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My husband and I are considering moving from Pasadena, Md (just outside of Baltimore) to North Carolina (Raleigh,Cary). My biggest concern is leaving family and friends and moving somewhere so unfamiliar. I was hoping to get some input on some of the best areas for schools and good communities. I am a nurse and do not have much concern about finding a job. My husband is a property manager so i'm more concerned that he finds one before I do. We have 2 children and really want to move where they will be able to be safe and have a good education. Where we are now has its ups and downs in that aspect. Thanks
I really hope at least ONE of you will find a job BEFORE moving, especially with children in the mix. The competition for jobs here, even though there are some jobs, is the highest it's ever been as everyone on earth scrambles to move here. To leave somewhere you have a job (and I don't know if you do) to go somewhere you don't is awfully scary right now
There are many, many threads in the forum that answer a lot of the questions you've asked. You can peruse older threads or search on terms like "School assignments", etc. The Wake county school system (most schools in NC are county-based; Wake county's is one of the largest and highest-growth in the US, which is causing many "issues" with overcrowding, frequent reassignments, busing etc. A new school board came in and tried to change too much, too fast, and now there is backlash to that. Google "wake county schools" for the rundown).
It's hard to say what "good areas" are because everyone has different priorities. The Triangle area has many, many very nice neighborhoods and you would want to come and visit before taking someone's word that "X Neighborhood is the place to be!!" Most of the Triangle area would be considered "safe" (the parts that are not, you can tell right away by driving around).
You may want to check out the City-Data page on Raleigh, Cary, and also Durham, Chapel Hill and some of the other places here.
What specifically has made NC your destination? That would help people get a feel for what amenities you are looking for (vs. don't care so much about).
I would NEVER move without a job! I just am not as concerned about me finding one as I am him. He is putting his resume out there and we have many trips planned to come to the area. There are many reasons to consider moving there. Not sure if you have ever been to Baltimore but its not the best area. Crime is spreading into many of the areas surrounding the city. The school my son would go to next year for 6th grade is not very good. I personally know people who have had children there so I know this first hand. Private school for both children is 900/month. I have read many great things about NC and although there is crime everywhere, I want my children to grow up in a safe, family friendly environment. Thats how I see many areas of NC and the south in general. Thanks for your response...
I'm originally from RI but lived in Maryland for 7 years. I'm also a nurse (worked at Anne Arundel many years ago). We moved to Cary just over 3 years ago and really love it here. There are definitely nursing jobs but not without competition. What type of nursing do you practice? I'm now an NP, my husband is an RN - we both work for Duke. I'd suggest going to the local area hospital HR websites, plug in your info/specialty and see what's available. At Duke, you can do an online application, attach your resume and even compose a cover letter on the site. All resumes/applications are reviewed by HR and then the top picks are forwarded to the respective department managers to decide who to interview.
Hospitals in the area:
1. Wake Med Raleigh, there is also a Wake Med in Apex.
2. Rex Hospital in Raleigh - affiliated with UNC
3. Rex Outpatient in Cary
4. Duke Medical Center - in Durham
5. Durham Regional Hospital - a Duke affiliate
6. Duke Raleigh Hospital - a Duke affiliate
7. UNC Hospitals
I will tell you that you will be quite surprised at how low nursing salaries are down here. New RNs start at around $20/hr! Salary ranges are around $20 - mid 30's per hour, depending on experience. This is base and you can add in shift/weekend differential. The cost of living is better in terms of home prices (much lower), auto insurance and property taxes. Good luck with your search! http://www.hr.duke.edu//
Last edited by ljd1010; 04-26-2011 at 05:25 PM..
Reason: added Duke's HR website
Thanks for your response
I have worked med surg, peds ER and currently am in the ICU. I prefer ER and have looked at Duke as well as Wake Med. Most of the positions I have found are nights and I am fine with that because I did nights for many years in the ER. I also just started with a home health agency here in MD and have come to find out they also have offices there as well. im not as concerned about the nurse pay because here the pay is not that great. Many inner city hospitals dont pay well. I will keep looking into what is offered and start putting in my resume soon. Thanks again for the input.
Baltimore? Good grief. My husband has friends there and they say they never, ever go downtown. Apparently, people get mugged for their socks there. Could this be true?
Leaving family and friends. That's hard. You may want to think about inland VA. Beautiful places and closer to get back for holidays, etc.
Schools all over the country are taking some serious hits. Read the other day that Detroit has 60 in a classroom now. Yikes!
Take some family trips, check out areas that sound good. Our country is full of people who pulled up stakes for a better life. Some even crossed oceans.
Why not move to VA or to a safer area of MD? You'd be closer to family.
Not trying to discourage you from looking for jobs here, but NC isn't a magical, safe haven.
Would I rather here than Baltimore? Good grief, yes. And I've spent time there.
But, if I really felt strongly about having family near, I wouldn't jump from Baltimore to Raleigh without considering some of the great, family-friendly areas of VA first.
It's a crap shoot. My friend from Baltimore HATES it here, so one never knows. I think Meh's suggestion on a move to VA or a safer part of MD is a good one.
Please get your facts straight people: Baltimore City is totally different from Pasadena. Pasadena is in Anne Arundel County with a tiny population of around 12,000 compared to Baltimore City's roughly half a million. Baltimore is an independent city with a totally separate governing structure from the county. Baltimore County is the suburban area surrounding the densely populated urban area.
If someone said they're from the Durham area, most people don't think they're talking about Sanford or Garner. This is the similarity of some of the above correlations of Baltimore to Pasadena.
I would be very hesitant to leave actual jobs for the unknown, especially given your concerns about family.
Don't know where your jobs are located, but could you simply move to a "better" MD town such as Ellicott City, Towson, Columbia, etc.?
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