Has anyone moved to the south and not liked it? (Greensboro: sex offenders, low crime)

[toobusytoday]

We lived in Roanoke, VA (Southwestern part of the state) for a year and my son is presently going to college there. The schools are very good, housing is cheap and it has four season weather. The Blue Ridge mountains are within 10 minutes for hiking. It's a beautiful area. Virginia public colleges are also excellent in both value and quality. We found the people to be extremely friendly and kind. I wouldn't be suprised if my son decided to stay down there after he graduates. One of the great features on www.schoolmatters.com is that it is a national site so you can compare schools in different states. When I plugged in the small town where my son's college is (Salem, VA) the ratings were just as high (91.1% for reading and 83% for math) as the districts I'm familiar with here in PA.

[Baltic_Celt]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

We lived in Roanoke, VA (Southwestern part of the state) for a year and my son is presently going to college there. The schools are very good, housing is cheap and it has four season weather. The Blue Ridge mountains are within 10 minutes for hiking. It's a beautiful area. Virginia public colleges are also excellent in both value and quality. We found the people to be extremely friendly and kind. I wouldn't be suprised if my son decided to stay down there after he graduates. One of the great features on www.schoolmatters.com is that it is a national site so you can compare schools in different states. When I plugged in the small town where my son's college is (Salem, VA) the ratings were just as high (91.1% for reading and 83% for math) as the districts I'm familiar with here in PA.

Hi TBT -

Thank you for the schoolmatters link. I'll pass it onto my sister who has a young son not yet ready for school, but it's great for future reference. I love VA, too, but never had the opportunity to live there. Richmond used to be inexpensive, comparitively, to Boston in the 80's, but I've seen that rents are much higher over the past 10-yrs. I'm sure there's many lovely VA cities that I haven't seen. I've enjoyed everyplace I've vacationed or stopped by during my travels & coincidentally, many parts of the state remind me of parts of PA, just hotter summer weather in the southern part of the state.

Thank you... VV

[MB2]

Originally Posted by momix5

thank you for all the responses. One of the reasons we were looking into NC and Sc was that I thought it was cheaper to live there than PA, but I am finding houses in our price range, in Pa. We like the Hershey area but we also like NEPA. We are visiting York for the second time this summer and the Pittsburgh area, MY husband is a Cat Scan Tech so anywhere near a hospital with good schools is fine. I just want to make sure this is the right decision for my family.

Near hospitals? The Allentown or hershey area would be the PERFECT place for your husband to find work at, and for you guys to raise your family.
I LOVE Allentown suburbs, because they remind me so much of germany!!!!
I just returned from a 4 year stint in FL, and all I liked about it, was about the first 6 months while we were there, and then got hit with the 2 hurricanes back to back.
About 2 weeks ago, we moved back here to NEPA, and have to make up our minds, where we wanted to be. I guess, we are staying, but definately NOT where we are now (Hazleton!)
We are looking into Bloomsburg at this point in time......lol.
Good luck!

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by momix5

Hi, has anyone moved south and not liked it? I am looking to relocate myself and husband and children within the next year, we have been to most of PA on vacations and really do love it, but we also visited NC and Sc and liked it but not loved it like we felt in PA, I want a much more simplier life than on LI, heard that the schools in PA were great in a lot of areas, and the schools in Sc and Nc leave a lot to be desired. Please be honest as I have 5 children one of whom is handicapped. Thank you in advance!

I lived in North Carolina for a few years as a child. My parents hated it. Granted, it was years ago---but people would stare at my mother, give her dirty looks, and shun her for simply holding conversations with black people.

I've also lived elsewhere in the south myself as an adult. Things have changed, but there's still an undertone there. Northerners will always be outsiders to an extent. You'll never become part of the good ol boy network that is still alive and well. Even though you might not think you want to be part of that network, it might influence your life if you run into trouble with something simple. The law won't necessarily be on your side for little things.

Be forwarned---southerners are not literal people. Their politeness is merely social decorum. If they say "stop by anytime," they don't literally mean it. Northerners sometimes find that out the hard way. LOL

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

We lived in Roanoke, VA (Southwestern part of the state) for a year and my son is presently going to college there. The schools are very good, housing is cheap and it has four season weather. The Blue Ridge mountains are within 10 minutes for hiking. It's a beautiful area. Virginia public colleges are also excellent in both value and quality. We found the people to be extremely friendly and kind. I wouldn't be suprised if my son decided to stay down there after he graduates. One of the great features on www.schoolmatters.com is that it is a national site so you can compare schools in different states. When I plugged in the small town where my son's college is (Salem, VA) the ratings were just as high (91.1% for reading and 83% for math) as the districts I'm familiar with here in PA.

