Well I won't end up moving to Orlando (house, buying)

[ClC053103]

Best of luck to you!!!!! I enjoyed your commentary on your last visit- maybe your path will lead to Orlando in the future!

[PDF]

Originally Posted by ClC053103

Best of luck to you!!!!! I enjoyed your commentary on your last visit- maybe your path will lead to Orlando in the future!

Thanks! But I definitely wouldn't be considering Orlando in the future. Or Florida at all. More of a now or never thing. The major issue is staying in my home state for the rest of my life, and for personal/career purposes...where I move now has to be something long-term.

[PDF]

Originally Posted by DeejayDJ

Funny because when I was in Orlando the last time (circa Dec. 2012) I felt downtown Orlando had much more to offer compared to downtown Charlotte (not steering you away from Charlotte). I walked around Wall Street, Church Street, Lake Eola, and Thornton Park. I don't drink so I didn't care much for the bars but when I saw Wall Street for the first time it reminded me of a mini Bourbon Street which I thought was cool.

I was more referring to the overall development of the city, not just the Downtown areas. I'm moving to Raleigh, though. Charlotte is definitely a possibility for the future.

[StreetSmarts]

my neighbors want to move to Charlotte.

[JMatl]

I hope you like Raleigh, PDF. It's a very nice metro combined with Durham and Chapel Hill.

Downtown Raleigh is really starting to blossom, and the people in the area are super friendly. You'll also enjoy 4 distinct seasons with gorgeous Falls & Springs.

Good luck!

[OMT21]

I've enjoyed reading your posts PDF and wish you luck wherever you wind up. I understand the desire to leave your home state. I left North Carolina, my home state, for Florida, and am very happy with my move. I could see myself possibly moving back to the Carolinas or Georgia some day though. Try to get a good job at a place you enjoy working at. That can have a big effect on how happy you are wherever you live.

Keep in mind that besides having a state income tax, NC has some antiquated laws that may cause some aggravation from time to time - state owned ABC liquor stores, a law prohibiting happy hours at bars, you can't buy beer until 12 noon on Sunday and a yearly car tax and inspection are required for every vehicle. Internet speeds are also lower in most places than what you get in FL.

On the flipside, car insurance is some of the cheapest in the country and there is only one toll in the state, in the Raleigh area. However, highway funding and maintenance in NC is much worse than in FL. Lots of potholes and burnt out street lights. The NCDOT has neglected Raleigh and Charlotte over the years, as they have experienced tremendous growth and road infrastructure and maintenance has not kept pace. The NCDOT has instead chosen to build roads to nowhere in rural areas, in order to "spread the wealth around" which has wasted a lot of their limited resources.

Raleigh and Charlotte are nice places and I would live in both, but outside their small urban cores, both cities are very suburban and nondescript in nature. They may not provide a big city feel, if that's what you're looking for.

I don't mean to be a negative Nancy. It will be fun to explore a new state you're not familar with. Make sure to take a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the whole length if you can. Raleigh has a good food and sports scene, and an educated populace. I look forward to reading your observations after you move there.

[theurbanfiles]

Yeah, best of luck with your move!

You will now have an NHL team which is good.

Keep in mind the mountains (Pisgah's at least) are about 3.5 hours from Raleigh, however I believe the OBX is quite a bit closer than that, like less than 2 hrs.

I would say one of the biggest things that area has going for it is the educated populace, and how having two schools like UNC and Duke certainly elevates the classiness of the region, so long as a decent amount of graduates stay around and/or matriculate to the city while living there.

Best wishes.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by clevelander1991

Yeah, best of luck with your move!

You will now have an NHL team which is good.

The Hurricanes? They're okay, but nothing compared to the Lightning...

[PDF]

Originally Posted by OMT21

I've enjoyed reading your posts PDF and wish you luck wherever you wind up. I understand the desire to leave your home state. I left North Carolina, my home state, for Florida, and am very happy with my move. I could see myself possibly moving back to the Carolinas or Georgia some day though. Try to get a good job at a place you enjoy working at. That can have a big effect on how happy you are wherever you live.

Keep in mind that besides having a state income tax, NC has some antiquated laws that may cause some aggravation from time to time - state owned ABC liquor stores, a law prohibiting happy hours at bars, you can't buy beer until 12 noon on Sunday and a yearly car tax and inspection are required for every vehicle. Internet speeds are also lower in most places than what you get in FL.

On the flipside, car insurance is some of the cheapest in the country and there is only one toll in the state, in the Raleigh area. However, highway funding and maintenance in NC is much worse than in FL. Lots of potholes and burnt out street lights. The NCDOT has neglected Raleigh and Charlotte over the years, as they have experienced tremendous growth and road infrastructure and maintenance has not kept pace. The NCDOT has instead chosen to build roads to nowhere in rural areas, in order to "spread the wealth around" which has wasted a lot of their limited resources.

Raleigh and Charlotte are nice places and I would live in both, but outside their small urban cores, both cities are very suburban and nondescript in nature. They may not provide a big city feel, if that's what you're looking for.

I don't mean to be a negative Nancy. It will be fun to explore a new state you're not familar with. Make sure to take a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the whole length if you can. Raleigh has a good food and sports scene, and an educated populace. I look forward to reading your observations after you move there.

No worries about being negative, I don't see it that way. I did come across some of those laws plus the car tax, which shocked me at first. I'm all set on the job front though, same company whether I'm in FL or NC. Thanks for the extended info, it helps. There are definitely a few trade-offs to be made here.

[PDF]

Originally Posted by clevelander1991

Yeah, best of luck with your move!

You will now have an NHL team which is good.

Keep in mind the mountains (Pisgah's at least) are about 3.5 hours from Raleigh, however I believe the OBX is quite a bit closer than that, like less than 2 hrs.

I would say one of the biggest things that area has going for it is the educated populace, and how having two schools like UNC and Duke certainly elevates the classiness of the region, so long as a decent amount of graduates stay around and/or matriculate to the city while living there.

Best wishes.

Oh yeah, I love my hockey. So that's a plus. I think the Hurricanes suck, though.