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

[camraetian]

I'm trying to get out of Port St Lucie myself ddlove01 , how did you come up with Newton, and is it similar to PSL? My brother is thinking more along the lines of Matthews but we want to be closer to our hometown of NY. I'm scared to make a wrong move. Can any one tell me more about the areas around Raleigh? Thanks

[puddywuddy]

Originally Posted by 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?

You know fast film, it never ceases to amaze me the ignorance that permeates American life. This great land was stolen from the North American Indian Tribes across North America in the not so distant past. All of you come from a long lineage of immigrants. It’s amusing and rather ironic to see 3,4,5,6or even 7th generation immigrants rallying against other immigrants.

This country was discovered by immigrants for immigrants.

It’s refreshing to see that prejudice is still alive in the Carolinas.

[Father John]

Originally Posted by puddywuddy

You know fast film, it never ceases to amaze me the ignorance that permeates American life. This great land was stolen from the North American Indian Tribes across North America in the not so distant past. All of you come from a long lineage of immigrants. It’s amusing and rather ironic to see 3,4,5,6or even 7th generation immigrants rallying against other immigrants.

This country was discovered by immigrants for immigrants.

It’s refreshing to see that prejudice is still alive in the Carolinas.

And even the Native Americans were immigrants, albeit thousands of years ago. I believe that Africans are the only non-intercontinental immigrants in the world.

Tolerance seems to be something humans have not yet developed. Competition is fine when resources are unlimited and others are a threat to you. But when we are the threat to our very resources, perhaps we ought to be looking at cooperation, not competition.

[puddywuddy]

Well said.

[fastfilm]

If anyone has ever been to Los Angeles outside of the tourist spots, he or she might recognize there are two sides to observations.

Here's what I wish to leave behind. My nice dogs have been shot at through the fence by foreign nationals; my neighborhood has been changed from a moderate income, middle-class area of true diversity (people from everywhere on the globe) to that of predominantly illegals from one country; my neighborhood has stopped resembling a pleasant place for all and instead resembles a trash-bestrewn, high-density third world slum; my cars have been totalled three times in the last six years by foreign nationals driving without licenses; I, a middle-aged woman regularly have been spit on by people passing me on the sidewalks who hiss at me in a foreign language or try to push me off the sidewalk; and hardly anyone within miles speaks English, so I can't even be nice to people.

No sane person is against immigration: it's illegal immigration circa 2007 that incubates the problems I deal with daily here. The imprimatur of getting away with breaking the law appears to embolden illegals not to want to be Americans or even get along with other American citizens, be they born or naturalized.

Please tell me you lovely state and friendly people of all persuasions do not resemble Los Angeles...

[puddywuddy]

As a country of laws we need Immigration reform.
And that is where the problem lay.

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by fastfilm

If anyone has ever been to Los Angeles outside of the tourist spots, he or she might recognize there are two sides to observations.

Here's what I wish to leave behind. My nice dogs have been shot at through the fence by foreign nationals; my neighborhood has been changed from a moderate income, middle-class area of true diversity (people from everywhere on the globe) to that of predominantly illegals from one country; my neighborhood has stopped resembling a pleasant place for all and instead resembles a trash-bestrewn, high-density third world slum; my cars have been totalled three times in the last six years by foreign nationals driving without licenses; I, a middle-aged woman regularly have been spit on by people passing me on the sidewalks who hiss at me in a foreign language or try to push me off the sidewalk; and hardly anyone within miles speaks English, so I can't even be nice to people.

No sane person is against immigration: it's illegal immigration circa 2007 that incubates the problems I deal with daily here. The imprimatur of getting away with breaking the law appears to embolden illegals not to want to be Americans or even get along with other American citizens, be they born or naturalized.

Please tell me you lovely state and friendly people of all persuasions do not resemble Los Angeles...

Not yet. But if this country doesn't get a grip on the problems illegal immigrants are causing us I do worry what we'll be like in 25 years. I do not blame you at all for wanting out of such a hell hole. Please come here and help us make sure NC doesn't suffer the same fate.

Frankly I am sick to death of hearing about the cultural differences these folks insist on bringing here, not caring how dangerous and disgusting they are. I am not anti-immigrant - but if you want to live here then you must at least attempt to learn the language and be willing to be educated about how to live in your new country.

