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My wife and I live in a very nice Southern California desert town--best weather anywhere for 8 months, but with global warming we're getting tired of the 111 to 121 degree summers. Also the area is getting overcrowded. Cost of living is high, too. We're thinking of moving to NC (have a few friends there). Hickory and Mooresville look like nice towns and it appears you can get a very nice home for less than $300,000 (the same would be more than double here). We want to live in a small to medium sized town within driving distance of a big city for every known amenity (art, museums, concerts, restaurants). Are we on the right track? What can you tell us about these towns and others in the area? Is it an easy drive to Charlotte (at least on a Saturday or Sunday)? Finally, can a desert rat adapt to humidity? What's worse, 115 and dry or 88 and humid? Thanks.
Mooresville is located in Iredell county. Mooresville is about 25-30 miles north of Charlotte, Charlotte is the largest city in the Carolinas. Mooresville is primarily a lake community, and is bordered by Lake Norman, a large man made lake than spans several counties. Mooresville has become more of a Charlotte suburb in the past few years and has experienced a massive population boom. All in all, Mooresville is closer to Charlotte and is itself a nice city with plenty to do, but the population boom of the area has heavily congested the roads. So you would still be dealing with alot of growth and traffic. Home prices in this area continue to rise with each new development, so the more house for your money in Mooresville is going away, not completely but its getting there.
Hickory is a city in Catawba county and is in the NC foothills. Hickory would be a little over an hours drive into Charlotte, and an hour and a half to Asheville. This city is growing, but not nearly at the rate as Mooresville, atleast not yet. Rather easy drive into the mountains. Hickory is more of a established city than Mooresville, and the population of Hickory is around 40,000. The northern parts of the city are bordered by Lake Hickory. I would think that you could easily get more home and property for your money in the Hickory area. Hickory does have many attractions that you would like.
The weather can actually get into the 90s with humidity in the late spring and summer. Hickory being a little cooler since its a little bit higher elevation. In Mooresville and Hickory you will enjoy all four seasons.
Overall, Mooresville would be a much easier drive into Charlotte simply because of the shorter distance. Mooresville does have alot of growth issues. The city is growing and building so quickly its amazing and puts quite a bit of strain on the infrastructure.
How often are you going to Charlotte? The congestion in Mooresville scares the heck outta me. One of these days they are going to have to repave I-77. I cannot imagine the mess that will be. It is only two lanes in each direction. It should be at least four.
Hickory has a nice route to Charlotte via US321 which is a limited access highway between Hickory and Gastonia. We live north of Hickory in Lenoir and enjoy the most wonderful weather. I always say it is the best weather east of California. If it gets hot we head to the mountains. It has snowed here once in two years yet there is skiing thirty miles to the north.
One downside people seldom mention is allergies. I haven't had sinus problems for twenty years but the tree pollen here has me sniffling. I thought it was bad here and went to Raleigh last week! Wow, the cars were all green/yellow. All covered with pollen.
Thanks for these posts. Hickory sounds more to our liking. We'd probably only drive to Charlotte twice a month -- to hit the Trader Joe's that's coming, go shopping, do some cultural things, etc. What's the town of Hickory like? How are the restaurants, theaters, etc? I checked at Weather.com and it seems Hickory has very consistent rainfall of a few inches every month. Is it frequent, as in something nearly every day, or more like once a week?
Hickory is a very nice town.
We are relocating from NJ to a small town north of hickory - Taylorsville.
Hickory seems to have everything kind of shopping and restaurant that you could want
Melissa
Thanks for these posts. Hickory sounds more to our liking. We'd probably only drive to Charlotte twice a month -- to hit the Trader Joe's that's coming, go shopping, do some cultural things, etc. What's the town of Hickory like? How are the restaurants, theaters, etc? I checked at Weather.com and it seems Hickory has very consistent rainfall of a few inches every month. Is it frequent, as in something nearly every day, or more like once a week?
Well Hickory has a Carmike Theatre, which is the main theatre and rather new that plays all the latest movies. Restaurants are plenty. Red Lobster, Carrabas, Olive Garden, Outback, Chilis, Applebees, J&S Cafeteria, etc, name it, Hickory has it.
It definitely does not rain everyday. It rains like anywhere else in NC. Enough for no droughts usually, but plenty of sunny days.
Shopping is plenty too. Target, Best Buy, Dicks Sporting Goods, Valley Hills Mall, Lowes, Walmart, Old Navy, Kohls, Home Depot, H.H. Gregg, Circuit City, all major chains are mostly there.
Hickory has a theatre group, a neat little downtown area but it has the most confusing street system I have ever seen. The streets are all numbered and run north and south. The avenues are all numbered and run east and west. Sounds easy except that most of the streets wind. Often you'll find one avenue going off to the left and a different one going off to the right. Jeez! It is confusing.
The weather was a BIG issue for us moving here. What you cannot grasp by studying weather.com as we did was the fact that the rains are usually hit and miss. I drove downtown the other day and was in and out of the rains four times. Also, it is often beautiful when raining. The sun may be shining where you are yet you can see rain falling in the distance. It very seldom rains all day. Have seen it only a few times. Often the rains though constant are very pleasant. Unlike where we came from you still see cloud definition
on a rainy day instead of the totally gray gloom we were used to. This place is simplly gorgeous.
My wife and I live in a very nice Southern California desert town--best weather anywhere for 8 months, but with global warming we're getting tired of the 111 to 121 degree summers. Also the area is getting overcrowded. Cost of living is high, too. We're thinking of moving to NC (have a few friends there). Hickory and Mooresville look like nice towns and it appears you can get a very nice home for less than $300,000 (the same would be more than double here). We want to live in a small to medium sized town within driving distance of a big city for every known amenity (art, museums, concerts, restaurants). Are we on the right track? What can you tell us about these towns and others in the area? Is it an easy drive to Charlotte (at least on a Saturday or Sunday)? Finally, can a desert rat adapt to humidity? What's worse, 115 and dry or 88 and humid? Thanks.
Hi there
Well, my husband and I will be relocating to the Mooresville area very soon. All of NC is gorgeous, but, we made our desicion because my husband is very familiar with that area. I was there, visiting, already at different times of the year. Yes, I did get caught up in an ice storm a few years back. And, also in a smoldering, hot summer.
But, all in all it is very tolerable. The winters are usually not very long (compared to PA) and very mild in comparison. The summers can get hot at times, but, to be honest with you, did I find more humidity sometimes in PA!
I didn't really know what humidity was, until I moved down here to FL, and went trough my first summer....lol.
Anyway, I believe too, that the desert heat is much more tolerable. Why? I am not sure. I only know, that this humid heat knocks me on my butt, and I feel like a "wrung out washcloth" after being in it for a short time.
In Vegas, however, I was fine (Unless that was due to the delicious martini's??? lol)
Dick, you and your wife will love NC, because it's a "little in the middle" weatherwise (If you move to the Mooresville or surrounding area. But, my post will go right out the window if you move to the mountains for obvious reasons....lol). You will get it all in the right doses here, and that's what makes it truly livable and tolerable.
And, yes, traffic is bad at times....
But, it's all relative, and if you can, time your commutes. (That does not apply if you are employed, and I am not going to be the excuse you tell your boss...."I made my own schedule, because MB2PA told me, to time my commute")....lol
Also, sometimes it's less stressy to take backroads, if there are any leading to your destination.
So, I will leave you with my best regarts, and the best of luck to you and your wife!
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