To all those seeking to live in NC, what exactly is it that you are after? (Raleigh: college, income)

[luckydog]

What are the ones that live underground, but come out in-mass once every 15 years or so?

Cicadas---Some species emerge from underground, in mass (broods), every 17 years (some species every 13 years), mate & die. They are related to aphids. Locusts are grasshoppers.

Found this about why they are confused with one another...neat:
"Periodical cicadas are commonly called or referred to as "17-year locusts." Early American colonists had never seen periodical cicadas. They were familiar with the biblical story of locust plagues in Egypt and Palestine, but were not sure what kind of insect was being described. When the cicadas appeared by the millions, some of these early colonists thought a "locust plague" had come upon them...The confusion between cicadas and locusts exists today in that cicadas are commonly called locusts. The term "locust" is correctly applied only to certain species of grasshoppers. "

info on NC periodical cicadas:
http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache...s&ct=clnk&cd=2

[I'minformed2]

I find the ladybugs in winter in NC to be way more bothersome than the cicadas in summer. Those things INVADE your house.

[fastfilm]

My husband and I are seeking an alternative to this. My photo shows what $1,000.00 a month buys you for a 1-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles in a neighborhood of $600,000.00 to $800,000.00 houses in the more affordable San Fernando Valley section of L.A. Granted, our house and block are not as ratty as this because we don't have apartments, but this is our immediate environment, the neighborhood we traverse everyday, a couple of blocks away. Looks like a pretty enticing invitation to move to L.A., eh?

[Bethanytedder]

Originally Posted by fastfilm

My husband and I are seeking an alternative to this. My photo shows what $1,000.00 a month buys you for a 1-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles in a neighborhood of $600,000.00 to $800,000.00 houses in the more affordable San Fernando Valley section of L.A. Granted, our house and block are not as ratty as this because we don't have apartments, but this is our immediate environment, the neighborhood we traverse everyday, a couple of blocks away. Looks like a pretty enticing invitation to move to L.A., eh?

Good heavens. $1000.00 a month here would nearly be a morgage payment on a nice house. Not anything really fancy but certainly nothing to turn your nose up at. I hope that you find what you are looking for here. I can't imagine living in a condo though.

[Thanks Now Go Home]

Please stop moving here. We have more people than we want or need. Schools are much too crowded. North Carolina culture is going down the tubes. House prices are too inflated now. Yes we have HUGE bugs everywhere you look! Schools are terrible and taxes are way too high.

There are nicer places to live besides NC. How about moving to Iowa or Mississippi?

[fastfilm]

My husband and I are college educated, middle-class, English-speaking, law-abiding American citizens who have family in the South. He's a terrific teacher with decades of experience to handle those overcrowded schools. My hobbies are too rural for our city environs, being horses and dogs. We hate cookie-cutter developments and will be seeking communities that do not resemble what we want to leave behind here forever. We are not liberal. We hate L.A.!

Rather than falling into the discourse trap of "would you rather have neighbors who aren't law-abiding, English-speaking, educated, middle-class American citizens instead," I'll just point out that anyone consulting these boards is somewhat challenged economically. Those with unlimited finances can just move to whatever is the nicest, safest neighborhood wherever they chose without much research. Those consulting a forum such as this are comparison-shopping. There are always trade-offs, and we want to know what they will be. I like to learn the truths and facts.

Are you going to deny that your state has as many pros as cons for middle-class people? Or is the welcome mat only out for those who aren't American citizens?

[Sueb]

Well said, Fastfilm, I couln't agree more! And I hope I won't be living next to "Don't Move Here"

[mm34b]

Originally Posted by Sueb

Well said, Fastfilm, I couln't agree more! And I hope I won't be living next to "Don't Move Here"

Don't be too sure "Don't Move Here" even lives in North Carolina. Just might be someone who wants to see what kind of reaction they can invoke. An Internet "troll" is a person who delights in sowing discord on the Internet with outlandish statements and questions. He (and it is usually he) tries to start arguments and upset people for sport. I've seen it many times on other public forums. If you stay on a forum long enough you begin to learn the individual personality traits and quirks of the posters and identify the trolls. Eventually, they move on to other web sites to start anew, if they fail to get sufficient reaction to their postings. After all this is the Internet where everyone's true identity, motives and truthfulness are questionable.

[luckydog]

I've hung around long enough now that I do feel like I understand where both sides are coming from... I empathasize with both, truly. It's like being between a rock/hard place..for both sides.

