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Kinda nervous about moving there because of the recent news . I use to thank that north carolina was the best state in the south. I found out yesterday that I got a job in cary in the research triangle park. Then today I also got job offer in Albany just ten minutes from my parents house. I am wondering if any other new yorkers have moved down there and came back. Is north Carolina still a good place to raise a family or is it still very southern or has it changed for the better. Should I move south or stay up here?
Kinda nervous about moving there because of the recent news . I use to thank that north carolina was the best state in the south. I found out yesterday that I got a job in cary in the research triangle park. Then today I also got job offer in Albany just ten minutes from my parents house. I am wondering if any other new yorkers have moved down there and came back. Is north Carolina still a good place to raise a family or is it still very southern or has it changed for the better. Should I move south or stay up here?
As someone who has lived in Raleigh and also lived just north of Glens Falls, I would say that you need to ask yourself what's important to you:
1. How important is being near family? Albany is a long drive but a short flight from Raleigh. That would be my biggest consideration.
2. Can you take the hottest, most humid days Upstate, and live with that for 3 months straight? The heat usually starts with a vengeance in May.
3. Do you like snow? Do you ski or like winter sports? It rarely snows in Raleigh.
4. Do you like deciduous trees or pine trees? Seems minor until you realize that piedmont NC is all pines, so there's little fall color. Crisp, cool falls days don't come until November. Of course, it is green in the winter, instead of mostly brown.
5. Do you like new homes or townhouse living? Or old homes with character? Raleigh is mostly new homes, although older homes dominate downtown, for a steep price.
On the flip side, Raleigh is a great place to live. Suburbs dominate but most towns have a downtown area, the area is vibrant, happy, and people take a lot of pride in the area. I personally have a hard time with heat/humidity and my family is here, otherwise, I'd live down there if I had a job. People are friendly too (unless you constantly talk about NY or complain a lot). Low taxes and reasonable cost of living round out the positives.
I like upstate NY but you can't really go wrong in Raleigh/Cary either.
It depends on what you want and what each position can give you in terms of a living index. I don't think you can go wrong either way, but it all comes down to what you want.
Also, I guess another factor could be proximity to family in terms of interaction and even childcare, if this even applies to you.
Another thing I would add is that upstate NY, near Albany, has very close proximity to the mountains and vast outdoor spaces. The Adirondacks, Catskills, Berkshires, and VT are all close by. So if you are really into skiing, camping, hiking, etc it's readily available. I would argue that this is Albany's strongest asset, proximity to other places, both developed (NYC, Boston, Montreal) and undeveloped. Raleigh is surrounded by some small parks, but nothing even close to this magnitude. The mtns that are comparable are 3.5 hours west. There are no real cities close by, and the Triangle is surrounded, IMO, by mostly pine trees, small homes/trailers/ and poorer areas.
Of course, there are two sides to every coin. I will say that Raleigh has a much, much more outdoorsy population than that part of NY. You will see many people in-shape, walking or jogging with dogs, and just have a more outdoor-driven mindset. Not sure what your relationship status is, but Raleigh/Cary has many attractive, younger women that keep themselves in shape. Also, the ocean being within 2+ hours may contribute to this. Like it or not, nearly all women love the beach
Hey, I'd say try Raleigh so you know for sure. NY will still be there if you decide its not for you. And thanks for the rep points
"Is it still a good place to raise a family or is it still very southern?" Um, can't it be both? And if you think N.C. is southern, then I would stay far, far away from TN, SC, GA, AL, MS... you get the point. Those places are way more "southern." I live in NC and I have travelled all over the states, and, just like anywhere else, if you move here, you will have to adapt to be happy. The area where you plan to move is very different than my region. I know the schools in that area are rated well, and I have family that lives around there and they like it. I prefer my neck of the woods (Greensboro and surrounding area). I feel that it is overall welcoming to newcomers, and we have enough to keep people busy. Being in the middle of the state, we are a few hours from the mountains, same for the beach. Southern is not a bad thing, it's just another difference between our two states that requires acceptance. I am SURE every region in America has a stereotype of which other people from those regions do not want to be judged. Good Luck with your decision.
First off, when you move to a new area don't ever start out with well they didn't do it that way where I lived. You are moving there for a reason-for a better way. And it speaks volumes how you worded it "Is north Carolina still a good place to raise a family or is it still very southern or has it changed for the better. " That tells me you know very little about the South or the place you have gotten a job offer. You come down with that attitude and they'll treat you like the Damned Yankee you come off as. The people in North Carolina are just as educated as you or me-sometimes even more so. Problem with NY'ers moving down is that they don't learn about the area they move to, want everything fast paced and instantaneous as it is here. Guess what? You learn the area, immerse yourself into the local culture(join a church, see what the area offers for activities), actually get to know your neighbors(a anomaly here in NY State theses days). I grew up here in NY-but my parents relocated here in the 50's for their jobs(they grew up in NC and VA)-they lived here for 60 years before they passed. But I also love the South-less people being rude, lower taxes, more things I love to do. Ask yourself are you a flexible person who can go with the flow or are you super ingrained that you have to be go-go-go all the time. What is it that appeals to you to raise a family? Honestly, doing travel soccer I have seen MUCH better facilities south of Delaware than anything we have in NYS. Are you prepared to have the area support the local high school kids and turn out in droves to come and watch a local football game? Many of the towns around where your job is are nice and quiet. Sure there's some areas to avoid-don't we have them all over NYS? Certain areas of Albany-I won't go alone. Here's a good piece of advice-rent before you buy a home. This gives you the option to change locations if you find you like another there better, getting to know the neighborhood and you aren't stuck with a home to sell if you find you really can't see yourself staying there any more. I have good friends that moved out of NYS back over 20 years ago when they were in their early 20's. They've never regretted their choice and actually have made more money that I had staying here. 3 years and we head out NYS to join them.
Stay where you are.....NC is not all that.....trust and believe....Yes we have affordable housing and thats it. PERIOD.
Very staunch and sometime conservative and really not all that progressive.
My husband is from the Winston-Salem area in NC, and we go down there about once a year to visit his family. If you are thinking of a move to NC, I would consider the following things:
1. North Carolina is "red" state. If your politics run to liberal side, you may find this frustrating although I realize that you will be in the "research triangle" so you'll be able to find people with liberal outlooks.
2. Are you a Baptist? Do you like to be around conservative Christians? If you don't, you may wish you were living up North.
3. How do you feel about gun control? I met quite a few people who agreed with the NRA's idea of hhaving an armed teacher in every school. Do you feel comfortable with this?
North Carolina is a beautiful state with a low cost of living. People are friendly and polite. My in-laws couldn't be nicer. However, I think it would be hard for me to live in a place where people's politics and religious views are so different from my own.
Galee
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