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We visited the Triangle over the easter holidays. It was a short visit to generally gauge the city. First evening, we spent a couple of hours in Chapel Hill (University mall area), drove thru UNC and Carrboro. Second day, drove thru RTP, went around Raleigh inside the beltway, drove down Glenwood south, went to the new shopping area close to Glenwood. Second evening, we visited Duke and Southpoint mall. Third day, we drove around Cary.
This was our first trip to the Triangle, and while it was non-intense, we came away with the feeling that the triangle was a vibrant cosmopolitan pleasant area, but not yet a megapolis. We were mostly interested in the urban parts of the Traingle.
Do you agree? Disagree? Anybody made the move to the Triangle based on initial poisitive vibes, only to be disappointed that things were not really what they seemed to be (such as in jobs or schools or culture)?
I guess it all depends on what you are looking for in your new home town! If you are single, a couple or a family and what you like to do in your spare time.
Due to the influx of people from all over the country, we have lots of resturants and some really good ones. If you don't mind driving a bit, we have 5 shopping malls that are all different from each other in regards to stores. The downtown area is developing to be a destination for nightlife.
For families - there are plenty of activities to get involved in especially sports.
2 hours to the beach.
4 hours to the mountains.
12 hours to Orlando.
1 hour from I-95.
20 mins into downtown to the museums from most of the area (my friends from MA thought that was great!)
Tell me more about what you are looking for and I'll tell you if you will find it here.
(I have been here over 20 yrs from the DC area and I love it!)
We visited the Triangle over the easter holidays. It was a short visit to generally gauge the city. First evening, we spent a couple of hours in Chapel Hill (University mall area), drove thru UNC and Carrboro. Second day, drove thru RTP, went around Raleigh inside the beltway, drove down Glenwood south, went to the new shopping area close to Glenwood. Second evening, we visited Duke and Southpoint mall. Third day, we drove around Cary.
This was our first trip to the Triangle, and while it was non-intense, we came away with the feeling that the triangle was a vibrant cosmopolitan pleasant area, but not yet a megapolis. We were mostly interested in the urban parts of the Traingle.
Do you agree? Disagree? Anybody made the move to the Triangle based on initial poisitive vibes, only to be disappointed that things were not really what they seemed to be (such as in jobs or schools or culture)?
Heh... I think the Triangle is unlikely to ever become a megalopolis or to have a massive urban feel about it. If you're interested in more urban spaces in the Triangle, you visited all the right usual suspects plus a few that aren't on the list.
In my mind I sometimes draw a comparison with Orlando, my home city. People commute to downtown Orlando from throughout the metro area, generally from as far away as 30 miles in any compass direction (some more.) Yet downtown Raleigh and downtown Durham are by themselves 30 miles apart from each other... with smaller suburban areas surrounding each urban core. You'll see development continue to grow outwards, but unlike lots of cities, there's no one "center" to the Triangle.
Honestly, I think this is one of the things folks either just plain love or just plain hate about the area. Charlotte more typically resembles the growing Sunbelt city and might be worth a look, too?
I relocated to the Triangle as a transient. It was a job transfer to RTP that brought my husband and I to the area. We had no intention of settling. It was just supposed to be an initial base in the US (I am from the UK). We planned to stay one year and then move out of state. I was keen on New England and Northern California. My husband was attracted to the Pacific Northwest and Florida. We matched on wanting a coastal state but that was about all. As I was researching these other locations North Carolina kept coming up. Lots of people were moving here. Gradually I started to understand this phenomenon.
My superficial take on the Triangle area was neither negative or positive. It was simply not like the metropolitan areas I had known. I was flummoxed by the decentralized nature. I was used to having one city center surrounded by suburbs. Sometimes I think about how different the Triangle would be if you could take all the urban areas and put them together. Then surround them by the smaller towns/suburbs. Then add the villages/rural/exurban ring. I think it would have been instant love. Instead the Triangle grew on me. Enough that I now consider myself a transplant.
I am from the UK too. I moved to MA in 1986. I have been here ever since and am more than ready for a change. Chapel Hill reminds me of England much more than the suburb we live in in MA. I grew up in Torquay which I considered very boring when I was young but since moving away I realize that it had a lot going for it. The town I live in now has less than 20,000 people and nothing going on. I love the feel of Franklin Street, Carrboro and the UNC campus in Chapel Hill. You can go out and see people on the streets.
When we were in NC in February I had imagined what it would be like and it somehow didn't seem like I thought it would be but it grew on me by the end of the week and now I'm really looking forward to moving.
I agree with all of the above comments. It seemed to me as well that I will get to enjoy the Triangle as a whole, rather than one single fascinating area or thing there. My wife and I are in our mid 30s, and have young kids, so we are personally looking for all the family things primarily, and I could see that I could find it there. In addition to what Transplanted Yankee wrote as positives: 4.5 hrs to DC, 9 hrs to NYC are plusses too. Dont you think? I like Transplanted Yankee's positive comments about the downtown developing. I also liked Glenwood South (and I think there was a shopping area called Cameron or something like that...) All that looked like positive urban development.
