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My boyfriend and I are currently living in Raleigh...and we hate it! The job market seemed very promising...but proved to be a flop! To be a city of this size, there is very little to do besides shop.
Does anyone have comparrisons between Raleigh and Greensboro as far as "entertainment"? Are there any promising jobs for a young art teacher and her illustrator boyfriend?
We are so tired of moving (From VA, to FL, to NC in two years, for job opportunities) and really want a place that we can settle down in.
Well im not really familiar with entertainment in Raleigh but as far a Greensboro is concern it depends on what kind of entertainment you are looking for. Theater? nightlife/nightclubs/bars? Greensboro has three theaters downtown (Carolina Theatre, Triad Stage and the Broach Theater). There are about a dozen nightclubs downtown ranging from music to comedy. There at least 45 restaurant/bars downtown, along with the downtown ballpark that opened in 2005. Greensboro's downtown nightlife is probabally supurior to Raleigh's downtown nightlife so im told. But downtown is not the only place to find entertainment in Greensboro. There are places all over the city. If you are lookign for recreational fun and can head to Wet'n Wild Emerald Pointe.
Don't forget the Open Space theater on Market Street. Currently running Pageant, which is hilarious.
I find Raleigh to be a tedious place now that King's Barcade is gone. The great thing about Greensboro is that if something is going on in a "major city" (like a show at the Cradle or something in Charlotte) you can get there in an hour and a half. And then come home to Da Boro where it's cheaper and nicer. Just MHO.
One thing I noticed about the entertainment here that I had never really thought about was... there is no IMAX theater here! lol I know it may seem silly, but I was used to driving 20 minutes to see a 3D movie or IMAX movie, and now I find out that the only ones in the STATE are in Raleigh and Charlotte. Too far of a drive to make for a movie!
Well, being an art teacher and illustrator...I would think that you would like (perhaps love?) Winston Salem, or at least being near to it. It's very artsy particularly with the NC School of the Arts being there and all. I also found the downtown area to be very colorful and artsy too.
I lived in Raleigh first when I relocated to D.C. and being, among other things, a painter, I found Raleigh lacking in that area. In fact, the most art-based town I found (and I traveled throughout the entire state of N.C.) was W-S.
To second what NOVA2 said, Winston Salem might be a better choice for you. I live in greensboro, sometimes called "Greensboring", there is not much to do here IMHO.
I'm 26 and moved to Greensboro in May. I know how you feel about constantly moving to find a job. I graduated from college in 2005 and since then have lived in Maine, Minnesota, Kentucky and now North Carolina. Luckily, I found an excellent, stable job here in G'boro through a friend and I have zero complaints so far.
My boyfriend and I did the opposite of agl82 I think... we picked Greensboro and decided we were moving to the area no matter what. We ended up here by using a temp agency and are only now starting to seek 'real' employment. I only hope I can be as lucky as you in finding something stable! I was hoping this area was alive with the arts in terms of publications... I'm into editing and writing more than 'the arts' per se. I have to say, I have found a lot more magazines here than in Tampa, FL, so only time will tell, I guess.
But to answer the original question, Greensboro and Winston Salem do seem to have a lot more in the way of the artistic side than other places I've lived (WV & FL). I just can't compare to Raleigh though... when looking for magazines and other publications for myself, I did notice that Raleigh actually seemed to have more than this area, but as for art/illustration I don't know. Music, there is certainly a lot going on here.
If you're planning to 'settle' and start a family, I would say this is one of the best places to do so. And depending on your tastes I think there is plenty to do here. Just search the internet for attractions/entertainment and you'll find stuff like the Barn Dinner Theater, which I really want to visit sometime! Seems like a cool idea. Lots of festivals and stuff in the summer, also the music festival. Some good bars with live music, etc.
Speaking of festivals, does Greensboro have anything in the way of large public events where they shut down traffic in downtown to celebrate? I'm sure there must be a Christmas parade, but anything else?
The best website to find dates and times for events is: http://www.gotriadscene.com
It's truly excellent.
Here are some of Greensboro's yearly events:
Piedmont Jazz and Blues Festival
http://easternmusicfestival.org/PJF
Summertime Brews Festival
http://www.summertimebrews.com
Greensboro Festival of Lights
http://www.aroundthepiedmonttriad.com/gsofestivals/Rain.htm
Greensboro Fringe Festival
http://www.greensborofringefestival.org
Carolina Summer Music Festival
http://csmf.carolinachambersymphony.org
Fall Festival at Bur-Mil Park
http://www.gotriadscene.com/event/detail/7549
In addition, the Greensboro Coliseum hosts tons of concerts and sporting events. The Greensboro Grasshoppers play in beautiful NewBridge Bank Park. The gorgeous Carolina Theatre just finished its Summer Film Festival and has great musical acts and plays throughout the year. There is a lot to do and that's just in Greensboro! You're only 4 hours from the ocean and 4 hours from the mountains. If you can't find something to do, you're not trying! I've really enjoyed living here.
Wow, thanks for all the links! I knew of a few, like the EMF.
By the way, what is the difference, or is there much of a difference between the Eastern Music Festival and the Carolina Summer Music Festival? Or is it just different groups that put together the festivals, basically.
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but I was used to driving 20 minutes to see a 3D movie or IMAX movie, and now I find out that the only ones in the STATE are in Raleigh and Charlotte. Too far of a drive to make for a movie!
My boyfriend and I did the opposite of agl82 I think... we picked Greensboro and decided we were moving to the area no matter what. We ended up here by using a temp agency and are only now starting to seek 'real' employment. I only hope I can be as lucky as you in finding something stable! I was hoping this area was alive with the arts in terms of publications... I'm into editing and writing more than 'the arts' per se. I have to say, I have found a lot more magazines here than in Tampa, FL, so only time will tell, I guess. 
