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My wife and I are seriously considering moving from the Orlando, FL area to North Carolina. I will retire from my job here, however, will be seeking full time employment before we make the move. We have two children, 7 & 9, so we are concerned with the quality of schools. My wife will be completing her school and will be working as a court reporter. It's possible I may find work at UNC Healthcare, so Chapel Hill would be the area in which we may move to. That being said, can anyone relay to me information regarding quality of life in Chapel Hill? I visited several websites and read many blogs on this one, but so far, most have been non specific. I did read much of the citydata web page on Chapel Hill, but was looking for comments from those that live there now, or have lived there in the past for a significant amount of time. My wife and I are mainly concerned about living in an area that would be best for our children. Our housing budget will be approximately $300K (max), but we're looking to rent first (single family residence only) to get a good feel of the area. We don't want to live in the sticks, just something with a good sized lot and a home around 2000 to 2500 sq ft. Families with children around the same age as ours is a must, so if any suggestions can be made, please let us know. Life here in the Orlando area is getting too congested and ghetto; we're looking to remove ourselves from this and find a better place to raise our children. Thanks in advance for any advice/suggestions.
Chapel Hill is a wonderful community with excellent schools. The influence of UNC and the medical center are felt throughout the town culturally, although direct student impact is generally limited to the areas directly around campus.
The town generally eschews big box stores and fast food restaurants, which can be a positive or negative depending on your point of view.
Given the Unversity, the population of Chapel Hill (and neighboring Carrboro) is internationally diverse with people from many different backgrounds.
There are plenty of recreational and sports activities for kids. Given that Chapel Hill is slighly removed from the rest of the Triangle, it has a good local community feel, while still affording access to the amenities offered by Durham and Raleigh.
But ... your house budget may present difficulties in Chapel Hill. Finding a good sized lot and a home of that size, in that price range, may be a challenge.
Chapel Hill is a wonderful community with excellent schools. The influence of UNC and the medical center are felt throughout the town culturally, although direct student impact is generally limited to the areas directly around campus.
The town generally eschews big box stores and fast food restaurants, which can be a positive or negative depending on your point of view.
Given the Unversity, the population of Chapel Hill (and neighboring Carrboro) is internationally diverse with people from many different backgrounds.
There are plenty of recreational and sports activities for kids. Given that Chapel Hill is slighly removed from the rest of the Triangle, it has a good local community feel, while still affording access to the amenities offered by Durham and Raleigh.
But ... your house budget may present difficulties in Chapel Hill. Finding a good sized lot and a home of that size, in that price range, may be a challenge.
So I hear. I've been checking a few real estate websites (Zillow, Realtor.com, etc), and it seems the homes we would be able to afford will be outside the Chapel Hill area, which is okay with us, as long as it doesn't put our children outside a good school district and away from others in their same age range....More of the reason why I would like to rent first and see what's available once we're up there.
That being said, although my wife and I are homebodies, we do like to go out from time to time. Is there enough entertainment around for those in their mid 30s to mid 40s? Also, how about the grocery shopping? Good?
That being said, although my wife and I are homebodies, we do like to go out from time to time. Is there enough entertainment around for those in their mid 30s to mid 40s? Also, how about the grocery shopping? Good?
Plenty of entertainment all around - whether Chapel Hill, Carrboro or Durham. As for the grocery shopping - there are plenty of options: standard grocery chains like Harris Teeter, Food Lion and Kroger, Whole Foods, a well-regarding co-op in Carrboro and Hillsborough (Weaver Street Market), and a great local farmers market in Carrboro.
The Chapel Hill school district is generally accepted to be the best in the whole state of NC. Of course, thanks to Supply and Demand, this means it costs more to live there.
Otherwise, CH is a "college town" in all of the good ways, but probably in all of the bad ways, too. However, lots of retirees are also flocking there just like you. I worked in a bookstore in Chapel Hill for two years and of course it's a very educated populace, though also probably more arrogant than most other places.
CH is close enough to Durham and even Raleigh that you can get to the other cities easily (especially Durham, which is really blossoming in its recent "Renaissance" downtown and has a fabulous arts community as well as the Durham Bulls minor-league baseball), so you should not find yourself wanting for things to do, living in Chapel Hill, bearing in mind the student "infestation" (I say as a double alumnus) during the school year.
CHTransplant has given you a very accurate picture of our area. I would like to add a few things. While it is a college town it is possible to live your life and never see a college "kid". The only time I see them is when I have to go to the hospital complex. We avoid eateries close to town which still gives us plenty of options.
My biggest concern for you is your budget and wanting to get the best schools. be aware a property can have a Chapel Hill address and not be in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro school district. You are wise to rent first but I still think finding a $300k house with land in the school district will be difficult without a great deal of work and compromise.
CHTransplant has given you a very accurate picture of our area. I would like to add a few things. While it is a college town it is possible to live your life and never see a college "kid". The only time I see them is when I have to go to the hospital complex. We avoid eateries close to town which still gives us plenty of options.
My biggest concern for you is your budget and wanting to get the best schools. be aware a property can have a Chapel Hill address and not be in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro school district. You are wise to rent first but I still think finding a $300k house with land in the school district will be difficult without a great deal of work and compromise.
Is it safe to assume the quality of schools diminishes greatly the further we're away from Chapel Hill, even though it may contain a Chapel Hill address? We currently live in Oviedo, FL, however, our home is located outside the City of Oviedo in unincorporated Seminole County. The quality of the schools is good to outstanding, but I have detected, from time to time, the "smugness" of those that live within the city towards those that live out in the county.
I would hesitate to make any broad generalities about the qualities of schools within or between the non-CHCCS systems. As always, it may vary by individual school.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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With all else being equal, having a CH address and living in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School district will be more expensive than having a CH address and living in Durham, Orange, or Chatham Counties. It's not that the quality of schools diminish the farther away you are from Chapel Hill, necessarily. There are schools in other counties that are good. But, overall, the Chapel Hill School district has one of the best reputations in the state (deserved or not). Many people move to CH for the schools. Keep in mind that most Carrboro addresses also feed into CH schools. Carrboro seems to be a bit cheaper than Chapel Hill, although some of the housing stock tends to be smaller, too.
Something also to keep in mind is that the taxes are higher in CH and Carrboro (if you are in the CH-Carrboro school district) than elsewhere in the Triangle. Our house is worth $500K and we pay over $8K in taxes.
PS. OT, but my dad was a court reporter for over 30 years!
We're in Chapel Hill and we love it. We're very happy with the schools, amenities, and general quality of life here. I know housing prices can be high, but there are less expensive, decent options within Chapel Hill, and Carrboro is fun place to live with access to the same schools.
We love our neighborhood. It's on the southern side of CH, close to the Chatham county line. We have Chapel Hill city schools, a Chapel Hill address, and county taxes (we do pay school taxes to Chapel Hill, but the rest of our tax expenses are much lower). Homes in our community sell for around 210-285K, 3-4 bedrooms, 1800-2700 sq ft, on half-acre lots. It's a normal neighborhood, with lots of kids and families, and a big pool at the end of the street. There's a current listing in our area -- MLS #1826253. There isn't much available because homes here tend to move quickly, but inexpensive Chapel Hill houses do exist!
Last edited by Green Irish Eyes; 06-19-2012 at 01:36 PM..
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