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Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary The Triangle Area
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Old 09-10-2007, 07:11 AM
 
Location: South Beach and DT Raleigh
13,966 posts, read 24,058,290 times
Reputation: 14761

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Brenda,
Some facts:
1. First of all, Chapel Hill is not 24,000 people; it's 50,000
2. "nothing to do" Raleigh has a performing arts center that has been featured in the NY Times as an example of what mid sized cities should have.
3. Raleigh has State Museums of Art, History and Natural Sciences. Did you even bother to see the Monet in Normandy exhibit? It only went to 3 cities in the entire country.
4. Raleigh has one of the largest and most successful Amphiteaters in the Southeast US (Walnut Creek).
5. Raleigh is home to Carolina Ballet, NC Symphony, the Opera Company of NC and the North Carolina Theater.
6. Glenwood South has been featured in the travel section of the NY Times. On weekends, thousands of people are enjoying lounges, dance clubs, martini bars, jazz/live music performances, dinner, etc. downtown.
7. Raleigh and the Triangle have 3 choices for ACC sports, the Carolina Hurricanes NHL Hockey and 2 choices for minor league baseball.
8. Raleigh has golf courses galore, a well developed Parks and Recreation department: including a model greenway system; a network of public pools and tennis courts and one of the largest youth soccer programs in the nation.
9. Raleigh has First Fridays EVERY MONTH for art walks in downtown galleries.
10. Raleigh has First Night for New Year's Eve, Artsplosure and World Beer festivals in the Spring, Raleigh Wide Open in the Summer, The State Fair in the Fall and a variety of ethnic festivals throughout the year. (I am sure there are many others. These are top of my head only)
11. Raleigh has Candlelight tours of historic Oakwood, open houses at the governor's mansion, a Christmas Parade and one of the most charming long running adaptations of A Christmas Carol during the holiday season.
12. You can find "shows" for about anything your heart desires at the RBC Center, the State Fairgrounds, the Performing Arts Center...you can even find rodeo at the Hunt Horse Complex if that's what you want.
13. You can go boating or water ski on Falls Lake or Jordan Lake.
14. You can hike or camp or mountain bike through more than 5000 acres of Umstead State Park without leaving Wake County.
15. You can peruse the nationally acclaimed, 8 Acre, JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State.
16. Speaking of NC State, you can take night classes at the Craft Center at NC State including pottery, photography, woodworking, fiber arts, jewelry, glass, metals, etc.

Yeah....I guess you are right, there is nothing to do. You better leave before you are bored to death.
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Old 09-10-2007, 07:18 AM
 
Location: Oxxford Hunt, Cary NC
4,477 posts, read 11,592,791 times
Reputation: 4263
I don't regret the decision as it is much better here than back in Northern VA. That said, I don't know how long I will stay - I'm not comfortable with the growth the area is experiencing so I may look for a more stable area of the country to live in. I've got no ties here yet, so moving out of the area is a definite possibility. It'll be intereresting to see how it all turns out.
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Old 09-10-2007, 07:41 AM
 
9,680 posts, read 27,111,406 times
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If you can work it out and aren't pleased here, it makes sense to leave.
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Old 09-10-2007, 08:51 AM
 
Location: Holly Springs, NC USA
3,457 posts, read 4,642,087 times
Reputation: 1907
We regret the decision simply because we don't care for the "rat race" feel of the Triangle area. We did a lot of research ahead of time but reality and theory are two different things.

I have found Raleigh to be kind of lacking in character, I am not a big fan of the heat, and it is not as cheap to live here as everyone makes it out to be. I really miss the 4 seasons and the lack of a gorgeous Fall and Winter make things bland. I am also not a big fan of the chain store and restaurant mentality that is being developed around here. I miss the excitment of the sports teams from up North as well.

This is not a knock on anyone here or how anyone else feels about the Triangle either. Just some observations.
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Old 09-10-2007, 08:56 AM
 
9,680 posts, read 27,111,406 times
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We used to live in Manhattan, now that was a rat race par excellance.

