My visit to Raleigh (Durham, Cary: fit in, chapel, homes)

[artichoke63]

Just visited Raleigh over the weekend. It's a real cookie-cutter kind of place. Beautiful countryside but everything in Cary and Raleigh is all chain stores and restaurants. I couldn't find anything unique. The town had almost no personality, but it might be a paradise for a white family looking to raise their children in good schools. It has everything you need, all the big name stores like Target, Walmart, Borders Books, TGIFs, and even Trader Joes and Whole Foods. It's basically happy white corporate America. On the other hand, the area around Duke University in Durham looked a bit more interesting. The Duke campus was gorgeous.

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Did you visit downtown Raleigh Like Glenwood Avenue South, Moore Square, or the Seaboard Station area? Likewise, did you have the opportunity to drive through the downtown historic neighborhoods like Five Points, Boylean Heights, Oakwood, or Mordecai to just name a few? Inside the 440 Beltline and downtown Raleigh even more so has lots of character and are very different from the outlying suburban areas in which I live (North Raleigh).

Originally Posted by artichoke63

Just visited Raleigh over the weekend. It's a real cookie-cutter kind of place. Beautiful countryside but everything in Cary and Raleigh is all chain stores and restaurants. I couldn't find anything unique. The town had almost no personality, but it might be a paradise for a white family looking to raise their children in good schools. It has everything you need, all the big name stores like Target, Walmart, Borders Books, TGIFs, and even Trader Joes and Whole Foods. It's basically happy white corporate America. On the other hand, the area around Duke University in Durham looked a bit more interesting. The Duke campus was gorgeous.

[Desdemona123]

Originally Posted by artichoke63

Just visited Raleigh over the weekend. It's a real cookie-cutter kind of place. Beautiful countryside but everything in Cary and Raleigh is all chain stores and restaurants. I couldn't find anything unique. The town had almost no personality, but it might be a paradise for a white family looking to raise their children in good schools. It has everything you need, all the big name stores like Target, Walmart, Borders Books, TGIFs, and even Trader Joes and Whole Foods. It's basically happy white corporate America. On the other hand, the area around Duke University in Durham looked a bit more interesting. The Duke campus was gorgeous.

Did you even hit downtown or over near Glenwood in Raleigh? Around 9th Street in Durham? How about downtown Chapel Hill? Sounds like you stayed in Cary and not much else.....Cary is very cookie-cutter by design....but that's not the entire area.

[miamiblue]

It doesn't sound like you made it inside the beltline much. There is an art scene downtown as well as live music just about every day of the week at many unique places. Not to mention some really great restaurants and bars that are not chains.

[RaleighRob]

In another thread, he does say he went downtown...but he did it during daytime on Sunday. We then explain to him that was the absolute worst time to go there!

But that's OK...may end up liking Durham better and that's a great city too. Good luck whatever you do.

[artichoke63]

Originally Posted by RaleighRob

In another thread, he does say he went downtown...but he did it during daytime on Sunday. We then explain to him that was the absolute worst time to go there!

But that's OK...may end up liking Durham better and that's a great city too. Good luck whatever you do.

I did go to visit downtown Raliegh and there was nothing there! The place was totally closed down. I saw a few bars and places, but not much. it was discouraging!

Artie

[Desdemona123]

Originally Posted by artichoke63

I did go to visit downtown Raliegh and there was nothing there! The place was totally closed down. I saw a few bars and places, but not much. it was discouraging!

Artie

Where exactly were you? There are niches in Raleigh that you can miss unless you know where they are. Side streets and so forth. It's very easy to miss Davie Street for example. (Heck, I didn't even know about First Friday's until recently and I go down that street once a week.)

And as you said, you were there only on Sunday Morning...well....lol....folks are either at church or recovering from the night before.

[artichoke63]

Originally Posted by Desdemona123

Did you even hit downtown or over near Glenwood in Raleigh? Around 9th Street in Durham? How about downtown Chapel Hill? Sounds like you stayed in Cary and not much else.....Cary is very cookie-cutter by design....but that's not the entire area.

I did see Duke and drove down 9th street Durham. I liked Durham.

[artichoke63]

Originally Posted by Desdemona123

Where exactly were you? There are niches in Raleigh that you can miss unless you know where they are. Side streets and so forth. It's very easy to miss Davie Street for example. (Heck, I didn't even know about First Friday's until recently and I go down that street once a week.)

And as you said, you were there only on Sunday Morning...well....lol....folks are either at church or recovering from the night before.

Thanks. I should have made a list of places to visit. Oh, well, first trip. Three days is hardly enough to get to know an area. It's hard work.

thanks,

Artie

[hi2nc]

Originally Posted by artichoke63

Just visited Raleigh over the weekend. It's a real cookie-cutter kind of place. Beautiful countryside but everything in Cary and Raleigh is all chain stores and restaurants. I couldn't find anything unique. The town had almost no personality, but it might be a paradise for a white family looking to raise their children in good schools. It has everything you need, all the big name stores like Target, Walmart, Borders Books, TGIFs, and even Trader Joes and Whole Foods. It's basically happy white corporate America. On the other hand, the area around Duke University in Durham looked a bit more interesting. The Duke campus was gorgeous.

You said "white" twice.
I think I'd like to live in the suburbs, or as some would refer to as "sprawl" or "suburbian hell." Cary and parts of North Raleigh were definitely in the running. I think it would be a great place to raise a family. I've seen so many beautiful homes and neighborhoods (online), and it looks like a very attractive and safe place to be. But if it's so homogeneous where 99% of the residents are white corporate yuppies, then not too sure how we'd fit into the picture. We're a young Asian (Filipino) couple w/ 2 preschool aged kids. I'm sure the folks there are very nice, but a little diversity would be great.

BTW - do you have any pics you'd like to share. Either post them on this forum or maybe send them my way? That would be great. We're gonna be visiting the area in a couple of weeks.