The only question I have is:
Is the Triangle generally a vibrant place? Young people bring a certain vibrancy to an area. What does the typical teen or college kid or young graduate/professional think of the area. As I said, middle aged, I am married with kids, so this is just a question to understand the area.
The Triangle has pockets of youthful vibrancy. The university students/young graduates/professionals have plenty of places to hang-out.
UNC- Chapel Hill: Franklin St and downtown Carrboro
Duke: Ninth St, Brightleaf Square and American Tobacco Campus
NC State: Hillsborough St (somewhat rundown, revitalization planned), Cameron Village, Glenwood South and other downtown Raleigh areas
However, this does not translate into the whole Triangle being a buzzing hive of youthful activity. I think a lot of momentum is lost by these 'happening' places being fairly spread out.
Also, in my opinion many residents do not identify with the Triangle as a whole. Quite the reverse. There does not seem to be much of a Triangle team spirit. Often the various communities that make up the Triangle do not seem very neighborly. There appears to be more competition than collaboration. This is a shame.
Back in 2002 when I relocated to the Triangle I very nearly moved to Charlotte instead. Back then their uptown was impressive thanks to the skyscrapers but there was minimal street-life. When I go back there now I am wowed by the transformation. It is on its way to being a vibrant city.
I think the Triangle can get attain a similar transformation. There are revitalization projects occurring throughout the area. However, the situation is more challenging for the Triangle than for Charlotte. We are not one city but several. As yet we are not really Trianglites but Raleighites, Durhamites, Chapel Hillites/Hillians, Caryites etc. Personally I wish there was less 'sniping' between the various communities and more pride in the metropolitan area as a whole.
It sounds like we have similar families and similar interests, but we are a few years behind you.
We, too, are looking at moving to the triangle, and as Bull City Rising mentioned, I'm not sure that Raleigh proper will ever be a large megalopolis/metropolis although there is a fair bit of development going on downtown (e.g. small convention center, high rise condos) and I have kept my eye on Raleigh's planning website (RALEIGH PLANNING).
While the lack of a true urban feel disappoints me a bit, it's exactly what thrills my wife and it's compromise that we're after. After two tours through the area, Durham and Raleigh's "inside the beltline" neighborhoods have the most urban feel to me.
Bull City Rising can give you the lowdown on Durham. I have not seen as many posts here about the neighborhoods inside the beltline. I favor the inside the beltline neighborhoods due to the proximity to my eventual work and the urban but neighborhood feel.
I would sum it up as follows:
-Broughton is the best non-chartered/non-magnet public high school in Raleigh. Thus, you'll probably want to land within its district if you plan on sending your kids to public schools.
-Not surprisingly, the neighborhoods around Broughton also tend to be the most expensive inside the beltline neighborhoods
-The development you were referring to is Cameron Village. There's also the neighborhood of Cameron Village (essentially around the development) as well as Cameron Park (south of Peace street closer to Broughton and Glenwood South).
-Other areas you ought to look at for nice neighborhoods with an urban feel or which are located quite close to urban development are:
Hayes Barton
Bloomsbury
Glenwood-Brooklyn
Glenwood South
Five Points
Oakwood
Mordecai
Roanoke Park
(there are others, but this is a quick overview of what we liked, not all is affordable for us, however)
-I found this realtor's website very helpful Moderator cut: realtor company websites not permitted here for a quick rundown of neighborhoods (I have no financial interest, just used it for a tour of the city since it includes maps and borders).
The only question I have is:
Is the Triangle generally a vibrant place? Young people bring a certain vibrancy to an area. What does the typical teen or college kid or young graduate/professional think of the area. As I said, middle aged, I am married with kids, so this is just a question to understand the area.
Husband and I also have kids & are a about your age (have few years on you....not telling how many ). And we currently live in Portland, Oregon. For years Portland has attracted a high number of young people who add immensely to the vibrancy of this city. That is one of the things that attracted me to Portland when I was part of that demographic. This vibrancy isn't just pockets... it's pretty much everywhere. I still love Portland but the scales have tipped and now as family we are the oddity. Less than 20% of the residents of Portland have school aged children.
I know I'll be giving up the amount of vibrancy that Portland has to live in The Triangle. But at the same token I won't have to worry about my kids schools closing because there just aren't enough kids any more. It's a trade off I'm willing to make at this point in my life. Plus if I really need an urban fix I have friends in DC & Philly that I can now easily visit. Not to mention those quick flights to NYC.
I see Snowpea has location of Triangle, NC. (as opposed to an actual city). That matches the general sense in Snowpea's postings!!
VSB -- thanks for all that great info. I am sure a lot of time went into that research. I was getting ready to look at the 'burbs (Cary/Apex), but I will use your input to investigate Inside the Beltline. To get a decent independent house (nothing fancy, nice/safe area or subdivision, 3 BR) what kind of $$ starting price would I be looking at?
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). And we currently live in Portland, Oregon. For years Portland has attracted a high number of young people who add immensely to the vibrancy of this city. That is one of the things that attracted me to Portland when I was part of that demographic. This vibrancy isn't just pockets... it's pretty much everywhere. I still love Portland but the scales have tipped and now as family we are the oddity. Less than 20% of the residents of Portland have school aged children. 
