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We've been here 21 years. I grew up in Oceanside, wife in Island Park. Left LI in 70's for Los Angeles, Kansas City, Manhattan, NJ, New Orleans, and finally Raleigh. Been around, huh?
What we really miss here is public transit. I hate the ill-designed roads where you can't keep in the right lane because it constantly drops off. The unlighted highways are a real hazard once your night vision dims.
We've rented here 21 years with good rents. Never bought because the homes are many times pure trash and start to hemorrhage maintenance in about 5 years. The clay soil in the area causes houses to go badly out of plumb and foundations to fail in many areas.
Many jobs here pay much less so, if you're not retired, the lower home prices are offset by lower wages.
Wake County public schools were fine for my kids. They both now have good jobs with the state and also live in North Raleigh.
For you union members, NC is a right to work (for less) state.
We like Raleigh a lot, but it's not everyone's cup of tea. Don't get aroused only because of home prices and property taxes.
Come down,spend a decent amount of time here, run through the tourist attractions, then decide if NC is what you want in life.
Good luck whatever you decide to do.
P.S. NC isn't the only choice if you want to relocate. Check around to find the best fit.
I shop at Wal-mart, we own one car, and I just try to give my children the extras like a dance class or karate. We do not take trips or do the summer camp thing, so it really isn't even a consideration that we live beyond our means. So, even though our income is nice, we were hit hard by that problem. I do NOT consider NC to be backwards, at all, and I apologize if I even impliedit. I am just scared of the unknown. I say I want to be by NYers b/c it would lessen the pain of moving, so to speak. Because I definitely feel like this was forced upon me by the gentleman who put us in a bad position after all that we worked for. I would look forward to a slower pace and a general politeness that you do not get up here. And I would like to say farewell to snow. I'd like the opportunity to make a new circle of friends and not feel the financial pressure that you feel here. My children ask me forthe birthday parties that their friends have or the camps that their friends attend--it is not within our means, nor would I give it to them if it was. I'd like my children to not feel the pressures that NYS schools puts on them in terms of standardized testing. Overall, everyone's opinion is dead on, lol, which puts me back to square one, lol. I thank everyone for their honesty, and again wish to stress that I do not look down upon NC; rather, the circumstances that have forced me to consider uprooting my family.
I'm from upstate and have been planning a move for 18 months. I am putting my house on the market as soon as I can. A few things:
You don't need to be in an area with other New Yorkers...there is such a variety in the triangle that you will find folks of all kinds from all kinds of places. IMHO being with Ny'ers would make you more homesick, not less.
Re; schools. Many many Wake county teachers do have Master's degrees...just because it isn't required doesn't mean it isn't desired! The flip side of that is: in NY the expectations are higher and you mentioned you are trying to get away from the pressure/testing, etc. NC is getting in gear to follow Race to the Top Standards and does have standardized testing so I'm not sure you'll notice the difference. I am a teacher and have studied the differences between NY and NC exhaustively and I'm pretty satisfied that my girls will get the education they deserve. You don't say what your daughter's special needs are, if you are more specific you might get better advice on the schools.
There are plenty of neighborhoods where the schools are stable. I would not recommend Cary if you are concerned about redistricting issues. And I would also have to say that is one area where you would get most sucked back into keeping up with the Joneses.
Can you come down during Easter break and have a visit? I visited for a week last summer and got TONS of info and ideas. That visit encouraged me to postpone my move one year, but it was very worthwhile.
You don't say what kind of work your husband is looking for, but he should have a job lined up before you move.
If you are looking for a slower pace and friendlier surroundings, you have to bring it...in other words, make some deliberate choices as you are moving to create the environment you want.
Good luck in your process! I admire you for taking steps to redefine your life.
I'm not sure why you believe we resent the yankees that have moved here thus far. I have met several, and they are nice folks, they don't go on and on about how things were done back where-ever, which makes life easier for all of us. The Northerners I have met enculturated easily, it really is a somewhat laid back lifestyle (except during basketball season), this years' attempt at a pro football team has not been one of the better efforts, but, football is, at best, a third or fourth sport in this neck of the woods, I suspect our minor league baseball teams do a better gate. College hoops is the king of sports, Pick an ACC Team, any one of them and become a fan, Almost everyones second favorite team is Wake Forest, a really small university playing with the big boys, I absolutely love it when Wake beats either Duke, or N.C. State. The Mountains are close, so is the coast, good fishing in either direction, our beaches are not crowded, neither are they built up- by law- The beach belongs to the public- a little quirk of N.C. law that most of the citizens appreciate.
I am having trouble getting past the fact that people are able to retire at 38 with a full pension! So they work for 20 years and then get paid for another 40-50 years? That makes me sick. It is no wonder some states are going broke. All that being said, you can't blame the person for taking advantage of that, but you can blame the state for making such an idiotic promise.
librarySue, don't know why you said this, but I think it leaves the wrong impression:
Quote:
I would not recommend Cary if you are concerned about redistricting issues.
Wake County encompasses Raleigh and other towns, including Cary, Zebulon, Knightdale, Wendell, Apex, Garner, Fuquay-Varina, Rolesville, Holly Springs, and Wake Forest. It's sort of tough to avoid the Wake County school issues in those cities and towns.
I am having trouble getting past the fact that people are able to retire at 38 with a full pension! So they work for 20 years and then get paid for another 40-50 years? That makes me sick. It is no wonder some states are going broke. All that being said, you can't blame the person for taking advantage of that, but you can blame the state for making such an idiotic promise.
Twenty or 25 years of service for retirement in law enforcement is pretty standard, I believe. After 20 years of putting his life on the line for the citizens of his community, I have no problem with this guy walking away with a full pension. Do you know how many LEOs are killed in the line of duty every year?
Several members of my family -- including my brother -- are LEOs. Many LEOs go on to begin second careers.
Hi all, I'm hoping someone could help me with solving this dliemma we've been trying to solve for the past 3 years: Should we come down there or not?
I seem to be making this reminder a lot lately, but ^^ this ^^ is what the OP is asking. (Yes, the thread 1.5 years ago, but it's still the original question.)
I am having trouble getting past the fact that people are able to retire at 38 with a full pension! So they work for 20 years and then get paid for another 40-50 years? That makes me sick. It is no wonder some states are going broke. All that being said, you can't blame the person for taking advantage of that, but you can blame the state for making such an idiotic promise.
Mike
One of the reasons we left RI - state is broke, taxes untenable. Makes me ill too.
This is what I've learned in my life about giving advice:
When someone asks you, "Should I or shouldn't I?" about a MAJOR life decision, the answer is always "NO!"
Why is that? It's because if someone is asking that question, they simply are not the least bit ready to say, "Yes."
Should I get married?
Should I move?
Should I have a baby?
If someone asks you those questions, the answer should always be, "No" because they are not ready to get married, move, or have a baby. Period.
If they want more information, that's another story.
If the decision is a struggle for you, it means you just aren't ready to say, "Yes."
In order to be successful in any of those areas, you must first make a firm and confident decision -- one that you believe in wholeheartedly.
You can and should gather information in order to weigh your decision. But once you make the decision, you will know for yourself if it is right or wrong, because you will be confident in it, and you will have absolutely no need to ask anyone, "Should I or shouldn't I?"
Well put! It takes a while to get to this point in life to figure this out, thx for sharing!
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I think you are on the right track
