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I love LA , but I can't afford to live here--especially if I continue pursuing my state teaching credential. I want to move, but I am ignorant about living conditions in most of the nation.
I'm a 25 year old with a BA in History, a sexy/serious girlfriend, and a desire to move to a suburban or small city area. Looking at Raleigh's website and other city statistic sites has sparked an interest. There are plenty of colleges to continue our education, a decent cost of living, and there is a nightlife. There is even the weekend vacation to DC or the Atlantic coast.
So....how is the weather in Raleigh from a spoiled Californians point of view? Is there adequate medical services--my girlfriend has lyme and other complications that often need medical attention? What natural disasters does Raleigh face? Will the state run out of water in the near future? etc etc
Any tips about Raleigh, or for moving out of state in general would be greatly appreciated.
Wow, you ask some good and far-seeing questions. Yes, we are having water issues here, but so is most of the world. "water is the new oil....etc etc"
There are many good colleges here and once you establish residency you will find that they are affordable too (UNC, NC State being the top two public schools in the area).
Weather here in the summer is pretty much insufferable to most people and we all live indoors. I personally hate that part of our weather. But, the spring and fall is positively gorgeous. Winter has virtually disappeared, perhaps due to global warming. But we do occasionally get high winds from hurricane leftovers and severe ice storms. Still, as far as disasters go, I can't say we're any worse off than SoCal!
We have some of the best hospitals in the nation, despite the bad press about Duke lately. UNC hospital is pretty good too. Duke is a "teaching hospital" and does a lot of leading-edge research which might prove useful to someone with a persistent medical condition. You can check dukemednews.org to see if they are working on lyme disease. I would bet someone is. Or try the UNC hospital website. I know less about what they do, but there might be something of interest there.
I moved here 21 years ago and know how daunting it can feel to move so far and with no family or contacts in the area. My advice is that at least one of you get a job in the area first. Next, rent a dwelling in the area near your job. Get to know the travel lanes to and from work, then settle someplace where the commute will not drive you crazy (pun unintended). Traffic is a serious problem here and there really is not yet any substantive public transportation.
Thank you for the excellent reply. My girlfriend and I are planning to take a mini-vacation in the near future to start looking for jobs, places to rent, and get an over all feel for the place. It is very comforting to know that there are good medical facilities, and I like the cities position--away from major hurricanes and tornadoes. There also seems to be a relatively low crime rate compared to some of the other cities in neighboring states.
I have a lot of coworkers from CA and they all miss certain aspects of home (food mainly) but ultimately wouldn't move back because the cost of living here is dirt cheap in comparison. I've moved from New Hampshire so my perspective is quite different from yours. I love it here. The weather is so mild, the only extreme months are short lived. The summer is not super long and better yet, the winter is super short!!!
I think it will be a slower place than what LA would offer. But there are many great weekend trips like you mentioned. Some of our favorites are Myrtle Beach (in December there is no one there and you can do all the tourist stuff without the tourists, of course not much swimming that time of year :P ) . The NC Coast makes a great day trip. Also, our outer banks are hands down gorgeous! I've never seen anything like them and make for a great 3 day weekend trip, you ferry your car from island to island. Our mountains are also very nice and offer great hiking and its always fun to visit Biltmore, but are far enough away to have to spend a couple days. Then you also mentioned DC which also makes a great extended weekend trip, if not longer. Charleston is also not far and can make a great romantic getaway. So yah lots to do, but Raleigh itself is not touristy (I don't miss that at all). It is a great place to live IMO.
Thank you for your input. Part of the attraction to the area is how close it is to many popular east coast sites. I also doubt that I'll miss the tourist attractions out here too much. I have family out here, and would more than likely take trips back home to re-experience any attractions I miss--and visit with loved ones.
As for the food, there will never be a place like my mommas kitchen! Sure I'll miss certain family eats, Inn & Out Burger, and my favorite Sushi bar, but I am willing to bet that I'll find some unique food in Raleigh. As long as there is a variety of restuarants I'm sure I'll be happy.
So....how is the weather in Raleigh from a spoiled Californians point of view? Is there adequate medical services--my girlfriend has lyme and other complications that often need medical attention? .
I moved from Los Angeles to Durham, and I have to say: I like the weather BETTER here! No smog, lovely blue skies, and lots of trees. Rarely is it ever too hot or too cold (compared to LA). I'm a 'good weather fanatic', and this is the only place I've ever lived where I REGULARLY comment on "What a pretty day it is today!"
As for medical, Durham (which is right next to Raleigh) is also known as The City of Medicine: See here: Durham, NC | Media | (http://www.durham-nc.com/media/evergreens-backgrounders/durham/city_of_medicine.php - broken link) . Next to Boston, it's safe to say you'll have access to wonderful medical care here.
