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I have a verbal offer for a teaching job in Hickory at Bunker Hill HS. I need to give them an answer by tomorrow (Thursday), but I need info about the area. Have looked online at the school's website - not much info there beyond what they mentioned in the interview (school is rural and somewhat poor). I'm looking for info about the area in general and housing specifically, since if I accept this I have to move promptly before the end of August. Ideally would want to find a 2 BR/2BA apartment or townhouse in a safe, decent area that allows pets as I have a small dog. Would like to be no more than 20-30 minutes away from the school but in a safe, secure area.
If anyone can provide specifics about the school, the general area, and housing to check out that would be really helpful. Thanks for all prompt replies!
I have a verbal offer for a teaching job in Hickory at Bunker Hill HS. I need to give them an answer by tomorrow (Thursday), but I need info about the area. Have looked online at the school's website - not much info there beyond what they mentioned in the interview (school is rural and somewhat poor). I'm looking for info about the area in general and housing specifically, since if I accept this I have to move promptly before the end of August. Ideally would want to find a 2 BR/2BA apartment or townhouse in a safe, decent area that allows pets as I have a small dog. Would like to be no more than 20-30 minutes away from the school but in a safe, secure area.
If anyone can provide specifics about the school, the general area, and housing to check out that would be really helpful. Thanks for all prompt replies!
Can you make a decision without visiting the area first, or have you been to Hickory previously to explore the area? Your profile gives no information about your frame of reference, where you are currently residing/working etc. If you use the "search this thread" button above the list of threads, you will quickly find a fairly recent amount of inquiries about Hickory for starters. This post is not to "push you off" and not give you advice, but a broad inquiry into "what is it like in ______" is impossible to answer on such short notice especially if the question is posed by someone not familiar with the area.
In the meantime, it would be helpful if you contact a major Realtor franchise office in Hickory (it's not a big town) and explain your situation to the broker/owner or the broker in chargewho will be able to give you a condensed and more helpful response because they are dealing with relocation of buyers and sellers on a daily basis, and have an immense amount of information at their fingertips. In the meantime, some helpful posters on here will reply according to their own experiences which may not coincide with your particular wants and needs.
I would like to visit the area in person before making a decision as that's obviously more logical; unfortunately time won't allow it. Am in eastern VA presently. I've been checking online info about the area. Have lived in Charlotte before but know nothing about Hickory at all otherwise; have friends who are from western NC (Asheville area). I realize asking for info on short notice like this isn't ideal but I have to give the school/principal an answer like this due to timing.
I lived in Hickory for a few years. Hickory is a town were people are tight and not readily accepting of outsiders unless you elect to join one of the many churches in Hickory. Pursing a career in Hickory would also provide some social structure.
There are many apartments/townhouses in Hickory and many accept dogs. Another option would be to rent a small house. Rents are reasonable as are taxes.
Weather is good there with moderate winter temps and a slightly warmer summer temps with humidity. Caution however, as Hickory is one of the worst places for allergies.
Crime is minimal. Compared to to major cities like NYC, Philadelphia, DC, etc., it is nil.
Shopping is good for the size of Hickory with an excess of furniture stores. Roads are good and there is no need to worry about snow.
Hickory is a small town in a great location. Charlotte is about 70 miles and Boone is about 30 miles north. The beach however is about 6-8 hours away by car, but there are plenty of lakes.
As I look at where Bunker Hill school is located you also have other options besides Hickory. Conover and Claremont are closer to that school. I am not sure about Claremont but Conover area does have apts and townhouses. I really like Taylorsville to the north of the school but I don't remember any apartment complexes there. You might find a small house for rent there though.
I have a verbal offer for a teaching job in Hickory at Bunker Hill HS. I need to give them an answer by tomorrow (Thursday), but I need info about the area. Have looked online at the school's website - not much info there beyond what they mentioned in the interview (school is rural and somewhat poor). I'm looking for info about the area in general and housing specifically, since if I accept this I have to move promptly before the end of August. Ideally would want to find a 2 BR/2BA apartment or townhouse in a safe, decent area that allows pets as I have a small dog. Would like to be no more than 20-30 minutes away from the school but in a safe, secure area.
If anyone can provide specifics about the school, the general area, and housing to check out that would be really helpful. Thanks for all prompt replies!
This may be helpful if you haven't already found it. The local Hickory NC newspaper website.
Thanks for the replies. I've been online searching info this morning and have some idea about housing there now. Need to find out more info and the above is helpful.
I would look for apartments in Conover and possibly Hickory, with decent access to the high school. I can't recommend any, as I have not lived there for years.
Catawba County is very comparable with many areas of Virginia, as far as demographics and even landscape (rolling Foothills) and also with COL.
Do a search for Property Management Companies or for "apartments Conover NC" and you will find info . . . wish I could tell you which ones were well managed, but I can't. If you could get a six month lease, this would give you the flexibility to move once you had a chance to scout out the area, get recommendations from coworkers . . .
The county school system is a very good system. I have known folks who were career teachers at Bunker Hill and they were very pleased with their situation, both with Administration at the county level, their own school leadership and with the student body and parental support. Those same teachers are now retiring!!! So, I suppose things could have changed over the last few years, but I doubt it.
I honestly do not think moving to Hickory from Virginia will be a big deal as far as "fitting in" and finding a comfort zone.
