Looking to move to the triangle area from Boston/ NE (Charlotte: apartment, to rent)

[pcrowell08]

Hey All,

I am pretty new to this and so here it goes. I am a young hospitality professional(28) looking to move out of Boston. I am originally from NH and have been in Boston for just about 5 years now. I love living here and being close to family in NH, but I am not really tied down to anything here and I am getting pretty tired of the high rent, cost of living and the weather.

So my question is does anyone have any experience of moving to the triangle area from Boston and is it really worth it? Is downtown the place to be for living and nightlife or is it worth checking out Chapel Hill, Durham area too? I have never visited, but plan to this year as well as other cities like Charlotte and DC/NoVa area. I also plan on obv getting a job beforehand if I can, though I've heard it is hard too if you do not have a address down there. Is this true? Is it far from the mountains and the ocean? I am pretty active and also pretty low key so I feel like this area will be a perfect mix for me. I have heard a lot of good things about it and just NC in general. Any information would greatly be appreciated.

[RaleighSentinel]

The Triangle is ~2hrs from the beach and ~3-4hrs from the mountains, and there are plenty of active options here in the “piedmont.” Winters area much milder, but you do need air conditioning to get through the Summer. Look at options near Downtown Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. They each have their own vibe. Live close to where you work for best quality of life. You should find the entire area to be quite “hospitable.” Decent seafood, but good luck finding the perfect “lobsta roll.”

[m378]

Moved here from the Boston area, but I'm older with kids, etc, so a different situation. Nothing here compares to Boston if you're looking for urban/city living and the social opportunities that go with it.

I don't really have any advice, it all depends on what you're looking for in a place to live. I will say that cost of living shouldn't be a reason to move at all. If that's a big reason for why you want to move, I would reconsider.

[LordHelmit]

Nothing here compares to Boston, so be very aware of this! It's much less stimulating. Certainly nice though. New, spread out, spacious and green. It goes without saying that it's much more affordable and conservative here.

[toodie]

I lived in NH awhile and Boston is fabulous.
Don’t move here without thinking long and hard.
Friends and family are hard to leave, and
NH is extremely desirable. I have lived
All over this country.

[ljd1010]

I'm closing in on retirement age but given that I'm from Providence and lived in Boston, I thought I'd throw in my $.02.


This is a GREAT area to raise a family but it's not a place that I'd want to be if I was a single 20 something. There is no place like Boston. Period. My nephew just graduated from NCSU in May and could not wait to move back north.....he went to Boston. Cost of living isn't the only thing you have to consider when making your decision.


We've found being 2+ hours away from the beach to be very difficult and we are moving to the coast next month. We're not mountain people so the fact that we are 4 hours from Asheville/Boone isn't an issue for us.

[twingles]

A young single person who rents is going to see a negligible difference in their COL. Most people who see savings are homeowners who save on property taxes, housing costs, etc.

If you know no one here, I'd thing long and hard about the move. I have friends who moved from home base around your age but they all had friends or family in their new locations.

[pcrowell08]

I have always wanted to live down south..Though I did live in Nashville for a short period of time during the summer time and thought it was too landlocked for me and no one really wanted to visit..I do have family in the Yadkinville area so the draw to NC has been a liking to me for a bit..I have also been to the Outerbanks before and feel in loved with it. I felt the beaches were much wider and cleaner. So I would like to try the south again, but I just need to do some more research and visit a couple of areas.
I am from a small town, so I wouldn't mind living in small to medium size cities. So I found the triangle area to be a great fit. I am also looking at Charlotte for more of the urban mindset. Yes, the high rent in Boston is a main factor for me to move out..but I've been wanting to be in a new environment for quite sometime..Some where along the east coast.I do have other options in mind as well besides NC such as NoVa and the DC area.

[Jetta]

I was born and raised Seacoast NH and spent quite a bit of time in Boston in my twenties enjoying the nightlife. I moved here last year from Southern NH (Manchester area), so i think I can probably give you some insight.

Rent for a one bedroom apartment in downtown Raleigh will probably cost 1300-1600 per month. If that is good to you, then your fine. Downtown Raleigh does have a nightlife, there are plenty of pubs, bars and restaurants to hang out in, but nothing like the clubs you would have seen in Boston.

For me, I feel like I am way too far from the ocean (2+ hrs), but on the other hand the beach has perils I am not used to seeing in coastal NH, like sharks and crazy riptides and sea lice/jellyfish.

The NC mountains are really beautiful, better than the White Mtns, but they are a hike to get there, so plan on staying for a long weekend or more to make it worth it.

Alot of towns around Raleigh have cute little downtown areas with restaurants and some shopping. I would relate them to a small scale Nashua.
Everyone talks about the heat, but it gets damn hot in Boston too. I regularly compare the weather and Raleigh almost always wins as far as good weather.

My advice is to visit Wilmington (downtown) as well as the beaches around there (Carolina, Wrightsville) and see what you think. While your here, visit Raleigh and Durham. All do-able in a day.

[NYC2RDU]

I'm from NYC originally but have deep roots in Boston as well.

There is no more exhilarating city in the world than Manhattan, no place that offers more (or as much) in terms of culture, arts, entertainment and cuisine. Having said that, if I had it to do all over again I would have moved here twenty years earlier than I did.

People caution that you shouldn't move here if your primary driver is cost of living concerns? Why? Money is one of life's greatest stressors. What's the point in living in a great city if you can't afford to indulge in much of what it offers? How many nights do you fall asleep feeling secure in the knowledge that while you're usually broke, at least you have access to great restaurants?

Living someplace where things make sense and are aligned with what you're looking for in life can be remarkably comforting. Being able to afford your life, not having to worry about money 24x7 or dealing with traffic everywhere you go is insanely awesome. Ignore those who scream about how much worse traffic is here. It's nothing in comparison to what you know (says someone who recently sat in a traffic jam on I-93 at 11:00 PM on a Saturday night). We have great restaurants, a cool indi-music scene, great craft breweries and a remarkable parks system with trails galore to hike and lakes to enjoy.

Sure, the beaches are 2-3 hours away but they're easily accessed, they're never horrifically crowded (using public beaches in the Northeast as a guide) and the water is warm. Plus, you can more readily afford to rent a condo or house.

Come down for a visit, truly explore the area and plan your time wisely to experience as much as possible. And trust your instincts. There were other cities we had targeted when scoping out our relocation twelve years ago but once we visited we could feel that it wasn't right. Raleigh felt right, still does.

Good luck.