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[quote=domabozo;34335042 1- Safety : I consider Raleigh very safe in general .
2- Weather : Cold winter but not cold as NYC .. hot summers but not as Dallas .. pleasant falls / springs
3- Tolerance : will be Very tolerant for a Muslim family with a wife wearing hear cover
4- Jobs : robust job market with many job opportunities generally and specially ( office , clerical Jobs )
5- Housing : Rentals are available rent a small 2 br $900 in a safe walkable area close to public transit
Rentals are available and not hard to find .
6- COL : grocery .. if we shop smart and cook at home , we can pay $500 /month
utilities ... for a small 2 BR .. we can pay $300/ month
Just need yes / or no for each point and correct me if I am wrong
[/QUOTE]
I can't give you simple answers to some, but here's my take.
1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Most places yes, but maybe not way out in the country.
4. No. The most recent job market shows declining availablity of jobs: NC employers shed thousands of jobs in February; unemployment rate dips :: WRAL.com
But it may be better if you have a very desirable skill.
5. Housing is available in your price range, but most places are not walkable. Public transit is available but not very good, unless you live in Chapel Hill or Carrboro where there is a free bus service.
6. Yes, your estimates sound about right. We are two retired people, and we spend $500/month on food.
1. Crime exist everywhere. Raleigh and surrounding areas are no different. You probably aren't going to find trouble if you don't go looking for it, though.
2. I'm from Chicago so I consider NC to be extremely hot. I tolerate the cold better than heat though.
3. I'm not Muslim but I'm not prejudiced against other religious/cultural groups. I think this area is more tolerant, overall, though. It's certainly not as segregated.
4. I've met several jobless and/or homeless people since moving to NC. I've been surprised by the number of people that have come here without jobs and not been able to find work in years (to me, it's quite the leap of faith to move somewhere without a job lined up).
5. I think the rental rates seem about average. We rented short-term so our rates were a bit higher at the time (four years ago).
6. COL is probably the easiest to tweak since it's not a fixed cost. Food prices seem higher here to me but I think it's related to supply and demand versus a larger place like Chicago. My food bill is astronomical each month. It's the cost of having children (that eat 500 times a day ;-).
Resident of 25 years. I've been out of work since last August and cannot find a full time job, or even a temp job. Robust job market? NO! Technically, have not been able to find full time work since the economy tanked, only temp jobs. Last one lasted nearly 3 years - no benefits. NEVER experienced anything like this.
I moved here from the north about a year ago, so here are my thoughts so far.
1. Yes, but depends on where in Raleigh. Raleigh is a huge area, and there's going to be a higher crime rate in more densely popular area. With that said I still think it's a lot safer than other cities of similar sizes.
2. Yes, but it really doesn't get that cold apparently. Last year was a fluke.
3. Yes. I work with a bunch of women in head covers, gay men and women, etc.
4. Yes, at least I think so. Raleigh has a 5.1% unemployment rate compared to 6.4% in North Carolina in general, 6.7% nationally as of Feb. 2014. Jobs are growing, and the population is growing too.
5. Yes, in fact you could find something decent for a lot cheaper. I can't really speak as to the public transportation part, but I would recommend north Raleigh first, and then southwest Raleigh since they are the safest areas. A quick look suggest to me that you can find a 2+ bedroom apartment for $600-$900.
6. Yes. But you can do even better. The nice thing about this area is that there are farms all over the place, and your costs will vary greatly by whether you can find crafty ways to save money on food, such as farmer's markets and niche stores that have certain foods for a great price.
Someone already mentioned this but overall if you're looking for safe and good public transportation, you might want to do Chapel Hill rather than Raleigh. It's a little more expensive but it might fit you better.
hula, just want to say hang in there. Unemployment rate's been rough since 2009, but recent indicators show a sharp decline in unemployment. Things are getting better.
1- Safety : I consider Raleigh very safe in general .
2- Weather : Cold winter but not cold as NYC .. hot summers but not as Dallas .. pleasant falls / springs
3- Tolerance : will be Very tolerant for a Muslim family with a wife wearing hear cover
4- Jobs : robust job market with many job opportunities generally and specially ( office , clerical Jobs )
5- Housing : Rentals are available rent a small 2 br $900 in a safe walkable area close to public transit
Rentals are available and not hard to find .
6- COL : grocery .. if we shop smart and cook at home , we can pay $500 /month
utilities ... for a small 2 BR .. we can pay $300/ month
As requested, here are my yes/ no answers:
1. Y
2. Y
3. Y
4. N
5. Y
6. Y
P.S.: A resounding "Y" for #4 would be North Dakota.
Last edited by local2rtp; 04-12-2014 at 03:11 PM..
Reason: Added ND
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Technically, have not been able to find full time work since the economy tanked, only temp jobs. Last one lasted nearly 3 years - no benefits. NEVER experienced anything like this.
