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I suspect that Columbus --and other north east/eastern midwest cities-- have many of these type of areas due to the area being industrialized ~150 years ago, with little cities all having their own downtowns. As one main regional city grew, Columbus in this case, all of these little cities were swallowed up to become neighborhoods of the larger city, their downtowns still intact. So now whereas a city like Raleigh has several nice neighborhoods inside the belt, the same type of close-in neighborhoods in a city like Columbus still retain a lot of their former unique identity and self-contained nature. Westerville, in Columbus, is another example of this. I'm sure there are many other examples outside of Columbus. Other maybe it's something else, lol. Just my layman's hypothesis
Yes. You cannot always find something "like you're used to" in another city. Especially Northeastern/Midwestern Rust Belt cities whose structure is different than Southern cities who grew in a largely agricultural environment, until 50 years ago. Raleigh in particular has grown so fast in the post-suburban age that the majority of its population (and square mileage) is outside the "urban" area near downtown.
I forgot to add that on the way out of town I was able to stop in Chapel Hill and go through Carboro. Whoever mentioned that as a place that matched what I was looking for - you were right on. Aside from the fact that there's isn't a big downtown adjacent to that immediate area, it's the closest to what I had described. That little stretch made a lot more sense to me, if you will, coming from the perspective of someone who grew up in Ohio. That's sort of what I was expecting to find in Raleigh, multiplied by a factor of 10 or 20.
One more thing...regardless of how wonderful the area is, the national articles written about Raleigh --usually in context of a "top 10 places to live" list-- do an terrible job capturing and conveying any sense of what the city is like. I certainly don't put much weight in the rankings of these articles; but I assumed they would be somewhat valuable in getting a flavor for the cities mentioned. They aren't.
Example: Which Is America's Best City? - Businessweek
Having seen the area I can sort of, kind of, match up the things it mentions with what I experienced. But it's clear most of these authors have never been to the places about which they write, and probably don't even discuss the article with someone who lives there. It does a disservice to the city.
Case in point: A friend's sibling, one year out of college, is planning a move to Raleigh. They have found downtown Cleveland to be too quite, not enough going on, not enough city life. (Downtown Cleveland has a lot more going on than d/t Columbus, it can almost feel like a poor man's NYC/Chicago in a few places.) Based on what there is to read in the national press about Raleigh I get why they are thinking of it as a better option. After this visit, though, I'm advising them to carefully evaluate the city. Back when I was a mid-20s recent graduate I would not have been satisfied had I found myself in Raleigh, especially given the reasons they are unsatisfied with Cleveland.
I really hate those articles. I think they are never researched carefully enough. I'm glad you have some more constructive feedback to offer your friend's younger sibling.
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Glad you liked Chapel Hill & Carrboro. I didn't make that comment because I thought you were looking for something more urban, never having been to Columbus myself.
For your friend's sibling, I'd suggest Austin if they're open to Texas heat. It's a great city with tons to do, but has some similarities to Raleigh. Raleigh & the Triangle has more of a family-friendly vibe which is great when you're a 30-something relocating with your family, but when you're fresh out of college it might not be what you're looking for. Austin and the Triangle have a lot in common, but more music, more nightlife, less family-oriented vibe for Austin.
One obvious question I've never asked all of you here just hit me - how does Charlotte compare to what I've described?
I understand that any in depth discussion should be in the Charlotte forum... But since we've been discussing things in the context of NE/Midwest Cities compared to Raleigh and other southern cities, I welcome any thoughts.
Glad you liked Chapel Hill & Carrboro. I didn't make that comment because I thought you were looking for something more urban, never having been to Columbus myself.
Yeah, I got that. I meant to say you were right on in picking an area that had the feel of a "livable" city with residential mixed with commercial and business.
Quote:
Originally Posted by poppydog
For your friend's sibling, I'd suggest Austin if they're open to Texas heat. It's a great city with tons to do, but has some similarities to Raleigh. Raleigh & the Triangle has more of a family-friendly vibe which is great when you're a 30-something relocating with your family, but when you're fresh out of college it might not be what you're looking for. Austin and the Triangle have a lot in common, but more music, more nightlife, less family-oriented vibe for Austin.
Will do. I believe they are relatively limited by current company locations. But maybe it's a possibility.
Speaking of Texas, Dallas is a possibility for me (as much as I don't want it to be). I will resist judging Dallas since I've never been. But having spent some time in Texas, and going on the Texas vibe (leaving out Austin) one absorbs over a lifetime spanning Dallas the TV show, two sort-of Texan presidents, a Texan presidential candidate, the one-time plan to include intelligent design in school textbooks, and perennial stories about thousands voting to secede from the US - I would easily chose Raleigh over it right now. But who knows; maybe that's all just a ruse to keep too many people from moving there.
Well, it wasn't me making the case for Chapelboro on this thread. I think it was goldenage, but I do like it for walkability. From my neighborhood I can take a very easy walk down the sidewalk to 4 restaurants and a bookstore. Not much farther and I can hit downtown. Going down the greenway I can hit the library, if I go further I can go to the mall. We're a walking family. The spouse regularly walks all over town, from Eastgate to Carrboro, and to and from work each day.
Well, it wasn't me making the case for Chapelboro on this thread. I think it was goldenage, but I do like it for walkability. From my neighborhood I can take a very easy walk down the sidewalk to 4 restaurants and a bookstore. Not much farther and I can hit downtown. Going down the greenway I can hit the library, if I go further I can go to the mall. We're a walking family. The spouse regularly walks all over town, from Eastgate to Carrboro, and to and from work each day.
That sounds great. It's too far from where a potential job would be in Raleigh. But wonderful for your family.
That might be why I didn't mention it in the first place. But I think there are places where you can do the same in Raleigh, maybe just not to the degree that you can in Columbus. Lots of folks moving to the area really want that new neighborhood development with the pool and clubhouse and other amenities so you will find lots of those in the area.
One obvious question I've never asked all of you here just hit me - how does Charlotte compare to what I've described?
Charlotte is like a brand-new city, with very few historic neighborhoods. There are a few planned areas like Ballantyne where they have manufactured a live/work walkable environment.
Lots of folks moving to the area really want that new neighborhood development with the pool and clubhouse and other amenities so you will find lots of those in the area.
It definitely is a different perspective than what I've noticed here and been reading about in many areas of the country. Several friends who moved to outlying suburbs a few years ago for the cheap and large houses with yards and other new/planned neighborhood amenities are now moving back to more walkable areas (and finding it hard to sell their homes, and very high prices in the areas they wish to move). Outer suburbs here are perceptibly getting less and less in-demand with prices not going up nor new development happening as they had before the recession. instead huge investments are being made in mixed use downtown developments.
The really interesting thing is it's not just in Columbus' downtown that development is happening, but also those outlying suburbs seem to be competing to keep their residents from fleeing to downtown Columbus and close-in neighborhoods. A few have ambitious plans and are putting big money into their own city centers, trying to hold on to their residents. In a way I guess the recession was good for the city in how it paused suburban sprawl, allowing a shift in focus.
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