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But it's fine, it's nice, it's not exciting and it is pretty in areas in the spring and fall.
The job sitch here is not good, and it hasn't been great in the 8 yrs I've lived here. The 'recession' has lasted at least the last 8+ yrs (and don't think it hasn't). Will it improve? Maybe. Eventually. But this area will always be big on the sciences, agriculture and a few other key industries, but it's not a great place for I.T. and other computer/tech industries and I think that's not going to improve much.
I moved here from CA early 2002, had no job, had lost my job the year before in CA (tech bust), and I would not move here now if I didn't have a job. I don't know where I'd move, but it took me a long 2.5 yrs to get somewhat established in this area, and I'm very underemployed for my background and education. But it's a job and benefits and that rules my world since I don't have a trust fund or a sugar daddy.
I personally find it limited socially and it's geared more for families here so singletons with no kids, (esp those over 40) can feel out-of-place.
Mostly yes. BUT the people here are wonderful!!! And a place is mostly about the people, don't you think?
I agree with you, if more of my friends from out of state relocated here it would be pretty nice.. However, I find it to be the other way around though... love the area, but the people are just eh... JMO
... a lot of people do have misconceptions about what life is really like here based on a possible once-upon-a-time reality of cheap real estate and plentiful jobs.
THIS.
Quote:
Raleigh is in the PIEDMONT. which means FLAT
Actually, piedmont does NOT mean "flat"--it means "at the foot of mountains". It comes from French "pied" (foot) and "monter" (to climb) so I've always thought of it as literally meaning "a step up with your foot" from the coastal plain to our east. Now THAT's flat! The Piedmont is quite hilly in fact.
Having lived my entire life in Florida (up until 2000), I find the area to be an extremely nice place to raise a family. My kids have freedoms here that they would not be allowed to have (for their safety) in Florida.
Yes, some of the local governments could use a few tips on planning, but coming from "the land of the strip malls and Disney", I still really like the area. Yes, it's hot in the summer, and we can sometimes (like now) have lousy winter weather. But the spring and fall are outstanding, and we're 2+ hours from the beach or the mountains, so you can change the weather fairly quickly if you'd prefer.
I still have high hopes for Research Triangle Park. I know some of the tenants have taken a hit recently (Nortel, Cisco, IBM, Lenovo), but I feel that with the concentration of colleges in the area, those companies will be back, along with the bio-tech industry. I've had the good fortune to travel to quite a few of the 50 states, and this area stacks up very well. The real estate prices are usually the killer in the other hot areas (Boston, Seattle, Silicon Valley), so I'm happy to have my large house and 1/2 acre lot for less than a third of what they pay in those areas.
Having lived my entire life in Florida (up until 2000), I find the area to be an extremely nice place to raise a family. My kids have freedoms here that they would not be allowed to have (for their safety) in Florida.
Yes, some of the local governments could use a few tips on planning, but coming from "the land of the strip malls and Disney", I still really like the area. Yes, it's hot in the summer, and we can sometimes (like now) have lousy winter weather. But the spring and fall are outstanding, and we're 2+ hours from the beach or the mountains, so you can change the weather fairly quickly if you'd prefer.
I still have high hopes for Research Triangle Park. I know some of the tenants have taken a hit recently (Nortel, Cisco, IBM, Lenovo), but I feel that with the concentration of colleges in the area, those companies will be back, along with the bio-tech industry. I've had the good fortune to travel to quite a few of the 50 states, and this area stacks up very well. The real estate prices are usually the killer in the other hot areas (Boston, Seattle, Silicon Valley), so I'm happy to have my large house and 1/2 acre lot for less than a third of what they pay in those areas.
I have to agree ... I've lived here 30 years but have had 9-15 months assignments in places like Houston, Santa Clara, Tampa, etc. We definitely live here by choice and if we had kids it would be even more so. I've probably said "no thanks" to relo offers half a dozen times.
Is it perfect here? No . If I was unemployed would I consider moving? You bet. Does it all balance out for me as better here than most areas? Yes.
In my experience the RDU area has a larger income disparity than a lot of other places. Either you make a lot of money and are comfortable or you are lower class and don't make much at all. Lots of tech/medical jobs and lots of lower end service jobs. Very few in between middle class jobs making $30k-$60k/year.
In my experience the RDU area has a larger income disparity than a lot of other places. Either you make a lot of money and are comfortable or you are lower class and don't make much at all. Lots of tech/medical jobs and lots of lower end service jobs. Very few in between middle class jobs making $30k-$60k/year.
That suprises me - I would have thought the majority of people here would be making 30-60k a year.
Great post! Yeah, I find the Triangle to be over-rated in the same way that sex is over-rated (over-rated but still great!).
I strongly disagree with the poster that said there is little to do with kids, I gotta believe they just haven't found stuff yet. And even if there is more to do in the North, who can afford to do it?!?
I must agree!!!
Vicki
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