OMGoodness. We ran into some huge problems in Roanoke handling my sister's estate. It's the kind of place where people are friendly on the surface.

Can you believe my sister's landlord sued her estate because she didn't give notice that she was going to die?

Can you believe that the landlord won? LOL

That's just a sampling of the many stories I can tell you about Roanoke.

If you weren't born and raised there, the system will almost always work against you.

[MB2]

Originally Posted by Hopes

OMGoodness. We ran into some huge problems in Roanoke handling my sister's estate. It's the kind of place where people are friendly on the surface.

Can you believe my sister's landlord sued her estate because she didn't give notice that she was going to die?

Can you believe that the landlord won? LOL

That's just a sampling of the many stories I can tell you about Roanoke.

If you weren't born and raised there, the system will almost always work against you.

You can't be serious....."Giving notice she was going to die"??????
Are you serious?????????
I am so sorry...it's morbit, and not polite, but I GOT TO LAUGH about this one....sorry...LOLx10

[memoriesbre]

Orginally from NY then Jersey then decided "wow, let's move to Florida before the kids are too grown up to come with us" what a big mistake that was.
We are now back up in the NEPA area and loving it. Two out of three of our kids will be moving back up real soon. Our oldest just got married in Boca Raton and is staying put down there for now.
I vote for NEPA all the way over the south.

[fiestachic]

I am originally from MD and am currently stationed down in MS. I know alot of people like the south, but there are alot of things I dislike...For one, I miss snow. To some people no snow is a blessing, so that's your call. Two...it is way too hot and humid for way too long. It seems like it is always summer. And with heat comes those annoying lizards and GIGANTIC "palmetto bugs"...a.k.a. GIANT ROACHES. Oh, I can't forget to mention hurricanes. Three...I don't want to offend anyone, so please don't take this the wrong way, but from what I can tell, schools up north are better (at least better than in MS). There is nothing to do down here. I know that people say that northerners are rude and you hear the cliche about southern hospitality, but honestly, I don't see a difference in how people act. Anyway, my experiences might just be because of where I am, hopefully all of the south isn't like Biloxi, MS. If you are anything like me, you will be longing for the change of seasons, the colors of the leaves in the fall and even snow at Christmas. Hope this helps a little!

[momix5]

Hi memories it is funny my husband and I have traveled most of PA except some of the Western parts. We have been taking the children on vacation there for 12 years plus, we even honeymooned at Paradise Stream. There is something about Pa that always draws me back, when I say oh the weather is too cold, the beach would be nice, but then you hear posts about the schools really not being the best in Fla and NC. I live on Long Island now and it rally is a nightmare with the taxes and the energy costs. Where in NY did you live? Some how I think that Pa will be our choice!

[skivino]

My husband grew up in SEPA, (as did I) and we now live here - well I never moved- but he did. He lived in SC just south of Charlotte, NC for 10 years and despised it. For starters he abhors hot weather so that naturally is a huge bias in his outlook, while it's really no hotter there than it gets here in SEPA (suburb of Philly) it's hotter much longer, basically from April thru Sept it's hot, humid yuck most of the times. Sure there are a few nice, as in not too hot, days sprinkled but not enough. Another factor he said was it was sunny way too much. Both he and I enjoy a cloudy or rainy day every so often, to break up the weeks. But that's a personal thing.

Regarding the North vs South thing, within the frist two weeks of his living there he said he was in a civil war discussion/argument with 10 different people!! He said they still haven't gotten over the fact they lost! And while the South is notorious for it's "Southern Hospitality" his take was yes, they seem friendly on the front, but won't hesitate to stab you in the back if necessary. This is all from his 10 years experience 'down under'. He's lived back in SEPA for 13 years now and has not once missed the South, he actually hated living there. He had fun there, as he's a very easy going, easy to meet and like guy, but the culture/or lack of/ he didn't enjoy, on top of the stinkin hot weather! His parents and sister still live down there, and when we go to visit, none of the things he disliked have changed! Oh and the accent.....one of the worst, smart people sound stupid. And the sad thing is they don't have to speak that way they choose to. I know many people born and raised in the South and you'd never know it. They can "turn on' that hideous accent when asked but the choose not to.

I'm truly biased as I've lived in PA for almost all of my life. I love it, but it also depends on where. I went to college in NCentral PA and would never live there, while it was beautiful, it was culturally challenged!! Living outside of Philly (literally on the NJ border) we have access to the beach in just an hours drive, the mountains (pocono's - which to me aren't really mountains but hills, but that's another story) which we can reach in under 2 hours. A beautiful River (Delaware), Philly only a 1/2 hour away, NYC 1 1/2 by car (w/o traffic) or 1 hour by train, which the station is only 15 min away. Great schools, shopping, dining, scenery. I'm speaking of Beautiful Bucks County PA....check it out!