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What are the chances of you being able to make a weekend trip out this to have a look around? No matter how much (or how little) time you can spare for that, I guarantee you that it's worth it. It's nice to be able to see it with your own eyes, talk to people in person, and explore. VIEW apartments. *nodding* We took 2 trips out here, though I wanted more: one for a week touring several cities in the Piedmont, and the second was 2 days and that's how we found our apartment. I even had the flu, but still had a great time. For a nice break, have lunch at Jason's Deli at the Friendly Center (G/boro). They serve free ice cream!
Also, if you can pick a time when some semi-major events are going on, it makes it more fun and easier to speak to people about the area. Like you know, an arts festival, something along those lines.
The chances are there, I just need to make up my mind as to what area(s) I really want to see. At this point I'm having second thoughts about Greensboro because I really wanted a city preferably smaller than the one I'm in (or at least no bigger or not much bigger) but G'boro is more than twice as big. Winston-Salem sounds like it could be better for me in a couple of ways but I can't find enough pictures or testimonies to give me a fair impression of what type of city it is.
As far as time is concerned, I have plenty of it, unfortunately that will be limited by how much $$ I can spend...
I will definitely keep in mind your advice about choosing some special occasion to visit and if I do go there, even though I can't have ice cream, I'll visit Jason's Deli. Thanks for your input!
My daughter is lactose intolerant and can't eat the ice cream there either, so we usually go to Ben & Jerry's for some sherbert by the water fountain.
Give yourself a 5 day trip, start with WinstonSalem, and go outwards if you like. I really liked W-S the first time I went, more so than Greensboro, but I have to say this place has grown on me. There is a lot of the town I don't see since my area is for convenient living. Never thought I'd prefer to be more of the hermit type! LOL!!
If there is anything I can help out with, let me in on it.
I began as lactose intolerant, now I just can't have dairy altogether and I hate that, I love cheese, yogurt and, yes, ice cream. The funny thing is that during the "winter" (if we can call that here in FL) I can eat dairy with moderation and at least at first have no problems. But as April rolled around I gradually began reacting to it and this year said reactions became pretty scary and the worst thing was that I had no clue what was causing it. Out of desperation I just stopped eating sugar, dairy and anything else that was suspicious and my "attacks" dwindled and then disappeared. Around June I found that I couldn't even have butter, which along with cream/cream cheese I'd been able to tolerate just fine - allergies just stink! I read a very interesting article that ties the whole mess to candida/fungus, and that was very revealing since I've dealt with candida before and have been allergic to mold now for several years. Having to use central a/c for 8+ months out of the year is certainly NOT good for me!
I can't spend too much money so 5 days in NC will be too much for me, especially because I'm also considering Greenville, SC as a possibility. I've sort of begun outlining my trip which would begin in SC because I can get a very cheap ticket to Columbia, SC with Spirit Airlines. I could rent a car there and spend a couple of days exploring that city, then go on to NC for another couple of days and return to SC to catch my flight back.
I'm sure I'll have more questions so I appreciate your offer to help. It seems that so far I've been able to find out more and see more pictures of G'ville, SC even right here in these forums even though I started that search last, but I'm a little stumped in my NC search, can't find good pictures that will give me a balanced view of what the cities I've targeted would look like nor get any really useful answers to some of my questions here in this forum (as opposed to the SC forum...). I'd really prefer that my "ideal" city were in NC because my best friend and her husband are going to live there (Jefferson) when they retire in about 3 years but first and foremost I need a place where I will feel "at home".
You haven't said what size city you are looking for & if you feel Greensboro may to too large (pop 250k) Winston-Salem may still be too large for you as well with the population around 215k. Additionally W-S, like Greensboro, is revitalizing its downtown area and is growing.
Raw facts are really hard to compare. For instance, West Palm Beach is 55.1 sq. m. and had 99,377 inhabitants as of July 2007 with a population density of 1755 people per sq. mi.; Greensboro is 104.7 sq. mi./247,183, density 2268 people/sq. mi, and W-S is 108.9 sq. mi./215,348, density 1914 people/sq. mi. but since S. FL was pre-planned and had rapid growth, one city blends right into the next, so the feeling can be of actually being in a much larger city than in reality. And traffic, especially on I-95, can be a pain; in the city there are too many traffic lights and rather short distances take much longer to cover for that reason - and it's something I very much dislike. Since I have no idea what the cities in the Triad are like, I don't know what to expect in this regard.
