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Hello to all. I have been reading this forum for a few weeks, getting bits and pieces of information I was looking for, but I thought I'd make a new thread. If this has already been covered in another thread, I apologize. My father doesn't have as much time as I do to research, so I thought I would come on here myself, and do the work for him.
My family and I are looking to move somewhere warm. We currently live in Wisconsin, and for those who don't know the 4 seasons are Already Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Road Construction/Mosquitoes. This is no exxageration. As I currently write this, it is 45, cloudy and windy outside. Yuck.
Here are some questions.
We are looking to move near Raleigh, ie Cary, Chapel Hill, Apex, Wake, Durham, Holly Springs etc. Firstly, are these near Raleigh, or am I mistaken. Also, if we are looking for a quieter town with not much urban sprawl, which of these (or other) would be best? (We will probably build a house, if that influences your answer at all)
What is Raleigh itself like? Is it expecting any improvements or anything like that in the future?
What is the weather like? In Wisconsin, the coldest it gets is about -20, with about 4 feet of snow, the warmest is about 85-90, but very humid. Anything above 20 is warm for us.
Are there mosquitoes? I ask because Oregon, for instance, doesn't have any, and like I said, Wisconsin has a ton.
Are people friendly? Of course, you aren't going to say no , but does Southern Hospitality exist, for instance, and if so what does it entail?
Is there anything aside from Universities that makes the research triangle unique?
Is it safe? We are near Milwaukee, which is one of the most dangerous cities in the country, and we would like to get away from violence.
I saw that NC is #1 in burglaries. Is this a concern for residents like yourselves?
I have heard this area is fast growing, is it becoming a problem?
How far away is this region from the ocean?
All in all - Is it a nice place to live?!
Any other thoughts about the area you may have would be very helpful. We are visiting in the summer, and we are really looking forward to it.
THANK YOU! Have a wonderful afternoon!
Last edited by Tarheel Hopeful; 04-13-2009 at 11:18 AM..
We are looking to move near Raleigh, ie Cary, Chapel Hill, Apex, Wake, Durham, Holly Springs etc. Firstly, are these near Raleigh, or am I mistaken. The "Triangle," as we refer to this area, consists of three counties (Wake (in which the city of Raleigh is located), Durham (in which the city of Durham is located), and Orange (in which the city of Chapel Hill is located). All of the towns you listed are "near" Raleigh - some closer than others, but all generally within a half-hour's drive. Anything in those three counties would generally be considered "near Raleigh."
Also, if we are looking for a quieter town with not much urban sprawl, which of these (or other) would be best? (We will probably build a house, if that influences your answer at all)
I'm not sure what defines "quieter." Much of the area is suburban in character. Little of the area is urban. Those towns that are a bit further out will be less highly developed and smaller.
What is Raleigh itself like? Is it expecting any improvements or anything like that in the future? That's a broad question. It's a high growth city. It's the state capital. It has a major university. It has wealthy areas and poor areas. It has new areas and old, established neighborhoods.
What is the weather like? In Wisconsin, the coldest it gets is about -20, with about 4 feet of snow, the warmest is about 85-90, but very humid. Anything above 20 is warm for us. Still seasonal, but not as extreme. Weather.com can give you our averages. While we don't have the extremely cold winters, we do have brutally hot and humid summers.
Are there mosquitoes? I ask because Oregon, for instance, doesn't have any, and like I said, Wisconsin has a ton. Yup, they are plentiful here. In general, I think the South has more bugs than the North.
Are people friendly? Of course, you aren't going to say no , but does Southern Hospitality exist, for instance, and if so what does it entail? Southern hospitality is a lot like Midwestern friendliness. You may not notice too much difference. People are generally welcoming and friendly.
Is there anything aside from Universities that makes the research triangle unique? Hmm... good question. For one thing, we can get to the mountains or the ocean in just a few hours. We have a vibrant, growing economy (although we're struggling now like everywhere). We are an economy and culture that not too long ago was based on textiles and tobacco; today it's high-tech and bio-tech.
Is it safe? We are near Milwaukee, which is one of the most dangerous cities in the country, and we would like to get away from violence. Depends where you are. Some economically impoverished areas suffer from high crime. I would say on average, we're average.
I saw that NC is #1 in burglaries. Is this a concern for residents like yourselves? We are? Really?? I didn't know that.
I have heard this area is fast growing, is it becoming a problem? It became a problem years ago, and still is. Managing population growth is no easy task. A lot of people move here, and it crowds our schools and streets, and for some adds to the unemployment.
How far away is this region from the ocean? The closest beach is about 2-1/2 hours from Raleigh.
All in all - Is it a nice place to live?! Without a doubt.
