Relocating from Italy (Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro: chapel, home, good schools)

[firwol]

Hi I am hoping to get some useful information to help us decide whether NC is a good choice for our family...
We are relocating to the US from Italy, I am Italian and my wife is American - we have two children (2 and 4 yo).
I will be opening a catering/personal chef business while my wife will stay at home with the kids until they are both old enough for first grade.

Here is a short description of our likes/dislikes:

Liberal, democratic
Good school system
Diverse society and more on the liberal side
Family oriented
Can be a small town or a larger city's suburb
No need for crazy nightlife, just good restaurants and cafe's
Not sports fanatics
Foodies - need to have a farmer's market or even better farms/vineyards nearby
We LOVE the snow
We LOVE seasonality in weather
Ideally nearby a larger airport with direct flights to EU - I know Charlotte does, not sure if there are others
Finally, for my business, I would prefer to be near a quite affluent area with a good amount of disposable income and where people do organize large dinner parties.

I think that's it...sorry for the long list and thank you in advance for any and all suggestions.
Much appreciated!

Giuseppe

[fltonc12]

I would highly recommend Raleigh or one of it's suburbs, but then again, I could also recommend Charlotte. Both have what you're looking for in or around both areas.

[urbanmyth]

Asheville...sounds exactly like what you are describing...or, Charlotte because it's bigger and is close to Asheville. Alos, non-stop flights to Rome.

[poppydog]

You might consider Chapel Hill and Durham. They're very, very foodie areas. The mountains near Asheville will get you more snow, though. Boone and especially Blowing Rock in the mountains are fairly foodie and Blowing Rock is affluent, but it's a tourist economy. Not sure how it would be in the winter.

[firwol]

Thanks for the suggestions!
Asheville sounds lovely, I just looked it up and it looks gorgeous! However being around a more populated area would definitely help the business...
For what I have been able to find online I am definitely more drawn to the Raleigh/Durham area for many reasons, but the Charlotte metro is enticing for the direct flights to Europe.
What can you tell me about Greensboro, since it seems to be about halfway from both places?

Thanks again!

[firwol]

Whether it's Charlotte's or Durham's (or whatever) area....could you specifically recommend a town where to move that still has somewhat of a quaint feel to it? Even if your usual 3 blocks "main street".
Thanks!

[ucctgg]

Originally Posted by firwol

Whether it's Charlotte's or Durham's (or whatever) area....could you specifically recommend a town where to move that still has somewhat of a quaint feel to it? Even if your usual 3 blocks "main street".
Thanks!

Maybe Hillsboro.

[arbyunc]

You might also consider the Winston-Salem area, as it meets many of your criteria:

Good schools
Family oriented
Small-town feel, but still plenty of things to do
Very good restaurants for a city its size
Great wineries within an hour or less drive
Close to the mountains
Lots of "old money", so there are plenty of people willing to spend money on dinner parties

Good luck in your search.
Easy access to both the Greensboro and Charlotte airports

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by ucctgg

Maybe Hillsboro.

Agreed, and it is fairly affluent with estates and country clubs.

[fltonc12]

Originally Posted by arbyunc

You might also consider the Winston-Salem area, as it meets many of your criteria:

Good schools
Family oriented
Small-town feel, but still plenty of things to do
Very good restaurants for a city its size
Great wineries within an hour or less drive
Close to the mountains
Lots of "old money", so there are plenty of people willing to spend money on dinner parties

Good luck in your search.
Easy access to both the Greensboro and Charlotte airports

+ bad crime. It's not much of a "big city".