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.
there is no "market" like we had in NJ (3 within a 10-20 minute drive), where we used to buy all our produce, excelent italian coldcuts, and fresh semolina bread. we would fill our cart, enough for more than a week and only spend about $20---i really miss that
food is much more expensive here than i thought, but other things balance that out of course...all in all, i am happy
there is no "market" like we had in NJ (3 within a 10-20 minute drive), where we used to buy all our produce, excelent italian coldcuts, and fresh semolina bread. we would fill our cart, enough for more than a week and only spend about $20---i really miss that
food is much more expensive here than i thought, but other things balance that out of course...all in all, i am happy
Can't necessarily help you with the bread, but farmer's markets there are...several, and nice ones are that. The NC dept of Agriculture sponsors them so they're pretty nice.
I would say the schools. Right now, the school system can't force you to go to a year round school because of a court ruling. BUT, they are appealing that decision. Like somebody else said, you can live right down the street from a school but not be assigned there. They try to balance the schools for diversity, but its a mess. Some areas are very privileged and don't get reassigned and others are moved to schools farther from home.
No band or orchestra in grade school unless you go to a magnet and even some middle schools don't offer much in the way of electives. One middle school near me offers band, but no orchestra and NO foreign language at all.
The school district is county wide and you can be assigned to a school that is 10 miles away even if you pass 5 other schools to get there. Most people go to a school within 5 miles of their homes, but there are no guarantees here.
We moved here from Illinois (2 hours south of Chicago) and the only thing that I don't like about this area is the school system. If I had known then what I know now about the schools it may have changed where we moved to.
i have been to a couple of the farmer's markets and found that they were still expensive compared to NJ and also back there we had everything available all year. maybe it was not in season, but it was still good and "fresh"--as fresh as you can get when things are shipped to you from all over the world.
i thought that since the farming comunity was nearby, that whatever was in season would cost somewhat less. i was so surprised when i found the opposite. stores have "sales" and BOGO, but 2 for $5 is not really a sale.
in NJ, fruit like apples, pears, oranges, and even some of the more carribean or exotic were all around 70 cents per pound.
lettuce was about $1, carrots were 3 bags for $1,
small semolina loafs were 3 for $1 and portuguese rolls were 5 for $1
like i said, a lot of the big items like homes, auto ins, etc--they are half of what they were in NJ, so i am not complaining. but it just goes to show that no place is perfect.
i am happy to be here--dont misunderstand
Note that the info in the following post only applies to the Wake County school system. The situation is different in all of the other counties within the Triangle.
Quote:
Originally Posted by raleighjayne
I would say the schools. Right now, the school system can't force you to go to a year round school because of a court ruling. BUT, they are appealing that decision. Like somebody else said, you can live right down the street from a school but not be assigned there. They try to balance the schools for diversity, but its a mess. Some areas are very privileged and don't get reassigned and others are moved to schools farther from home.
No band or orchestra in grade school unless you go to a magnet and even some middle schools don't offer much in the way of electives. One middle school near me offers band, but no orchestra and NO foreign language at all.
The school district is county wide and you can be assigned to a school that is 10 miles away even if you pass 5 other schools to get there. Most people go to a school within 5 miles of their homes, but there are no guarantees here.
We moved here from Illinois (2 hours south of Chicago) and the only thing that I don't like about this area is the school system. If I had known then what I know now about the schools it may have changed where we moved to.
Don't come to the Triangle if you have unrealistic expectations. I read, over and over again, posts from people who think they are going to find their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
We can't tell you whether your life will be better or worse. You need to look at the things that are key to your happiness. To that end, one could ask provocative questions like: "Would I rather have long hot Summers or long cold Winters?" "Are the schools better or worse prepared in addressing the needs of my child and family?" (the answer to this question will be different depending from where you are moving). How important are costs of living to my decision to relocate? (Once again, some will find the Triangle more expensive while many others will find it cheaper) Can I find a job in my chosen career?
I'd suggest making a list (and maybe prioritize them) of things that are important to you so that you can get it all down on paper. Once you have done that exercise, seek guidance and information that will help you compare places to each other, especially issues for which you don't have clarity. Some of this information will be objective and some will be subjective. Most objective information can be found on the web easily by Googling it. Subjective advice can be found here or in other forums if one trusts the "Wisdom of Crowds" theory. Additionally, you need to visit an area a few times if you possibly can.
At the end of the day, with 1.5 million people in the area, you are going to find a lot of conflicting guidance and advice on a variety of topics. Good luck wading through the information!
BTW, "Wisdom of Crowds" is a really interesting book by James Surowiecki that asserts that the collective wisdom of many ordinary people is often more reliable than subject matter experts. It's an excellent read.
Interesting responses to this reverse qeustion. I would say it depends on what you expect from a move. Two years ago Raleigh was a much different place then today. People moved here saying they wanted a slower pace, cheaper homes, lower taxes,lots of green open space and the down home southern hospitality. we had a gold rush type effect last year, people fleeing the housing bubble and looking to cash in on a bigger house ect. Well it has slowed since last year but alot people from all over still comming down. Bottom line it has become crowded, and the entire area is showing the result.traffic issues, water issues, crowded school issues ect. With such growth you have to try to look to at your crystal ball and see what this place will be next year and after, its changing that quickly. If you like alot of people and alot of clear cut housing and development its you dream come true...
there is no "market" like we had in NJ (3 within a 10-20 minute drive), where we used to buy all our produce, excelent italian coldcuts, and fresh semolina bread. we would fill our cart, enough for more than a week and only spend about $20---i really miss that
food is much more expensive here than i thought, but other things balance that out of course...all in all, i am happy
Try Conti's Italian Market in Downtown Raleigh. Here's a link to some reviews, etc.
there is no "market" like we had in NJ (3 within a 10-20 minute drive), where we used to buy all our produce, excelent italian coldcuts, and fresh semolina bread. we would fill our cart, enough for more than a week and only spend about $20---i really miss that
food is much more expensive here than i thought, but other things balance that out of course...all in all, i am happy
I also noticed on my visit to NC that food seemed to be more expensive in NC. I was also surprised by the higher cost of food when I visted my friends in GA. I thought I paid top dollar for everything in NJ and was surprised to learn otherwise. I live in NJ (hopefully one day I will be a transplant to NC)and am curious as to where these markets are located in NJ.
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.