1. We are looking to move near Raleigh, ie Cary, Chapel Hill, Apex, Wake, Durham, Holly Springs etc. Firstly, are these near Raleigh, or am I mistaken
How close to Raleigh those areas are depend on where you are in Raleigh, but for where I am, which is North Raleigh, this is how I see things: (And the time depends on time of day, too.)
Cary is attached to Raleigh. I can get there in 15 minutes or so.
Chapel Hill is about 45-50 minutes from Raleigh.
Apex is 30 to 40 minutes from Raleigh.
Wake is a county that has Raleigh, Cary, and several other towns in it.
Durham (the city, which happens to be in a county named Durham) is about 40, 45 minutes from Raleigh.
Holly Springs is about 30 minutes away. I have never been there; never had a reason to go.
I saw that NC is #1 in burglaries. Is this a concern for residents like yourselves?
I never heard that either, but it's getting worse everywhere, due to the economy, I believe. I'm sure there are "newcomer" criminals as well as the many newcomers who come here despite the high unemployment rates.
Well, as far as the urban sprawl goes... the closer you get to the city- the more urban sprawl you will have. All of the towns you listed have it. If you want a country feel then you should go a little further out into Rolesville, Graham, Fuquay-Varina, Clayton, Knightdale. You'll be 30 or 40 mins to the center of Raleigh instead of 20.
The weather is nice if you can handle 2 months of extreme humidity and all that comes with it. I grew up in NC and I love the 4 seasons and all the green. There are also a lot of lakes to fish and swim and boat on. Snowskiing is only 3 hours away.
I don't know of any improvements coming. I wish there was a pro team (besides hockey).... does anyone know if there are plans to bring one to the area?
Yes, I think it is fair to say that it is a nice place to live. In the end, it's all what you make of it!
Is there anything aside from Universities that makes the research triangle unique? Hmm... good question. For one thing, we can get to the mountains or the ocean in just a few hours. We have a vibrant, growing economy (although we're struggling now like everywhere). We are an economy and culture that not too long ago was based on textiles and tobacco; today it's high-tech and bio-tech.
The #1 thing that makes this area "unique" is Research Triangle Park (RTP), which is sort of "the Silicon Valley of the Southeast". RTP alone is what fueled that exponential growth in the past 40 years to this area, transforming it from a few sleepy Southern cities and towns into a "metro" region.
I have heard this area is fast growing, is it becoming a problem?
The longer someone has lived here, the more they will think it's a problem. What does that tell you?
Do you already have a job lined up? I just saw figures that NC is #1 in unemployment growth from Feb 2008 to Feb 2009. Don't let the appeal of the area and people lull you into thinking you'll just be able to snap up a job when you get here, if you didn't have one arranged beforehand.
The #1 thing that makes this area "unique" is Research Triangle Park (RTP), which is sort of "the Silicon Valley of the Southeast". RTP alone is what fueled that exponential growth in the past 40 years to this area, transforming it from a few sleepy Southern cities and towns into a "metro" region.
I have heard this area is fast growing, is it becoming a problem?
The longer someone has lived here, the more they will think it's a problem. What does that tell you?
Do you already have a job lined up? I just saw figures that NC is #1 in unemployment growth from Feb 2008 to Feb 2009. Don't let the appeal of the area and people lull you into thinking you'll just be able to snap up a job when you get here, if you didn't have one arranged beforehand.
My father is a physician, and may be interested in working in conjunction with one of the universities in the area.
Well, as far as the urban sprawl goes... the closer you get to the city- the more urban sprawl you will have. All of the towns you listed have it. If you want a country feel then you should go a little further out into Rolesville, Graham, Fuquay-Varina, Clayton, Knightdale. You'll be 30 or 40 mins to the center of Raleigh instead of 20.
I would disagree, Chapel Hill and Orange County has not suffered from urban sprawl as has the rest of the Triangle. The county is not very accommodating to big box & chain restaurants going so far is to prohibit any new drive though restaurants to be built in the future. That said Chapel Hill / Carrboro is not like the rest of the state. Most people I know compare it to Seattle in culture, politics, & intellectual climate (lots of history, artists, environmentalists, musicians, etc). The downside is it is crazy expensive actually in Chapel Hill due to the excellent school systems. You can get a very affordable place outside of the city limits though and Hillsborough is becoming increasingly nice although a little distant (around 45 mins) from Raleigh.
P.S. I noticed you said your father is a physician. The UNC hospital has just added a massive new section and is planning to build another full service hospital in nearby Hillsborough. This area is big into medical so he will probably find a lot of luck here.
Last edited by Amsel; 04-18-2009 at 08:13 AM..
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