Anybody here from Raleigh, NC or close-by? (Tampa, Orlando: credit card, loans)

[beckycat]

I know we been having unusual weather with freezing temps here in Orlando. (I'm not complaining either) My question: Is this what a typical winter is like in Raleigh? I picture it to be in the 20's at night and up to 45-50 in the day like we've been having here. Is it similar? Just curious.

I know I can look at averages, but just wanted to hear from ppl who've experienced it.

[JustinsMama]

I'd say more teens at night and mid 30's to mid 40's during the day lately...with some milder days like you mentioned thrown in here and there. Too darn cold at any rate.

Though looking at our local weather temps, it looks more in line with what you said. Maybe it just feels colder to me?

[beckycat]

Originally Posted by JustinsMama

I'd say more teens at night and mid 30's to mid 40's during the day lately...with some milder days like you mentioned thrown in here and there. Too darn cold at any rate.

Though looking at our local weather temps, it looks more in line with what you said. Maybe it just feels colder to me?

Yeah, you guys been having a crazy winter too. The way it's been here is bearable, but I sure don't like it any colder.

[StreetSmarts]

Beckycat, colder temps are worth your sanity, lol. Raleigh is awesome. It's colder there than here in Orlando, but that's the only thing Orlando has over Raleigh.

[JustinsMama]

Riiigghhhttt....

[StreetSmarts]

Could you give me one thing that Orlando has better than Raleigh? Jobs? Pay? People? Quality of life? Schools/education? Transportation/traffic/congestion?

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by ComSense

Could you give me one thing that Orlando has better than Raleigh? Jobs? Pay? People? Quality of life? Schools/education? Transportation/traffic/congestion?

Nightlife, bars, clubs, entertainment, proximity to beaches, restaurants (651 reviewed on yelp compared to 2818 in Orlando). You could make an argument that Orlando is superior to Raleigh in these categories. While I am quite sure you would disagree, it is not like Raleigh is clearly superior in those aspects. Please spare me a bunch of links to cool things in Raleigh. I know it is a cool city.

[StreetSmarts]

Nightlife/bars/clubs/entertainment - it's all the same category. To say downtown Orlando is thriving would be incorrect as well. But I do agree that the "bar/nighlife scene" is better in Orlando, so I guess there is one thing.

[Practice]

Originally Posted by Pete C

Nightlife, bars, clubs, entertainment, proximity to beaches, restaurants (651 reviewed on yelp compared to 2818 in Orlando). You could make an argument that Orlando is superior to Raleigh in these categories. While I am quite sure you would disagree, it is not like Raleigh is clearly superior in those aspects. Please spare me a bunch of links to cool things in Raleigh. I know it is a cool city.

Some people aren't worth arguing with. The grass is always greener to some people. Go anywhere in this country and you'll find people who think that where they live sucks and they want to get out. That includes jersey and north carolina. The people who are truly happy with where they live don't spend their time on city-data forums.

[JustinsMama]

Yeah what Pete C said, also:

Jobs? I can't speak for anyone but myself/family. It took me over a year and a half to find a full time job in the same field I was in after being layed off in August of 2007 from a job I worked in Raleigh (for six years). But since I work in the legal field, I'd like to think that could transfer over to several things down there, be it paralegal, legal secretary, admin asst., etc. I also do a lot of writing in my job now and hopefully that will open an extra door or two somewhere (not saying it will, but it couldn't hurt).

The job my husband has, the main distributor for their company is headquartered in Altamonte Springs, (distributor and service work, which my husband does - he installs and services Nursecall systems in hospitals) so with all the hospitals, the new V.A. being built (he's a vet - honorably discharged) and the medical city complex being built there, we'd like to think he might have a good chance at an opportunity down there. It also doesn't hurt about the no state income tax thing. We paid almost more in State taxes than we did Federal last year.

Pay? Looks to be fairly close in both of our fields. Our jobs aren't the $75,000 to $100,000 year type of salaries, they're more the low 30's to low 40's type. Plus we don't have crippling debt dragging us down in credit cards or other types of loans, so I think if we find something, we'll be okay.

