Columbus vs RTP (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill: apartment complex, rental, condos)

[rijn_in]

I'm thinking about moving either to Columbus, OH or the RTP, NC area. I currently live in New York, NY.

I enjoy the urban feel of NYC, but home ownership in NYC isn't realistic. I travel around 50% of the time (mostly on the east coast) for work. I like living in a city and having access to a wide range of activities within a short distance. A few pubs, sports lounges w/ good wings, paved cycling paths accessible from my home and a reasonable cost of living. I'm 32 years old (male) IT professional and not married or a party animal. I'm not a huge fan of endless suburban growth that is not based around a city.

Which areas in the RTP area should I investigate? How does the RTP area fit with my lifestyle?

Thanks

[cry884]

I moved from Columbus to Raleigh. Most of what you say seems to make me think you would prefer Columbus, but your mention of cycling paths makes me think you wouldn't like the 7 months of "indoor weather" you get in Columbus. Have you visited both? I liked Columbus but greatly prefer Raleigh- but that being said, a lot of my choice depended on the weather.

[sergeisnotmyname]

Originally Posted by rijn_in

I'm thinking about moving either to Columbus, OH or the RTP, NC area. I currently live in New York, NY.

I enjoy the urban feel of NYC, but home ownership in NYC isn't realistic. I travel around 50% of the time (mostly on the east coast) for work. I like living in a city and having access to a wide range of activities within a short distance. A few pubs, sports lounges w/ good wings, paved cycling paths accessible from my home and a reasonable cost of living. I'm 32 years old (male) IT professional and not married or a party animal. I'm not a huge fan of endless suburban growth that is not based around a city.

Which areas in the RTP area should I investigate? How does the RTP area fit with my lifestyle?

Thanks

Okay, are you looking for options just around RTP (Research Triangle Park) or the entire Triangle (Wake, Durham, Orange counties)? Two different things.

Columbus is much different then the Triangle...I think this area has more to offer then Columbus (I am from Ohio orginally) but that is just me. I just met a young woman that moved from there to Downtown Raleigh and is quite happy with how things are working out down here, not to mention the weather.

[rijn_in]

I probably should add that coffee shops, sports games and bowling (once in a while) are pluses? Does the area have an adult sports league/group? I'm interested in the wake/durham county areas. I think that covers Raleigh and Durham... RTP proper.

[sergeisnotmyname]

Originally Posted by rijn_in

I probably should add that coffee shops, sports games and bowling (once in a while) are pluses? Does the area have an adult sports league/group? I'm interested in the wake/durham county areas. I think that covers Raleigh and Durham... RTP proper.

Bowling is not very popular down here...not like it is up North. There are a few bowling alleys and they do have leagues.

Plenty of sports leagues for playing in - name your sport and level and you can probably find one. Cycling is pretty popular as well and there are cycling groups that do organized rides.

Attending sporting events and watching sports in general are very popular......College sports is HUGE down here....not to mention the Durham Bulls and Carolina Hurricanes.

Plenty of coffee shops as well....depending what you are looking for in one.

You need to stop using RTP for the area though...it's going to confuse everyone. RTP is a very specific business park.....you can't live in RTP (there is no housing). Wake and Durham County are not 'RTP proper'. I wouldn't overlook Chapel Hill/Carrboro (in Orange county) either. It's not as urban, but it will have much of what you are looking for and it's not far from anything.

[MrsSteel]

Originally Posted by rijn_in

I probably should add that coffee shops, sports games and bowling (once in a while) are pluses? Does the area have an adult sports league/group? I'm interested in the wake/durham county areas. I think that covers Raleigh and Durham... RTP proper.

Just a friendly little local vocab lesson for you. Hopefully this will help you understand the lingo 'round here a little better.

RTP: Short for "Research Triangle Park". It is a large industrial park (about 7000 acres) situated between the cities of Durham & Raleigh. More than 100 companies have offices in RTP (Including IBM, GlaxoSmithKline, & Sony Ericsson). Due to zoning regulations, no residences exist in RTP. Therefore, nobody lives in RTP. Check out the official RTP website for more info: The Research Triangle Park

The Triangle: This is the nickname for this region. The three points of the Triangle represent the major universities in Raleigh (NC State), Durham (Duke), and Chapel Hill (UNC). The 3 main counties of the Triangle are Wake county, Durham county, and Orange county. As the region grows, addition counties like Chatham and Johnston are being added to the definition of the Triangle. Here's a wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tri...North_Carolina)

[rnc2mbfl]

Originally Posted by rijn_in

I probably should add that coffee shops, sports games and bowling (once in a while) are pluses? Does the area have an adult sports league/group? I'm interested in the wake/durham county areas. I think that covers Raleigh and Durham... RTP proper.

I'd look at the Glenwood South area of DT Raleigh based on what you like. There is much to walk to, especially for nightlife. From my condo in Glenwood South, I can walk to both Starbucks (out my back door literally) and an independent coffee shop 2 blocks away. There are pubs, restaurants, sports bars, nightclubs, lounges, burger joints, pizza, etc. all in the immediate neighbhorhood. A substantial shopping area is a ten minute walk away for your shopping and services needs. The city has many adult leagues for sports including volleyball, softball, soccer, etc. Both road cycling and mountain biking are popular activities. Raleigh has a well developed system of paved greeways for jogging and biking. It doesn't link directly to the neighborhood but it's not a far distance by bike to get there. The city also has a network of city pools and a great parks and recreation department. A huge brand new YMCA was just built really close to Glenwood South as well.
Bowling will require that you get in a car but there is an alley just 2 miles north by the limited access road Capital Blvd. I'd love to see the neighborhood score a Lucky Strike Lanes. We have one near my other home in SouthBeach and it's a ton of fun.
If you are looking to buy a condo, there are tons of new condos that have just been built and the market is as good for buyers as it has been in years. There's also a new urban apartment complex under construction called 712 Tucker. It should be ready soon. Raleigh, NC Luxury Condos and Apartments - 712 Tucker
Both Columbus and Raleigh are college towns and state capitals. That's a formula for a city that I like. But, I'd say that Raleigh is probably more economically matched to your career path (IT). Raleigh is also more central to where you typically travel. It is well within a two hour flight to Boston, Miami and Chicago.

[rijn_in]

I might be coming down to the area for a two week project in Durham at the end March. I'll give Glenwood South a look. I'm interested in a Townhouse or Condo that has a garage. My company has a large office area in RTP. I've been to the area a few times for short trips. Is Glenwood South the only area that I should investigate? How difficult and long does it take to get from Glenwood South to RTP or cycling paths? I want to get a two bedroom with 1200+ sq/ft. I probably would choose an apartment rental first to become familiar with the area.

[rijn_in]

I've heard that Durham is "dangerous". Are there good ice cream parlors in the area?

[Francois]

Durham is nothing like Detroit! There is one section of Durham that might be like one square mile of Detroit, but other parts of Durham are perfectly fine to gorgeous.

If sprawl bothers you, you're not a good candidate for this area--we're on our way to becoming another Atlanta, with sprawling new construction in every direction as people move here by the tens of thousands.

Yes, we have bowling/sports leagues, good ice cream parlors, coffee shops (and not just Starbucks; cool local ones), and anything any other metro area has, plus great weather, friendly people (as long as you don't present a "NYC attitude"), and lots of parks and green spaces. But, the area ("The Triangle" is the term you want, not "RTP", which is all office campuses a la Silicon Valley) cannot be summed up in one "lifestyle", nor can any one city or town.

I can't speak for Columbus.