigh is much more for younger people. look at the average age of people. wilmington is a lot more older, retired people and young families. I think that raleigh has more young people for the simple fact that they have more jobs there and college grads coming from NC state, UNC chapel hill, Duke, wake forest, ect.

Everything jmarquise says is true. For your age demographic, my first instinct would be to say Raleigh. But because of what your job vocations are, I think you can do just as well in Wilmington as you could in Raleigh. It would be different if your careers were in banking or biotech or healthcare, but there are lots of car dealerships here in Wilm and a good (certified) mechanic can get a job. Being a skincare professional, I think you would be fine here in Wilm as well. Yes, this is a retirement community, but it is also a college town, so downtown has fun places to hit at night on the weekends. I would rule out Charlotte completely, as for your particular vocations, it would be no better than Raleigh and definitely a much longer drive to the beach. I have relocated a few times between the Raleigh/Cary/Morrisville area and Wilmington, and it's not a difficult move if one of the cities doesn't work out like you hoped. Best of luck to you both.