Raleigh/Durham or Dallas/Fort Worth? (chapel, homes, schools)

[cat1075]

My husband and I have narrowed the list of places we want to move down to these two areas. If anyone could share their opinions on which place is better to live, that would be great. Thanks!

[smsuphysics]

What age are you guys?

Kids?

What's important to you?

What's your respective jobs/careers.

Raleigh/Durham is a big science/tech area as well as a big time college area as it has 4 major Div I schools in the area.

I've lived in NC for a year.

[unexpected]

I went to college in the RDU area but grew up in Dallas.

In general, RDU is prettier (more trees, hour away from mountains, 2 hours away from beach), while Dallas has a lot better infrastructure. DFW is more diverse, slightly faster pace, and a lower cost of living. Homes are more expensive in RDU. DFW probably has more cultural offerings (that's not saying much though- DFW is no NYC by any means)

Given the choice, I'd probably stay in Dallas, but hey, I grew up here.

If you have more specific questions, ask away. I'll do my best to answer them.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by unexpected

I went to college in the RDU area but grew up in Dallas.

In general, RDU is prettier (more trees, hour away from mountains, 2 hours away from beach), while Dallas has a lot better infrastructure. DFW is more diverse, slightly faster pace, and a lower cost of living. Homes are more expensive in RDU. DFW probably has more cultural offerings (that's not saying much though- DFW is no NYC by any means)

Given the choice, I'd probably stay in Dallas, but hey, I grew up here.

If you have more specific questions, ask away. I'll do my best to answer them.

There's no "probably" about it. A metro the size of Dallas-FW (nearly 7 million) is going to generate vastly more entertainment, culture, career opportunities, ethnic diversity, etc., than a smaller metro such as Raleigh.

From my location in DFW, I can be at a beach in 30 minutes. Since I may go mountain climbing once a year, just like the vast majority of the population, access to a mountain range is just not that important. For those who think it is, you should live in a mountain town such as Cloudcroft or Ruidoso.

[unexpected]

While you're right, having 4 big D-1, ACC schools with sizeable endowments does a lot to level the "cultural offering" playing field.

Also, while you can be at a "beach" in 30 minutes if you want to settle for a lake, North Carolina actually has real beaches, nothing around the Dallas area really compares to the Outer Banks area.

[theS5]

I lived in Dallas for 3 years and currenly live in Cary, NC. I would choose NC in a heartbeat. Dallas has a few more cultural venues but not nearly enough to make it a factor.
Also, climate, topography and location goes to NC.
Lastly, the Dallas culture, or lack thereof, was not the right fit for our family.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by theS5

I lived in Dallas for 3 years and currenly live in Cary, NC. I would choose NC in a heartbeat. Dallas has a few more cultural venues but not nearly enough to make it a factor.
Also, climate, topography and location goes to NC.
Lastly, the Dallas culture, or lack thereof, was not the right fit for our family.

A "few" more cultural venues than Cary, North Carolina?

The Raleigh-Cary metropolitan area as of 2007 is estimated at 1,047,629 in population, whereas DFW is between 6 and 7 million people. Durham and Chapel Hill are actually in seperate metro areas due to the distance and the lack of economic and cultural interaction among them.

The differences between a major metro such as DFW and a second or third level metro such as Raleigh should be obvious by virtue of population alone. Personally, I'd die of boredom in a place the size of Raleigh.

[needsomeinfo]

if you can work in and afford either one, I'd pick nc. (granted, I have never lived in nc, but have lived in dallas for years, and nc is one of the few places I would rather live).

[unexpected]

Originally Posted by aceplace

A "few" more cultural venues than Cary, North Carolina?

The Raleigh-Cary metropolitan area as of 2007 is estimated at 1,047,629 in population, whereas DFW is between 6 and 7 million people. Durham and Chapel Hill are actually in seperate metro areas due to the distance and the lack of economic and cultural interaction among them.

The differences between a major metro such as DFW and a second or third level metro such as Raleigh should be obvious by virtue of population alone. Personally, I'd die of boredom in a place the size of Raleigh.

It's faster to go from Durham to Raleigh than it is to go from Dallas to Fort Worth. It's shorter distance wise. You can look it up on a map. People do the drive all the time. It's considered par for the course- hence why they call it "The Triangle".

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by unexpected

It's faster to go from Durham to Raleigh than it is to go from Dallas to Fort Worth. It's shorter distance wise. You can look it up on a map. People do the drive all the time. It's considered par for the course- hence why they call it "The Triangle".

The Federal OMB has excluded Durham from the Raleigh-Cary metro because, in practice, people don't do the drive, at least not in significant numbers.

This means that, in practice, Durham does not contribute enough synergy to Raleigh, and Raleigh to Durham.

Of course, the 4 county Durham metro doesn't really have enough additional population to matter, less than half a million, as of 2007.

As far as the climate, I think it is unbearable. I flew into the area for a job interview some years ago, and the humidity made Dallas feel like paradise.

The February weather in Dallas has been, with a few exceptional days, simply gorgeous. Raleigh's forecast for today is a high of 45, with a low of 24 tonight, and winds of 10 to 20 MPH.