It all depends on your wants and needs. No place is right for everyone.
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Old 09-10-2007, 09:12 AM
 
Location: Downtown Raleigh, NC
2,086 posts, read 7,628,958 times
Reputation: 1308
Quote:
Originally Posted by brenda9417 View Post
I'm posting, knowing I'll be bashed for giving my honest opinion, but here goes. My family regrets moving here, and are looking forward to leaving at the end of the year. Aside from the culture shock, there is a lack of infrastructure that is shocking. With no actual competition for public utilities the two monopolies Progress Energy and PSNC are free to charge what they'd like--you can't switch gas companies there aren't any others. (I about stroked when I saw my first gas bill--for the month of August!) The citizens of Raleigh consistently complain about traffic problems--when the problem is'nt traffic it's a lack of freeways, toll-roads or any other means to get from Point A to Point B without stopping every block for a stoplight that isn't synchronized for high traffic periods. There is absolutely nothing going on in Raleigh, aside from the occassional concert or the yearly state fair (and of course the farmer's market). If you are looking for any signs of culture you are consistently pointed to Chapel Hill (population 24,000). If you are looking for nightlife you are pointed to Chapel Hill or Durham (again, not Raleigh). If you're looking for something to do on the weekend you're pointed to the beaches and mountains (all within a 2 hour drive of Raleigh). The schools are not that great, we moved to North Raleigh to place our daughter into what Wake County considered their "top" high school. My daughter is enrolled in all of their 9th grade AP classes (and is having to re-read To Kill a Mockingbird, a book she read in the 7th grade and The Odessy she read in the 8th grade!!!!!!)).

Is it pretty here? Yes, but it's pretty in thousands of other towns too. Are the people here nice? Some are, some are not. Mostly we've found that if you don't like living here you should keep it to yourself, people here do not take criticism too kindly! I think it all comes down to what you are looking for and what type person you are. It is NOT for my family. But, could be for yours. If you chose to move here and want quite, very quite, rural America, then, Welcome HOME! But, if you want to move to North Carolina and have something to do move Chapel Hill (ha), Ashville, or to Topsail, Kure or one of the other beach cities. If you want something to do and a job to pay for it, move to Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, or Denver, not Raleigh, NC. This is a town for retirees, college students (those who have applied and been accepted into one of the three local universities--not college-aged kids wanting to live somewhere hip), or people wanting to raise their kids in a very quite town. If you fit into one of these categories this will be the utopia you are looking for.
First off, I want to say that I have no desire to bash you at all, because there is no one place that will serve everyone's needs and wants. However, there are a few things that I either am not understanding from your point of view, or perhaps you could elaborate on a bit more. I am not here to try to convince you that Raleigh is a great place for you, because it seems as though you have already come to the conclusion that it is not. I just thought I'd present some counter points, and I welcome any more thoughts from you on these points as well.

1. Utilities. I lived in a large metro for my entire life until I moved to Raleigh. There was never much competition among utilities. One gas company, one cable company (until satellite, dish, etc. came around), one PHONE company until the past 5 years, one electric company. For a city of Raleigh's size, I don't find this unusual at all if a much larger city had the same situation.

2. Infrastructure. I agree that major improvements need to be made here considering the amount of growth expected in the area in order to be proactive about future amounts of traffic. However, at the moment, I really don't see where it is a huge issue. Maybe it's just because I again came from a truly large city with far worse infrastructure, and hence monumental traffic issues. I have found it very easy to get around the Triangle, and was shocked at how quickly I could get from one side of town to the other without using freeways. We also did our best to live as close as possible to our jobs, so daily commuting hasn't been a problem for us at all.

3. Nothing going on in Raleigh. This is my big point. I really don't understand this perception. Just this past weekend, the following things were going on: 9th Annual Oysterfest, First Friday (broken link), and the Raleigh Typhoon (broken link). Other summer activities include movies on the lawn at the NC Art Museum and at Moore Square, the Downtown Live concerts, etc. Spark Con is coming up later this month. The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has an Event Calendar with upcoming downtown events. New restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. are opening up weekly in downtown Raleigh (ie. Seaboard Station, The Depot), and there are several established places that all offer very good nightlife options in Glenwood South and Moore Square, etc. There are plenty of natural areas, parks, lakes, rivers, etc. for outdoor activities. Are these not things that you would be interested in? If not, what sorts of things are you looking for? rnc2mbfl also offered many other options of things to do, and I know that both of us have missed many others because we just can't list everything here. I will say that the city does a poor job at getting the word out for some events such as Raleigh Wide Open, etc. This forces people who are new to the area to do some serious digging to find out about events.

