Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm a (soon to be) 50 year old retired air traffic controller. My wife and I currently live in Minnesota and we are considering relocating somewhere south and east. The western and piedmont regions of North Carolina are high on our list of places we are considering and I am writing in the hope that someone can offer some insight that may help us in making our decision.
In past years I have had the opportunity to spend a bit of time western part of N.C. I have a family in the area around Boone/Asheville and even went to High School in Avery County for a year ("way back when"). That being said it has been quite some time since I have spent any length of time in the area and as we all know, things change. I have always found the mountains and the piedmont to be beautiful areas and my research indicates that -most- of the area is still relatively affordable. That being said it's hard to get a feel for the lifestyle of an area when you only have the internet and some old memories to count on. Perhaps if I discribe what we are looking for some of you would be kind enough to let me know if such a place exists in western or piedmont North Carolina.
We are seeking a location with a balance of affordability and cultural opportunity. Translate that to read that we do NOT want to live in "the sticks" just because it's affordable, nor do we want to sacrifice an affordable cost of living just to be near a metropolis and all the cultural activies we enjoy...It's getting difficult already isn't it The lifestyle we are seeking might best be discribed as "SubRural"...that is to say we would like to be out of town far enough to have an acre (or two) for gardening and privacy but still be within easy commuting distance of the convieniences of a larger city (i.e. health care, entertainment, dining, etc). The area we're looking for would be "upscale" but not ostentatious...We're not interested in rubbing shoulders with the "rich and famous" but neither are we interested in being bound by people who begin every conversation with either "What church do you go to" or "Who's your driver".
We are "empty nesters", so schools are not an issue...access to an airport that gets us away to SEE the kids is an issue. We LOVE to dine out and also enjoy the occasional play and/or concert...In this case "dine" being defined as something above and beyond the local "Applebees" and "play" being defined as being performed above the high school level. We are also active adults and try to ride our bicycles and take hikes on a regular basis, so access to biking and hiking paths is a must. Otherwise we just want to be somewhere where we a going to be accepted for what and who we are.
Any of you have any ideas ? Feel free to reply in this forum or email me personally. Thanks in advance for any advice or direction any of you may provide.
StevieP.
I would recommend Hickory except you may want some more upscale dining than it offers. I live up the road in Lenoir because of the WEATHER. Can't beat it. You could have ridden your bikes every week last winter. We had only two snows AND it was cooler here than it was in MN last summer. I think we hit ninety only twice. The hiking and biking up on the Blue Ridge is wonderful. We have access to three airports: Charlotte, Greensboro and Ashville are all about 80 miles.
Our bike has a bike engine and it is why we moved here. We get on it and go for a ride to enjoy a distant meal. You might want to look a bit closer to Charlotte. You might also consider looking closer to Greenville SC whick is growing like a weed or Tega Cay SC which is a suburb of Charlotte.
Old School...CSRS. How does N.Carolina treat Federal retirees anyway ?
Me too. I took a VER & buyout in June of 2003. That's why I asked. No NC state income tax on a CSRS pension for us.
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
As a result of the North Carolina Supreme Court's decision in Bailey v. State of North Carolina, North Carolina may not tax certain retirement benefits received by retirees of the United States government (including military) if the retiree has five or more years of creditable service as of August 12, 1989.
I'm a (soon to be) 50 year old retired air traffic controller. My wife and I currently live in Minnesota and we are considering relocating somewhere south and east. The western and piedmont regions of North Carolina are high on our list of places we are considering and I am writing in the hope that someone can offer some insight that may help us in making our decision.
In past years I have had the opportunity to spend a bit of time western part of N.C. I have a family in the area around Boone/Asheville and even went to High School in Avery County for a year ("way back when"). That being said it has been quite some time since I have spent any length of time in the area and as we all know, things change. I have always found the mountains and the piedmont to be beautiful areas and my research indicates that -most- of the area is still relatively affordable. That being said it's hard to get a feel for the lifestyle of an area when you only have the internet and some old memories to count on. Perhaps if I discribe what we are looking for some of you would be kind enough to let me know if such a place exists in western or piedmont North Carolina.
We are seeking a location with a balance of affordability and cultural opportunity. Translate that to read that we do NOT want to live in "the sticks" just because it's affordable, nor do we want to sacrifice an affordable cost of living just to be near a metropolis and all the cultural activies we enjoy...It's getting difficult already isn't it The lifestyle we are seeking might best be discribed as "SubRural"...that is to say we would like to be out of town far enough to have an acre (or two) for gardening and privacy but still be within easy commuting distance of the convieniences of a larger city (i.e. health care, entertainment, dining, etc). The area we're looking for would be "upscale" but not ostentatious...We're not interested in rubbing shoulders with the "rich and famous" but neither are we interested in being bound by people who begin every conversation with either "What church do you go to" or "Who's your driver".
We are "empty nesters", so schools are not an issue...access to an airport that gets us away to SEE the kids is an issue. We LOVE to dine out and also enjoy the occasional play and/or concert...In this case "dine" being defined as something above and beyond the local "Applebees" and "play" being defined as being performed above the high school level. We are also active adults and try to ride our bicycles and take hikes on a regular basis, so access to biking and hiking paths is a must. Otherwise we just want to be somewhere where we a going to be accepted for what and who we are.
