Quote:
Originally Posted by Hatless Wonder
Hubby and I are lifelong Bostonians, and we're considering a move to North Carolina. We'd prefer urban to rural, and I'm leaning toward Wilmington, Charlotte, the Triad, or Asheville. I'm Black, he's White, and we want to start a family in the next 5 years. I'm going to be a nurse, so finding a job won't be a problem.
How does North Carolina compare to Boston? What was the hardest thing to get used to? What do you like about the place? What don't you like? What advice would you give to a fellow Bostonian?
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I wouldn't totally agree with Erin on this one... though my wife, who's a southern NH native, misses Boston a fair amount. Me, who spent about 10 years in Boston/Cambridge but is a Fla. native... not as much, but there are things I miss from time to time.
Things I like:
* Housing that's affordable
* Diverse and welcoming environment
* Cities town (Durham/Chapel Hill/Carrboro; Asheville) that are politically progressive and liberal -- you don't get such a mix everywhere in the south
* Fantastic weather
* In the Triangle at least, more respect and appreciation for local restaurants, shopping, etc. than you get in lots of the south (which can be a bit biased towards big-box)
* Tons of job opportunities (Charlotte, Triangle), with lots of university, biomed, IT, financial, etc.
* Great colleges/universities like UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke, Davidson, Guilford, etc., with all the positives that go with those, like great hospitals
* Sounds like a little thing, but lots better grocery stores and options
Things I miss/would miss about Boston:
* Walkable/public transport -- I miss walking to work every day, taking the subway, etc.
* Better public schools
* The history
* The skyline, downtown, etc. ... the urban environment. Charlotte has a little bit of this... Raleigh and Durham less so... but in either case, it's nothing like the energy of the "Hub of the Universe"
* RED SOX! Though the Durham Bulls are FUN... it's no Fenway.
In terms of natural environment, there are lots of similarities between NC and New England (only less cold). Ocean is a few hours away, so are the mountains. Plenty of walking trails, parks, etc. Unlike lots of the south, at least in Raleigh-Durham there are no billboards all over the interstate; the freeways have forest/trees on all sides.
Regarding what Erin said about medical care -- mixed bag. For the couple of 'serious' things that have come up since we moved, we got great care at Duke's hospital. Duke is the MGH or BI of the Triangle. For primary care and "regular" doctor visits... just okay, nothing special. My wife really misses her old primary care doc.
I've been lucky enough to live in a half-dozen places up and down the East Coast, and for us, NC is the perfect balance in terms of professional opportunities, progressive environment, affordable housing, and good schools. For me, the only places outside of Boston that I could ever imagine living are the Triangle and Asheville.
When push comes to shove, if living in a true *big city* is important to you... you will really miss Boston and have a hard time matching it. If that's not the be all and end all for you, then NC has some wonderful things to offer.
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