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Seems hard to put those two together, but my wife and I have been out to the triangle before and are of course "considering moving". We love the housing per dollar, that's a given. We are visiting this weekend over the 4th starting tomorrow. We'd like to see what there is to do regarding nice restaurants, activities, etc. in Raleigh, Cary, Chapel Hills areas when you settle in and actually live there. (everywhere looks and feels like vacation when you visit and aren't working! We love the area, but haven't experienced the day to day things that make living fun and enjoyable if you know what I mean. Again, love the area, just trying to make a decision by once again visiting to get a feel for what's real and what's just feeling like a change or vacation.
We have no doubts in the housing or job market. We've researched this previously and will have that covered if we move.
You certainly won't be hurting for great restaurants. For an area this size (about 1.5 million) you're not going to find many better restaurant scenes, and there is a lot of great ethnic food in the area. Restaurant hotspots are Chapel Hill, parts of Durham and Glenwood South in Raleigh. Recreationally, there are tons of things...many museums, parks, lakes, fantastic weather most of the year, etc. Plus you're close to NC's best features--the mountains and ocean.
Not sure where you're coming from, but if it's a much larger city--you'll probably miss street shopping. We have many malls, shopping centers, etc., but you don't have many places to just hang out, while away a Sunday afternoon check out a bookstore and window shop...the true urban experience. Chapel Hill is the closest place to that here where you can wander aimlessly, but it's VERY collegiate so beware if that's not your thing. All in all a fantastic place, though. Best of luck.
Durham, for many, is seen as the gourmet center of the Triangle. Many great restaurants in the area, and more popping up all the time. There's a big list of Durham restaurants here: Durham, NC | Celebrated Cuisine (http://www.durham-nc.com/dining/celebratedcuisine.php - broken link)
As for activities, it really depends on what you're into. I can primarily only speak to Durham and Chapel Hill. But, some of my faves have been:
NC Museum of Life & Science (DUR)
Morehead Planetarium (CH)
Durham Farmer's Market
Eno River Park (DUR)
UNC Basketball Museum (CH)
State Fairgrounds flea market (RAL)
Walking around Duke Campus & UNC Campus (DUR & CH)
Milling around an afternoon in Carrboro
Fearrington Village (south of CH, nearing Pittsboro)
And, frankly, we've had a lot of fun house hunting in SW Durham!
The restaurant categories that I find lacking here are as follows-
Real Diners
Mom and Pop Ethnic Restaurants
A good New England style seafood house
That said, there is definitely no shortage of quality restaurants in most categories. After 5 years here we still have a long list of places to try.
The nice thing about entertainment/culture/recreation is that things are easy to get to and generally pretty affordable. Between Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and even Cary (Koka Booth Amphitheater) there is always something going on, not to mention the smaller towns and their frequent festivals/craft shows/holiday programs.
You may want to stop in downtown Raleigh and check out the "Dead Sea Scrolls" Exhibit at he Museum of Natural Sciences. Really is a world class museum this the last stop before the exhibit goes back over seas. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
I also recommend the Glennwood south area just west of downtown Raleigh, there are lots of restaurant choices there and the street life scene is nice. Also check out Crabtree Valley Mall (The areas largest) or North Hills and outdoor hybrid shopping and entertainment comples, or one of the other malls in the area if you like to shop.
The restaurant categories that I find lacking here are as follows-
Real Diners
Mom and Pop Ethnic Restaurants
A good New England style seafood house
That said, there is definitely no shortage of quality restaurants in most categories. After 5 years here we still have a long list of places to try.
The nice thing about entertainment/culture/recreation is that things are easy to get to and generally pretty affordable. Between Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and even Cary (Koka Booth Amphitheater) there is always something going on, not to mention the smaller towns and their frequent festivals/craft shows/holiday programs.
It's not "New England Style" but McCormick and Schmick's--coming soon to you guys in Raleigh--is great!
Thanks so much for the great info. We arrived last night and are now enjoying beautiful sushine and weather here on the 4th. We'll heading to Chapel Hill area today and maybe downtown Raleigh tomorrow.
I'm 40 and my wife's a bit younger so we aren't in the cub seen or anything like that.
Do you have any specific streets to hit for street scene (restaurants, music, patios, etc.) type activities. Not nightclubs, just nice atmosphere.
Check out Southern Season while you are in Chapel Hill, as well as the downtown area. Head over to The Streets at Southpoint in southern Durham for an amazing mall and nice lunch. Then there are activities this afternoon at Bond Park in Cary, then fireworks tonight at Regency park in Cary.
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We love the area, but haven't experienced the day to day things that make living fun and enjoyable if you know what I mean. Again, love the area, just trying to make a decision by once again visiting to get a feel for what's real and what's just feeling like a change or vacation.
