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Hello all,
I am a 37 year old single man, currently living in Portland, Maine and am originally from New England.
I was a Police Officer in Boston, Massachusetts and took a leave of absence to enlist in the Army, while serving I was seriously injured (broke my back) and was eventually medically retired. I am now at a point where I can usually walk unassisted but the cold weather really limits me and hinders my quality of life in the winter months. I have spent time in Raleigh and I enjoy the city and the state, as well as the traditions and friendly nature of the people. I can't stand when people move somewhere and want to change it to a carbon copy of where they just left...
Anyway, I am considering a move to the Raleigh area and would certainly appreciate any advice on cities/neighborhoods that offer a walkable lifestyle that would allow me to get out and be a part of a community and get me off my (sometimes) lazy but and walk to a coffee shop, restaurant, etc as well as a dog friendly area. I haven't decided if I will buy or rent first so that I can explore the area better.
If any of you have any info on the VA and/or hospitals that might specialize in spine issues, that would be awesome.
As I stated, I am coming from Maine and want to escape the weather but also the attitude of many of the people here. There is a "closed off" feeling here and is difficult to make good friends and there is at times an anti military feeling as well. My car was severely vandalized recently and the Police caught the man who did it, he informed them that he was part of a group that targeted cars with Veterans and Disabled Veteran (as mine was) license plates because of "what they stood for". He was never charged.
I am not looking for anything special, just a friendly and warmer area that I can call home and become a part of your community.
Thank you all for any advice and/or information that you can offer.
Best wishes.
First of all, thank you for your service, and it's so sad that you have to go through this now from injuries.
If I were in your shoes, I would definitely check out the town of Durham, which has really grown into a great place over the years if you're close to downtown. It's walkable, and you would be close to the VA hospital at Duke.
Durham used to have higher crime rates, but it's changing. And the downtown is really cute!
Close to downtown Raleigh would be another option but that's further away from any VA hospital (that I know of, anyway) but it would also be something to look into.
Everywhere else outside of close to downtown there would be public transportation, but it's pretty sprawled out.
Location: (Orginally From Ann Arbor, MI) Now reside in Evans, Georgia
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I agree give Durham a shot..Don't let the "old news" you might find on Durham get to you. Theres a few "bad areas" but it is not as large spread as it once was.
Toodie covered the VA location part
Fare free goes to the VA hospital ( 6, 6B Duke university/VA hospital/ america village/sparger road) Bull City Connector
Thank you both for your replies. I really hadn't thought of Durham and perhaps that was based on my own ignorance or on Durham's past but since reading what you had to say, I did some research and was quite impressed with the transformation. Being from a different area it's important that I can learn from others what to look for and what to avoid and the advice I have received so far is greatly appreciated.
Here are some threads you may be interested in. Near downtown Raleigh would be a good choice, too. There's plenty of stuff to walk to if you're close enough.
You can use the "search" feature on the right of the screen here at the top, and it'll bring up threads for your key words.
Also,
St. Mary Street near Cameron Village in Raleigh is very close to downtown and walkable to the Cameron Village shopping area. It's charming, and some of these apts. are inexpensive. I've driven by the Oakwood apts and they look cute. I have no idea what these places are like inside but St. Mary's St. is a very beautiful, safe, walkable area.
If you can drive. There is other areas to consider Chapel Hill/ Carborro might be one, Many of the suburbs of Raliegh ( Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Wake forest Etc etc), or down-town Raliegh , itself.
Durham. It's VA hospital is right across from Duke hospital and they share staff. It's also a bus hub. Many small one floor houses or duplexes in the area. My friend who is a vet and in need of ongoing medical care loves the VA here.
Durham. It's VA hospital is right across from Duke hospital and they share staff. It's also a bus hub. Many small one floor houses or duplexes in the area. My friend who is a vet and in need of ongoing medical care loves the VA here.
I second the recommendations for checking out Durham.
For some reason, Durham seems to have the best restaurants and taverns in the area. Great food. Good atmosphere. Not sure how walkable it is, even downtown, things are a little spread out. But it is as walkable as any other place around here.
If you're looking for a lively, affordable community, Durham would be hard to beat.
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