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I've been to CLT and RDU many times, now of course I havent lived there...I've been living in W-S for the whole 6 mos I've been out here...althought I've already been "called out" both in CLT and RDU by locals, the first thing I get asked is where I'm from because of my "accent"...whatever ever happend to "hey, how are you doing, my name is..." so it's pretty hard not to judge the whole state if the reaction of locals is the same accross the board. I get it, newcomers are NOT welcomed.
I have nothing against Waco, but it certainly doesn't represent most of what we see and hear about Texas: rapid population and economic growth, rising national profile, etc. You know what I'm saying.
I've been to CLT and RDU many times, now of course I havent lived there...I've been living in W-S for the whole 6 mos I've been out here...althought I've already been "called out" both in CLT and RDU by locals, the first thing I get asked is where I'm from because of my "accent"...whatever ever happend to "hey, how are you doing, my name is..." so it's pretty hard not to judge the whole state if the reaction of locals is the same accross the board. I get it, newcomers are NOT welcomed.
So let me get this straight: because you have a different accent and people (naturally) ask where you're from because of that accent, that means we're not welcoming of transplants, despite the fact that Charlotte and the Triangle in particular are practically running over with transplants. Yeah, that makes perfect sense.
I'm currently about to finish my senior year of college at Middle Tennessee State University with a bachelor's degree in sociology. Since my time in college is quickly coming to an end in a year, I need to decide where I want to live. And I am hoping that many of you here on CD could suggest a place for me.
For the longest time, I wanted to live in a HUGE city like New York and Chicago. For starters I have family in both areas (more in the New York area) and like the world, international cities that both are. However, the cost of living in both cities (especially New York) is astronomically high and competition for any type of well-paying job is tough. So, I think the best bet would be to go and live in a major city in the South, considering that I could get some kind of city living but still have a relatively low cost of living.
By the time I graduate I will be 22 and probably still single (I don't want to get married til I'm nearing 30). My parents want to move to Florida when they retire and I have no real reason to stay in Tennessee because of that. And on a side note, I actually want to live in the city and not a suburb that's 30-50 miles away. So if anyone is saying I should move to Houston because Katy is nice, that doesn't really count. Though Raleigh can be given a pass on this since Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary are very prominent and important cities in that particular area.
Atlanta, Raleigh (along with Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary), Dallas, Houston and Charlotte all seem to be great cities from what I hear, though Atlanta is the only one I have visited, so I chose these 5 cities to choose from. With all the information I have given about myself, which one do you think I would be most comfortable in, financially and socially?
In your shoes at your age being single, I would choose Dallas first, followed by Houston. I would think twice about Atlanta, Charlotte, or Raleigh. Dallas is extremely popular with your age group...there is a lot of nightlife there and a huge singles scene. Its not NYC by any means, but it has the best you will find this side of the Mason-Dixon line outside of Miami. Houston is right up with Dallas as far as amenities but the culture is a bit different. Houston is more southern and is not as uptight and fashion conscious as Dallas. Atlanta is simply not impressive in any way. Its too sprawled to feel like a real city and the nightlife is very spread out. It is also notorious for having much higher crime than Dallas or Houston. Charlotte, while nice, is more of a family city than a singles city, and Raleigh is just too small. Bottom line...Dallas or Houston are the only real choices in your list.
Atlanta is simply not impressive in any way. Its too sprawled to feel like a real city and the nightlife is very spread out.
You've got to be kidding me. Dallas and Houston are just as sprawled as Atlanta, and just because the nightlife is spread out doesn't mean it's non-existent. It just means that you can hang out in more of a variety of places. I'm not dissing Houston and Dallas in any way whatsoever, but it's pretty funny that you would hold those cities in high regard but then say that Atlanta "is simply not impressive in any way." Atlanta is one of the best cities for singles there is.
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It is also notorious for having much higher crime than Dallas or Houston.
As with any other city, it depends on the neighborhood.
At any rate, if I were the OP, I'd let the job decide between Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta.
I've been to CLT and RDU many times, now of course I havent lived there...I've been living in W-S for the whole 6 mos I've been out here...althought I've already been "called out" both in CLT and RDU by locals, the first thing I get asked is where I'm from because of my "accent"...whatever ever happend to "hey, how are you doing, my name is..." so it's pretty hard not to judge the whole state if the reaction of locals is the same accross the board. I get it, newcomers are NOT welcomed.
I believe that "Hey, how are you doing..." and "Hey, where are you from?" are both very common ways of striking up a conversation with someone deemed interesting enough to strike one up. It certainly shouldn't offend you that someone takes an interest in your background and I'm very sure that 99% of the time you aren't being "called out". It sounds like you may be a little paranoid.
I believe that "Hey, how are you doing..." and "Hey, where are you from?" are both very common ways of striking up a conversation with someone deemed interesting enough to strike one up. It certainly shouldn't offend you that someone takes an interest in your background and I'm very sure that 99% of the time you aren't being "called out". It sounds like you may be a little paranoid.
There you go. It's pretty silly to not expect to be asked where you're from if you have a distinct accent, and even sillier to take that as a sign that a place isn't "welcoming to newcomers" because of it.
Since a lot of people seem to be unfamiliar with Raleigh and its singles life, let me add some info:
There are three top 100 universities in the area so there are a ton of recent graduates living in the area who are single and professsional. While the "downtown" effect isn't here in any large degree, they have several hang out streets in the local area that have a lot going on (Franklin Street, Glenwood South, etc...).
Follow the link for all the "awards/lists" Raleigh has won in the past several years and many relate to being single and young (won't paste quotes as the formatting gets screwed up here):
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)
Thanks for all the replies. I actually looked at these posts and have no concrete idea where I will move to. I still got a little over a year to make up my mind, so I'm in no rush. I'm originally from NJ and visited for about a week and a half back in June and realized how much I really like being there, so who knows, maybe I might not even live in the South at all!
Too be young and have your life to look forward to...
Since a lot of people seem to be unfamiliar with Raleigh and its singles life, let me add some info:
There are three top 100 universities in the area so there are a ton of recent graduates living in the area who are single and professsional. While the "downtown" effect isn't here in any large degree, they have several hang out streets in the local area that have a lot going on (Franklin Street, Glenwood South, etc...).
Follow the link for all the "awards/lists" Raleigh has won in the past several years and many relate to being single and young (won't paste quotes as the formatting gets screwed up here):
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)
Raleigh definitely tends to do well in the singles category, but I didn't mention it (nor Charlotte) because the OP appears to want to live in a large city.
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