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Coming from the Boston area - to be fair the two cities are like comparing apples to oranges. Raleigh is just not ever going to have the same feel that a city the size of Boston will. That being said, I do think that the area is very geared towards families or young adults, so I can see where there would be a felt gap for someone who didn't fit into one of those groups.
Coming from the Boston area - to be fair the two cities are like comparing apples to oranges. Raleigh is just not ever going to have the same feel that a city the size of Boston will. That being said, I do think that the area is very geared towards families or young adults, so I can see where there would be a felt gap for someone who didn't fit into one of those groups.
It seems as if the OP did not do enough research before moving to Raleigh, or expected it to be something different. The OP would be 10x better off in somewhere like Boston give their situation. Even for 20-somethings like myself, you have to put yourself out there as it's not a Boston, so I can't imagine what it would be like for someone much older.
It seems as if the OP did not do enough research before moving to Raleigh, or expected it to be something different. The OP would be 10x better off in somewhere like Boston give their situation. Even for 20-somethings like myself, you have to put yourself out there as it's not a Boston, so I can't imagine what it would be like for someone much older.
You could say I was heavily influenced by a handful of well-meaning, good friends who really wanted me to come live here. None of the friends in question have ever lived in a big city, so I don't think they could have anticipated what a culture shock this would be for me.
I came to visit, and thought the area was beautiful. It was in May, and I loved how laid back it all seemed compared to the hustle bustle of Boston. I had a three year construction project raging outside my apartment building in Boston, which drove everyone in the neighborhood INSANE, so the utter quiet here seemed blissful and too good to be true.
I knew the pace here was going to be decidedly slower and quieter. I guess I didn't realize how much the city of Boston had gotten into my blood, how much of a city slicker I really am at heart.
Do college students from the area tend to stay here after college, or go out of state? Anyone have any stats on that?
No stats, but I know lots of State and Carolina (among other NC State School) alumni, enough that I would refute it. I'm sure a fair few end up going to Charlotte depending on what they do.
No stats, but I know lots of State and Carolina (among other NC State School) alumni, enough that I would refute it. I'm sure a fair few end up going to Charlotte depending on what they do.
This is a little old (2010) but here's a list of the top destinations for Duke grads:
1.New York
2. Washington, DC
3. Raleigh-Durham
4. Atlanta
5. Boston
6. Houston
How does Duke compare at all? Duke is a different animal and nothing about Duke except its Basketball team and address are similar to any of the other schools (undergraduate wise) in North Carolina. Duke has a 11% acceptance rate, which puts it in Ivy League territory; its the type of school where you can be in the top 5 of your class and not get it. Duke only has around 6K undergrads, and maybe 800 of them are from NC.
Carolina and State have over 40K undergrads between the two of them. Carolina has the highest percentage of out of state students of any of the Carolina state schools, and its only 17%.
How does Duke compare at all? Duke is a different animal and nothing about Duke except its Basketball team and address are similar to any of the other schools (undergraduate wise) in North Carolina. Duke has a 11% acceptance rate, which puts it in Ivy League territory; its the type of school where you can be in the top 5 of your class and not get it. Duke only has around 6K undergrads, and maybe 800 of them are from NC.
Carolina and State have over 40K undergrads between the two of them. Carolina has the highest percentage of out of state students of any of the Carolina state schools, and its only 17%.
Relax, my post wasn't necessarily directed at you. I was merely providing some data to the general question "do triangle college grads stay in the triangle after graduation".
How long have you been here McGinty? Are you looking to only hang out with other singles? I am married, but have quite a few single friends and married friends who are child-free although I do have more married-with-kids friends just because that's where I am in life. I've been here for a long time, like Francois, so I know a lot of people who grew up here or came for college and never left.
It's definitely a "great place to raise a family", but I haven't heard my single friends complaining about the lack of things to do. Some are in relationships and some aren't, but have good friends. I think it can be tricky to make new friends and break into other people's social circles no matter what your relationship status is when you move to a new place. Usually is easiest to meet folks at work, hobbies you have in common, volunteering, sports, etc.
I'm 47 and do have kids but I'm finding more than enough to do. I'm a bit of an introvert so I don't actually do much, but when I'm in the mood, I find something. Lately I've been hiking 2x per month with a Meetup group, mixed ages, and I go see a play or concert about once a month. When I have the opportunity to date, it is pretty easy to come up with some fun stuff to do(not just coffee or drinks or dinner)
Maybe it's just that as you age your interests have shifted and some of the 20something things you used to do don't entertain you as much? So it isn't the area, per se?
What kinds of things would you like to be doing with your peer group?
I think as we age, those of us with children find we can only focus on one hobby. Golf or boating or fishing or dancing or whatever. You, as a childless person, don't have that need to focus because you theoretically have more free time.
IMHO a 'vibrant' city is the best Place to remain anonymous. You can observe the culture from a bubble of anonymity. (I like to do that when I visit a new city and don't know anyone) When you want to make friends, it is less about 'vibrancy' and more about connecting with people with common interests. (Like my hiking group, we do go out for drinks sometimes but we have that one thing in common)
............The OP would be 10x better off in somewhere like Boston give their situation. Even for 20-somethings like myself, you have to put yourself out there as it's not a Boston, so I can't imagine what it would be like for someone much older.
Probably true. I think one can "find" what they might need in the Raleigh area, but some other cities have things in your face. One does not need to "find" things, it's just all there. The Raleigh area is much more laid back than many other cities, which is its charm for a lot of people.
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