One "small" city I lived in and liked was Wilmington, DE which has about 1/5 the area of WPB with about 20,000 fewer people. Besides how easy it was for me to learn my way around there, I liked that most neighbourhoods were quiet, which is not the case in WPB, it's been pretty noisy in the two neighborhoods where I've lived. Maybe what I miss about a smaller place is the peaceful surroundings, I don't tolerate stress very well so I want to eliminate as much of it as possible.
In conclusion, the actual size of the city may not be the most important thing but rather the "pace" of said city. Obviously, I need one with a slower pace... So if anyone can comment on this I'll really appreciate it.
Last edited by TiredOfSFL; 09-08-2008 at 11:06 PM..
Reason: Omitted a word...
Winston and Greensboro have somewhat seperation far as living in most of the areas seperating the two. The two cities has a lot of similarities and alot of differences in many areas . You know when you leave one to go to the other .
The GSO airport and the industrial section , and rural areas give seperation between the new . You will be more challenge trying to seperate where each of these following cities begin or end and that is Jamestown, High Point, and the outer edge of Greensboro on that side.
I never really found the streets to be confusing but then again I have had over 20 years of driving on them sometimes what seems simple to me isnt for a newcomer.
I find Winston Salem roads real simple almost like it on grid the only part I get confuse at is the Five Point Intersection and the Wake Forest area.
Greensboro is pretty much grid but you need to know what major roads run north to south on each side and what major road runs east to west on each side and you will do fine.
One "small" city I lived in and liked was Wilmington, DE which has about 1/5 the area of WPB with about 20,000 fewer people. Besides how easy it was for me to learn my way around there, I liked that most neighbourhoods were quiet, which is not the case in WPB, it's been pretty noisy in the two neighborhoods where I've lived. Maybe what I miss about a smaller place is the peaceful surroundings, I don't tolerate stress very well so I want to eliminate as much of it as possible.
In conclusion, the actual size of the city may not the most important thing but rather the "pace" of said city. Obviously, I need one with a slower pace... So if anyone can comment on this I'll really appreciate it.
I hear ya! I have family in West Palm and half of them are ready to get out of there, though pretty much "natives" to the area since a couple generations. I'd also get tired of the storms, if it were me. I'm surprised actually how tense it's gotten in Florida - used to be pretty laid back as I recall. But I guess that's true in a large scale way for the whole country. I think a lot of people are more bitter in general, quick to criticize and slow to commend. But it's not like that everywhere, thank goodness and it's important that we all keep it that way. What's the point of bringing the negativity with oneself? I do my best to leave it behind in DC, NoVA where it seems to feel most at home, sadly.
ANYhow. When comparing DC to this area, heck yeah, it's certainly slower paced. Compared to WPB, I'd say pretty much. It's greener here that's for sure, but people get a lot of allergies here since it's lush and there's plenty of pollen in the Spring. My car was yellow. My hayfever time is right now, Ragweed season. So far it's about the same, though the air quality is certainly better than in DC.
As far the meshed townships and cities and stuff, I think NC seems to have central towns and outlying areas, but not as developed as in other majors cities, like WPB. So yes, you can get out and drive by farms and stuff, see cows and feel sort of like exhaling when you do it. The Triangle (Raleigh) is less so.
Charlotte is like one big hub, that inhales as commuters drive in, and exhales as commuters drive out. It's a round-shaped city!
Asheville is a wonderful mountain town and I think it's the biggest one on that side, but I don't know for sure and I haven't been there.
The coast, I think, may be more developed in some ways, and historical too, because of tourism. Everyone likes the beach! So I guess there are plenty of places to go and do on the coastal third of the state. Again, I haven't been there *either* so I can't tell you, this is all what I've heard from my aunts and uncles and friends who live here.
What I can tell you about G'boro is, there is a niche here for all kinds of neighborhoods. This I like.
Winston and Greensboro have somewhat seperation far as living in most of the areas seperating the two. The two cities has a lot of similarities and alot of differences in many areas . You know when you leave one to go to the other .
The GSO airport and the industrial section , and rural areas give seperation between the new . You will be more challenge trying to seperate where each of these following cities begin or end and that is Jamestown, High Point, and the outer edge of Greensboro on that side.
I never really found the streets to be confusing but then again I have had over 20 years of driving on them sometimes what seems simple to me isnt for a newcomer.
I find Winston Salem roads real simple almost like it on grid the only part I get confuse at is the Five Point Intersection and the Wake Forest area.
Greensboro is pretty much grid but you need to know what major roads run north to south on each side and what major road runs east to west on each side and you will do fine.
