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Currently live in small town Ohio and looking to get out. Both my partner and myself (younger gay couple) are from tropical climates but like the cold, or at least 4 distinct seasons. We both are liberal, progressive, and blue but not overly vocal about it. We both love culture/food/social diversity and have traveled extensively. Needless to say, small town (very red) Ohio is not working for us.
We recently met a really nice guy at a bar here who was visiting from Chapel Hill and sang the praises of his town and got me thinking/researching. I have been to the Triangle for work several times but never really thought about living there due to it's proximity to the Bible belt and the conservative nature that often comes with it. I had no idea how progressive it was until we talked to the guy we met and did some research. I guess what I'm looking for here are some additional perspectives on the Chapel Hill area based on what we are after in a community:
Diverse food options - international restaurants
Diverse racial/cultural community, or at least people who are welcoming to the concept
International food markets/stores - Asian/Middle Eastern/Latin/etc.
Nightlife - gay bars/clubs/drag shows/good not-specifically-gay bars
Younger crowd - 20s-40s
Open-minded people with good character and integrity who are curious about/interested in life and don't just live in a complacent bubble
Housing - we prefer to rent a small house, preferably with a garage. Doesn't have to be in the thick of things but also don't want to live more than a 20-minute Uber/Lyft ride from nightlife options (we both drive, but not while drinking).
We both work full-time. I'm in mechanical/industrial equipment and he's in cosmetology. We're not really looking to make a move until the end of the year, just researching options at this point. Any feedback is appreciated.
If you want four distinct seasons then you might want to check out the western NC areas like Charlotte or surrounding areas. Raleigh is hit or miss on the seasonal changes and tends to get more ice than snow. Chapel Hill is on the expensive side of things depending on your budget but it has the younger adult night life from surrounding colleges and a huge party on Franklin Street every Halloween.
I'm from Ohio as well and driving through many parts of the Raleigh/Durham areas are very similar to Ohio.
The hardest thing to find from your list would be a small house with a garage. And a true winter as there wasn't any snow this past winter.
Agree with this 100%. You'll have an easier time finding a condo or an apartment with a garage to rent in Chapel Hill or Carrboro (or Durham or Raleigh or wherever you decide in the Triangle). Otherwise, everything else here will meet your criteria. Orange, Durham and Wake counties are predominantly blue, especially in the downtown areas (naturally) and suburbs, but for the most part it's a low-key to medium progressive atmosphere.
I think you guys will love the area. But I'd recommend visiting in person first and checking out the neighborhood you're living in before buying anything sight unseen.
Come check it out as the area is really geared towards families which requires a car and the past few years there has been no snow which is great.
As far as the Bible Belt stay away from the rural towns but keep in mind the GOP has this place in hand for a decade at least..they vetoed the pistol law so sh&$ has started. Also check out the UNC University situation auto see how open minded this State has not become.
Some ways it seems it is always 1 step forward but 2 steps back…remember we are the bathroom bill state.
Carrboro and Durham are your probably your best bets. Small houses (2-3 bed/2bath) will rent for $2-3K/month, hit and miss finding one with a garage. In Durham, I'd look in area around Duke and downtown...Lakewood/Forest Hills, Old West Durham/Watts Hillandale over to Duke Park/Northgate Park area. Carrboro will have more students, harder to find rentals, but some people will prefer to rent to non-students. Chapel Hill most of the rentals in close will be full of students, more of what you are looking for will be further out but often in very nice wooded neighborhoods...still only a 5 min uber ride though.
I'm guessing if the OP is considering NC he is aware he is not going to get the kind of winters Ohio has. We DO get 4 distinct seasons here but summer is hot and humid. Please come during the summer to make sure you can bear it.
As long as you don't live in a super rural area you won't have any issues. I was even surprised driving the back roads from Burlington to Hillsborough that all the signs in front of houses in 2020 were Biden, no Trump signs at all.
I can't speak to availability of your housing wants, seems others have a better handle on that.
I do find it amusing when people who claim to be open minded paint an entire region of the country with the same brush.
She's been here 8 years in Raleigh and loves it- she hated snow so doesn't care when it doesn't and has learned to deal with the summers.
Following others Chapel Hill is a college town keep in mind but still could work along with Durham or Carrboro. Raleigh and Cary etc. suburbs are "typical suburbia" and probably not too much what you're looking for.
I'm guessing if the OP is considering NC he is aware he is not going to get the kind of winters Ohio has. We DO get 4 distinct seasons here but summer is hot and humid. Please come during the summer to make sure you can bear it.
As long as you don't live in a super rural area you won't have any issues. I was even surprised driving the back roads from Burlington to Hillsborough that all the signs in front of houses in 2020 were Biden, no Trump signs at all.
I can't speak to availability of your housing wants, seems others have a better handle on that.
I do find it amusing when people who claim to be open minded paint an entire region of the country with the same brush.
Based on the things our state house has considered and in some cases passed, not exactly an unfair question/generalization.
My sister in MA (by far most conservative person in my family) asked me how Gilead was after the focus on HB158 come on late last year.
I mean yes, no state is a homogenous society. Bubbles here. Bubbles there. Pockets here. Pockets there. But to think a fairly religious place that would consider allowing one person to kill a woman to protect a ball of cells may not exactly be down with a gay couple (on aggregate)...isn't exactly jumping the shark.
If you want four distinct seasons then you might want to check out the western NC areas like Charlotte or surrounding areas.
The weather in Charlotte is similar to the Triangle and does not get a lot of snow.
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