I told the school I am still interested but since everything was done rather quickly and by skype and cellphone about the interview and offer that I want to come see the area in person. Am planning on driving down probably Sunday and taking a day or two to get a feel of the area. Will see... but what concerns me more is what the NC legislature is doing to teachers and their salaries/benefits (yeah I'm sure that's a hot topic so I won't say anything more).
PROFESORA,
I am THRILLED you will be given a chance to go there. As for the legislature, try to remember that this school is OFFERING YOU the job. They would not do that if they didn't have the cash. People leave their jobs, like the one you are to fill, for many reasons. And there was something about your application that really has them hooked on your fishing line real tight. So, obviously dress appropriately, hair very neat, bring a small notebook with a clicker pen hooked to the cover and first few pages, to jot down any relevant information they give you about the job, anything you will want to refer to when you make the move and begin your work.
Be sure to go to the school forthwith when you get to the area, so get the directs down perfectly so when you arrive in Hickory, you'll know which exit to take that is best to get to the school. Just forget about Hickory at first. You'll simply want to have a look-see at the school, and then your house-hunting and exploring should go OUT from the school, basically heading towards Hickory's various housing areas, trying to locate waterways and small lakes, altho these other suggestions here in this thread are very creative and very worthwhile pursuing as locations to check out. Also, as another suggested, go to the main listing for this forum for WNC and in the search boxes just above the list on the right, it says, "Search Forum," and it'll take you to many threads and at least a few posts about Hickory with MUCH more info on housing.
Hickory itself has plenty of suburbs that you picture the split level, with small lakes, big yards, lots of trees in the backyards, children playing in the streets, that sort of thing. Then keep in mind there are lots of lakes and rivers in the area, it would be SO nice to get a townhome near one of those waterways and the adjacent areas be suburb-like places. Find out if you can extend your little fenced patio area or at least close it in with a smaller but matching fencing for your LITTLE DOG for when you're busy in the house and he needs a little airing out. Townhomes are much more giving about those little ones, and it's good luck yours is, but you could always just stake some field fencing four-feet (or six feet) high, easy to install yourself with a heavy post hammer and a roll of fairly thick wire. You use the inside blades of a pair of pliars to cut and twist the wire. The townhouse bunch shouldn't freak out about it, especially if you'll "hide it" by planting some medium evergreen shrubs all around it.
I think Hickory, from many visits thru there, is a nice little town! And when you lived in Charlotte, you can kind of make out the mtns in the distance... well, up 321 out of Charlotte going north, it's only about 45 mins, but BOY do the mtns look huge in Hickory compared to Charlotte, just a lovely place for views. Downtown car-less areas for shopping exist, so that's a nice plus. Housing is north of downtown, and downtown is just north of the freeway as you travel west. But the homes won't be anywhere near the freeway, so no worry of racket. I think it's a great place if you like smaller towns, altho it's not ALL THAT small. Eastern Virginia, it's all flat, so I think you will fall in love with where Hickory is, right at the beginning of the foothills of WNC, plus you have the advantage of knowing your way around Charlotte.
I wish I could direct you to a proper place to live, but like someone else suggested, get hooked up with an experienced realtor or broker, and see will they PLEASE spend a specific afternoon taking you to this place and that, taking you into a few townhomes, tell them you want a view of the mountains and to be near (walking distance or viewing distance) to a creek, river, or small lake, and yet have a neighborhood feel or at least be gated. I don't blame you one bit for wanting security. As a female, I lived alone for many years (between husbands), so I lived in a historic district close to downtown in a medium-to-large sized city (Asheville), it was a Victorian house divided into three apartments. I felt safe.
If you decide you want to go directly to a hotel, then find one on a map that is close to your school. That way you can make it the first place you visit the morning after you get over your long drive, but before you go on a brief afternoon house-hunt with a realtor, which is a MUST, and should be arranged before you even leave where you are. Realtors are ready to go pretty much ANYTIME, so fit it into a likely spot in the days you will visit. If you come across a spot after the main tour, perhaps the next day, that the realtor missed, you can call them and they will be busy either getting over there or sending someone in their company over to let you in. I rather like Coldwell Banker, but others swear by whatever.
Like you might want to arrive late Sunday, and on Monday go by your school and just drive to a few places you've marked on your map, eat somewhere downtown, perhaps ask some of the people who work at the restaurant where are good townhomes. Some might know. At least they'll be able to get you out of town, because it has a dog-leg way of getting into town from the freeway and another dog-leg way of getting out of it and on up to the residential areas. Also, you CAN pull up a crime map and simply avoid the RED or HIGH CRIME areas, because no matter where you go, there's always some sort of police call to a certain area. It's the ones that have LOTS of calls you avoid.
Go to real estate website that have maps that will take you right down to "street view," not all have this, and also ones that have pictures of the interior of places you can afford and some of the exterior. When you read about a place, see if says SOMEthing about views. I would say having views off your sliding doors upstairs would be ideal, or views from your living room would be great. These are just general things, that you probably really already realize, but since I only know a little, I can only part with a little info. gg
Thanks for the very detailed reply gigimac! It's very appreciated and I will see how things look when I drive down tomorrow and spend a couple days in the town . And yes, though I'm a native Virginian I've always loved the mountains more, compared to the Tidewater area of VA - though each has it's own beauty and charm.
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It's very appreciated and I will see how things look when I drive down tomorrow and spend a couple days in the town 
