I feel like Raleigh is getting all of the negatives of the big cities (Charlotte: home builder, middle school)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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I am not saying it's necessarily that bad now, but I can see it going that path quickly. In my experience both the prices and traffic have changed a lot in less than 5 years. Which is why I said I can't imagine how Raleigh will be like in 5 to 10 years. I think North_Pinelass_Guy said it best, Raleigh has that small city charm where it's small but offers many amenities, but this is going away fast due to overcrowding, and I think I am having hard time getting used to that.
Also, another thing I noticed again from my experience is the jobs salary aren't keeping up with the higher expenses. In most expensive cities the salary is typically higher if it's more expensive (I don't mean like raising minimum wage) but the salaries in Raleigh hasn't been all that different.
I don't mean to offend anyone by starting this topic, it's just I am noticing a lot of changes that are happening fast.
Overcrowding of North Hills has turned it into a piece of junk. With the new buildings the developer is putting up now thanks to a stupid, greedy city, nobody in their right mind who does not live there will want to shop there.
Harris-Teeter's parking is now getting jammed up while the folks are not visible in the store. Bruegger's is a nightmare thanks to their parking lot being taken away.
NJ is coming here to welcome its old population.
Hahaha, yeah, nobody....
To the OP: I think Raleigh has a lot to offer in all the areas you suggest, but it's very subjective, so like others say, to each their own.
As for the music, we have a thriving local and underground scene, which I love, with several bars having music every night. If it's the big ticket shows you like (I don't), we've recently attracted U2 and the Rolling Stones (two of the biggest acts of the day), and many, MANY others at our many venues (Carter Finley, RBC, RedHat, Walnut Creek, Booth, Duke Energy, DPAC, RITZ and etc...)
Food scene is thriving, and if five dollars parking is going to keep you way from downtown, then any city in the USA will bother you. $5 is the cheapest by far I know of. (Try parking in SF or NYC, or even similar sized cities as Raleigh.)
Again, you're entitled to your opinion, but I don't agree. I travel a lot, to a lot of cities, and Raleigh is pretty dang good.
I travel a lot as well. The traffic in LA, DC, Houston should be a warning to other Cities that are heading in that direction. You soon realize that it's just more cars and strip malls. Wages have not kept up for working people so what's the benefit ?
Raleigh traffic is nothing, especially if you've spent time around DC. It's painful around the heart of RTP on I-40 and places like Crabtree and will only get worse as more people move here, but it's still nothing too horrendous at the moment.
My biggest problem with Raleigh is the sprawl. I dislike seeing sprawl go on forever, especially in places like Clayton when there are tons of undeveloped areas inside Wake County closer to Raleigh. In other words, I don't mind seeing ares like North Hills or downtown Raleigh grow because it's about time those areas build up a little. They're in the city of Raleigh so they should obviously be developed. However, cookie-cutter sprawl in Fuquay Varina or Clayton is a depressing sight.
When it comes to entertainment, the fact that Raleigh is less than three hours from both Greensboro and Charlotte probably harms the city in that department. Greensboro Coliseum, for one. Also, Charlotte has the Carolina Panthers, NASCAR, etc. Still, I think Raleigh is seeing better concerts as time goes by, and we can't forget Durham and Chapel Hill.
Raleigh traffic is nothing, especially if you've spent time around DC. It's painful around the heart of RTP on I-40 and places like Crabtree and will only get worse as more people move here, but it's still nothing too horrendous at the moment.
My biggest problem with Raleigh is the sprawl. I dislike seeing sprawl go on forever, especially in places like Clayton when there are tons of undeveloped areas inside Wake County closer to Raleigh. In other words, I don't mind seeing ares like North Hills or downtown Raleigh grow because it's about time those areas build up a little. They're in the city of Raleigh so they should obviously be developed. However, cookie-cutter sprawl in Fuquay Varina or Clayton is a depressing sight.
When it comes to entertainment, the fact that Raleigh is less than three hours from both Greensboro and Charlotte probably harms the city in that department. Greensboro Coliseum, for one. Also, Charlotte has the Carolina Panthers, NASCAR, etc. Still, I think Raleigh is seeing better concerts as time goes by, and we can't forget Durham and Chapel Hill.
i think sprawl is the word of the season here
I kinda feel like you have 1. the north 2. the west 3. the south
The north is in bad shape for it's policies on density
The west is very dense but seems to be able to generate the regulations to try to cope
Here in the south we were undeveloped, so now we have transplants essentially looking to re-create all those bad american habits (mcmansions) and kinda fleeing density (natives do the same thing)
We haven't done much at all for smart urban living and are just gobbling up all the space for development with lax regulations...and i don't think anyone can feel good about the outlook.
I am not saying it's necessarily that bad now, but I can see it going that path quickly. In my experience both the prices and traffic have changed a lot in less than 5 years. Which is why I said I can't imagine how Raleigh will be like in 5 to 10 years. I think North_Pinelass_Guy said it best, Raleigh has that small city charm where it's small but offers many amenities, but this is going away fast due to overcrowding, and I think I am having hard time getting used to that.
Also, another thing I noticed again from my experience is the jobs salary aren't keeping up with the higher expenses. In most expensive cities the salary is typically higher if it's more expensive (I don't mean like raising minimum wage) but the salaries in Raleigh hasn't been all that different.
I don't mean to offend anyone by starting this topic, it's just I am noticing a lot of changes that are happening fast.
How long have you lived here? People have literally been saying the exact same thing as this since I remember. Many wish thing would stay the same as they were when they got here. What then happens is some "leaders" think the same and wish it wouldn't change and enact policies that reflect this. That's why we used to have essentially a 20 story upper limit on buildings in Raleigh (height was 2x block length) and why all infrastructure is always behind the curve.
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