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My wife and I moved to Raleigh 6 years ago from Denver, CO for both work and to be within driving distance to family: wife is from Virginia, I’m a military brat. Life has been good since we’ve been here and we now have two small children one of who will be starting school in the next year and a half. We sold our home last fall and have been in a holding pattern trying to make that big final decision. We have been debating moving back to Denver but are questioning our perception of the grass is greener vs. reality. We like the fact that Denver is a very outdoor-centric, great weather (most of the time), a bigger metro area with more opportunities, more things to do with the kids (zoo, museums, water parks, hiking, aquarium, etc), and of course access to all the activities in the mountains.
The down sides are more expensive homes, harsher winters, I-25 traffic, limited water activities.
North Carolina is great for access to the mountains and the beaches but unfortunately it is extremely hard to do the beach with two kids as a day trip and nearly impossible to do that with the mountains from Raleigh. There are a few museums for the kids which have been great, but no local zoo, no local aquarium, no local water parks.
We are struggling to imagine what we will do with kids every weekend through elementary, middle, and high school. I realize when they get older they will have activities but the opportunities for exploring new things locally seems very limiting. However we do like the light traffic and the fact I can get many places around the triangle with no hassle. The airport is very easy to access as well.
What are others thoughts on this who have similar experience? How have the Wake County schools been for your kids? Would you bypass staying in the district and moving to Chapel Hill just for access to the public schools?
North Carolina has really grown on us since moving here. I have lived in Florida, California, Europe, Colorado, Oregon so I’m have not really been tied to a specific area my whole life.
It is surprising how many people here seem to be truly unhappy and unfriendly. In the grocery stores, malls, daily activities, etc. Not sure if these are transplants or locals but just something I have noticed.
This has been kind of a ramble but I’d like to hear from anyone who has moved to Raleigh from Colorado (or West Coast) and your impression or anyone who has recently left North Carolina for Colorado.
I agree. I am raising three and there is soooo much to do between arts events and classes, festivals, museums, parks and trails (one of the best greenway systems in the countr. We bike there often), theater, sports programs, etc. etc. etc.
Not sure where you are hanging out that people are unhappy and unfriendly, as the people we run into are largely the opposite....with minor exceptions...but I think some people are always going to be unhappy anywhere you go.
I have three in Wake County Schools and they are having a fantastic experience. Have never had to move schools, as the majority will tell you is the case.
What is it that we don't have here that you are looking for exactly? It is true that we do not have the Rockies, but besides that?
The Wake County schools are fine. I've been here 20 years this month, and my kids never complained about a lack of things to do. They were ages 5 and 12 when I moved here.
I find it sad you have to struggle to imagine how to have fun with your kids. I grew up in a large family. We were busy every minute of every day. We did have a boat and a beach nearby, but we also flew giant kites, collected rocks, raised pigeons (baby ones fell out of some nest somewhere), had a dog, ran around acres of woods (we had woods nearby, a great resource; you can find woods or a park here). We were in a city, too.
I learned to sew at age 12, tried to learn to cook (didn't take), babysat large numbers of unruly children for horrifically low fees, ice skated (you can ice skate indoors here), went sledding, played ball in the street, played hopscotch, grew vegetables, learned how to fish from my great-grandmother and grow flowers, held "festivals" with multiple events and prizes in the backyard (learned how to plan, build, and market an idea), attended school events and concerts, and took dancing and piano lessons (they didn't take, either).
So relax, stay here, and remember kids like the small things you share with them, not necessarily regular trips to the beach or mountains. When they hit puberty, some don't want anything to do with you and want to be with their friends. Expect it. So you have only about a decade to worry about.
There has never, in the history of the universe, been a bigger resource to find fun things to do with your kids. You have the Internet. You have to use less imagination than ever.
Thanks. I did cross-post to the Denver forum. Not looking for someone to convince me to stay but just wondering a few things:
Others peoples thoughts after moving to Raleigh from Colorado and being here for a while. Just looking for opinions.
