Which town in NC??? (Charlotte, Raleigh: subdivisions, living, prices)

[d_Random]

Originally Posted by qc dreamin

ok. Since me sayong Charlotte enouh said was not good enough I will expand. I a a Charlotte native who currnetly residees in Greensboro. I moved up to High point from Charlotte in 2007 and moved to Greensboro last year. If you want the big city life than you definitely need to choose Charlotte. It has the nice walkable urban areas with nice restaurants nd shops scattered all over town(university city, Birkdale village,Ballantyne, Midtown, NoDa, etc....) Greensboro and the triad are minor cities with nice,hometown feels. There is not really a lot of urbanity in the triad but you can find things to do. I think you would like Charlotte best.

Thank you qc dreamin.

[rosabad]

Hi-Same thing with me--I live in the Monadnock area of NH and am looking at NC also and for the same reasons! I'm looking for affordable with good schools (I am raising my grandson, he's 8).
Suggestions are welcome!

[lowtown]

Chapel Hill sounds like a good match, or maybe even Carboro. They are practically connected. It is a smaller town where you can walk down the Franklin St. sidewalk to the local drug store, coffee shop, movie theater, grocery store (national chain or local co-op), and pretty much anything else you'd like. This is all just in the downtown area. There is major retail about 15 minutes away at Southpoint Mall also, but I try to avoid that hassle personally. Plus, you could say you live in the home of the #1 school in the country! National Champs 2009!

[JViello]

As a New Englander who used to live in NC and may be coming back...here is my take.

I'm most comfortable in the Triad. (Greensboro-W/S) I lived in Charlotte and have family just East of GSO so I've spent a lot of time there.

Charlotte and the Triangle can be a bit overwhelming for someone used to a New England lifestyle. It's not what you are used too. More blvds, light after light after light...subdivsion after subdivision with very little "countryside" like we have in N.E.

Yes I think Charlotte is NC's "big city", but in that regard it's only an hours drive from the Triad for trips to major league sport event etc. Think of being in Manchester NH and having access too Boston. About the same thing. Same for traveling to Raleigh if need be to see the Whalers - er, Hurricanes or the like if you wish.

If you would be okay with living in Boston, then Charlotte would probably work.

The Triad to me is just far enough North to have more balanced seasons - just enough snow to stick around for a day to get your fix, a little cooler in the Summer and the landscape is the most "New England like" I have found in NC. It seems to be least "boomtownish" in feel as well to me.

Ashville is nice too if you like the Brattleboro VT or North Hampton MA type of bohemian lifestyle...Asheville is a little more remote as well though.

So from a native New Englander who knows what you are used too - I would look into the Triad. Just enough city to meet your needs, and enough "country" to not feel congested with access to the other "big cities" pretty easy if need be.

I could not live in Charlotte again. Nice city, but way way way too congested for me.

[LLN]

Amazingly there are a bunch of towns and even small cities in NC other than Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro.

There are sections of all three that will have what you want, but why be a lemming? Find somewhere else. Somewhere smaller with more character, somewhere smaller that is still NC and not South NY (no offense NY'ers, but if you want NC, you want NC)

lln

[Dusty Rhodes]

Well, Mebane would be a reasonable alternative, tis betwix and between Greensboro, and Raleigh/Durham, the town straddles the line between Alamance County (Burlington, Graham) and Orange County (Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough)- Better schools on the Orange County side, also higher taxes. This area is perhaps better educated than most, it is amid, or at least in reasonable proximity to UNC, Duke U., N.C. State U., UNC-Greensboro, N.C. Central U. , N.C. A&T, several community colleges. This section of the country has a very high percentage of people with at least a Bachelors Degree. Mebane has two coffee shops, One of the best Mexican Restaurantes in the state, a passable Italian place, a couple of chain like places, but, no McDonalds, does have a couple of pizza places and a great farmers market during the growing season. It is small, friendly, and has a fair share of town festivals and activities, a good library and a few antique stores. You will see people walking on the sidewalks and they will normally speak. People walk their pets downtown, or, the pets walk their owners downtown, sometimes it is hard to tell which is which. The climate is nice, not sweltering in summer and hardly frigid in winter. We did get two snows this year, a rarity, in combination they may have lasted three days before melting away. Tis a friendly place, ....even to yankees. OH YEAH--- one other thing, Basketball is something of a big deal around here! It is kinda like the state obsession. But...in all fairness, some of the best hoops in the world is done here. Go Tarheels!!!

