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I would also say that Richmond has a better downtown and Raleigh has better suburbs.
Downtown Richmond looks and feels a lot bigger than downtown Raleigh, with historic neighborhoods like the Fan that North Carolina's major cities simply don't have. Combine this with the fact that downtown Richmond has a river and it's not much of a contest between the two. Downtown Raleigh has improved in recent years, but it still feels small compared to downtown Richmond and lacks walkable neighborhoods.
Raleigh's suburbs are actually very nice, and I would still categorize certain neighborhoods like North Hills as suburbs. For the most part, they're clean and have aged well, with a good amount of restaurants that aren't chains. The traffic can be brutal around Crabtree Valley Mall but most of suburban north Raleigh is decent. On the contrary, I don't think Richmond's suburbs are as nice. I've driven through Henrico County and wasn't impressed apart from Short Pump.
The "old money" areas in both cities are comparable, though. Richmond's West End reminds me of Raleigh's "inner beltline," the two areas look very similar with houses from the first half of the 20th century and tree-lined streets.
On the contrary, I don't think Richmond's suburbs are as nice. I've driven through Henrico County and wasn't impressed apart from Short Pump.
You must like tract houses on a 1/4 acre of land surrounded by more tract houses on a 1/4 acre of land with townhomes abutting individual housing developments. Very little outdoors recreation other than a few dammed up rivers they call lakes.
It's much less dense in the Richmond metro -- which is a good thing.
How one could say Raleigh's suburbs are better than Richmond's is beyond me.
Richmond's suburbs are the best in the nation for education, safety, outdoors recreation and economic activity. Look to Chesterfield county or Northwestern Henrico for the best.
Schooling is getting worse for children and their parents in Raleigh being bussed all over Wake county due to overcrowding. The Lemming effect is real there.
Last edited by rural & red; 07-08-2021 at 07:11 PM..
You must like tract houses on a 1/4 acre of land surrounded by more tract houses on a 1/4 acre of land with townhomes abutting individual housing developments. Very little outdoors recreation other than a few dammed up rivers they call lakes.
It's much less dense in the Richmond metro -- which is a good thing.
How one could say Raleigh's suburbs are better than Richmond's is beyond me.
Richmond's suburbs are the best in the nation for education, safety, outdoors recreation and economic activity. Look to Chesterfield county or Northwestern Henrico for the best.
Schooling is getting worse for children and their parents in Raleigh being bussed all over Wake county due to overcrowding. The Lemming effect is real there.
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This is literally nonsense
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fzOt-NPjLM
Cary by itself along with a bunch of parks every where, has over 90 miles of Greenways and Direct access to William B Umstead State Park
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I'm not gonna post every single place I'm just saying there's no need to lie just because it's city vs city, So many Greenways, so many parks, so many places to Kayak, Stand up paddle boat, fish, boat, mountain bike, etc. Cary by itself, excluding other suburbs, has 90 miles of greenways, that connect right to Durhams American Tobacco Trail on one end, and Raleigh's Walnut Creek Greenway on the other, plus the 5000 acre Umstead.
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In 30 minutes you can be right on the Haw, Or the Eno, or the Neuse Rivers. To even rock climbing along Occoneechee Mountain or just a tad further but still under a hour to Raven Rock and the Cape Fear River. in all honesty out door recreation is underestimated in the area.
Last edited by drrckmtthws; 07-09-2021 at 03:34 AM..
Apparently if we don't like what's being said, it's a lie. Ok I got that.
Virginia has made big strides in repairing its water ways and the James river is a glaring example of that. North Carolina on the other hand still allows coal ash pounds to flank it's rivers. The Neuse river, nearby Raleigh, is so sewage-laden that is smells even after a prolonged dry spell. The Eno is not much better.
The Haw River is not in the Triangle area, it's lower Triad. Saxapahaw is great. However, we should restrict ourselves to just 25 minutes outside the downtowns of each city for a true comparison.
I don't know anyone that has moved to Raleigh because of outdoor recreation. I know plenty that move to Richmond precisely for access to the outdoors -- particularly whitewater kayakers and fisherman types. Also mountain bikers -- since the city and surrounding area has a lot of hilly mtb trails.
In a 25 mile radius of Richmond there is: The James, Appomattox, South Anna, Swift Creek rivers and their smaller feeder creek tributaries that are sometimes navigable as well after heavy rains. Pocahontas State Park, Mountain Bike Trails galore, Both freshwater and brackish saltwater fishing, designated bike trails in the form of the capital trail to Jamestown and a new one being built from Ashland to Petersburg, rock climbing (really civil war ruins climbing), nurseries like Maymont, river beaches, trail hiking, hunting and camping.
Regardless of comparison to Richmond though, Umstead is a great park and certainly the hundred plus miles of trails means there is a bit more to outdoor activities than simply the lakes.
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