Likes/dislikes about Chapel Hill (Raleigh, Durham: school districts, college, camps)

[Gatornation]

Originally Posted by HillsboroughNative

I have only lived here my entire life, my family has only been here for 300 years so I really have no idea what I am talking about. I am only describing the exact things I have witnesses with my own eyes and experiences. And of course it is cheap in Chapel Hill, if you live on a professor's salary and it is beginning to turn that way in Hillsborough also. Yes I have a bitter attitude towards Chapel Hill, I guess that happens when you and your entire town are looked down upon. But I guess that you would not understand that being you have been here a total of two years.

Your situation sounds very unique. Most people on this board aren't going to have 300 years of history, let alone any in Chapel Hill. I'm not sure your situation would be anything like someone just moving there.

[HillsboroughNative]

Thank you Jdatlas, Hillsborough is a wonderful place. I am proud to be from this town and part of the history here. I have had more bad experiences with people in Chapel Hill and also in Chapel Hill. I use to work One-Stop voting and those that I have come across were so rude, snotty and nasty towards me and the others, that was the last straw for me.

Other the positive side like I said before there are things to do. I remember going to the Planetarium for field trips, going to UNC games, performing at Carolina Band Day (I think that's the name of it). There are great shops, large variety of food and malls.

[HillsboroughNative]

Originally Posted by Gatornation

Your situation sounds very unique. Most people on this board aren't going to have 300 years of history, let alone any in Chapel Hill. I'm not sure your situation would be anything like someone just moving there.

You are correct, most folks experiences here are not like mine. But I can offer people an insight into the place. People will not agree with me I know but I can at least attempt to give my honest opinion.

[ausmerika]

HillsboroughNative, while we don't don't have 300 years+ history, I can understand your bitterness. My husband was born and raised in Chapel Hill. We married and settled in Chapel Hill. Shortly thereafter, we realized it's not the town he grew up in and we decided to move out. There has been a tremendous change in attitude in that town, and while always somewhat "uppity", it's gotten down right obnoxious at times (and I'm not talking about the die-hard Tarheels). Transplants have totally changed the scene. It's one thing when folks come in and try to assimulate, but another when they keep saying "up North we..." or "in California we..." or "in Japan we....". Funny, I never hear a Southern say that. Do you? At best I've heard "Bless his/her heart, but we never did it that way". Maybe it's a diff in the culture, but I think that's what comes off as rude. Having said that I don't think everyone in Chapel Hill is rude. No, far from it....it's just a much bigger town that it once was and the landscape has changed.
That's what makes Hillsborough so nice. Hope it never changes!

[ausmerika]

I guess in all fairness, I should respond to the question at hand: likes? dislikes?

Likes: downtown vibe. college. UNC games. variety of eateries. emphasis on parks and rec.

Dislikes: growth (now with the town pushing their "limits" they are building UP downtown plus all the track builder type neighborhoods). TRAFFIC!!!!! And yes--arrogance.

[frogandtoad]

Hillsborough Native,
Wow. I mean, all I'm saying is that in my personal experience, I have met very very friendly people in Chapel Hill over the last 2 years. I am not commenting on what was going on 300 years ago, or even 10 years ago. Simply saying that in today's world, people here have been very friendly. You having a family history here does not change the validity of my statement, which comments only that it has been a good experience for me. BTW, I love Hillsborough and have met friendly people there as well!

LaurelGreen,
Depends who you ask of course , but Chapel Hill arguably has the best schools in the state. We chose Chapel Hill over Wake b/c of the schools. They rank above Wake in test scores and you don't have the constant redistricting issues. It is a small town, and I think every school in the system is good. I wouldn't hesitate to send my children to any of them.

As for crime, it's mostly petty crimes, but certainly there are break-ins, there are occasional assaults (now, when this is reported in the paper I have no way of knowing if this is a random assault or something between spouses, etc. so it may pose no threat to the general public...I don't know). There have also been 2 drive-by shootings. Admittedly they were both in the one part of CH that is very run-down and they weren't random, but still.....