Any of you have any ideas ? Feel free to reply in this forum or email me personally. Thanks in advance for any advice or direction any of you may provide.
StevieP
Hey there StevieP-as another poster has mentioned...Tega Cay, SC has alot of the qualities you seem to be looking for (of course I might be a little biased ) The only thing that does not jive would be the amount of property you are looking for (most lots are under an acre-average 1/4 to 3/4). You might take a look at the city of Tega Cay, SC website to see if it is of any interest to you...and if so...I would be happy to answer any questions you might have. Good luck with your search! p.s. if you plan to be out this way during the summer months (up until October) we have free outdoor concerts that are held the first Saturday of each month.
I'm a (soon to be) 50 year old retired air traffic controller. My wife and I currently live in Minnesota and we are considering relocating somewhere south and east. The western and piedmont regions of North Carolina are high on our list of places we are considering and I am writing in the hope that someone can offer some insight that may help us in making our decision.
In past years I have had the opportunity to spend a bit of time western part of N.C. I have a family in the area around Boone/Asheville and even went to High School in Avery County for a year ("way back when"). That being said it has been quite some time since I have spent any length of time in the area and as we all know, things change. I have always found the mountains and the piedmont to be beautiful areas and my research indicates that -most- of the area is still relatively affordable. That being said it's hard to get a feel for the lifestyle of an area when you only have the internet and some old memories to count on. Perhaps if I discribe what we are looking for some of you would be kind enough to let me know if such a place exists in western or piedmont North Carolina.
We are seeking a location with a balance of affordability and cultural opportunity. Translate that to read that we do NOT want to live in "the sticks" just because it's affordable, nor do we want to sacrifice an affordable cost of living just to be near a metropolis and all the cultural activies we enjoy...It's getting difficult already isn't it The lifestyle we are seeking might best be discribed as "SubRural"...that is to say we would like to be out of town far enough to have an acre (or two) for gardening and privacy but still be within easy commuting distance of the convieniences of a larger city (i.e. health care, entertainment, dining, etc). The area we're looking for would be "upscale" but not ostentatious...We're not interested in rubbing shoulders with the "rich and famous" but neither are we interested in being bound by people who begin every conversation with either "What church do you go to" or "Who's your driver".
We are "empty nesters", so schools are not an issue...access to an airport that gets us away to SEE the kids is an issue. We LOVE to dine out and also enjoy the occasional play and/or concert...In this case "dine" being defined as something above and beyond the local "Applebees" and "play" being defined as being performed above the high school level. We are also active adults and try to ride our bicycles and take hikes on a regular basis, so access to biking and hiking paths is a must. Otherwise we just want to be somewhere where we a going to be accepted for what and who we are.
Any of you have any ideas ? Feel free to reply in this forum or email me personally. Thanks in advance for any advice or direction any of you may provide.
StevieP
I won't ask what church you go to but given the chance I'll ask "who's your driver"? (Sorry I just couldn't resist)
We are getting ready to move from So Cal and are also looking for a house with a min of an acre (to build a garage out building). We have been looking in the Weddington/Waxhaw area. They are in Union County which is lower in taxes than Mecklenburg where Charlotte is. They are right on the boarder so you can pop into Charlotte easily (for your fine dining and plays). Just pop on the web to a Charlotte real estate website and on some of them you can type in the acreage and city, some do go by county only. Good luck.
Hello, poster living in Lenoir! Is the weather in Lenoir about as nice as near Asheville. Some research I did indicated it was more humid than Asheville?
Is Lenoir's crime rate not too high? Do you feel safe?
Also, do you know anything about the Spruce Pine and Bakersville and areas in between?
Being a serious motorcyclist the weather was the BIG issue in moving here. As I posted above so far it has been perfect. I could go on about it for hours. Shoulda seen the full moon above the mountains last night.
Crime is low. County taxes are lowest in the state. Lenoir is going through some tough times. Many of the factories closed and went overseas. It is an area of transition.
Take a look at the posts made by Lend27. The southest corner of Caldwell County is where I would look at. You can find less expensive homes if you get away from the lake but you have Caldwell taxes and a Hickory address.
Also, this area is trangulated by Charlotte, WS/Greensboro and Ashville. All have airports and major attractions. Been through Spruce Pine and it is beautiful but a bit far from everythilng for our tastes.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The lifestyle we are seeking might best be discribed as "SubRural"...that is to say we would like to be out of town far enough to have an acre (or two) for gardening and privacy but still be within easy commuting distance of the convieniences of a larger city (i.e. health care, entertainment, dining, etc). The area we're looking for would be "upscale" but not ostentatious...We're not interested in rubbing shoulders with the "rich and famous" but neither are we interested in being bound by people who begin every conversation with either "What church do you go to" or "Who's your driver". 
Bailey v. State of North Carolina
) The only thing that does not jive would be the amount of property you are looking for (most lots are under an acre-average 1/4 to 3/4). You might take a look at the city of Tega Cay, SC website to see if it is of any interest to you...and if so...I would be happy to answer any questions you might have. Good luck with your search! p.s. if you plan to be out this way during the summer months (up until October) we have free outdoor concerts that are held the first Saturday of each month.
(Sorry I just couldn't resist)
