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I will be moving from the uk WITH TWO KIDS AGE 5 and 13 yrs. i would like a nice suburb with A rated schools or near to any good private schools. I have heard that Raleigh is great but what do you think. we would like a nice 4/5 bed in a middle class area. is there diversity? good schools and a safe neighborhood are priority. greatful for honest opinions
Raleigh is a good idea, but usually you want to stick to the Northern part as that has most of the newer development. It has more access to shopping, ammenities and has several good subdivisions. In Raleigh a 4/5 bedroom will likely be expensive, but usually value compares to the UK.
Cary is also great, always ranked as one of the best palces to live and #14 on safest US cities but can also be expensive. Apex and Holly Springs are a little further suburbs from Raleigh and are also ranked on best places to live in the US. They are more affordable however.
All of them are rather safe and have decent school systems, but check local information as it can vary by area. It also depends on what type of employment you are looking for, some areas of NC are easier to find some types of jobs than others.
Now is frnkaly not a good time to come--the entire state is in the grip of an extreme drought (actually "exceptional"--we would need a lot of rain to move up to only the "extreme" category) and things are really starting to look bad. The fewer new humans moving here, the better, at the moment.
Now is frnkaly not a good time to come--the entire state is in the grip of an extreme drought (actually "exceptional"--we would need a lot of rain to move up to only the "extreme" category) and things are really starting to look bad. The fewer new humans moving here, the better, at the moment.
Should we be telling people not to come because of the drought?! I understand it is bad but consider the move from the UK. It will take a long time, by which point we should have some relief from the drought. As for the OPs question. I am originally from the UK. Lived in FL for 7 years and now here for 18 months. Depending on what part of the UK you are from will depend on how comparable the house prices are. If you are from the South (London and surrounding areas) you will be very pleasantly surprised by the home prices. If you are from the North of England / Wales / Scotland the prices will be pretty comparable but probably still less here than there.
If you are considering private school then you may want to think about Durham. There is the Durham Academy, Duke School and others and you would get much more bang for your buck as far as housing goes. To be honest, with both of your children already inthe British school system, any public school here, regardless of where it is, is going to be much below British education. Private school may be a better way to keep them challenged. We live in Durham and love it. There are bad parts to Durham like there are anywhere else. It is also more convenient to many places of work, although you did not mention where you would be working.
I think all of the surburbs around here meet your criteria. Actually, I find that the cities have a very suburban feel to them, too. You're really spoiled for choice here. Donna mentioned some great private schools and there are many more available if that interests you.
If it's important to you to keep your children in a British-style school and you are flexible about your location within North Carolina, you might be interested in the British American School in Charlotte.
British American School of Charlotte - The British Schools of America provide high quality education in a structured, positive and caring environment, which meets the individual needs of pupils. (http://www.britishschool.org/site/epage/32179_565.htm - broken link)
It isn't convenient to the Triangle, obviously, but as I said, if your location is flexible this might be a good option.
Now is frnkaly not a good time to come--the entire state is in the grip of an extreme drought (actually "exceptional"--we would need a lot of rain to move up to only the "extreme" category) and things are really starting to look bad. The fewer new humans moving here, the better, at the moment.
Sure the dorught is a concern here (and we are not alone, much of the SE is in a drought). I don't think its time to hang up a sign saying "go home" or "NC is closed".
We need to conserve and think carefully about how we develop and expand. With good planning and strategic growth there is plenty of water, just need to convince people that huge green lawns with sprinkler systems are not a requirement.
I will be moving from the uk WITH TWO KIDS AGE 5 and 13 yrs. i would like a nice suburb with A rated schools or near to any good private schools. I have heard that Raleigh is great but what do you think. we would like a nice 4/5 bed in a middle class area. is there diversity? good schools and a safe neighborhood are priority. greatful for honest opinions
I live in a sub division called Enchanted Oaks which is off Lake Wheeler and South of raleigh. Frankly I couldn't be happier with the area , it has a semi rural feel but is only 10 minutes from Downtown. There is good shopping locally . I don't knoiw much about schools cos my kids ( well 32 & 27) live in UK.
PM me if you have any further quetions . My ex- Brit perspective may be useful
"We need to conserve and think carefully about how we develop and expand. With good planning and strategic growth there is plenty of water, just need to convince people that huge green lawns with sprinkler systems are not a requirement."
So many areas to consider. You will have to really do your homework with an experienced and educated agent. Wake County is a super choice .. I live in the southern wake county area and I love it. Prices are still very affordable too and property taxes aren't as high as other areas more north.
Do some searching in Willow Spring and Fuquay-Varina.. you will see a lot of good homes there.
Can you tell me what you think about North Durham? I am looking into Black Horse Run community also the area is called Bahama...is this a good area? I'm from MA...thanks!!!
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Donna mentioned some great private schools and there are many more available if that interests you.
donna 78
