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Basic rule of thumb, most good areas are outside of the I-440 beltline
That was my 1st impression of 'inside the beltline' 26 years ago and today I only wish I could afford to live there. I have found that is truly where the real money and power lies. Many beautiful and well maintained homes. I agree it's not for everyone but it is a gem.
You'll find lots of Michiganders here to keep you company.
Including me - left Michigan in the ealy 80's.
Quote:
Originally Posted by maggie2003
Currently, I work at the health dept for the County of Muskegon. I would like to stay in a government job, but also not ruling out a new career path, perhaps in IS. I have a Bachelor's degree in marketing and have worked in a market research company in Chicago in the past.
I just don't want traffic like around Chicago. I liked Asheville, NC when I was there on vacation last year, but heard Cary is a nice place. I just need a place I can find a full time job as well as a place for my mother who is retired.
The traffic here is definitely not as bad as Chicago, but it definitely will be worse than Muskegon. Asheville and Raleigh/Cary are very different from each other. Since Raleigh is the state capital and county seat it has the most government jobs of any city in the state. If you have never been here I would recommend that you make a trip down just to look around before you decide anything further.
I moved to Raleigh from Grosse Pointe 3 years ago & I think the best advice I can give you is: Make sure you have a guaranteed job lined up before you move. There have been a bunch of Michiganders that have moved here for the better economy and HATED it because they could not find a job. The cost of living is marginally higher and if you don't have steady income, it can be very frustrating. The state income tax is almost double that of Michigan. As far as pension taxes, I don't know. Other than the economic issues, the winter is awesome and the summer is terrible. I treat the summer like winter and stay inside with the AC cranked. GL
Compared to Chicago/Detroit, traffic here is nothing. I-40 and Capital Boulevard are the worst rush hour traffic IMO. North Raleigh is great, and pretty much anywhere around I-540. Traffic is not bad anytime of the day there. I-440 is a bit more crowded.
Make sure you have employment before moving here. Basic rule of thumb, most good areas are outside of the I-440 beltline, for newcomers. I recommend getting an apartment with a short term lease until you really learn the area, and figure out what suits you...that cant be decided overnight. If you want small town feel, there is no shortage of that. Pretty much every suburb is a great place to be, which one depends on your housing budget. There are many good areas within reasonable distance of Raleigh, such as Zebulon, Youngsville, Rolesville, Wake Forest, etc. I currently work in Raleigh and live near Wake Forest, and the commute is reasonable.
I agree with most of this - except for the Inside the Beltline part. It's not for everyone, but it continues to be one of the most desirable and expensive places to live in the county.
Basic rule of thumb, most good areas are outside of the I-440 beltline, for newcomers.
I'd like to second this. Trying to navigate traffic and learn the area from within the beltline can be a daunting task. Having a starting point outside the beltline and working your way in is a more sensible approach. There's far less traffic congestion and easier roads to navigate in many areas outside the beltline.
On another note I'd be careful overselling the popularity of inside the beltline. I'm sure it's very desirable in some minds but I don't think it's the most desirable place to a significant percentage of relocatees. Prices may be higher there as a simple fact of limited supply and just enough demand to set the price.
Just look at downtown's West Condominium Tower to see the real level of popularity. They've just been put up for auction because they couldn't sell them.
Last edited by Wheelwright; 10-09-2010 at 08:34 AM..
Raleigh has the worst traffic of anywhere in NC, put it that way, except for maybe parts of Charlotte. It's quite a "sprawling" area, not one central downtown core where everything is. If you specifically mention traffic as something to avoid, you might as well look in areas where it's better, because with the growth rate around the Raleigh area, it certainly isn't going to get anything but worse over the years. Come for a visit and check out all sorts of areas (including Asheville) and then apply for jobs in all areas you liked.
May be for those coming from the north the amount of traffic may seem lighter, but until you drive a stretch of 440 (more than 10 miles) you may not have an idea of what thos NASCAR drivers experience. I find the driving, though lighter, much more terrirfying than most northern venues (except maybe Cincinnatti).
It is always an adventure to navigate the 440. If I am going to north Raleigh I will take Capital unless I cut 540 into Knightdale / Wendell...
May be for those coming from the north the amount of traffic may seem lighter, but until you drive a stretch of 440 (more than 10 miles) you may not have an idea of what thos NASCAR drivers experience. I find the driving, though lighter, much more terrirfying than most northern venues (except maybe Cincinnatti).
It is always an adventure to navigate the 440. If I am going to north Raleigh I will take Capital unless I cut 540 into Knightdale / Wendell...
Pensions are taxed with Social Security exempt and a $4K exclusion.
The Interstates are so bad, I never use them. Rotten, aggressive drivers with such poor design you cannot stay in the right lane to drive slower because it keeps dropping away. Virtually 100% unlighted.
Most of the ITB crowd is old Raleighites that stayed/moved there to get away from the new subdivisions being built to accomadate the relocating folks. There is "status" to living ITB but it may mean more to those native Raleigh people than others from other areas.
Vicki
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