Cary or Apex?? (Raleigh, New Bern, Wake Forest: for sale, 2013, crime rate)

[macalan]

Really??? I'm sorry, but with all due respect, how is stating fact "distorting" things, "tarring a whole area" and "blowing isolated issues way out of proportion"? These, unfortunately, are not "isolated" issues. They occur on a regular basis.

From the Mount Pleasant Police Dept -

10/2 - Armed Robbery on Wellstead
10/2 - B&E - Pawley Rd
10/3 - B&E - Johnnie Dodds Blvd
10/3 - B&E Cliffwood
10/4 - B&E Crab Creek Ln
10/5 - B&E Shelmore Dr.
10/6 - Burglary on Emerald Terrace
10/11 - Burglary on Oak Landing Rd
10/12 - B&E - Johnnie Dodds Blvd
10/17 - B&E - Johnnie Dodds Blvd
10/18 - Robbery on Six Mile Rd
10/19 - MV Theft on Belcourt Lane
10/20 - B&E on Fulford Court
10/21 - Robbery - Grove Manor Court

I'm sorry - perhaps I am very naive, or have lived in Mayberry my whole life. But I am not used to crime like this occurring on a regular basis, and am not comfortable with it.

[Voltige]

Originally Posted by macalan

Really??? I'm sorry, but with all due respect, how is stating fact "distorting" things, "tarring a whole area" and "blowing isolated issues way out of proportion"? These, unfortunately, are not "isolated" issues. They occur on a regular basis.

From the Mount Pleasant Police Dept -

10/2 - Armed Robbery on Wellstead
10/2 - B&E - Pawley Rd
10/3 - B&E - Johnnie Dodds Blvd
10/3 - B&E Cliffwood
10/4 - B&E Crab Creek Ln
10/5 - B&E Shelmore Dr.
10/6 - Burglary on Emerald Terrace
10/11 - Burglary on Oak Landing Rd
10/12 - B&E - Johnnie Dodds Blvd
10/17 - B&E - Johnnie Dodds Blvd
10/18 - Robbery on Six Mile Rd
10/19 - MV Theft on Belcourt Lane
10/20 - B&E on Fulford Court
10/21 - Robbery - Grove Manor Court

I'm sorry - perhaps I am very naive, or have lived in Mayberry my whole life. But I am not used to crime like this occurring on a regular basis, and am not comfortable with it.

What is the distinction between burglary and robbery? (I honestly don't know). I live in Cary and we were victims of a theft within the first few weeks after we moved in. I made the mistake of leaving doors unlocked and even open when we were around in the yard. It was a theft born out of opportunity. Lesson learned. This summer there were multiple vehicles (unlocked) in our neighborhood that had items stolen from them. Again, opportunity. I have never felt unsafe here. My young kids play outside in the yard with minimal supervison. I walk my dog alone at night. I honestly can not imagine how this neighborhood could be any safer unless it was a gated community, and even then things happen. My point is that ANY location will have its share of crime, but that does not make it unsafe.

[RedZin]

If you don't like Chapel Hill, perhaps you'd like Hillsborough, OP. Cute, walkable downtown. Nice mix of people and homes of various ages. Still convenient to the rest of RTP.

[CHTransplant]

Originally Posted by macalan

From the Mount Pleasant Police Dept -

<snip>

I'm sorry - perhaps I am very naive, or have lived in Mayberry my whole life. But I am not used to crime like this occurring on a regular basis, and am not comfortable with it.

14 incidents over several weeks in a town of more than 70,000. If that frightens you I can't imagine a place you would consider safe, other than where you live now.

[macalan]

meh - we love Hillsborough - it's adorable. A bit small, but adorable. And pretty close, as you say, to other things.

CH - yes, armed robbery frightens me. Why do you feel the need to bash people for their personal preferances?

If someone said they didn't want to live in an area with tons of traffic, and it was not a lot of traffic to you, because you came from a big metro area, but they came from some small town with one stoplight, would you disparage them for their perception of traffic?

Everyone has a right to their limits of what is too much - for THEM. That's not for you to decide nor to make fun of.

I don't know what it is, but people get their panties all in a bunch whenever crime is discussed. It is what it is. The facts are the facts, and everyone has a right to live how they want.

The reality is, random violent crime (i.e., armed robbieries, etc.) does NOT happen everywhere. I don't live with random armed robberies happening where I live, and I don't want to live with random armed robberies happening where I move, especially as we age. If other people are used to that, and want to, that's a personal - very personal - decision.

