For those who have relocated to the Raleigh area....

[Mary_Anne]

1. Where did you come from and how long have you been in Raleigh?

Spent the first 34 years of my life in FL, then a year in the Chicago 'burbs, then here. Have been here 3 months now.

2. What was the most important reason you moved to Raleigh?

Closer to family (but not too close!), better climate than both FL and IL, cheaper real estate, political flavor (it's the South which are my roots but is not as narrow-minded and bible thumping as many southern areas), lots of universities and research going on, great place to raise our two children. I also LIKE that there are a lot of transplants here. I like diversity.

3. What made you pick the area you moved?

I had heard N. Raleigh was a good place to live so we rented a house here until we could get to know the entire area better and decide where we want to buy.

4. How long did it take you to get comfortable with the move?

I was comfortable right away. It's been fun exploring the area. I miss my friends though.

5. If you had to do it over again would you still move, if no, would you have chosen another area in NC?

Yeah, we had been talking about moving to Raleigh for years. I would have done some parts of the move differently, such as get the ball rolling on getting my NC license to practice in my field much sooner. I had no clue how long it took!

6. Is your "overall " life better or worse in Raleigh then where you moved from?

So far so good, although the economy is getting us down right now. Probably would be the case anywhere. The trees take my breath away - it's so beautiful here. I miss Chicago a lot - I loved it there (particularly the summer). I miss Florida a little bit - it's where I grew up, and Atlantic beaches just don't compare to the clear green waters of Longboat Key. I still get to go to FL 1-2 times month because I still work there. But here, the winters aren't 6 months long like they were in Chicago and the summers aren't 6 months long like they were in FL.


7. Would you recommend others move to Raleigh?

I would recommend others move here if it's right for them... it's a beautiful place to live but I wouldn't automatically assume anyone would be happy here, however it does seem to have something for everyone.

[beckycat]

Originally Posted by Mary_Anne

1. Where did you come from and how long have you been in Raleigh?

Spent the first 34 years of my life in FL, then a year in the Chicago 'burbs, then here. Have been here 3 months now.

2. What was the most important reason you moved to Raleigh?

Closer to family (but not too close!), better climate than both FL and IL, cheaper real estate, political flavor (it's the South which are my roots but is not as narrow-minded and bible thumping as many southern areas), lots of universities and research going on, great place to raise our two children. I also LIKE that there are a lot of transplants here. I like diversity.

3. What made you pick the area you moved?

I had heard N. Raleigh was a good place to live so we rented a house here until we could get to know the entire area better and decide where we want to buy.

4. How long did it take you to get comfortable with the move?

I was comfortable right away. It's been fun exploring the area. I miss my friends though.

5. If you had to do it over again would you still move, if no, would you have chosen another area in NC?

Yeah, we had been talking about moving to Raleigh for years. I would have done some parts of the move differently, such as get the ball rolling on getting my NC license to practice in my field much sooner. I had no clue how long it took!

6. Is your "overall " life better or worse in Raleigh then where you moved from?

So far so good, although the economy is getting us down right now. Probably would be the case anywhere. The trees take my breath away - it's so beautiful here. I miss Chicago a lot - I loved it there (particularly the summer). I miss Florida a little bit - it's where I grew up, and Atlantic beaches just don't compare to the clear green waters of Longboat Key. I still get to go to FL 1-2 times month because I still work there. But here, the winters aren't 6 months long like they were in Chicago and the summers aren't 6 months long like they were in FL.


7. Would you recommend others move to Raleigh?

I would recommend others move here if it's right for them... it's a beautiful place to live but I wouldn't automatically assume anyone would be happy here, however it does seem to have something for everyone.

I definately agree with #6. "But here, the winters aren't 6 months long like they were in Chicago and the summers aren't 6 months long like they were in FL" We were in PA, now FL, hoping to get to the Raleigh area.

[beckycat]

This is a fun thread, just wanted to bump it back up. Have fun!

[lovebrentwood]

1. Where did you come from and how long have you been in Raleigh?

Came from Rochester, New York nearly 16 years ago.

2. What was the most important reason you moved to Raleigh?

A lucrative five-year employment contract was ending (as planned), and the "recession" was hitting Rochester. I was afraid I would never find a job. At a party in Rochester, a former co-worker whispered "Raleigh" to me -- simlar to how someone whispered "plastics" to Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate. My former co-worker said he'd love to go to Raleigh. Not long after that, he of a brain tumor, so he never had a chance to follow his dream.

3. What made you pick the area you moved?

The real estate agent was showing me patio homes with no yards, homes built next door to huge transmission towers, and tiny homes on streets with no sidewalks and no breathing room. I found my home in the newspaper. It was in miserable shape, but it had 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, and it was on a lake. The lake view sold me. Everything else was just cosmetic. There were sidewalks and a large wooded fenced yard.

4. How long did it take you to get comfortable with the move?

Several years.

5. If you had to do it over again would you still move, if no, would you have chosen another area in NC?

I would do it over again. I would not have moved anywhere else in NC.

A friend in Rochester who moved to San Diego and then moved back to Rochester warned me that it wasn't easy to move to a strange city. She said you don't realize how vital friends and relatives are in your life until you are without them. She was right. I met my husband here, so that helped immeasurably.

6. Is your "overall " life better or worse in Raleigh then where you moved from?

It's not better or worse. I enjoyed summers and falls in Rochester and the Finger Lakes area. I loved Wegmans grocery stores. I don't like any grocery stores here, even Whole Foods. Wegmans had everything. (I am looking forward to Trader Joe's opening near us.)

It's too hot here in the summer. Summers are glorious up North. There are more lakes and more opportunities to have fun up North. Here, everyone goes to the beach in the summer. I enjoyed having the beach 10 minutes away from where I lived in Rochester.

Up North, I liked that it wasn't crowded. I liked seeing vistas -- sunsets and Lake Ontario views. A few years ago, I drove with my sister to Canada from Rochester. I swear we saw only about 5 other cars during the 2-hour trip along the lake. Here, there are people EVERYWHERE.

Up North, I liked being able to ski on weeknights -- Bristol Mountain is only 45 minutes from Rochester. Rochester also had great festivals, especially Corn Hill, which is like Raleigh's Artsplosure but on steroids.

In Rochester, I liked throwing "hen parties" and calling up 30 female friends who joyfully showed up. I don't have 30 friends here. I liked attending the "Men's Night" parties (just a bunch of couples going out to dinner every week, the name was left over from when the men were all single). There was a lot more social activity and shared history (work, school, neighborhood) with people.

Here, I like the low real estate taxes. I don't know how people handle it up North. My taxes have gone up only about $300 in the 16 years I've been here. That's $300 in the annual rate.

Here, I love the long autumns and the mild winters. I love it when spring is here on the first day of spring , March 21, and not two months later.

7. Would you recommend others move to Raleigh?

Only if they already have a job or if they are teachers or nurses. Do not move here without a job. Do not think of NC as the promised land. Houses may cost a lot more -- or a lot less --than from where you're moving. Unemployment rates are high and getting higher.

The cost of living was quite similar to what it was in Rochester except for real estate taxes. We don't have the heating bills, but we have the air conditioning bills. We don't have to spend any money on winter boots, either!

Some people who move to the Triangle DO eventually return home. Keep that in mind. Before you move, make sure this is the place for you. It may not be. Nobody ever talks about the people who moved back home.