North Carolina - looking for a family oriented place to live (Charlotte: rent, low crime)

[Haleema12]

My husband and I are thinking about moving to the states, but we're not sure which state to move to. My first choice would have been NYC only because I lived there before. The problem is though we haven't been hearing positive feedback about NYC. I've heard that the middle schools are unsafe and the quality is poor. NYC is, apparently, the most expensive city in the US plus housing is a hassle with rent being so expensive. I was advised to research Georgia, South and North Carolina.

We're basically looking for a family-oriented state where the schools are good, cost of living is low and the crime is too and where I am able to find a physical therapy job. Plus my son is an avid football player and loves the beach, so we'd like to live in a state where kids play football and where there is a beach nearby. We are also muslims too, so we'd ideally like to live in a muslim community or at least in a community that has a mosque or islamic shops etc. I don't have a clue how to start researching, as there are so many states to choose from and things to consider. We're already used to the hot climate, as we live in the Dominican Republic at the moment, so I'd prefer to stay in the warm climate. What is the climate like in North Carolina, is it seasonal?

I am a UK citizen with a greencard, which allows me to work and live in the states. My son is an American citizen and my Dominican husband needs to apply for a visa. Then there's the unemployment to think about and which states are worse off. So, I just wanted to pick your brains and hear your thoughts about the different neighbourhoods in North Carolina.

[zthatzmanz28]

It is a BIG state...lots of great places...

[sll3454]

The employment situation in NC is not good. You should have a job lined up before you arrive.
American football or soccer?

[EveKacela]

Places I would recommend looking into (I grew up in NC and I have lived in most of the places I am recommending)

Raleigh/Cary/Morrisville area - not a cheap place to live, but very nice and I think you feel very comfortable. Morrisville/Cary schools are very good, I do not have as much experience with the Raleigh school system

Greensboro - The southeast area is more rural and I would recommend looking just outside of the city limits at Pleasant Garden, Liberty, Apex, Climax, or Julian. The Northwest side is the "good" side of town but is much more expensive

Chapel Hill - expensive area, but very friendly and has great schools - home of large public univeristy University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill -- has a large nationally recongized hospital and you would have the option of also working in Durham or RTP
Carboro - next town to Chapel Hill, also great option

Asheville and Boone - mountain towns, very nice and welcoming communities...price of living may be higher and I have no knowledge of the public schools there

Small Town: Albemarle - you would want to find a job before you moved here, but I love the town, I do not know about the Islamic population there

Charlotte - I have not lived there, I have family who does and they enjoy the area..the largest city in NC, will have the most metropolatin feel to it, if that is what you want.

I hope this helps some! We are getting ready to move too and I know how hard it is to figure out where to go. Please let me know if you have any other questions I can help with!

Oh, you might also want to look into Virginia!

Good luck!

[Haleema12]

Originally Posted by EveKacela

Places I would recommend looking into (I grew up in NC and I have lived in most of the places I am recommending)

Raleigh/Cary/Morrisville area - not a cheap place to live, but very nice and I think you feel very comfortable. Morrisville/Cary schools are very good, I do not have as much experience with the Raleigh school system

Greensboro - The southeast area is more rural and I would recommend looking just outside of the city limits at Pleasant Garden, Liberty, Apex, Climax, or Julian. The Northwest side is the "good" side of town but is much more expensive

Chapel Hill - expensive area, but very friendly and has great schools - home of large public univeristy University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill -- has a large nationally recongized hospital and you would have the option of also working in Durham or RTP
Carboro - next town to Chapel Hill, also great option

Asheville and Boone - mountain towns, very nice and welcoming communities...price of living may be higher and I have no knowledge of the public schools there

Small Town: Albemarle - you would want to find a job before you moved here, but I love the town, I do not know about the Islamic population there

Charlotte - I have not lived there, I have family who does and they enjoy the area..the largest city in NC, will have the most metropolatin feel to it, if that is what you want.

I hope this helps some! We are getting ready to move too and I know how hard it is to figure out where to go. Please let me know if you have any other questions I can help with!

Oh, you might also want to look into Virginia!

Good luck!

Thank you for all your replies everyone.

