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I have read through loads of threads on this site and found them to be very helpful in drawing my attention to the Durham/Raleigh/Chapel Hill areas. I have never been to NC, but it seems everyone here vacations at the OBX and raves about it. The forums don't seem to favor the coast as much as "the triangle" for year-round living. I would love some more personal feedback from anyone willing to comment. Here is a bit about me/us...
We are a family of 4 - myself and hubby in our 40's with 1yo and 4yo boys. My husband is an Occupational Therapist and has the opportunity of being a traveling OT which means we can pretty much pick a place and with the high need for OTs, its likely we can get a short-term (3 months) placement almost anywhere - so employment is not really an issue. As soon as our house sells we are going to take advantage of this opportunity to live in some other states and see where we truly want to call Home.
We are North of Philadelphia in Bucks County now, and while it is beautiful here it is extremely expensive. Also I don't love the Phili/NYC/NJ harshness that seems to pervade this area. We are NOT city people - instead we are drawn to quaint towns with interesting architecture, good eateries, funky boutiques, friendly locals, family-friendly small events. We are outdoor/nature people and need green space and ample, easy access to parks and recreation.
We are vegetarians and eat fairly healthy, so the BBQ, fried foods and seafood are not a draw. I NEED my fixes of Thai and Indian at least a couple times a month :-) We are big fans of farmers markets, eating local, would like to belong to a CSA (community supported agriculture).
We are liberal in our political and social views; spiritual rather than religious.
We are leaving a home in the woods - beautiful and private but lonely. I want to find a nice development (with some trees!) with a pool/recreation within walking distance that is situated in an environment that is open, friendly, more laid back, more affordable (I want to be home with my kids for a couple years) and supports a more relaxed lifestyle.
Not NC.......Seriously choose elsewhere..... You sound a bit more progressive than NC....and thats certainly not a bad thing..... but if u are h#ll-bent on NC....then visit first....It may look good on the internet and on paper...but sometimes the grass is not that green.
I want to find a nice development (with some trees!) with a pool/recreation within walking distance that is situated in an environment that is open, friendly, more laid back, more affordable (I want to be home with my kids for a couple years) and supports a more relaxed lifestyle.
If you have never been to North Carolina, I would encouage you to visit. There are many suburban developments in the Triangle that would suit your needs, but I am not sure that your cost of living will be much cheaper than in Bucks County. There are also not as many quaint town in NC, as most of the development is newer. What would be your budget if you bought a house?
I would also suggest you scope out the occupational therapist jobs in the Triangle and what they would pay. The salaries may be enough lower, that the COL would be a wash.
Hello, mommalove, and welcome (in advance) to town!
In general, I think the Triangle could be a very good fit for you, based on what you've described, at least depending on your definition of "quaintness," as other posters have alluded to (as elsewhere, the "quaintest" towns around here often lack the other amenities that one might want; the quaintest town in this area is probably Hillsborough, although there are elements of quaintness in the older, downtown parts of some of the other suburban towns like Apex, Clayton, and Wake Forest, and even to some extent in the older parts of Raleigh and Durham). For a region its size, the Triangle is actually quite culturally diverse (one of the things I really like about it), so you certainly won't fit in with everybody around here, but there are plenty of people here who match most or all of your self-description. Stereotypically, Durham and Chapel Hill/Carrboro probably have the highest proportion of people like you've described, but there are tons of them in Raleigh and other parts of the Triangle, too. My first thought in reading your post was one of the older, mid-range suburban areas "Inside the Beltline" in Raleigh, a little ways to the north, east, or west of downtown. But that was just a first impression, and there are a lot of other good places worth considering throughout the area.
More specifically, do you have any other criteria besides a development with trees, a pool within walking distance, and more affordable than Bucks County? That's pretty broad, and actually more-or-less describes a large part of the residential portions of the Triangle. What's your approximate price range?
We relocated to this area (Cary, specifically) about two years ago from Media, PA. Media is a "quaint little town" just outside Philly and I miss it very much. I've seen nothing remotely similar here in NC.
There are many things we do like about this area, however. Weather is at the top of the list It should be easy to find a community with a pool, friendly neighbors, and a more relaxed lifestyle. Just how physically close your house is to other neighbors will depend on your ultimate location choice and price range. There are many things we like about living in a neighborhood/development and some we do not. You really need to come visit, stay a few days, and take a good look around.
Wow - thanks so much for the quick and thoughtful replies!
I've been on Realtor.com searching for real estate to get an idea of what's out there and it looks like we could buy something really nice for under $300 - that price couldn't get you a townhouse here in Bucks! - and the taxes as listed are much lower as well. True - I did check the salaries and the median for OTs is about $10,000 less than here. We would need to hope that if rehab/senior living facilities are paying high rates for a travel therapist than they would be willing to negotiate for him to stay..that will need to be determined...
Tompope - "do you have any other criteria..." wow I'm feeling a little pathetic...besides parks/recreational areas, interesting things to do with young kids, all I can come up with is a town center. For example here in Doylestown there is an old publicly supported theater, the library and local businesses hosts all kinds of things like free outdoor movies and concerts in the summer and hosts festivals - a place to gather with locals and be a part of the community. Does that help at all??
WestCoastBabe - any suggestions as to where we might be better suited? We are up for anything..ready to be nomads for a while until we find "the place"!
So I guess I can let go of the "quaint town" ideal... how would you all describe the towns there?
Thanks Voltige - good to have your perspective as a former Phili burb resident. I admit the warmer weather is drawing me. Would you expand more on your comparison of the 2 areas?
True - I did check the salaries and the median for OTs is about $10,000 less than here. We would need to hope that if rehab/senior living facilities are paying high rates for a travel therapist than they would be willing to negotiate for him to stay..that will need to be determined.
Is it an option for your husband to look at OT government jobs? For example, there are Veterans Administraion Hospitals in Durham and Fayetteville.
There's also Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville which is building a new rehab center for wounded veterans. Then you would have the option of living in a quaint coastal town like Swansboro or Sneads Ferry.
You might also look at civilian jobs in the Wilmington area, which has plenty of seniors. You could live in the quaint coastal town of Southport.
There is a severe shortage of quaintness in the Triangle area.
Towns such as Wake Forest, that used to be defined as quaint, have boomed with newcomers, so there are far more new, lookalike homes on nearly treeless streets than older homes on shady avenues. It also has far more new shopping centers (and a Walmart), than quaint independently owned establishments.
Other areas, such as Apex, has the tiniest (and I mean tiny!) of "downtowns," that it is more a collection of older buildings than a quaint downtown area.
Hillsborough is quaint, but to me, it seems a bit discombobulated.
However, when I first read your post, I thought, "WELCOME! COME ON DOWN!" Perhaps you will like Wake Forest (I live 10 miles down the road from it, but I still like it). If you want to walk to a pool, you'll need to move into a newer neighborhood, maybe Heritage.
Maybe you'll find your spot in Cary. Or maybe the "inside the beltline" area of Raleigh, where there are older homes, will speak to you (you'll pay dearly for the privilege of living there, though, in higher home prices.)
I think Andy Griffith through "Mayberry" convinced the whole country that North Carolina was "quaint." The rest of the country far outweighs NC in its "quaintness," especially in the Northeast.
But I'm sure you'll still find some of what you're looking for.
Come on down and look around!
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