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.
You could post this thread in any forum on city.data and receive similar feedback whether Boston or Bugtussle? In terms of people who "dislike" their relo for a variety of reasons or those who have adjusted. Lots of factors play a role: age, personality, career goals, family, urban vs surburban...the list is endless.
It is as simple as has been stated, make a plan and move, isn't that what got you here in the first place.
I agree with Aristotle "make a plan and move". I too am disappointed withmy move here , not so much to Raleigh but to NC. It is difficult moving from a no state income tax state to NC. I have never seen so many taxes.. So , if all works out I will be out of here in 2011
I agree with Aristotle "make a plan and move". I too am disappointed withmy move here , not so much to Raleigh but to NC. It is difficult moving from a no state income tax state to NC. I have never seen so many taxes.. So , if all works out I will be out of here in 2011
Where did you move from? Are you just moving b/c of taxes or is it too boring for you?
And, strangely enough, I'm thrilled with the real estate taxes here, which have barely risen in almost 18 years. They are the exact same amount I spent in NY state on a smaller home; there, the real estate taxes have tripled since I left.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sfalady
I agree with Aristotle "make a plan and move". I too am disappointed withmy move here , not so much to Raleigh but to NC. It is difficult moving from a no state income tax state to NC. I have never seen so many taxes.. So , if all works out I will be out of here in 2011
I just had to comment on this post! I am orignally from the Midwest, but lived in the Raleigh area for the past two years. I would not say that I regret moving to this area. However, I was ready to leave after two years. First, let me start off with the positives of this area. Keep in mind this is my opinion of Raleigh.
-COL: The COL is cheaper than the Northeast, California, etc..
-Weather: The winters are pretty mild, however they are very damp and cold. Fall was my favorite time of year..no humidity and pure sunshine!
-People: Some of the native southern people and transplants I met were just down right awesome.
-Food: The vinegar based pork BBQ was one of my favorites. Try Wilbers in Goldsboro!
-Places: My two favorite places in the state are Atlantic Beach and Asheville! Atlantic Beach is NC's best kept secret and Asheville has a fun and exciting vibe!
-Jobs: RTP is typically a powerhouse for jobs and is a big factor in the Raleigh's low unemployment rate.
-Education: Duke, UNC and NCSU all pump out thousands of bright graduates every year and bring millions of dollars to the metro area.
Now, for the not so good...again just my two cents...lol.
-Weather: First, the southern heat and humidity is not a joke. It was 113 degrees with 100% humidity this past July in Raleigh. I felt like I wanted to die. If you are from the north or any other cooler climate, make sure to visit in July/August for two weeks prior to moving to see if you can tolerate the heat. The heat starts in March and ends in November. Also keep in mind that it rains and storms almost every day in the summer due to the extreme humidity.
-Allergies: If you have allergies, visit Raleigh around April 15th and walk around and breathe in the yellow snow aka pollen storms. The pollen made my life a living hell for about 6 weeks...runny nose, red itchy eyes..you name it..I had it!...lol
-Culture: The civil war is still alive and well in the south, but mostly in the rural areas. These people typically do not like people from the north aka yankees that want to try and "change" their home and way of life. My advice is to live in or close to the major cities in the state and don't treat these rural people as second class citizens.
-Jobs: This totally depends on what you do and where you plan on doing it. For example, RTP tends to cater towards IT and research positions and Charlotte caters to banking positions. Keep in mind the unemployment rate in NC is still rather high at nine percent. I was laid off twice this year in Raleigh. Secure a job before you move.
-Entertainment: NC is located in the bible belt, which is cool since I am religious. However, I also like a rum and coke on sundays and no I don't have a drinking problem..lol. Plan on getting use to buying liquor at the over taxed and over priced ABC stores and please know that they close at nine every night and are not open on sundays..ever..lol. Also, get use to college basketball. People go absolutely crazy over it and take time off of work to go to the games..totally nuts! ..lol. This town is not for twenty something singles..like myself, but rather the 35 and over crowd that wants to start a family.
-Cost of living: I am from the Midwest, so the cost of living was very high for me to live in Raleigh. The city taxes you on stupid things, like the property taxes you pay on your car..lol.
-Traffic: It really is not that bad coming from bigger cities. However, the city planners of Raleigh really need to take immediate action and make I-40 ten lanes each way to compensate for the explosive growth. Failure to do this will result in even more gridlock. Mark my words or just watch the live traffic cameras and never ending car accidents every single day on WRAL!
-Bugs: Google "Palmetto Bugs" and make sure you have your residence professionally sprayed on a monthly basis..lol.
.....and my favorite quote everyone says when you ask them "what do you like most about living in Raleigh?"..lmao..
