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I wish I had known that this area was not the boomtown it was made out to be and that my career would be on a downward decline over the last decade since moving here. It's a very pretty area, no doubt, but as I look at the 10 years I've lived here it's been a huge disappointment career-wise (high tech), and socially. I'd move if I could figure where else to go.
When some posters try to tell folks this simply as a word of caution suggesting a visit and more research is always advisable, they are slammed by those who have been successful here and have no frame of reference for the fact that it doesn't work for everyone.
Over the decades I've lived here I've seen both sides...folks who were successful and or loved it here, and others who hated living here and moved on. No place is utopia for everyone. And as long as folks realize this and know that no matter how someone raves about a place, they should take it only into consideration while they do their own due diligence, then they will make the best decision they can.
Love it here, especially for all the trails (Bike)they have to offer.
I just wish that I would have paid more attention towards the taxes, they are worst here than PA and especially in TN where there are no State taxes.
Their gas tax is also pretty high if I compare to PA, NJ or even SC. Was in Myrtle Beach yesterday and their gas price is about 15-20 cents less than here.
Doubt that I will retire here due to taxes....way too much but as for NC, it's a real nice State.
"Did you live in the country area of Garner near Clayton? Is that why you felt it was far away from everything?"
RaleighLass, it's funny because I'm originally from the UK too - grew up in North London and moved to the USA in 1991. Anyway - obviously in London, everything was a walking distance away. In NY (Yonkers) I had supermarkets, etc just a few minutes away - gym, hair salon, mall etc....Moved to NJ in 1997 and again, everything I needed was within a 5 mile radius....
When we moved to the 27603 zip code (right off Ten-Ten) it was actually 1 mile from my front door to Ten-Ten road! It was another 5 miles to the closest grocery store (food lion) and a good 20 minute drive just to get onto Route 40. So EVERYTHING I did involved at least a 5 mile drive - and that's what I meant from being too remote. I"m a "Suburban" gal - I like my stuff close by! Now that we're in Holly Springs, the Food Lion is .6 of a mile from my house, and Walmart is 1.6 miles away! In fact, when we first moved here, I texted my husband in GLEE that Walmart was so close! And we're about 2 miles away from Route 1 which can take us everywhere!!
"Did you live in the country area of Garner near Clayton? Is that why you felt it was far away from everything?"
RaleighLass, it's funny because I'm originally from the UK too - grew up in North London and moved to the USA in 1991. Anyway - obviously in London, everything was a walking distance away. In NY (Yonkers) I had supermarkets, etc just a few minutes away - gym, hair salon, mall etc....Moved to NJ in 1997 and again, everything I needed was within a 5 mile radius....
When we moved to the 27603 zip code (right off Ten-Ten) it was actually 1 mile from my front door to Ten-Ten road! It was another 5 miles to the closest grocery store (food lion) and a good 20 minute drive just to get onto Route 40. So EVERYTHING I did involved at least a 5 mile drive - and that's what I meant from being too remote. I"m a "Suburban" gal - I like my stuff close by! Now that we're in Holly Springs, the Food Lion is .6 of a mile from my house, and Walmart is 1.6 miles away! In fact, when we first moved here, I texted my husband in GLEE that Walmart was so close! And we're about 2 miles away from Route 1 which can take us everywhere!!
I won't hold the London thing against you being from M/C myself Sounds like your thoughts on being close to everything mean grocery and shopping. I was thinking you meant this and parks, theater, etc., as Garner (proper) is close to downtown and thus theatre and shows, and it has sufficient shopping along 70. So you now live further South and West of Garner in Holly Springs but have found a home close to shopping....glad you found what you were looking for i got a chuckle out of your "glee".
Your experience is a good example for folks looking to move to this area. And that is that in most towns/cities in this area you can live (in them) close to everything or, as this area is so spread out and the outer fringes aren't as built up, you can live in the ultra burby areas where shopping is further out. or, you can live in the less developed areas and be close to the grocery store but perhaps not to downtown nightlife and parks....so many variables.
I wish I had known more about the taxes. I told my boyfriend just a few days ago that if I still lived in Texas, I wouldn't be paying taxes this year. I broke even with the federal return ($3 refund) but owe NC. Every year I keep adjusting my W4 to try and get it right. Plus, my car tax will come due long about May if I remember correctly. I still like it here but I was NOT prepared for the taxes when I first moved here.
The government will always get their money. They may hide it better (lower property taxes that gets everyone NY'er and NJ'er wet) but they will get their money in other ways.
When I moved to Raleigh in 1994, if I had known what it was going to be like in 2007 when I moved away (over crowded, very transient, school system issues), I probably would have have had more reservations about it and may not have moved in the first place. Granted then who knows, may not have ever had my youngest "surprise" son who was born there, and may not have appreciated being closer to family which was something we missed and longed for when living far away. The super hot, humid and (imo) miserabable summer weather (compared to summer weather in Upstate NY) was something I knew about coming in. I find it surprising that so many people move south from the northeast and are suddenly surprised when summer weather down there is generally less pleasant than areas further north. Seems like they expect that moving south would only result in a milder winter and the fact that the flip side of that is a more extreme summer doesn't really click until they get there? Odd.
I think for most people who come to regret their move to the Triangle (or anywhere for that matter) it is stuff that may not be necessarily be foreseeable (again, with the obvious exception of typical weather patterns) that causes them to eventually feel that way. You may not realize you miss about your hometown or previous locale until you aren't there anymore. Whether that be proximity to family, certain cultural differences, differences in amenities...etc. Seems most people (including myself) who wish to leave the triangle and express that here on this forum, tend to want to go back to where they moved from.
People also tend to under-estimate the effect of being away from family.
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Sounds like your thoughts on being close to everything mean grocery and shopping. I was thinking you meant this and parks, theater, etc., as Garner (proper) is close to downtown and thus theatre and shows, and it has sufficient shopping along 70. So you now live further South and West of Garner in Holly Springs but have found a home close to shopping....glad you found what you were looking for
i got a chuckle out of your "glee".
