Help from a New Yorker........... (Raleigh, Durham: low crime, chapel, how much)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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Hi all. I need advice from New Yorkers. I am a 49 year old male, married with a 14 year old son and a 11 year old daughter. I am looking to get out of Staten Island...NYC as a whole has been getting progressively worse...I will end it here. I need to know if anyone has recently moved to Wake Forest/Chapel Hill in a similiar situation than I. I am retired, however I have a well paying full time job and a pension. I can get work in Raleigh not making the same money, but I do not care. Money cannot buy happiness. How does one make a transition? I am planning a 5 day trip to NC this summer. What should we do? I am looking for an area with most (not all)necessities I am used to, NICE friendly people ( I am overly friendly), close to shopping, quiet area, clean, outdoor restaurants, kid friendly, low crime, etc...I guess I am looking for paradise...I fully understand there is no utopia. Ant kind of advice is appreciated, but I would really like to hear from NY's especially those who lived in Brooklyn/Staten Island, etc...Thank you
We moved here last summer from NY (Long Island)....I don't think anyone can tell anyone else how they will fare on a re-location. It's entirely dependent on you. Right off the bat if you are focusing on comparing where you are from to where you are relocating, and what you'll be missing and how people will re-act to you, you may not yet be in the right mindset. If you really, truly want to make a change you are better off embracing the differences rather than worrying about them. It's NOT ""NY South" down here, despite reports to the contrary.
You ask "what should we do"...we are a bunch of strangers - can't answer that.
How do you make a transition? You realize that wherever you go most people are happy to see a smiling face and make a friendly conversation and hear how much you love your new home
You can probably do an Advanced Search with the words "Staten Island" and find some info.
Chapel Hill is a bit of a drive from Wake Forest. You'd probably be happier in Wake Forest because it's more family oriented -- it isn't a college town and isn't as expensive. It's very nice and has a wider variety of housing. All of the Triangle area is basically suburban, so you'll need to embrace that. But we all have plenty of places to shop and eat. There's the ballpark in Durham, places to see Broadway plays, museums, movies, etc. We just have fewer people per square mile than the NYC area.
So many people assume that Chapel HIll is NOT family oriented because it is perceived as a college town and that just is not true. We have been back in Chapel Hill after many years and I can tell you, I can go weeks without seeing a "college kid".
There are so many family activities around here it is hard to decide which way to go. Yes it is expensive but it is worth it. OP has kids in school and CH has the best school system in N.C.
Born NYC, grew up on Long Island NY then Grand Canyon AZ. Your post interested me because I'm considering the triangle area too. Been to Durham but knew mainly Duke people. I think people are people; it's the weather that changes! My way of connecting is through animal rights organizations. I think if you find a good place to volunteer you'll meet people you like. Your kids will complain and laugh wherever you go. I plan on a visit in July; would like to hear more about your discoveries. Good Luck.
If your only goal is to "get out of somewhere", then you should not limit your destinations--look at multiple areas since just because some places get more "press" than others does not mean that they are the "only" place to go.
You should always move somewhere because you want to be there specifically, not because you want to be "out of somewhere else", since "out of [where you are]" pretty much includes the whole world.
I thought I made myself clear> I narrowed my choices to areas mentioned in NC:
"get out of somewhere" is Staten Island NY
Wanting to move to Chapel Hill or Wake Forest
Personally I would focus on Wake forest. But you have plenty of time to visit both towns in 5 days.
I was on a house hunting tour in Raleigh recently. I used a popular online map site to mark potential houses, and searched in those areas for things my family needs; dance studios, schools, libraries, theaters, shopping we like, parks, etc. Once I started saving all those locations to the map, I had a 'constellation' that has helped me target the area I want to live in. When I got to town I did a combo of looking at housing and visiting the other places. I even got my eyebrows waxed and the car lubed! I tried to view it as a resident would, rather than a person on vacation.
I also told EVERYONE I met that i was planning to relocate and asked endless questions about everything under the sun. People were very friendly and had lots of info. If you are outgoing and a retired cop, you should trust your instincts and investigative skills and you will be fine.
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