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I am from the DC area, and I can tell you without question I would NEVER live there again. Probably THE worst quality of life one could imagine - crime, traffic, stress, bad weather, high cost of living....this lists' credibility is completely out of the window.
Amen! I lived in Fairfax County, VA, for six years and--despite historically being a person who finds friends easily and enjoys wherever she is--had a drought there in every possible way. The idea of living there again sends chills down my spine, it truly does.
This is why the idea of DH being recruited for jobs in which he'll be able to live anywhere he chooses and be flown in to visit various places is awfully appealing to me. And, since we'd be secure in employment and whatnot, we'd love a chance to get involved, contribute, and eventually become really integrated in a community.
I just hope I don't adopt a "no more behind me" attitude (which is easy to do, as I rib my mother for doing it after leaving Philly for a great area in Pennsylvania).
I found this list on a city of Raleigh webpage:
City of Raleigh | Raleigh Recognition: Recent "Best Of" Awards (http://www.raleighnc.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_306_202_0_43/http%3B/pt03/DIG_Web_Content/category/Resident/Raleigh_At_A_Glance/About_Raleigh/Cat-2CA-2007423-142554-Raleigh_Recognition__Rec.html - broken link)
Even though I am used to seeing Raleigh on these sorts of lists, it's really quite amazing to see just how many there have been in just the last few years.
From Portfolio.com, Raleigh has topped yet another best of....list.
In this case, 67 US metros over 750,000 were compared on over 20 different dimensions.
The top five are:
Raleigh
Washington DC
Minneapolis-St.Paul
Bridgeport/Stamford CT
Salt Lake City
I have no expectations about my move to Raleigh, but it is nice to know how many different sources feel it is a good place to live. It seems strange to see people getting upset that they live in what is regarded as a nice place to live.
Was Raleigh on these lists 25 years ago? If not, then I don't think the population increase is hurting your area. I wouldn't complain about being highly regarded.
I came from #4 on that list 7+ years ago and would NEVER go back.
I can kind of see Saturnfan's point (even if the delivery is a little heavy-handed). I got here when things were still kind of iffy in terms of the economy-RTP was still reeling from job losses and the housing market wasn't exactly roaring. Fast forward to 2005-2006 and this area got WILD with people just showing up like the Joad family wondering where their pot of gold was. They had cashed out of houses somewhere else and just moved here with no job and no contingency plans.
We may not have bubbled like other larger metros but all of the good press does sometimes give people the impression that the streets here are paved with gold.
Even though I am used to seeing Raleigh on these sorts of lists, it's really quite amazing to see just how many there have been in just the last few years.
But really, they should be broken down into pre- and post-Recession of 2008-09 for a more accurate analysis--most of the ones on that site are pre-2008 and some, such as "best city for employment 2007", most certainly would NEVER be true now.
And, do realize that this is compiled by the Chamber of Commerce, and thus they are going for "quantity, not quality" of such lists, citing every one they can find instead of just the more "quote-unquote reputable" such lists to make the page look more impressive.
Saturnfan, IIRC, you're from somewhere else, so where do you get off?
I moved here in 1989 from New Orleans with a relo package from a division of First Citizens Bank.
There are many communities that have a balanced population where incomers and outgoers balance out. That is how it was when I moved here and it was great.
Too many people poured here after the magazines hyped the area to death. The greed of governments and developers allowed the influx to not pay its way with impact fees throwing big infrastructure burdens and debt service on all taxpayers.
We now have an overburdened transportation, water, and school problem accommodating the transplants.
Do we need another NJ with its outrageous taxes? Why turn a nice place into a piece of junk and call the resulting mess "progress".
I came from #4 on that list 7+ years ago and would NEVER go back.
I can kind of see Saturnfan's point (even if the delivery is a little heavy-handed). I got here when things were still kind of iffy in terms of the economy-RTP was still reeling from job losses and the housing market wasn't exactly roaring. Fast forward to 2005-2006 and this area got WILD with people just showing up like the Joad family wondering where their pot of gold was. They had cashed out of houses somewhere else and just moved here with no job and no contingency plans.
We may not have bubbled like other larger metros but all of the good press does sometimes give people the impression that the streets here are paved with gold.
Ah, a kindred soul.
The over monied transplants with bubble housing profits ran up rents and home prices for the solid government and blue collar folks and their children that made up the traditional residents of the area.
Just like "gentrification" in many cities. Yuppies come and push out the working and middle class residents.
We need them like my cat needs fleas.
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