EveKacela - North €Carolina sounds wonderful. Sounds like I won't have a problem finding a good school in this state. I have been given the Greatschools.com link, which I'll use at some point to do a more detailed search.

I'm finding it so difficult to know which state and town to choose. I've been researching Georgia too, in particular Savannah, because it's close to the beach plus there are two mosques and there are some good schools too. North and South Carolina are our next choices, because I hear there are also beaches in these states. I think one of the main things for me at least will be whether there is a mosque, good schools and is safe. Our son loves to play soccer and would be very unhappy if we moved to an area where kids don't play soccer. How the temperature there? How cold and hot does it get? What is the crime rate like in North Carolina.

Sorry my though process isn't very structured at the moment, but this forum is helping me to sort out me out.

Any further information would be much appreciated.

Haleema

[Francois]

Originally Posted by Haleema12

I'm finding it so difficult to know which state and town to choose. I've been researching Georgia too, in particular Savannah, because it's close to the beach plus there are two mosques and there are some good schools too. North and South Carolina are our next choices, because I hear there are also beaches in these states. I think one of the main things for me at least will be whether there is a mosque, good schools and is safe. Our son loves to play soccer and would be very unhappy if we moved to an area where kids don't play soccer. How the temperature there? How cold and hot does it get? What is the crime rate like in North Carolina.

If the location of a mosque is your primary concern, it seems that you'd want to find a website geared to Muslims and ask them about the mosques in the Southeast, then work from there? Good schools aren't hard to find, and kids play soccer EVERYWHERE.

The temperature in NC of course varies between areas--do you know about the geography of the area? I ask because you say "I hear" there are beaches there, as if you aren't familiar with the map. NC has both mountains and coast, and everything in between, and naturally the climate differs on region. On average, we are known for mild winters ("Ridiculously mild" to those from Northern climates), nice spring/fall, and HOT, HUMID summers, at least for August.

A question like "What is the crime rate like in NC?" is FAR too general--this is the 10th most populous state in the USA and we have everything from heavy urban areas to very rural farmland. The crime rate varies from place to place and even neighborhood to neighborhood. It's almost like asking "What is the crime rate like in England?" There are some areas, within each city, with very bad crime and gangs, and others where it is very safe.

Unemployment in NC is quite high right now; I believe we are among the top 10 states right now. It may not be easy at all to get a job, especially with a greencard, right now.

If you are VERY unfamiliar with the area, it might help you to bone up on same basic facts about the states you're looking into by Googling general information sites on each state, such as this one, or this one, or this one. Once you know some basics and can ask slightly more specific questions, people will be able to offer much more help.

I reiterate that if a mosque is your primary draw, searching online for mosques in NC/SC/GA would narrow your search down quite quickly, and you could fine-tune from there.

[nc mom of 5]

I am a muslim living here in Cary, NC. I can say that we have several local Islamic centers as well as a couple of Islamic schools to choose from if you are interested. There are many parks and soccer (football) is very popular with the young people. The Wake County school system has a very good reputation, but you will encounter the same social issues here as anywhere else. The climate is excellent (especially the spring and fall). Here in Cary it usually is hot and humid in the summer (but less than say, Abu Dhabi) and not too cold in the winter. We usually get a few winter storms that may produce snow or ice. The RTP area is where many new residents find work. Ensha Allah this is helpful. The website for the local Raleigh Islamic center is The Islamic Association of Raleigh - Home
Take care wasalam

[AprilStephens]

Come on over to NC! I think you could be happy just about anywhere in NC but I was born & Raised in Raleigh and really enjoy being in the middle of the state. We have perfect 4 seasons, mountains, beaches, and GREAT Schools!! [mod]tos violation [/mod]

[Dusty Rhodes]

Charleston S.C. and surrounding communities may suit you well, will be closer to your climate, good schools, charm, spoleto is a community opera festival with other types of performing arts as well, great fun.

[Haleema12]

NC sounds so beautiful. I posted another thread today about the Charlotte area, as I have located the 5 mosques dotted around Charlotte and wandered which was the better area to live in terms of proximity to good public schools, hospitals to work out of and low crime.