Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Help! My wife and I, living in Northern Michigan, are considering moving to Cary in a couple of years...our daughter is 8 years old presently, so we're hoping to be settled somewhere in Cary or maybe Raleigh by the time she's 10.
My wife is 32, I'm 43....so we've pretty much grown out of the "wild nightlife" kind of lifestyle...but we're not old and decrepit just yet, either.
Our biggest concerns is safety....we're looking for a nice, clean, safe place to raise our daughter...a place with some history..a place with some culture...we currently live in a tiny little dead-end town of Cadillac, MI...and we want a better place for ourselves and for our little girl.
Can anyone out there offer me a bit of advice...what is Cary like? I've been researching it online, but I'd like some information from anyone who may be there already...who can tell me if Cary is the place we should go?
Thank you in advance!
Nobody can tell you if somewhere is the place you "should" go--you will have to make that decision for yourselves, knowing what your priorities are.
Cary certainly fits a lot of your criteria, though the "with some history" part is iffy, not because Cary doesn't have it, but because the "Cary" people think of in 2011 is not the historical sleepy little town that grew into a town of over 130,000. "Historic Cary" has been dwarfed many times over by "spanking-new suburbs and cul-de-sacs" Cary.
What has put Cary, and not all the other safe towns out there, in your sights? Is your job portable, or are you pretty confident you can find something in your industry(ies) here? Are you familiar with the culture of not just Cary (which has a reputation kind of a "Stepford" culture and Homeowners' Association hell, with so much of it being so new and full of upper-middle-class transplants) but the entire region of central NC? You must have some reason to think it is for you before "deciding" to come here? But naturally, you need to visit before really considering anything--no amount of Internet info will match a firsthand look.
At any rate, you're doing your homework. A couple of years allows for plenty of time to visit at different times of the year and get the feel for what you might be thinking of for your new home.
Thank you. Well, we haven't really "decided" to move to Cary just yet...but it's high on our list...we've also considered Ashville, and we're still looking around. We're both pretty confident that we can find work in whatever area we do decide to settle in. And yes, we are planning on going to visit before we decide on moving anywhere. I've been to NC before, and loved it...my wife, on the other hand, has never been out of Michigan, and she's looking for a change too.
I guess I wouldn't mind the "Stepford"-like lifestyle of Cary..I've lived a few years in the "burbs" myself, so I could handle it...but we're thinking more of our daughter...what kind of future she'll have. I'm sure in the Raleigh area she'll be exposed to much more culture than she can find here....more art, music and theater communities. I want to find a place with clean, safe neighborhoods, good schools....as for lifestyle, my wife and I could make do with just about any kind of place, so long as it's better than what we have here in Michigan.
Honestly, I am sure Cary would fit the bill but I would like to propose some alternatives.. please consider some other towns that also have good reputations and are considered to be safe. We landed in Cary coming from New England and while it is a beautiful town it is not a place where my family and I will call home. We have been here since September and find it to be nice of course, but pricey and extremely crowded. (We all have heard such good things I guess...)
We are headed to Apex in early September where there is a little more breathing space! It is full of history (actually HAS a real downtown which I am fond of, coming from New England) also safe and just as beautiful and green; close to highways with easy access to Raleigh when you want or need to be there... Lots of stores and most are really new. It is still being built up but to me it seems that it is a place that we can grow with or into, not out of so soon, like Cary.
I am sure many folks have nuggets to pass on to you as well. Wish you and your family the best!
We're both pretty confident that we can find work in whatever area we do decide to settle in.
Really? What makes you so sure?
You may be able to find a job here but successful people plan for careers that pay a living wage and provide comprehensive benefits. For those types of positions you'd be competing against young hungry graduates from our prestigious local universities and colleges. Still sure you can find work here?
You may be able to find a job here but successful people plan for careers that pay a living wage and provide comprehensive benefits. For those types of positions you'd be competing against young hungry graduates from our prestigious local universities and colleges. Still sure you can find work here?
It is much better to be filled with confidence and enthusiasm than to listen to the negative, anecdotal drivel from someone on CD.
It is much better to be filled with confidence and enthusiasm than to listen to the negative, anecdotal drivel from someone on CD.
That may be true but considering moving to a place you've never visited makes about as much sense as marrying a person you've never spoken to.
When relocating anywhere you should:
Sincerely investigate the employment opportunities within your chosen profession there.
Perform due diligence and find out the truth about the local economy.
Visit several times to be sure that the people, weather and traffic feel right to you.
Then after doing all this you should start asking specific questions on on-line forums like City Data knowing full well that replies may be tainted by personal and professional agendas.
That may be true but considering moving to a place you've never visited makes about as much sense as marrying a person you've never spoken to.
When relocating anywhere you should:
Sincerely investigate the employment opportunities within your chosen profession there.
Perform due diligence and find out the truth about the local economy.
Visit several times to be sure that the people, weather and traffic feel right to you.
Then after doing all this you should start asking specific questions on on-line forums like City Data knowing full well that replies may be tainted by personal and professional agendas.
This makes no sense. I think the OP is doing it the right way. Researching on City Data is a great resource to come up with a short list of potential locations. That's how we did it, and so far so good.
Now back ON-TOPIC. While Cary sounds like it fits your criteria, I think just about any Triangle town would work just as well. Cary is great, but it does get hyped in the national media and some people find it to be over-priced and over-rated. Because you are starting your research so early, and not making a snap decision, you will have plenty of time to check out other places in the area like Chapel Hill, Apex, and Wake Forest to name just a few. Then you can decide what best fits your lifestyle goals and budget.
FWIW, I have visited Asheville a few times and really love it. But I would consider it pretty much North Carolina's polar opposite to Cary.
We are also researching the area and just went up for a long weekend to look at Cary, Clayton, Apex, and Holly Springs. We looking to move when our oldest goes into middle school. Both my husband and I are in our mid 30's
We really liked Cary and Holly Springs, but still need to take a few more trips and explore, because we do not want to end up making a mistake.
We have gone from MA to NH to FL to SC....we don't feel like any of them were great fits for us. We have finally realized there is not perfect place...but we keep searching!
Good luck researching!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Do your homework
