Questions About Relocating To Raleigh (Durham, Cary: transplants, chapel, homes)

[NYGAL73]

Hi All

I am a 34 year old single female from Queens, New York who is new to the message boards.

My situtation is as follows: I live with my parents who are both retired and earn my living as a customer service representative for an art supply company. We have lived in our home for 30 years, but are considering moving due to a deterioration in the quality of our neighborhood.

Since the cost of housing in the NYC area has skyrocketed over the past few years, we would not be able to afford moving to a "better" part of New York.
A family friend has suggested looking into relocating to Raleigh, North Carolina citing quality affordable housing, a better climate and nicer people as reasons for doing so.

The problem is that we don't know anyone who lives in North Carolina and could offer us advice and guidance. Our main concerns are:

1) Since Mom and I don't drive(although I am willing to learn)...is it possible to get around without a car? 2)How can I find out what one family homes are currently selling for? 3) How expensive is it to live in Raleigh? 4) How good is the healthcare offered by local doctors and hospitals?....a big concern since both my parents are over sixty. 4) Since I still have many years of working ahead of me...are there many job opportunities for someone doing office work? & 5) Is there much of a social life available for someone in my age group?

If anyone out there has advice or information to offer, I sure would appreciate it.

Thank You

[ferrickhead28]

1) Since Mom and I don't drive(although I am willing to learn)...is it possible to get around without a car? Sure! We have an excellent bus service. They travel all around the triangle, even outside of it!

2)How can I find out what one family homes are currently selling for? Hmmm...prices normally start around $150,000 and up. Outside of Raleigh might be a bit cheaper.

3) How expensive is it to live in Raleigh? It's really not that expensive. Get a decent job, plan ahead (utilities, cost of living, etc) and you will be just fine!

4) How good is the healthcare offered by local doctors and hospitals?....a big concern since both my parents are over sixty. We have some of the best! Does Duke hospital ring a bell?

4) Since I still have many years of working ahead of me...are there many job opportunities for someone doing office work? Sure! RTP (Research Triangle Park) has alot of career opportunities. You can also try working with a temp agency too, they always have a need for office workers.

5) Is there much of a social life available for someone in my age group? Of course! I'm 32 and even though I dont go out that much, there are some really good meet up groups on Meetup: World's largest community of local Meetups, clubs and groups!. Theres a hobbie/activity for everyone. The triangle is a great place to meet folks too!

Hope that helps!
Heather

[saturnfan]

You'll need to learn to drive. In most areas except Durham & Chapel Hill, bus service is nothing like NYC.

[MrsSteel]

Hi there, NYGal. I'll see if I can answer some questions for you. Of course, this is all just my opinion, so I hope plenty of other people will offer their opinions for you, too!

First of all, you should know that this general area - the area encompassing Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, and surrounding communities - is commonly called the Triangle. I think it's important that you consider not just Raleigh, but the Triangle as a whole. From there you will see all of the options available to you.

1) Since Mom and I don't drive(although I am willing to learn)...is it possible to get around without a car?

Honestly? You'll do much better with a car here. We do have public transportation and it is safer and cleaner than most people realize, but it cannot compare with what you'll find in New York City. If you are hoping to rely on public transportation, I suggest you live in Raleigh, Durham, or Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill has a great bus system because of the university (it's free, too!), but Chapel Hill is one of the most expensive areas real-estate-wise, so that may not work for you.

2)How can I find out what one family homes are currently selling for?

You can check out websites like realtor.com & see what's on the market in different cities. Of the three that I mentioned before - Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill - Durham is usually less expensive.

3) How expensive is it to live in Raleigh?

That's a tough one because it's kinda vague & it really depends upon your specific situation.
The medium household income in Durham is just under $45K per year ( Durham, NC | About Durham | State of Durham's Economy 2004 (broken link)).
In Raleigh, the medium houehold income is just over $48K per year ( http://www.raleighnc.gov/publication..._Fall_2006.pdf)
The outer suburbs can be cheaper, but there's virutally no public transport out there.
You might try a website like salary.com & see how your current income rate compares to what you would get down here.

4) How good is the healthcare offered by local doctors and hospitals?....a big concern since both my parents are over sixty.

In Durham we have the Duke University health care system. You can't get much better than that! There's also UNC over in Chapel Hill and some good hospitals in Raleigh, too. Nothing to worry about here.

4) Since I still have many years of working ahead of me...are there many job opportunities for someone doing office work?

The businesses here continue to grow, providing jobs for all of the transplants that move to this area. It may be very hard for you to land a job here from afar, but you should have luck with one of the temp agencies in town (Manpower has offices all over the Triangle). It's a good way to make some money until you find something permanent.

5) Is there much of a social life available for someone in my age group?

I agree with Ferrickhead. There's plenty to do if you go out there & look for it! Granted, it's very different from NYC & you'll have to accept that fact long before you move here, but that doesn't mean it's bad! Just different. If you're looking for nightlife, we have a few areas with bars and restaurants that cater to the college crowd, but there are some nice places for slightly more mature folk, too. My best advice is to check out the local free arts & entertainment paper - The Indy. It will tell you about everything cultural that's happening in The Triangle. Independent Weekly

Are you considering any other areas besides North Carolina? Because if expenses are the driving force behind your move, you might also be happy in some places in the midwest (Kansas City comes to mind). I'm not trying to discourage you from moving to NC. Just trying to open your mind to the possibilities. Good luck!