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I've narrowed my relocation destinations down from seven to my top three!
I know all three destinations are different; they all have unique things to offer, but I am looking for feedback in terms of what each city has to offer so I can decide which is right for me.
Here's a little background: I'm in the late 30's, mother of 2 (children currently in 6th & 8th grade), earned a master's degree, currently work in higher ed (human resources) and will eventually be looking to buy a home.
I prefer a warmer climate (currently live in Ohio) with little to no snow, would love to visit a beach within 3-5 hours away, looking for mature night life (not clubs, but nice/upscale bars, lounges), looking for a destination with concerts, plays, live entertainment.
As a side note, I've visited Dallas once and loved it, but I've yet to visit the North Carolina. I look forward to any feedback you all can give.
- 2 hour straight shot to all the beaches near Wilmington, NC. Carolina Beach, Wrightsville Beach, Kure Beach just to name a few. Outer Banks and Virginia Beach are a bit further of a drive as well. Not to mention Myrtle Beach is about 3 hours away.
- I wouldn't really say clubs are a major thing in Raleigh but you do have a lot of nice upscale bars and lounges. We like Whiskey Kitchen, Foundation, and even Boxcar can be somewhat fun sometimes (although it's usually geared toward college kids and a much younger crowd).
- Red Hat Amphitheater is downtown near all the good food, bars, parks, and more as well. I've never been but they have a lot of live music.
- Great public and private school options for the kids. Cary, Apex, and Morrisville are a bit more family-friendly I guess you'd say. They're the main neighboring cities, all with great school systems and are consistently ranked among the best places to live in the country.
- Not that you mentioned that this was important but you'll never stop discovering new places to eat. Amazing cuisine all around the area. Korean, French, Vietnamese, Mexican, you name it.
- Not sure if this is important to you but RDU has nonstop Delta flights to Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati.
What are winters like in Raleigh? What are typical hi/low temps between Nov-Feb? How often does it snow?
Winters are mild. Snows a few times a year, some more, some less. Not anything like Ohio. When Raleigh has a "storm" it usually doesn't stick to the ground for long. A day at most is all I've ever seen. It does get cold (can get down into the teens sometimes but never usually stays that way). I'd say typically it's in the 30s-50s. It's in the 70s today. Going to be in the 40s/50s/60s this weekend.
Snow isn't really the major concern. Ice is. The roads become incredibly slick and a lot of employers are pretty lenient as to whether or not they're gonna make you come in if they know the roads are terrible.
That would be one difference. All 3 places are fine. I think Raleigh or Morrisville would be the best overall. You cant beat the OBX and North Carolina has better outdoors. Dallas if you want the big city life but I've been living that for years and it gets old too.
Dallas is by far the biggest of the three. Its also the most diverse and international of the three as well. I would place cultural institutions best of the three as well.
That said, Dallas lags far behind in access to outdoor activities compared to the other two. Its in the middle of the Prairie which doesnt help there.
That would be one difference. All 3 places are fine. I think Raleigh or Morrisville would be the best overall. You cant beat the OBX and North Carolina has better outdoors. Dallas if you want the big city life but I've been living that for years and it gets old too.
Mountain scenery is beautiful, but it isn't a must-have. Where I'm from is pretty flat, so mountain views would be welcome and different.
Does the area ever experience any remnants of hurricanes or tropical storms?
Yup. Dallas and Charlotte do sometimes as well. I was actually driving from Austin to Dallas when that storm in 2017 hit Houston and there were definitely remnants of the storm in Dallas (although nothing at all like what Austin got).
Hurricane/tropical storm remnants typically aren't a major issue in Raleigh. You're 2 hours inland.
The worst hurricane to hit in my lifetime was Fran in ‘96. My dad compared it to Hazel in the 50s. Most of the time, the worst we get is a bad storm that brings some flooding near the rivers. The further East you go though, the harder storms can hit. I know Matthew really damaged communities about an 1 hour East from us, the flooding was horrendous.
Charlotte is even less likely to get anything but a bad storm. I think Hugo in ‘89 was their last direct hit.
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Do you like mountains?
