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My girlfriend and I are considering moving to NC in the next year or so from the Quad Cities(Iowa/Illinois) area and are looking for some info on the best city. I have received quite a bit of info from this site already and feel like I know so much more about the state just from reading. Obviously, making a visit there would be beneficial as well. Colorado has always been are "top" choice to live because of the mountains but we love the fact that NC has both the mountains and beach to offer.
I am an insurance agent here in Iowa and feel it wouldn't be too difficult to find some type of job in that field. My girlfriend will be starting nursing school this fall and would like to continue that in the area depending on if/when we move. I do own my house now but will probably look to rent starting out after the move. I also have a 7 year old son that would be visiting in the summers so would like an area that is good for kids and from the readings it seems there will be plenty of things to do and see in and around the state.
Well obviously finding jobs would be the most important factor on where we would move to in NC. Like I said I'm an insurance agent and have been in the business for about 5 years, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be open to another occupation. Don't really want to do this for the rest of my life!! My girlfriend is starting nursing school so moving to area within short distance of hospita/doctor's offices would be a plus. Kind of torn between living by the mountains or the ocean, both are appealing!!! Would be nice to be in the middle of state somewhere so both are not too far away. Also would be looking to rent a house somewhere until we get a feel for what area we really would like to live in. I'm reading that the weather is great there, I miss having four seasons here in the midwest. Seems like we go straight into winter from the summer. Although it sounds like the humidity is bad there like it is here!
Well obviously finding jobs would be the most important factor on where we would move to in NC. Like I said I'm an insurance agent and have been in the business for about 5 years, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be open to another occupation. Don't really want to do this for the rest of my life!! My girlfriend is starting nursing school so moving to area within short distance of hospita/doctor's offices would be a plus. Kind of torn between living by the mountains or the ocean, both are appealing!!! Would be nice to be in the middle of state somewhere so both are not too far away. Also would be looking to rent a house somewhere until we get a feel for what area we really would like to live in. I'm reading that the weather is great there, I miss having four seasons here in the midwest. Seems like we go straight into winter from the summer. Although it sounds like the humidity is bad there like it is here!
You still haven't really narrowed it down at all...you "might" like the mountains, you "might" like the beach, or you "might" compromise and take somewhere in the middle? There are dozens of hospitals all over the state, so that doesn't really narrow it down. I'm not sure what you are expecting in the way of advice...?
Have you done any research on the cities/towns of NC enough to know "I like what I hear about A, B, and C?" NC is a large state with a little bit of everything. You might start with the City-Data pages on the cities of NC and read up on what they have and start ruling things out or making a list. Then come down for a visit to see how you like the terrain, weather (yes, humidity), etc.
Your original request, though you probably didn't mean it as such, has an air of "I don't really know what I'm looking for, but I want someone to tell me" to it, and obviously we don't know you, so we can't advise you on what you want.
If you know little about NC, how has the state landed in your radar in the first place?
I also have a 7 year old son that would be visiting in the summers so would like an area that is good for kids and from the readings it seems there will be plenty of things to do and see in and around the state.
I would move to the area of the state with the most kid friendly activities (ie water parks, theme parks, kid friendly museums etc). The last thing you want (especially in shared custody situations) is for your visiting son to be bored when he has to spend his Summers with dad. Also, it helps when you don't have to drive your son SEVERAL hours for "fun kid stuff". That said, Charlotte is probably your safest bet when it comes to giving your son an awesome Summer.
Francois, you've got it pretty much nailed down. We don't have a whole lot of knowledge about NC and was looking for different ideas, good places to live, etc. We are planning a trip right now to drive down next month and "explore" the state. Going to drive into Asheville and Charlotte first, then down to Charleston and maybe Myrtle Beach. Then head up the coast a little and come back thru Raleigh, Durham, ect. Figure that can give us a pretty good idea of the landscape of the state, as much as we can in 6 days I guess!! My buddy just drove his motorhome down to Myrtle Beach with the family and was getting a little info from him on the humidity, gas prices and such. I know the weather is great there besides the humidity which we have so much of here in the Midwest. The heat index has been well over 100 the past few days!!!
Also, thanks for the city data pages, I will check that out. My girlfriend is going to start looking into nursing schools down there as well. She is starting here at the end of August so thinking she will go 1 year here and then hopefully move next summer sometime and she can finish at a school in NC. I don't really have a good answer for you as to how NC landed on our radar. We have been talking about moving away for a couple of years now and she has always wanted to go somewhere else. Colorado was always the place we thought we would end up as her sister lives there now and her mom had lived there for awhile. We love the mountains and she really loves the beach. She bought a map and we were marking down the places we have been and North Carolina somehow came up. It has mountains, beach, plenty to do and then we started doing some research and here we are. We can't wait to come and explore the state next month!!! Thanks for any input you have given us, anything helps.
we native North Carolinians love our home state and sometimes it is baffling why people say they want to move here.
You can get beaches, good weather and lower costs of living many places so why here specifically to make such a move. There must be a good reason, perhaps is a better way of saying it.
My suggestion would be to live near family in Colorado finding the best situation for yourself you can. When it is all said and done it comes down to home and family.
But good luck and I hope things come together for you and your girlfriend.
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