"I love Raleigh because you're two hours from the ocean and 3 hours to the mountains"
First, I grew up 30 minutes from Lake Michigan aka clean, crystal clear blue freshwater, so I guess I was spoiled..lol. Don't get me wrong, I love the ocean, but driving two hours to the beach is insane and the lakes in Raleigh are all chocolate brown..which I refused to swim in..lol. Second, how often do you really visit the mountains? I guess I could understand if you're a super outdoors enthusiast.
Recap:
Overall, I made some awesome friends in Raleigh and had some amazing experiences. I will always cherish my time in NC as it helped me grow personally and professionally. However, family is the number one priority in my life, which ultimately made me decide to move back to the midwest. I was always bitter about having to use the majority of my PTO to travel back and forth for the holidays to see family and dealing with the nightmare at RDU and other connecting airports...lol. I wish everyone of you the best of luck with your move and future endeavors.
Please feel free to PM me if you have any additional NC related questions.
I agree with Aristotle "make a plan and move". I too am disappointed withmy move here , not so much to Raleigh but to NC. It is difficult moving from a no state income tax state to NC. I have never seen so many taxes.. So , if all works out I will be out of here in 2011
I find it interesting when people think NC has high taxes. One of the reasons we moved here in 2007 was among all states, NC was in the bottom 20% in overall tax burden (property, income, sales, etc). The other states in the bottom 20% were the usual suspects of Mississippi, SC, WV, Arkansas, and other "poor" states with a much lower standard of living.
Our annual property taxes here in Raleigh are around $2200, for the same home in the Detroit suburbs that amount would triple.
There's some odd taxes here (vehicles as "property taxes"? weird), but the overall burden here is lower than basically 80-85% of the rest of the US (at least was in 07, can't imagine it's skyrocketed since then)
Try Illinois, NY, Mass, or CA if you think taxes are high here.
Believe it or not, nc is about middle of the pack and slightly above average when it comes to tax burden, actually with a higher percent of taxation in proportion to income (9.8% for NC) than Massachusetts (9.5%) or Illinois (9.3%). http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/20...dens-by-state/
It's not what most would be considered a high-tax state, but it isn't really as low tax as many transplants tend to believe. In retrospect, after leaving, I realized I never really "regretted" my move to NC. just sort of outphased it. Things change, people change, places change, priorities change.
JP,
Good responses but some are EXTREMELY exaggerated, relatively speaking and as Dorothy would say,” there is NO place like home” – so, you have to consider the bias factor with your analysis.'
Weather: It doesn’t get “hot” in Raleigh until early July thru end of August, this past summer was atypical – this is the south (w/hotter cities)! Deal with snow and colder climate up North and Midwest (lived in both areas) or deal with heat, it is a matter of preference:
Maximum Minimum
Raleigh weather in January 10°C / 50°F -2°C / 28°F
Raleigh weather in February 11°C / 52°F 0°C / 32°F
Raleigh weather in March 17°C / 63°F 4°C / 39°F
Raleigh weather in April 22°C / 72°F 8°C / 46°F
Raleigh weather in May 26°C / 79°F 13°C / 55°F
Raleigh weather in June 29°C / 84°F 18°C / 64°F
Raleigh weather in July 31°C / 88°F 20°C / 68°F
Raleigh weather in August 30°C / 86°F 20°C / 68°F
Raleigh weather in Septem 27°C / 81°F 16°C / 61°F
Raleigh weather in October 22°C / 72°F 9°C / 48°F
Raleigh weather in November 17°C / 63°F 4°C / 39°F
Raleigh weather in December 11°C / 52°F 0°C / 32°F
Other than the seasonal rain and spring storms, late-March, April and May and till mid-June are extremely nice!
Culture: This would be my advice “anywhere” USA for those seeking expanded cultural offerings, when you get into rural areas in the North, Midwest, etc., you’ll experience “small” town America mentality, so exclusively attaching cultural limitations to the South is comical.
Jobs: News flash, unemployment is HIGH everywhere, at least here, chances of re-employment are better than most places with diverse opportunities (healthcare, educational field, etc) aside from IT, technical, etc.
Entertainment: Liquor…really? You can get rum and coke (or other alcoholic beverage) on Sunday from any bar (after 12 pm). Plus, you have all DAY to stock liquor if it’s a must (till 9 pm, M-Sat). Interesting point, NC is in the process evaluating privatization of liquor stores, so look for hours to resemble other places in the near future. Even in DC, you’ll have to drive to MD to liquor on Sunday – generally a short hike though. Most 20+ individuals do better in larger cities….ATL, Miami, Dallas, etc – considering the size of RDUs metro, it does better than many of its peers as result of the heavy collegiate and professional presence.
COL: This ain’t Manhattan, SF or DC
Beaches: I am biased, I grew up close to the ocean, so the great lakes didn’t cut the mustard, but they’re nice. 2 hours to the beach isn’t that far geographically w/respect to most of the USA…case in point Dallas, TX.
As for the mountains…Blue Ridge….October/Nov… about as close to God as it gets on earth! Again, I’m biased.
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.
