Some Raleigh/Durham/Cary(/Chapel Hill) questions (condos, houses)

[GucciLittlePiggie]

so I posted another thread and have read many more, and I'm now seriously considering moving to this area. I still need to visit it, but I had a few more questions, if anyone wanted to take the time to help me out.

To repeat a bit, we're from MA, liberal, mid-20s, biotech+marketing fields, etc. etc. and had been thinking Portland, OR would be a good match for us for some things (I know they're different, but that's okay.)

What are the primary differences between Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill in terms of urban development, people, things to do, jobs, housing, scenery, or whatever you can think of? Would one of them be theoretically better-suited to people like us?

Also, we're not looking for Atlanta, Boston, NY, LA, and really just want a small downtown area with some nightlife or trendy stores and condos or something. I see Raleigh's skyline, and keep hearing about the "downtown" section, but whenever I look for pics, all I come up with are suburban houses or a random apt building with a store below it. Is there actually a downtown, are there pics anywhere, and how do Durham and Cary compare to Raleigh in that sense?

The bugs don't sound unmanageable; I'm used to hot, humid summers up here so NC can't be THAT much worse; I will NOT miss snow; and I don't care much about schools or high milk prices This place sounds really nice. Thanks so much for anyone who can help clear up these other questions for us!

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Originally Posted by GucciLittlePiggie

I see Raleigh's skyline, and keep hearing about the "downtown" section, but whenever I look for pics, all I come up with are suburban houses or a random apt building with a store below it. Is there actually a downtown, are there pics anywhere

Don't know if you have seen these already, but here are some pics of various areas of Downtown Raleigh:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/ralei...n-raleigh.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/ralei...yettville.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/ralei...-pictures.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/ralei...-downtown.html

Historic Downtown Neighborhoods

http://www.city-data.com/forum/ralei...n-raleigh.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/ralei...n-raleigh.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/ralei...ghborhood.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/ralei...es-barton.html

I also recommend you check out:
RaleighSkyline.com - Photography and Multimedia of Raleigh, North Carolina

[lamishra]

wow, that's a hard question. It's hard because to draw on the differences between the areas, you have to generalize, which I hate doing because each area CAN be generalized but there are so many characteristics that can't be.
Raleigh tends to be larger of all of the areas. It does have a fun (but relatively small) downtown with plenty to do for a young, childless couple. There is also a lot of sprawl and a lot of suburban feeling neighborhoods. Nice malls, good shopping, very good restaurants and some really nice nightlife.
Durham would probably be next in line as far as urban-ness. It's a smaller, more compact city with a little more "grit" but overall very nice (minus the projects). It has an older southern feel to it, a little more edgy than Raleigh, LOTS of interesting independent restaurants and shops downtown and of course Duke University.

Chapel Hill has a little more of a liberal feel. UNC-CHapel Hill is there. The downtown feels more like a college town and the suburban neighborhoods tend to be on the wealthier side.
Cary is the ultimate suburban town. It developed as a community around Raleigh and has a very suburban feel. The downtown has zero nightlife (unless you count Harrison's and the strip club), a few decent restaurants (really, like maybe 5). It has a lot of big box stores but is also starting to develop some fairly high end boutiques, but none are in central locations. It's the epitome of sprawl. I live in Cary and love it where WE live (downtown) but if I were in my 20's with no kids, I probably wouldn't be living here.
Again, these are major generalizations and there are so many exceptions so please don't take my assessment to heart.
Can you come visit?

[welovedurham]

Are there no "projects" in Raleigh? It being a city, that would surprise me.

[GucciLittlePiggie]

thanks, North_Raleigh_Guy. those are exactly what i was looking for. i feel like an idiot because i'm sure i could've searched harder and found those, but i was getting discouraged.

and thanks, lamishra. i know what you mean about generalizing like that, but that helps me get a feel for what to look for and look into, and someplace to start. we plan on heading down in late may most likely. i've been thru NC several times, but never in Raleigh.

[lamishra]

No, there are no longer many projects in Raleigh. Most were torn down years ago. Raleigh still does have subsidized housing, but they tend to spread it out across the city in small pockets so that it isn't centralized. There are a few left, but they are pretty benign.

[MrsSteel]

I feel that it's impossible to talk about this area without mentioning Research Triangle Park.
The Research Triangle Park
Called RTP by the locals, it is the largest research park in the nation & home to 157 companies including IBM, GlaxoSmithKline, Cisco Systems, Sony Ericsson, and (obviously) many more. It's a major employment hub and has affected the growth of the area.

[GucciLittlePiggie]

oh yeah... i figured i could work there perhaps, but is it a real city or just a bunch of companies and company housing?

[MrsSteel]

Originally Posted by GucciLittlePiggie

oh yeah... i figured i could work there perhaps, but is it a real city or just a bunch of companies and company housing?

It isn't a city, but it has had a major impact on the community. For instance, one of the reasons why Cary's population has grown so much over the years is because of its proximity to RTP. A lot of people who work at RTP chose to live in Cary.

[welovedurham]

Originally Posted by lamishra

No, there are no longer many projects in Raleigh. Most were torn down years ago. Raleigh still does have subsidized housing, but they tend to spread it out across the city in small pockets so that it isn't centralized. There are a few left, but they are pretty benign.

Well, I had to get my Google on, because honestly I was racking my brain about any "projects." Looks like Durham has also gone the modern way of tearing down the larger public housing in favor of smaller communities, too. I'm not seeing a large numbers difference, though.

Public Housing - Programs - Durham Housing Authority
Raleigh Housing Authority

Eh, you have enough people around, you have subsidized housing. We have lots of other city services, here, too!