2 job offers, one in Charlottesville, VA, one in Raleigh, NC (Richmond: transplants, real estate market)

[tommy2toes]

Just got a second job offer in Durham, NC after another offer in Charlottesville, VA. Unfortunately, I haven't been to either city, trip coming soon, but would appreciate anybody's opinions before I make the trip.
Raleigh interests me for the city and things to do, but will probably be a suburban lifestyle. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Charlottesville seems a little more upscale, smaller town, with a lot of amenities. But much more expensive. Washington D.C. and Richmond being somewhat close would seem to make up anything lacking for big city amenities.
The money offer is the same in both places ($110K). Maybe they're both kind of similar, therefore my difficulty in deciding.
Opinions and suggestions would be appreciated.

[badger74]

Tough one. If you need to switch jobs in the future the Raleigh area has much more going on. But it is more congested and big cityish. Very much a personal decision. Prices are coming way down in C'Ville. Here's a good real estate blog for CVille.

Charlottesville real estate blog tracking the Charlottesville and Central Virginia real estate market, advice for buyers and seller, real estate consulting - Blogging since January 2005

[seanpecor]

Charlottesville is more expensive because there is a higher demand to live there then there is supply. It is not a big metro, but rather a very hip and eclectic and richly historical and beautiful backdrop for a largely progressive population. There are fewer jobs in C'ville to go around but if you've got marketable skills there are some crazy big and cutting edge companies with offices in C'ville. And the money in C'ville and the county is absolutely insane so startups are plentiful. You might bump into Dave Matthews at a cafe on the mall, or Mary Chapin Carpenter, or John Grisham, or any one of the thousand or so fabulously wealthy and famous folks who live in the area.

Raleigh-Durham is a pretty happening metro with alot going on. But I can't say it's really better than any other metro of a similar size, nor can I say it is worse. Personally, I hate traffic, and Raleigh-Durham has bad traffic. BAD traffic. It's BAD. For me, for example, the extra 20 minutes of jammed up traffic every day would work out to about 75 extra hours of being stuck in my car annually. Being cranky. No big metro is worth that, no matter how many Starbucks or coliseums they have or how nice my cars are or how loaded up my iPod is. I could live and work in Charlottesville, and drive to D.C. twice a month, and still likely spend less time in my car annually than I would if I lived and commuted within Raleigh-Durham. You might feel a little poorer in Charlottesville but you'd be happier

Sean

[cheerbear]

Having a level of familiarity with both places, I will say that the quality of life in C-ville will be worth the expensive prices. I lived in Raleigh for a year, and although it's a growing metropolitan area, it's very congested and the roads aren't laid out too well. Also, people there tended to be quite rude, perhaps because of the big city atmosphere. Charlottesville is not quite a major city, but it's a "hip" area with a nice downtown. It offers that rare combination of sophistication without a hectic pace.

[blooinred]

Raleigh is INCREDIBLY bland, very vanilla. I moved back to DC after three years--I couldn't take it any more. I felt as if I did everything. If you want charm/vibe, consider Durham, Chapel Hill or Carrboro. Might be too far of a commute for you, but each place is infinitely more interesting than Raleigh. The area around NC State is hideous (unlike UNC-CH or Penn State). It hasn't done a very good job of preserving its history, unlike Durham, which promotes the Durham Bulls brand and the "Black Wall Street." Chapel Hill has preserved its history well. Inside-the-Beltline Raleigh has charm, but it is pricey.

Traffic is bad--not DC bad, but bad. NO public transportation beyond buses (the good ol' boys fight that every step of the way). Drivers are nutty--Southerners meeting the more type-A transplants from NY/NJ/DC. If you move and encounter whackiness on Falls of Neuse/Wake Forest, remember this post. ;-) And if I ever hit 3 green lights in a row, I'd do a little cheer.

Hiking is excellent out toward the mountains. Raleigh does have an excellent Greenway for walking/running and Umstead is wonderful. Biking sucks--no good trail network and drivers are not very enlightened. Beaches are nice, but be prepared to pony up a hefty amount for rentals. Public access is limited. If you like beach towns like Rehoboth or some of the Victorian gems along the Jersey shore, you won't find them in NC.