I came to this board feeling like her. But, please don't start bashing me, because you can check back...I haven't made a post like that ever. And I've read a huge amount of posts, over the weeks, like fastfilm's & sue's, & I now have a newfound empathy & understanding of "why" you're coming. I've learned a lot. But, at the same time, in my heart, I can't say I embrace it.

I don't know if you can understand at all....if you can understand it without being offended or feeling terribly unwelcomed. Please know, I'm not trying to offend, attack, incite or discourage anyone.

It is your right to make your own choices and it's a free country and I respect that. And I understand those "whys" you give...they are perfectly understandable. But, dang, I don't have to like it. But, I do realize from my time here, that I will have to acclimate to it. And I'm trying. I've stuck around & tried to give help & info & learn myself. I've tried to be good natured & take the most positive disposition I can. Natives feel invaded & concerned about what the future holds for NC. They do feel resentful. It's true. Most natives haven't had the benefit of having read posts on forums like this & don't know the flip side to why the invasion is happening....it's just happening & they are looking around and going...holy smokes! this is the pits...what's happening...stop, I don't like this...it riles them...they feel like you just up & decided to flock here, having no idea of what's driven you here & why. I hope you can understand that. And in reading the posts, I see some of you are concerned too. Some of you posting you hope that you'll find an undiscovered spot, or that you hope the droves don't follow you, & change what you've found, to what you left.

This is my lifelong home for many, many generations & I don't want it to change. It's human nature. I want for my children & theirs, for my little corner of the world to stay the same...sometimes I almost feel like I'm maternally trying to protect my children, like a mother bear that bears her claws to protect her young, from an innocent person that just wandered in between you & her cub...I want the generational way of life my family has always known to continue. But, I fear it won't. That's life. And everything changes. I have to accept that. But, I still have to don't like it. This mass exodus to NC is making me, as a native, realize that I have to try to acclimate to all of you, just as you do to us. It's the right thing to do. And I'm trying. But, in my heart, the truth is I don't like it. The descriptions of what you are leaving are horrifying to me. So, again, I empathsize you want to leave it. And I pray that you'll try to preserve the NC you find & not tranform it. So many here seem to be trying hard to learn, to acclimate. I appreciate that. And I'm trying to help you to. I guess I feel like it will be mutually beneficial, because I concede that like it or not, y'all are moving in' in droves, and to bury my head in the sand or pout in the corner or yell that I'm mad won't do a thing to help.

But, please don't forget that not all of you are so willing to bend...that so many come & are completely opposite of the majority of you here on this forum. They are rude, down our throats, and they not only look down on us, perceiving as ignorant, simple & racist, they complain, belittle us & attempt to change everything into what we perceive as the cesspool you came from. That understandably provokes some negative reaction. And it's a rare native that hasn't met up with a slew of folks like that. I have had a ton of experiences like that myself. Most of which involved treatment & attitudes that were the worst of which I have ever experienced. I have no tolerance of that. And I never will. It goes against my beliefs & value system, that shall never change. But, I encounter that very little here...some...but, I'm trying to learn about you & you from me & I hope that that will be for the betterment of us both....mutual acclimation I guess. But, gulp, I still don't like it. And sometimes, gulp, it makes me really angry & resentful. But, I'm trying to work through it. I hope you'll bear with me.

Okay, after all these weeks, I've finally put it out there...how I really feel. I'll duck now. I hope I'll not be pelted with offended, angry northern hockey pucks! Really, truly, I'm just trying to help, to lend an understanding & gain further understanding myself.

So, Sue, you will have some neighbors like that...lots & lots of them. And I'll have lots & lots that I won't care for a bit either. But, I hope you'll have some like me. And I'll have some like you. Fair enough? or should I duck?

[Billzfan]

Originally Posted by jerseymom

NCKatie,
There's no need to apologize. I wasn't angry about your comments on that thread. I understand completely the frustration of having a town change because it is suddenly "discovered". My frustration was regarding a different post there. Not everyone can get their point across as tactfully as you and so many on this forum who have helped out. I shouldn't let it bother me.

The frustration of having a town "discovered" comes with fringe benefits. The town may now be overrun by people, but it creates jobs for natives... Someone has to build all of the houses, infrastructure, etc. for all of those new people and some of the locals welcome the change and choose it over maintaining serenity.