Not that we can't find stuff to do with kids. We are very active and have hit the museums, zoo, mountains, beach, Umstead, YMCA, etc. There is just a limited amount of "local" stuff to do. You can't drive to the mountains on a Saturday morning for the day. It's not very convenient to do a 5 hour round trip drive to the beach for the day either. People say 2 hrs but not from my experience and I'm not a slow driver. Add a stop for the kids each way and I figure 2.5 hours. How many times can you go to Marbles or the Durham Museum of Nature and Science? I will say the new Science museum in downtown Raleigh is excellent and one of the best I've seen anywhere! What else am I missing?
I'll create another post for thoughts on Wake County schools vs Chapel Hill schools. We don't have experience in either and can buy a house in either location if we stay so just want feedback.
I have been here for six years now and I would mostly agree with your perceptions. Peaceful, very light traffic, great airport. But when you take the triangle as a whole, the area lacks unity, and seems low on energy, or something. Of course, we are living in hard times across the country. My personal feeling is that there are more have-nots than haves. There seems to be a kind of SAS/RTP "overclass" enjoying the new developments, while the yokels who are accustomed to "doing without" line up for $1 hot dog day. I don't know if I would characterize people as unhappy and unfriendly, but it just seems that there are different camps. And lots going on at the colleges, but if you aren't a student, it's like a club you'll never have access to.
On the other hand, I don't know how you could have been hoping to go to a water park or zoo every weekend with your kids for the next fifteen years. When I was a little kid, we lived by a zoo and went often. Later, once per year. After age 12 or so, never. Been there, done that. I think kids need friends, sports, music, hobbies to keep them busy - encourage them into creating fun activities rather than experience consumption.
The beach is a tough day trip from here, it is not relaxing to drive there and back in a day, it defeats the whole purpose. It is nice for a weekend, but you need to do an overnight or two night to enjoy it.
I am an only child and my parents didnt do much with me on the weekends. I was pretty much outside playing all day long till the street lights came on. Bike riding, fort building, playing catch with the dog, hop scotch. Some days I wouldnt see my parents for hours on end. Things like the zoo were pretty much once a year activities.
Lived in Denver for 7 years. . . then moved to Kansas City for 27. ..
And moved here right around this past Thanksgiving. Denver's nice (can you say "brown cloud"?) but has its drawbacks.
I haven't been here all that long, but people have been VERY nice and accommodating: natives or transplants. If you smile and move slowly in Denver, you'll get run over. Plus, Denver and area has a sort of "we're here now, but we don't want any more people to come, thank you" attitude. I haven't seen that or felt that here.
Let's see, I went to chapel hill schools, and now I have my kids in wake county schools (I have a 5th and 3rd grader). I have been extremely pleased with the schools my girls have gone to, and I have been happy with the charter school options (I know people who have gone to local charters and really loved it). I find there is a lot to do with kids in the area. We have lived in wake forest since my girls were 18 months and 3, and it seems like we are always busy. We moved from cary if that helps at all.
When my girls were younger, I would scan the carolina parent magazine (online) and see what was going on for the weekend, and we usually found something we could do. Many of my friends drive to wrightsville for the day, and you are right it is usually 2.5 hours each way, but they tend to just let the kids sleep on the way home. The mountains, it all depends on where you go, hanging rock is closer than boone for instance, but it just depends on what you like to do.
Have you explored durham other than the museum of life and science? Like the eno river, the festivals that happen there? Falls lake? Jordan Lake? renting a boat for the day?
We used to go to kerr lake for the day (it is just a nicer bigger lake) and that was always great fun for the kids. We take them to the drive in movie theater in Henderson, which they LOVE and it is very inexpensive and unique.
we joined a pool (before we built one) and that would definitely take up time on the weekend.
I will say this though, once my girls were in elementary school our weekends were busier with activities (both of my girls play soccer in the casl system) and now we have soccer practice 4 nights a week and 2 games on the weekends (between both girls), plus my youngest plays softball in the spring.
I would suggest looking into classes and programs at your local parks and recreation department. they always have fantastic classes, swim lessons, tennis lessons, etc and it is a great way for the kids to learn different things.
What about renting a canoe and taking a trip down the neuse river? always a fun thing to do. And, like another person said, I would look into the park systems, they are fantastic around here!
Good luck!
Leigh
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Lived in Denver for 7 years. . . then moved to Kansas City for 27. ..