People? I think people in most cases are what you make of it. We have family in Florida so some of our time will be spent seeing them. If we make friends at work fine - all the better (and neither of us have ever had a problem with work relationships). Of the several neighborhoods we've lived in here in Clayton (and when I was in high school, in Raleigh) We've not formed any significant relationships (everyone is cordial but that's about it). Most outside friendship's we have, have been from people we've met at work, etc. We spend time as a family and do things together and we'll definitely do more of that if we move to anywhere within proximity to the theme parks, water parks, camping, etc.

I remember living in this nice neighborhood in North Raleigh as a senior in high school. It wasn't an affluent upscale neighborhood, but it was a nice middle class neighborhood (that my air traffic controller dad and mom with 15 years in the legal field as an admin or supervisor status could afford). Most of the neighborhood was white (which is neither here nor there, just stating a fact). We lived next to this family where the two older sons (out of high school) still lived (not working) with their parents. Their dad waved every now and then and you never saw the mom. Well one day my dad went out on the back deck to do whatever you do on a deck and he looks up and sees the mom out on their deck pointing a shotgun at him (no one had ever seen or spoken to this woman and there was never a problem between neighbors, so she was obviously just unstable). Luckily, she was just a kook and hurried back in the house and the incident never turned in to anything but my point is (as I digress) there are going to be freaks no matter where you live.

Quality of life? I believe we will have just as good a quality of life, if not better. We won't be stuck inside all winter like I feel like here. Contrary to popular belief, winter here does not feel like early spring there. It get's (to us) down right cold. When the cold sets in about November (and starts getting dark earlier) and doesn't let up until March, well that gets old and all I feel like doing is hibernating. (If we lived in the upper Northeast, or places like Michigan, I think we'd just keel over, we don't like being cold or even chilly lately). I foresee us being a lot more active during the winter if we ever get down there. My husband is looking forward to golfing in decent temps most months out of the year. We all look forward to the myriad of choices in entertainment and recreation and restaurants once we get down there. (and save yourself from saying the theme parks and water parks, etc. gets old once you move down there) I know my family - what gets old is having nothing to do up here except movie theaters and the occasional museum thrown in every now and then (oh yeah and go kart riding and putt-putt at Adventure Landing - whoo-hoo).

Schools/education? Schools will only get a kid so far, parental involvement and the child himself I think are the key factors. I went to elementary schools in Cary, NC and Margate, FL. I went to middle schools in Tampa and Raleigh and graduated from Millbrook Sr. High in Raleigh. I was a solid 2.6 average senior who got into ECU and blew it (not impressive to say the least on any of those points). My husband graduated from Florida schools and the went into the Marine Corp. but he turned out to be a fairly intelligent person as well. Unfortunately, whether I was bored, not motivated, or just not interested, I never took school as seriously as I should have. My husband and I will make sure that's not the case with my son, no matter where he goes.

Transportation/traffic/congestion? I've seen I-4 traffic during the week day rush hour, it sucks. I've also seen traffic going back and forth to RTP during rush hour too, and other places in Raleigh, it sucks there as well. We'll deal with it if/when the time comes.

We have our own cars so we don't rely on public transportation and hopefully never will (unless you count the transportation on Disney property). I work in downtown Raleigh where the Raleigh transit buses (or whatever they are called) has their main hub. All the homeless people hang out in the stairwells there and it smells like p i s s, not impressive to say the least. Besides, we live outside of Raleigh in Johnston Co. (about 15 minutes away) and the buses don't travel out there so we couldn't use them even if they were needed.

Soooooo, in conclusion we could probably go back and forth on this all day long until we're blue in the face. Life is too short to sit back and whine and say If only...so we will one day make it down there and give it a shot and you should do the same about getting back to NC. If everyone all liked the same things in life it would get pretty boring (and crowded).

I wish you luck in your endeavors to get up here and I hope you wish the same for me in getting down there and let's wave to each other on I-95 as we pass and say the Spock thing of Live long and prosper.

(Oh and sorry Becky for taking over your thread here) so I guess back to the regularly scheduled programming)...