[DanielleNC]

Originally Posted by JViello

Charlotte and the Triangle can be a bit overwhelming for someone used to a New England lifestyle. It's not what you are used too. More blvds, light after light after light...subdivsion after subdivision with very little "countryside" like we have in N.E.

I disagree with what you say about the Triangle. Yes Charlotte and Raleigh have too much traffic for my taste. I grew up in Durham, and it's not that bad. If that is still too much city and traffic for you then northern Durham County (Bahama and Rougemont) and most of Orange County is very rural and very little traffic. The counties/towns outside of Wake County are also very rural.

Aptor hours,
Check out Hillsborough in Orange County which is convenient to Durham and Chapel Hill. It’s a great small historic town. Nearby is Mebane in Alamance County and is also convenient to both Durham and Chapel Hill and even closer to the Triad for more to do.

Originally Posted by Dusty Rhodes

Mebane has two coffee shops, One of the best Mexican Restaurantes in the state, a passable Italian place, a couple of chain like places, but, no McDonalds, does have a couple of pizza places and a great farmers market during the growing season.

There are two McDonald’s in Mebane and plenty of other fast foods. There is also a nice shopping center/mall that will be coming to Mebane as well as another outlet mall. It’s a great small town that is growing and convenient to several cities.

If you are really looking to live in larger cities then they would be Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro in that order.

[Dusty Rhodes]

Originally Posted by DanielleNC

I disagree with what you say about the Triangle. Yes Charlotte and Raleigh have too much traffic for my taste. I grew up in Durham, and it's not that bad. If that is still too much city and traffic for you then northern Durham County (Bahama and Rougemont) and most of Orange County is very rural and very little traffic. The counties/towns outside of Wake County are also very rural.

Aptor hours,
Check out Hillsborough in Orange County which is convenient to Durham and Chapel Hill. It’s a great small historic town. Nearby is Mebane in Alamance County and is also convenient to both Durham and Chapel Hill and even closer to the Triad for more to do.



There are two McDonald’s in Mebane and plenty of other fast foods. There is also a nice shopping center/mall that will be coming to Mebane as well as another outlet mall. It’s a great small town that is growing and convenient to several cities.

If you are really looking to live in larger cities then they would be Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro in that order.

Actually, there is a Bojangles, a KFC, a Burgerking, a Sonic, Ruby Tuesdays, and a CrackerBarrel, but no McDonalds in Mebane, no doubt one will arrive directly.

[DanielleNC]

Originally Posted by Dusty Rhodes

Actually, there is a Bojangles, a KFC, a Burgerking, a Sonic, Ruby Tuesdays, and a CrackerBarrel, but no McDonalds in Mebane, no doubt one will arrive directly.

You do realize Mebane is more than one exit right? There are a LOT more places than what you listed. Here are the McDonald's in Mebane: Restaurant Locator

P.S. I feel silly talking about fast foods as there are much better things in a town. So I will end my discussion on them now.

[Dusty Rhodes]

Originally Posted by DanielleNC

You do realize Mebane is more than one exit right? There are a LOT more places than what you listed. Here are the McDonald's in Mebane: Restaurant Locator

P.S. I feel silly talking about fast foods as there are much better things in a town. So I will end my discussion on them now.

OOPS, my bad, since I never eat there, I had forgotten about the one on Mebane Oaks.