4. Schools. I do not have children so I do not really know much about what the curriculum is like. So I will not comment on this.

5. "quite, very quite rural America". Raleigh is a smaller city that is currently growing. Anyone researching this area and hoping for a bustling metropolis like Chicago or San Francisco is not looking in the right place. Quiet rural America it is not. If you really want to see what quiet rural America is like, try visiting some of the smaller outlying towns in NC. It is interesting that you mention that there are a lot of retirees here. My mother and father visited recently. They will be retiring soon and have lived in Miami forever. My mother's opinion of the area is that it is mostly young people, with few retirees. I personally see a lot of young and middle-aged families, with pockets of single young professionals, and far less retirees. I guess we all see things differently. <shrug>

I would never call any place a utopia, but it definitely sounds as if you haven't found your place here. I am a city girl who knew nothing beyond large metropolis and small college town until I moved here, and I find that Raleigh is a pretty good balance of those two things - but that is just for me. I'm really excited about watching the downtown area reinvent itself, as I think the area has a lot of yet untapped potential.

Last edited by miamiblue; 09-10-2007 at 09:20 AM..
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Old 09-10-2007, 11:29 AM
 
9,680 posts, read 27,111,406 times
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As a former utility employee, let me comment.

In many cities, the "competition" has been a cruel joke on ratepayers. Supposed discounts never materialized and the removal of regulation let ratepayers be raped as in California.

NC has a very good utilities commission that keeps the monopoly companies toeing the mark. Much better than the mess deregulation has brought to the interstate moving and airline businesses.

We're not backward in the utility arena, only intelligent.
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Old 09-10-2007, 12:09 PM
 
3,031 posts, read 9,071,090 times
Reputation: 842
Quote:
Originally Posted by Desdemona123 View Post
No need to bash you...but didn't you do your research before you moved here? I don't know anyone that pretends Raleigh is Chicago or San Fransisco! One is set up for failure here if one thinks it is.

Don't get me wrong...I love Topsail (going there for Thanksgiving even)...but you think there is more to do there then in Raleigh? You aren't looking around Raleigh then. Topsail is a small, small beach town...a few restaurants and boutiques. There certainly aren't symphonies on the beach.

I do agree with the the books they read in class...they aren't always the most challenging or even interesting...but I do believe those are based from the state curriculum...and let's face it, there are areas of NC that those books are challenges for that grade. I just make sure that my child has plenty of other opportunities to read.
I wonder if the individual school systems have leeway over the state curriculum. A friend of mine who has a son in the CH/Carrboro district read TKAM in 7th grade. My kids (in MA) also read it in 7th grade.

I read The Odysessy in Latin. Can't remember if I ever read it in English. But that's OT!

Also, I've found that it might not matter much where you live with regard to things to do. We've lived all over: SF, Boston, Seatttle, etc. and once you get embroiled in what we call "the laundry and yard work" factor, it's easy to forget to take advantage of local amenities.
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Old 09-10-2007, 12:26 PM
 
Location: Wake Forest
2,835 posts, read 7,327,203 times
Reputation: 2052
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigHouse9 View Post
We regret the decision simply because we don't care for the "rat race" feel of the Triangle area. We did a lot of research ahead of time but reality and theory are two different things.

I have found Raleigh to be kind of lacking in character, I am not a big fan of the heat, and it is not as cheap to live here as everyone makes it out to be. I really miss the 4 seasons and the lack of a gorgeous Fall and Winter make things bland. I am also not a big fan of the chain store and restaurant mentality that is being developed around here. I miss the excitment of the sports teams from up North as well.

This is not a knock on anyone here or how anyone else feels about the Triangle either. Just some observations.
That is true it is not as cheap to live here as I heard when I lived in the northest less the large NE cities like NY and Boston. Yes school taxes are cheaper and we get what we pay for. Lower taxes means lower quality schools and test scores across the board unless you are willing to pay for private schools.

We have come to the conclusion its a pay as you go area.
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Old 09-10-2007, 12:40 PM
 
9,680 posts, read 27,111,406 times
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It was cheaper here years ago before the influx of folks from higher cost areas drove prices up.

People thought rents ridiculous for Raleigh were OK because they were low compared to their last city.

This screwed it up for all of us.
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