Moving to NC as single 30’s something woman

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by hey_guy

i am an appstate grad and uh i dunno boone is swamped by college students if your idea of invogorating is having 18-21 y/os everywhere sure.

For actual adults looks to slowdown and city amenities and the mountains i reccomend greenville sc or knoxville. Skip asheville man it's for retirees and well heeled yuppies

I didn't know the college in Boone had that much influence on the population. Yeah, college towns are never my cup of tea, unless the college just happens to be in a place that has other things to offer. It sounds like it may have a similar atmosphere to Bellingham, Washington, which also was a large college town. Ironically, the college was the main attraction, as the rest of the town was like a very sleepy suburb. It was also the most beautiful town I have ever lived in my life, but was fairly boring and everyone who wasn't at the school was married/kids type and not much social activity outside of heavy drinking at the many bars in town.

I have passed through Knoxville and spent the night there. Knoxville is also on the top of my list of places to relocate and I am sure the OP would like it. I'm debating between relocating to Knoxville, Nashville, but I am probably going to move back to North Carolina and seriously considering Triad or Charlotte (where I lived for a short time). Greenville SC looks interesting, but I hear its more of a family town (not much for singles) and the cost of living has gone up a lot and SC has an 7.5% state tax (ouch).

Now, that I am aware of the OP's tricky situation, I guess it kind of puts her between a rock and a hard place. Hopefully, she can meet a nice American guy (I'm assuming your straight) and get citizenship; if marriage is an option Physical Therapists are an important asset and they have done a lot to help save me from my own injuries. I respect them more than most people on this Earth.

Everything I hear about Asheville is pretty dismal unless you are a wealthy retiree (as you said) or a trust fund kid who doesn't know what to with all his/her money.

[ZeusAV]

I wouldn’t be worried about Asheville, it’s just too far to commute to. Just look at it as a place that you can visit on weekends if wanted. I’d say just get a place in or near Hickory. This way on the weekends you have the option of Asheville or even Charlotte for entertainment.

[NW Crow]

You might want to try Hickory for 6 months and see how it goes.

Or consider a country place on one of the lakes north / northwest of town.

Hickory the city is modest sized but the metro area is over 350,000. There should be stuff to do, people to meet if you dig.

Mooresville / Davidson wouldn't be impossible length commute if you wanted a population with a much more elevated higher education rate. Only half as far as Asheville. About halfway between Hickory for work and Charlotte for urban options.