How many more drunken illegals do we have to put up with killing yet one more innocent person on a NC highway - all because in THEIR country they don't know you aren't supposed to drink and drive. (Please do not write me back and tell me drunk driving is done by plenty of Americans too, I KNOW that. But the percentage of illegals killing innocent people this way is tremendously high for their population numbers - and what's worse, THEY DON'T CARE, they refuse to assimilate and accept that in THIS country drinking and driving are against the law.)

How many more innocent little children are going to die every winter by carbon monoxide poisoning just because their illegal alien parents won't heed the warnings about using gas grills to heat their homes on a cold night?

And now, how many more innocent people are going to die in the ecoli outbreak (one woman already has) caused when a group of illegals used their employers restaurant kitchen after hours to slaughter a goat? If they worked in the restaurant they should have well known about proper hygiene and sanitizing surfaces and utilsils - apparently they didn't think it important enough to follow those rules and now people are sick who later ate at that restaurant.

Unfortunately in this country it is now apparently politically incorrect to point out simple obvious truths - so I guess I can prepare myself to get slammed and given negative rep. I just hope none of you who think I am being too harsh have to find out the truth the hard way by being victimized in one of the ways I listed above.

[Prettygyrl777]

Well to answer the original question: I'm looking for real trees, hills, change of seasons and a place I can live in where I don't feel like I'm being roasted or baked 10 months out of the year.

[devoneri]

NC for me is midway between my family (Tampa) & my fiance's (Buffalo). As a Florida native, I felt I had to flee the state when it turned to the concrete jungle of rudeness it is now. In fact, even 15 yrs ago it was a bit too much of that for my liking. My family dispersed across the state, my friends all left as well, and all my old haunts have disappeared. And Florida can keep its hurricanes - I consider myself lucky to have gotten out when I did.

I've spent the last 4 yrs in Buffalo, not exactly my choice, but it was a place to be & finish up my degree with a low cost of living for a single mom. The schools here are terrible though. The job market is worse - ok actually that's a toss up. Crime is bad. There really isn't a single street in the entire city that isn't walking distance from ghetto. Although I've loved my time here, coming from elsewhere & having no family left here equates to no reason to stay.

NC then is really just a fresh start. I know that everyone's hometowns are changing. Population is only on the up & up all over the country & world. Do I think NC will be some magical place, free of all the problems I've mentioned above? Of course not, but it does seem to be more moderately plagued with problems, rather than extremely plagued.

I'm getting older. I want a career, a home, a family. The responses from the locals - both transplants & natives - seem to be overwhelmingly interested in those 3 things. Everyone seems to be interested in knowing their neighbors, paying them & strangers respect & kindness, not because they have to but because they want to. I like that.

And hell, if all else fails & 5 years from now none of that is actually in NC for me? Well at least by then I will have hopefully had a chance to save up enough money to go to some small town in Nebraska & escape all the insane city life haha! :P

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by devoneri

NC for me is midway between my family (Tampa) & my fiance's (Buffalo). As a Florida native, I felt I had to flee the state when it turned to the concrete jungle of rudeness it is now. In fact, even 15 yrs ago it was a bit too much of that for my liking. My family dispersed across the state, my friends all left as well, and all my old haunts have disappeared. And Florida can keep its hurricanes - I consider myself lucky to have gotten out when I did.

I've spent the last 4 yrs in Buffalo, not exactly my choice, but it was a place to be & finish up my degree with a low cost of living for a single mom. The schools here are terrible though. The job market is worse - ok actually that's a toss up. Crime is bad. There really isn't a single street in the entire city that isn't walking distance from ghetto. Although I've loved my time here, coming from elsewhere & having no family left here equates to no reason to stay.

NC then is really just a fresh start. I know that everyone's hometowns are changing. Population is only on the up & up all over the country & world. Do I think NC will be some magical place, free of all the problems I've mentioned above? Of course not, but it does seem to be more moderately plagued with problems, rather than extremely plagued.

I'm getting older. I want a career, a home, a family. The responses from the locals - both transplants & natives - seem to be overwhelmingly interested in those 3 things. Everyone seems to be interested in knowing their neighbors, paying them & strangers respect & kindness, not because they have to but because they want to. I like that.

And hell, if all else fails & 5 years from now none of that is actually in NC for me? Well at least by then I will have hopefully had a chance to save up enough money to go to some small town in Nebraska & escape all the insane city life haha! :P

Hey, good attitude, I like your adventurous spirit. Hope you find what you are looking for in NC, OR Nebraska, lol.