Comparing NC, Austin and Colorado..any suggestions? (Raleigh, Durham: appointed, school)

[outdoorsychica]

Any comments to compare and contrast these areas?

We are coming from the Seattle area and are looking for someplace with plenty of ***sunshine ***, tech market, natural beauty, outdoorsy lifestyle, good school systems, plenty to do both indoors and outdoors for both adults and family (with young children).

We are looking for someplace that is the right mix of having a rural lifestyle i.e. property, horses, space but access to metropolitan offerings as well...i.e.. restaurants, live music, sports teams, shopping, etc..

We have been to Colorado and North Carolina but have only heard what Austin is about at this point.

Comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

[sandycat]

Well I live in NC now after living in CO for 8 years. Colorado is a great place to live if you have plenty of cash. If you don't have plenty of cash and still want to live in Colorado, then you might be disappointed as to where you end up. We lived in Boulder and quite honestly, unless you have trust fund or are just loaded, it will be hard to get horse property there. BUT in terms of natural beauty and outdoor lifestyle and sunshine, the Front Range is the most awesome place. It was so sunny there, that I actually got the opposite of Seasonal Affect Disorder. I became highly annoyed and agitated with all the sunshine. A negative though is that it is very dry and very brown in the summer... very very dry (I literally never had to wear deoderant since the sweat just salted off my skin).

NC is beautiful, but different. It's very green, and very lush. The weather here is beautiful although the summers can get hot. It does rain, but it also is sunny. So compared to CO, I like the weather here better. There is a lot of outdoor activities, but in my opinion, you have to really seek them out. It's not as in your face outdoorsy as CO.

I;ve never been to Austin but have heard great things.

But whereever you move to, make sure you secure a job first.

[mdp_az]

sandycat does a nice job of capturing some of the negatives to a semi-arid climate like you'll find in CO. As for cost of living, though, Boulder is unique within the greater Front Range area. I think you could find some relatively affordable "mini-ranch" land or property on the outskirts of some of the mid-sized towns like Fort Collins, Greeley & Colo Springs. It gets cheaper the farther east you go.

[superk]

You want to compare a state against a single city and then against another state?

[outdoorsychica]

Superk.. I can see where my request is a little confusing. I should have posted.. Austin/Raleigh-Durham area/ and General Denver area. New to this type of information gathering.

Thank you all for your information.. it is very helpful. Its' hard to get a good pulse on a place when you can only visit for a few days at a time.

[zthatzmanz28]

Denver = MILD summers and COLD wet winters
Austin = HOT dry summers DRY hot winters
Raleigh = Nice hot humid summers and nice cool winters

[mdp_az]

Originally Posted by zthatzmanz28

Denver = MILD summers and COLD wet winters
Austin = HOT dry summers DRY hot winters
Raleigh = Nice hot humid summers and nice cool winters

Those climate generalizations seem way off to me. Denver has neither a mild summer nor cold & wet winter. Summer peaks in Denver from July through mid-August and is hot and dry with daytime temps often well into the 90s. The dry air makes it quite comfortable though, and nightime temps are pretty mild. We survived quite comfortably without A/C there. Winter is beautiful. It can be cold, but not upper-midwest cold as low humidity makes it feel milder. The area averages about 60" of snow a year, but outside of January it rarely sticks around for more than a few days thanks to all the sun and clear blue skies!

I have not been to Austin, but I believe they have cool, not cold winters...certainly not hot winters.

Raleigh's summers are very hot and humid. While some might call it nice, I find mid-July to early-September oppressive, with very high humidity and still air that feels thick and soupy. Nighttime lows in the summer often stay in the mid-70s with dewpoints in the same range. Spring, early summer (June) and fall are often beautiful. Winters are cool, but the air often feels colder than temps indicate due to higher humidity and sometimes grey skies. There are usually a few days each winter month that are perfect...blue skies, bright sun and tems in the upper-60s! It rains pretty regularly year round, with longer slower rains fall through spring and intense t-storms in summer.

[NCnut]

Originally Posted by mdp_az

Those climate generalizations seem way off to me. Denver has neither a mild summer nor cold & wet winter. Summer peaks in Denver from July through mid-August and is hot and dry with daytime temps often well into the 90s. The dry air makes it quite comfortable though, and nightime temps are pretty mild. We survived quite comfortably without A/C there. Winter is beautiful. It can be cold, but not upper-midwest cold as low humidity makes it feel milder. The area averages about 60" of snow a year, but outside of January it rarely sticks around for more than a few days thanks to all the sun and clear blue skies!

I have not been to Austin, but I believe they have cool, not cold winters...certainly not hot winters.

Raleigh's summers are very hot and humid. While some might call it nice, I find mid-July to early-September oppressive, with very high humidity and still air that feels thick and soupy. Nighttime lows in the summer often stay in the mid-70s with dewpoints in the same range. Spring, early summer (June) and fall are often beautiful. Winters are cool, but the air often feels colder than temps indicate due to higher humidity and sometimes grey skies. There are usually a few days each winter month that are perfect...blue skies, bright sun and tems in the upper-60s! It rains pretty regularly year round, with longer slower rains fall through spring and intense t-storms in summer.

I agree with most of what you say. But the last couple of summers here in NC have been kinda dry...

The thing that really seperates NC from TX and CO are the trees and plantlife. Typical of the eastern U.S. states, NC is pretty much covered in dense broadleaf and evergreen forests. We are very close to peak leaf color here in the Triad area. Lots of maples, ashes, hickories, sweetgums and tulip/yellow poplars here are turning colors now; it's beautiful.

Austin and CO come across as more 'outdoorsy' to me than NC. But we do have some great hiking trails in the mountains and parts of the piedmont. Not to mention lots of bike/ped paths throughout our cities. Other outdoor/indoor activities can be found pretty much anywhere.
We also have an extensive coastline and history.