I'm a 25 year old with a BA in History, a sexy/serious girlfriend, and a desire to move to a suburban or small city area. Looking at Raleigh's website and other city statistic sites has sparked an interest. There are plenty of colleges to continue our education, a decent cost of living, and there is a nightlife. There is even the weekend vacation to DC or the Atlantic coast.
Hey Kid, we lived in Los Angeles all our lives and recently moved here (actually, it's been a year, but I've been flying back and forth to Los Angeles so much that it doesn't feel like it). RDU wasn't our first choice. It just so happens my significant other was transferred here out of the the three choices we could have gone in NC. To me, it didn't really matter since I work in the media business and am, technically, a contractor (hence, one of the reasons I fly back and forth so much).
Anyway, you're younger than me (although I challenge anyone to keep up with me... LOL). So, your nightlife requirements may differ from mine since I've got a lot of that out of my system. But, at present, I would say that if you like the whole urban feel, start checking out lofts in the downtown Raleigh area. They intrigue me like the lofts in both downtown Los Angeles and San Diego. Nightlife is coming too, but, I think, it's mostly found in the Glenwood South area right now (that's adjacent to downtown, not walking distance, but close).
We chose Durham mostly due to the cost factor. Also, and you know this, that we've always wanted to get into a neighborhood of revitalization at the beginning. So, we found a house of historic value at a great price in a very safe neighborhood (though, like Los Angeles, we are close to some areas that are, at present, kind of sketchy... but not like East Los Angeles, really). Our area is pretty sleepy, but we just had another couple from Hollywood move across the street from us when one of the retired ladies passed on. They moved here for the same reason. It's not exciting, but our area is sort of a secret and seems to be developing into an area with artists and such. But, you'll find plenty of those areas everywhere (dowtown Durham is going through a revitalization, but is not yet near where downtown Raleigh is at the present).
I like downtown Raleigh. Prices aren't bad. But higher than other areas. Of course, you'll have association fees. But, right now, seems to be a good time to check out lofts and such because a lot of new ones are being built.
Weather here hasn't been as bad as I expected. I thought it would be more humid. Though there was a week or two when it got rather muggy, it wasn't like Florida by any means. Besides, Los Angeles the last two summers was actually worse. Don't know why.
It's kind of chilly right now, however. That part I like because I like it chillier when I sleep. And though it only snowed rather lightly last year, there were days that it got pretty cold (of course, I'm in my shorts a lot and would often go outside in my beachwear thinking I was still in Calfornia).
What I like about being here is that I can actually drive to a lot of great areas along the east coast. I can't wait to drive to New York. And living here in Durham has actually stimulated me to volunteer and become active in local government. I guess, here, I feel like my voice matters and that it can make an impact.
There are a lot of well-educated people here (dumb ones, too). Great medical facilities. The doctors we've met, for the most part, have been incredible. So, your girlfriend is in good hands.
Cost of living is better in the housing market, but don't be surprised to find that regular day to day items, pretty much, cost the same as they do in California. Actually, buying milk at Ralph's or Albertons' is way cheaper there than here. And they tax food here too. Eh.
Salaries are good and bad depending on profession. I did not feel any difference due to my profession. But, my significant other took a hit when she transferred. Don't know why. They claimed it was, indeed cheaper, but I've only seen things cheaper in housing and car insurance. But, that does make a big difference, mind you.
I do miss the mountains and the beach. And, although the beach is only a few hours south east and the mountains are, well, somewhere, I miss just driving down the street to the Pacific or driving up to Big Bear. So accessible. However, lots of trees and lakes (yes, there is a drought, so the lakes are low but, hopefully, they'll come back with more rain). Last time I flew out to California, I was amazed at how dry everything appeared. Just before the fires, so when I heard about them, I wasn't surprised how fast they devastated the areas hit. Lots of green here, but it's Fall, so leaves are changing color and the leaves are falling on a lot of trees.
Anyway, after being here for nearly a year, I miss very few things (though I wish the coast and Hollywood was just down the street). But, now that RDU has a Trader Joe's, the only thing food-wise you might miss would be In-in-Out (I've overdone Snout in my lifetime, so I can go without, now).
Good luck on your travel and investigations. It'll be a change, but a good one. Oh, and don't be surprised if you order an ice tea that comes pre-sweetened... it usually comes that way here.
It seems like you have many similar preferences, and the more I find out about Raleigh the more attractive it seems. My nightlife needs are not very extraordinary. A place to go and dance the night away a few times a year usually does the trick for me, and if all else fails I'll go to my best friends house in Las Vegas for a few days. I'm more of a people watching wallflower anyways .
I'm still undecided if I want to live in an urban or suburban neighborhood. I'm a valley boy (San Fernando Valley) who is used to a developed commercial areas, business sectors, and housing/apartment buildings. I also have a hard time imagining a city with less than a million people.
As far as Inn & Out goes I'm sure my heart would thank me if I gave that up for awhile.
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, but I can't afford to live here--especially if I continue pursuing my state teaching credential. I want to move, but I am ignorant about living conditions in most of the nation. 