One final comment...Southern Village and Meadowmont not cookie cutter? I disagree with this totally. They look somewhat different from house to house, but every one of them is on the same setback, they are on postage-stamp sized lots, there are different "models"....yuk. Total cookie cutter. Upscale cookie cutter perhaps, but cookie cutter nonetheless. Another upscale cookie cutter neighborhood is Cross Creek. Then there's Silver Creek. And a middle of the road one is Timberlyne Estates, along with Windmere and many others. Unfortunately there are cookie cutter places all over!

[bluedevilz]

Originally Posted by frogandtoad

Hillsborough Native,
Wow. I mean, all I'm saying is that in my personal experience, I have met very very friendly people in Chapel Hill over the last 2 years. I am not commenting on what was going on 300 years ago, or even 10 years ago. Simply saying that in today's world, people here have been very friendly. You having a family history here does not change the validity of my statement, which comments only that it has been a good experience for me. BTW, I love Hillsborough and have met friendly people there as well!

LaurelGreen,
Depends who you ask of course , but Chapel Hill arguably has the best schools in the state. We chose Chapel Hill over Wake b/c of the schools. They rank above Wake in test scores and you don't have the constant redistricting issues. It is a small town, and I think every school in the system is good. I wouldn't hesitate to send my children to any of them.

As for crime, it's mostly petty crimes, but certainly there are break-ins, there are occasional assaults (now, when this is reported in the paper I have no way of knowing if this is a random assault or something between spouses, etc. so it may pose no threat to the general public...I don't know). There have also been 2 drive-by shootings. Admittedly they were both in the one part of CH that is very run-down and they weren't random, but still.....

One final comment...Southern Village and Meadowmont not cookie cutter? I disagree with this totally. They look somewhat different from house to house, but every one of them is on the same setback, they are on postage-stamp sized lots, there are different "models"....yuk. Total cookie cutter. Upscale cookie cutter perhaps, but cookie cutter nonetheless. Another upscale cookie cutter neighborhood is Cross Creek. Then there's Silver Creek. And a middle of the road one is Timberlyne Estates, along with Windmere and many others. Unfortunately there are cookie cutter places all over!

I still think your definition of "cookie cutter" is off base....

To me, and most people, this is cookie cutter

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o...Picture052.jpg

row upon row of homes, exactly alike...


This is neo urbanism, village style...

http://www.co.orange.nc.us/planning/...illage_011.jpg

And no,they aren't just different "models". These weren't tract built homes, they are all custom homes from a variety of builders.

Sorry, I totally disagree that Southern Village is a cookie cutter neighborhood..

[Jdatlas]

I don't view Timberlyne Estates and Silver Creek as cookie cutter either. They both have many different styles of homes and there are also lots of mature trees. I tend to think of cookie cutter developments as being the ones where they get rid of all of the old trees and build many houses that all look the same.

[Francois]

Transplants have totally changed the scene. It's one thing when folks come in and try to assimulate, but another when they keep saying "up North we..." or "in California we..." or "in Japan we....". Funny, I never hear a Southern say that.

Yeah well, this is no different from transplants in Raleigh, Cary, or anywhere else in the RDU area. We seem to attract a certain caliber of folks who just LOVE to move here and invite all their friends from "back home" to move down, so that each and every one of them can tell us, daily, how much better they are than the rest of us. But Iagree that the Chapel Hill "eruditer than thee" transplants are the worst of all, especially the retirees.

[mistydew]

Boy, I must not get out much. Admittedly I've only lived in Chapel Hill since July, but I just haven't experienced the "uppity, eruditer than thou" type of person. Especially compared with the "keep up with the Joneses" mentality I experienced in similar demographics near Boston. The people I've met in my neighborhood and at my son's games at CHHS seem very down to earth, friendly and open minded. Most I've met have been here for life or for 5+ years...because of the slower residential growth I don't think you have so many of us obnoxious transplants here.

Likes: I live in the woods but am 10 minutes from anything I need, downtown, etc. The friendly people. The number and variety of restaurants. The Carrboro farmer's market. The bakery at Weaver St market...thus the need, now, to diet

Dislikes: How much I had to pay for my house compared with similar properties in other communities...