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This is one of my biggest concerns about a move to Raleigh. Being in the DC area, I've grown accustomed to leaving the car at home and walking to restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops, etc. While we pay for the walkability in our rent, it's a really nice perk and adds greatly to our quality of life. My wife is sold on the move, but I'm concerned about losing out on this.
You can find pockets of this in the Triangle area. You just have to look harder.
The thing I miss about DC is the Metro. It was nice not to have bother with a car for a couple of years.
You can find pockets of this in the Triangle area. You just have to look harder.
The thing I miss about DC is the Metro. It was nice not to have bother with a car for a couple of years.
The pockets of built up areas are things that people miss sometimes. They are here. Rather than everything being centered in one extremely congested area, it is more like satellite mini cities everywhere. It makes it very commuter(less) friendly. This way not everyone is packing into the same area. You can pick where you want to be.
Concerning going without a car, you certainly can in many areas here, depending on where you work. I still love having my car, as I am not one that likes public transportion. I have no use for it. If I can't walk, bike ride or short drive there, then I don't need to go there.
The pockets of built up areas are things that people miss sometimes. They are here. Rather than everything being centered in one extremely congested area, it is more like satellite mini cities everywhere. It makes it very commuter(less) friendly. This way not everyone is packing into the same area. You can pick where you want to be.
Concerning going without a car, you certainly can in many areas here, depending on where you work. I still love having my car, as I am not one that likes public transportion. I have no use for it. If I can't walk, bike ride or short drive there, then I don't need to go there.
It's true the more built up areas are here in the Triangle. They also tend to be much smaller than what the DC-based poster is used to. There's nothing approaching the density of Dupont Circle, for example. Like I said before, the closest I think you can come to a walking culture and density is Chapel Hill/Carrboro. Their downtown is a couple miles. Beyond that, you really do have to make plans to drive to walk. We drive to places that are even walking distance from each other since the traffic often is pedestrian unfriendly, lacking sidewalks, etc.
I think it's almost impossible to live without a car here since the public transportation is bus-based and limited. My husband and I both use the bus system to get to work, but must drive to the bus pick-up. The only people I see succeed in driving rarely are students who live, work, and study near campus. It seems most working people drive daily.
The upside is that driving is a breeze here and the drivers very courteous to each other. That bit is really nice.
I am originally from MN (for 22 1/2 years), moved to MD (22 1/2 years) and now have been living here for almost exactly 3 years. My husband was born and raised in MD.
Came down here for a week's vacation for our 12th year wedding anniversary from Rockville, MD (15 min outside Washington, D.C.) in May of 2005, lovin every minute of it, ended up going back and moved here Sept. 2005.
Lived with my brother~in~law for 1 month. Moved into an apartment (in Apex) for 1 year and then bought a house in Cary. I am glad we spent the first year checking out the area.
It is really nice here ~ but boy or boy do you take a cut in the salary pay! I took a $25,000 salary cut! It took me from September 2005 - February 2006 to finally land a temp job (normally all admin position start out as temp), they wanted to hire me on full time after the second week. Became permanent that May of 2006 and have been at the same company ever since. Working in RTP or Research Triangle Park, NC right outside Durham, NC and it only takes me 20 - 30 minutes to get to work. Would LOVE to find something in CARY, but there just isn't too many jobs in the administrative field here in Cary, NC
CARY stands for the Containment Area for Relocated Yankees... If you don't mind getting ribbed too much about that and the fact that the NC "Natives" run around with a vanity plate on the front of their vehicles proclaiming that, then come on down!! The GOOD out weigh the BAD! Traffic is great! Weather is GREAT!! Only extremely H~O~T in August, but this year wasn't as bad as last. You can always go back up for visits! Believe me ~ or they can come down! What is important is well being, good neighborhoods, lots of fun stuff to do and you are very close to the beach too! What have you got to lose? Most homeowners move down here and buy a house with CASH, because they can get such a great deal! Come for a visit and I bet you won't want to leave!
Take care and God Bless You! Maybe I will C U Around.
******We moved here from Ma last year, and we love it.
We have ALL our family there, and we still hear the guilt from some. We thought about it for over a year---together. They we made the decision, us as a family. We have 2 little ones, so it was a very very big decision for us. We had to think about us, and not the family that we don't even see because everyone is so hectic in the "rat race".
So we are here in Clayton, and loving it. We took many chances on this move, no jobs :0
But we did it, and are making it. This area is so family friendly, the people are so so nice.
As long as you and your spouse are in it together, things will work out.
Missing your families is the hardest part, so if you know that ahead of time,,,,,,it's all good here in NC.
P.S. The weather is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOOD LUCK, feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
I believe the northeast coast had record setting snow the last couple of years. They had a lot more than NC. Several months of being trapped inside or year round enjoyment in NC. It is kind of a no brainer. I don't know what makes you think the cost of living is increasing here due to people moving here. Housing prices do not increase at a great rate here.
Last winter LI had very little snow -- it would snow and be gone in a day. Long Island is about as coastal as you can get. We did not set any records. I can assure you we do not spend our winters 'trapped inside'.
Inland, and further north into New England, they saw a lot more snow. My vacation home in VT saw one of the snowiest winters in 10 years! The native VTers go about their business despite the fact that there may be several feet of snow on the ground. The snow brings the tourists, which in turn brings money into the state.
Snow is not the bad thing you paint it to be, but then again, you personally might not care for it -- which is your perogative -- while I on the other hand love it and prefer snow to heat and humidity. I don't believe that there is any place within the USA which is not without it's weather issues, be it heat, humidity, hurricanes, tornadoes, cold, snow, etc. It's more a matter of what weather we can or can not tolerate.
Other than that, I hope everyone is having a great day
Make sure you have a job. Then make the move. Dive in, the water is fine!
NC has 4 seasons.
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