I see some on here consider it a "big city." I'd say it's a medium city that doesn't know what it wants to be--Atlanta? DC? I got fed up with mediocre restaurants charging $28 for an entree and $15 for a martini (many places like that are rightly going out of business). Limited "ethnic" dining choices, if that is important to you. (I will recommend Dos Taquitos and Royal Indian. Oh, and Locopops. And I almost cried when I found decent pho.)

The Triangle is growing like crazy population-wise and I do not think it's prepared. The way elected officials handled the drought was a joke, at least in Wake County. Orange County is more progressive and handled it better.

The area isn't very cohesive--it's hard to explain. I had a few locals in my neighborhood who NEVER ventured into Durham and rarely Chapel Hill. And if there were ever an area that needed a Metro to connect it, it's the Triangle: state capital, 3 major universities, international airport, and RTP. Duh, people. Light rail is 20 years out, and traffic is only gonna get worse.

I will say this, there is an excellent indie music scene in NC, and Raleigh does have a couple of dive places to enjoy.

Housing is affordable and taxes are low (but I owned a home in NJ, so my views on taxes may be a bit skewed...).

Lastly, be prepared for Paula Deen-like accents. And overt religious references (you may be kewl with that, but I found it rather jarring, especially when at a doctor's office).

Good luck with your decision!

P.S. Stay clear of Cary, unless Stepford appeals to you. :-P

[oleo]

+1 for C-ville

[S6Sputnik]

Originally Posted by seanpecor

Charlottesville is more expensive because there is a higher demand to live there then there is supply. It is not a big metro, but rather a very hip and eclectic and richly historical and beautiful backdrop for a largely progressive population. There are fewer jobs in C'ville to go around but if you've got marketable skills there are some crazy big and cutting edge companies with offices in C'ville. And the money in C'ville and the county is absolutely insane so startups are plentiful. You might bump into Dave Matthews at a cafe on the mall, or Mary Chapin Carpenter, or John Grisham, or any one of the thousand or so fabulously wealthy and famous folks who live in the area.

Raleigh-Durham is a pretty happening metro with alot going on. But I can't say it's really better than any other metro of a similar size, nor can I say it is worse. Personally, I hate traffic, and Raleigh-Durham has bad traffic. BAD traffic. It's BAD. For me, for example, the extra 20 minutes of jammed up traffic every day would work out to about 75 extra hours of being stuck in my car annually. Being cranky. No big metro is worth that, no matter how many Starbucks or coliseums they have or how nice my cars are or how loaded up my iPod is. I could live and work in Charlottesville, and drive to D.C. twice a month, and still likely spend less time in my car annually than I would if I lived and commuted within Raleigh-Durham. You might feel a little poorer in Charlottesville but you'd be happier

Sean

I second that! I even chatted with some guy I did not know at the time at a cool little cafe "greenberries(sp)" and later saw his pic on the front cover of C'ville the free pub and it was Dave Matthews I had been chating with!!! My mother is actually out in Ivy but I love the whole area!!

[Gil3]

Originally Posted by cheerbear

Having a level of familiarity with both places, I will say that the quality of life in C-ville will be worth the expensive prices. I lived in Raleigh for a year, and although it's a growing metropolitan area, it's very congested and the roads aren't laid out too well. Also, people there tended to be quite rude, perhaps because of the big city atmosphere. Charlottesville is not quite a major city, but it's a "hip" area with a nice downtown. It offers that rare combination of sophistication without a hectic pace.

Couldn't have said it better myself about C-ville. I went to school there back in the early 80s and it has definitely grown a lot since then. We visited a couple of years ago, me returning for the first time in over 20 years. My SO fell in love with the area, the DT in particular.

It's definitely a place where the old and new money are very evident, but still a relaxed atmosphere.

[alice_61]

The summers in Charlottesville are much more bearable than Raleigh. I also much prefer the mountains near by and hills of Charlottesville to the coastal plain of Raleigh.

[castufari]

Having spent time in both, Cville. Much nicer. Smaller. Has growth but it's not as nuts as Raleigh. Home prices have fallen some so it's more affordable than it was. If I could move there I would, no questions asked.