The information you have provided gives me a clearer picture, thank you! I think I like the idea of some separation between one town and the next, gives each one more "personality", don't you think?
I'm pretty good with a map and usually like to study one before moving anywhere, makes names familiar! Sounds like either city would be easy to "figure" out in a short amount of time, they'll definitely be included in my "scouting" trip.
I hear ya! I have family in West Palm and half of them are ready to get out of there, though pretty much "natives" to the area since a couple generations. I'd also get tired of the storms, if it were me. I'm surprised actually how tense it's gotten in Florida - used to be pretty laid back as I recall. But I guess that's true in a large scale way for the whole country. I think a lot of people are more bitter in general, quick to criticize and slow to commend. But it's not like that everywhere, thank goodness and it's important that we all keep it that way. What's the point of bringing the negativity with oneself? I do my best to leave it behind in DC, NoVA where it seems to feel most at home, sadly.
ANYhow. When comparing DC to this area, heck yeah, it's certainly slower paced. Compared to WPB, I'd say pretty much. It's greener here that's for sure, but people get a lot of allergies here since it's lush and there's plenty of pollen in the Spring. My car was yellow. My hayfever time is right now, Ragweed season. So far it's about the same, though the air quality is certainly better than in DC.
As far the meshed townships and cities and stuff, I think NC seems to have central towns and outlying areas, but not as developed as in other majors cities, like WPB. So yes, you can get out and drive by farms and stuff, see cows and feel sort of like exhaling when you do it. The Triangle (Raleigh) is less so.
Charlotte is like one big hub, that inhales as commuters drive in, and exhales as commuters drive out. It's a round-shaped city!
Asheville is a wonderful mountain town and I think it's the biggest one on that side, but I don't know for sure and I haven't been there.
The coast, I think, may be more developed in some ways, and historical too, because of tourism. Everyone likes the beach! So I guess there are plenty of places to go and do on the coastal third of the state. Again, I haven't been there *either* so I can't tell you, this is all what I've heard from my aunts and uncles and friends who live here.
What I can tell you about G'boro is, there is a niche here for all kinds of neighborhoods. This I like.
Hey, you've answered so many of my questions already I'm beginning to see you as a friend. Thanks for being so kind in sharing of your experiences and opinions, it's certainly appreciated, besides it may help other "seekers" as well!
So you have family in West Palm... then you can understand WHY I want out, lol! I' do not like negativity but it can be so pervading at times it can begin to rub off (or tries to...) and I realy want no part of that. I have rather old-fashioned values and it seems the majority here have more superficial ones, so I've also found it difficult to connect with people here and yearn to be with like-minded people of which may be more of up there.
I'm allergic but so far not to pollen (yet). Mold is my #1 enemy and while I cannot totally escape it in the S.E. of the country, I think it would be less of a problem over there because I would not have to use central a/c 8+ months a year as I do here. Once those mold spores get into the vents and - worse yet - the a/c coil, it's "curtains". In NC I could rent an apartment with window a/c units, but if not, using a central a/c on/off for about 3 months wouldn't be as bad as it is here.
He, he, I like the idea of seeing pastures and cows when driving from one town to another, reminds me of my childhood. Interesting way in which you describe Charlotte, lol! I would've considered Ashville because of the mountains but I hear there's lots of "hippies" and goth people over there, don't have anything against them per se but since I believe in "vibrations" maybe the ones they add to the city might not (overall) agree with me.
I've read some negative things about NC's coastal cities. Anyhow, I've had enough of this "coastal" area and all that comes with it, now I'm ready for a change! Because I was born in an island and near water I thought I couldn't live away from it for long (did once in AR, for about 2 years) but in the 11 years I've been here I think I've only been to the beach twice and don't even drive by the intercoastal anymore like I used to during my first few years. After the hurricanes started coming this way the landscape just hasn't looked right, besides, it's simply too flat here, I WANT some mountains please! In any case, NC offers everything within reasonable driving distances so the way I see it there's a better chance for me to be happier over there than I've been here (and not at all now ).
Oh, the flatness. How easy I forget! Florida is soooo flat it is excrucitating to me to drive North-South on it. Ugh. Out of all the road trips we've taken in our lives, the roads thorugh Florida were the worst. Also because there are so many active speed traps, that you can't even make the torture any shorter! LOL!
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Thanks for your input!
My hayfever time is right now, Ragweed season. So far it's about the same, though the air quality is certainly better than in DC. 
).