But, this is the NC board, and Cary and Apex in particular have extremely good crime ratings, especially for violent crime.

Voltige - burglary is unlawful entry to commit theft - with no person present. Robbery is when a person is present (say in the home, or in a store) and intimidation, fear, force or threat is used to take something. Armed robbery is the commission of a robbery using a weapon.

[twingles]

Originally Posted by Voltige

What is the distinction between burglary and robbery?.

Burglary is like when you break in. Robbery is like a mugging - person-to-person.

[michgc]

Originally Posted by Voltige

What is the distinction between burglary and robbery? (I honestly don't know).

Burglary is when you break into someone's home and steal something. Robbery is when you steal off someone's person. A person breaks into my house and steals my stereo, he has burglarized my home. I am walking down a street and someone grabs my purse from my shoulder, he has robbed me. That is how I remember it being taught in one of my freshman college classes, anyway.

ETA: whoops, saw others already answered. I was so excited to use some of my college education that I skipped ahead to answer.

[macalan]

michgc - you are very close!

Burglary is yes, if someone breaks into your home and takes your stereo while you are at work. Also known as breaking and entering. Robbery is when a person (victim) is there, but the theft doesn't have to be something taken "off" a person - think bank robbery, or liquor store robbery where someone demands cash from the teller or store clerk. It involves taking by force or threat or threat of force, or by putting the victim in fear. Armed robbery of course is when a weapon is used during the commission of a robbery. Street robbery - someone grabbing your purse off of you, commonly called mugging, is also called "highway robbery".

[ljd1010]

macalan - I know Newburyport well as I'm from coastal RI. You will NOT find anything remotely like it in the Triangle. While I've lived in Cary for over 5 years and love it, it is a huge suburban sprawl (140K people) and you really cannot distinguish crossing from Cary into Apex. That being said, both towns have very cute downtown areas and Cary has some adorable homes nearby that are in no way cookie cutter. Both are extremely safe.

My husband and I are moving into a new >55 community on the Raleigh/Durham border in an area called Brier Creek. I know it's not what you are looking for. We love Charleston but the summer is really oppressive in terms of heat and humidity - although it's not THAT much different here. It definitely has that New England vibe as far as history and reminds me of Newport in the South. I would suggest looking at Hillsborough which gives you great proximity to the great healthcare (Duke, UNC) and also to the wide variety of arts/theater and dining in Durham.

[Bull City Rising]

Maclan, you're not going to like my answer, but here goes.

I suspect a lot of 55+ folks are moving back into the city. We live a block from Duke's East Campus, a block from downtown Durham. On our street are several 55+ couples who have moved here from Cary, Chapel Hill, etc. to be closer to the kinds of cultural amenities you mention. Three screens of independent films, two independent bookstores plus many used bookstores, the library, Broadway plays, AAA minor league baseball, dozens of restaurants and bars, Duke Hospital around the corner, a Whole Foods and now Harris Teeter grocery in walking distance.

In fact, thinking about the houses on my street -- about 30% of them are retirees, another 30-40% have families with kids (lots of Duke professors), and the remainder everything from 30s/40s professionals/DINKs to recent grads.

The crime levels in Durham are about the same as in Boston proper. Now I lived in Cambridge for ten years, and Newburyport is not Boston, or Cambridge. If you're not interested in living in a city where Actual Crime can happen, you would rule out Durham, and Boston and Cambridge.

But the people and amenities you're looking for are in Durham, and Raleigh, and Chapel Hill -- as well as Boston and Cambridge and the like.

At some point you're going to need to make trade-offs on your list, I suspect. The easiest trade-off would be to look in a more rural community, such as western NC. Low housing prices, little crime (of sorts -- plenty of drugs around but in isolated, hardscrabble scenes), good amenities in Asheville and Knoxville. OTOH, health care is not as good, and if you move out somewhere like Transylvania, Mitchell or Yancey Co., you're talking 60-90 minutes to Asheville for amenities (or even a half hour from your home to a grocery store, maybe.)

Charleston is a wonderful city and Mt. Pleasant a fine close-in suburb. Hillsborough, offered here, may also be a good choice.

One last thought: your price range, for the kinds of amenities and the like you're seeking, is very hard to meet. Why? Because you're describing ideal places that are in high demand! On our street (in a city you have no interest in living in), fixer-uppers on the best streets are selling from $400k to $600k before renovation. I think Hillsborough would give you better variety but haven't checked prices.

Good luck with your search!