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Old 05-31-2014, 05:56 AM
 
41 posts, read 59,574 times
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Hi all.

Just like many posts I am another "northerner" possibly relocating to the Raleigh area. I'm looking for folks that relocated from the Essex County, NJ area to help me with understanding the feel of the NC area. I grew up all over the 5 boroughs of NYC, lived in LA, Buffalo and various places in Northern and South NJ.
I am a 39 yr old married SAHM with a 4 and 6 yr old and we are considering a relo due to my husband's promotion if he chooses to accept it. What makes it difficult it that we just bought a house in Livingston, NJ. I absolutely love our schools as they are top rated in the country and state, neighborhood and proximity to everything from shopping and distance to NYC and the shore. I also like the demographics of Livingston (highly educated professionals, primarily white, 20% Asian (15% Chinese and 5% Indian) 2% black), my husband and I finally feel like we fit in. I'm Chinese (very Americanized) husband is Italian American and our kids are ChiTalian . Kids go to Chinese school, gymnastics, lacrosse, swim, tennis and soccer.
In my heart I know moving to NC is the right move for my husband and family. So I guess what I'm asking my fellow Essex County folks, are there any towns near Raleigh that can provide 90% of what I love about living in Livingston? Any towns to focus on or stay away from?
My husband has some childhood friends and coworker friends that have moved from NYC to Raleigh and love it. And his family just relocated near Charlotte, NC. My entire family is in Brooklyn and NYC.
I know we will adjust and love NC. My husband and I adapt well and our kids are very social and make friends very easily. We are looking forward to the warm weather and a chance to spend more time outside and be more active. And definitely a much shorter commute, currently 3 hrs a day. We will be down in July to zone in on a location to work with a realtor to purchase or build a house and probably rent until we sell our house in NJ. Husband needs to be down by February. I would stay in NJ to sell the house and depending on the timing finish out the school year before moving.
Any advice would be great. Thank you!
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Old 05-31-2014, 06:21 AM
 
621 posts, read 979,999 times
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The stuff you talk about is available along similar lines here (Cary/ Morrisville/ Apex/ etc.) but your problem might be with the top rated schools part. Schools are generally good here but those perceived to be better are capped at various points. You may end up buying a house but not be zoned/ assigned to the nearest school.

P.S.: Am not from NJ.
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Old 05-31-2014, 07:10 AM
 
Location: under the beautiful Carolina blue
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I'm from the NYC area (LI). I think you can the 90% you are looking for (love that) obviously if you go into the city a lot you are going to miss that. But this area is diverse (at least as diverse as where you're living) and at least as highly educated as the area you are leaving. If you love the beach you will miss it because "it's only 2 hours away!" is going to be a head scratcher of a statement for you, LOL. Despite growing up on Long Island I don't like the beach that much so that's OK with me.

As previous poster noted, start paying attention to the Wake County school system and try to avoid buying where schools are capped. Coming from somewhere else, having your child go to one school while every other kid in your neighborhood goes to another will only add a layer of drama to your relocation that you aren't going to want.

Good luck with the move!
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Old 05-31-2014, 08:03 AM
 
41 posts, read 59,574 times
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Thanks for the info. I can understand the school reassignment issue.

Livingston,NJ is one of the few towns in the area that's still growing in population because the schools and the BOE has been great in trying to keep kids within their neighborhood school, but sometimes kids are soft bordered to an elementary school across town but everyone ends up at the same middle, junior and HS. We don't have reassignments across county. Construction is currently going on at most of the schools to expand and be ADA compliant.

So from my impression is that I might have a better chance in getting into our school of choice is to try to get into a neighborhood/section of town that's more established? So a resale house instead of new?

We currently live in a 1975 split level that needs a complete renovation 3bed/2.5 bath, basement 2100 sq ft house on 1/2 acre with a wooded back. And for NC we would need a 4th bedroom for visiting family/home office. Both sets of grandparents are very close with our kids and are active and retired. So instead of doing day trip visits now they would stay for a week or two.

Thanks again.
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Old 05-31-2014, 08:12 AM
 
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I work in Essex County, live in Middlesex County, and in early 2015, relocating to Raleigh...

I have always loved the South, and my recent trip to Raleigh showed me why I was right.

Livingston is very nice.. I was born in Brooklyn myself...

The people are so much friendlier, courteous and kind.
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Old 05-31-2014, 08:13 AM
 
621 posts, read 979,999 times
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You will find similarities @soft border. The equivalent here is capping and assignment to a school farther away. Less likely to happen as you move to MS and HS (but it happens).

I suggest you look at the general area, get a feel for a few schools, and then examine the available RE options. If you are open to resale, it would expand your schooling options.
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Old 05-31-2014, 08:14 AM
 
Location: My House
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You won't have a problem in some of the areas here that have better schools finding a suitable home. Most lots are smaller unless you stick with older homes or have the budget for a newer home on a somewhat larger lot.
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Old 05-31-2014, 08:31 AM
 
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Depending on where your husbands job is (my first guess was Metlife in Cary), Chapel Hill would probably be a great area for you, coming from Livingston. It's culturally diverse, good schools with not a lot of shuffling and not a bad commute (again, assuming either RTP or Cary). Plus there's enough variety in housing options so you can find what you're looking for. Taxes are a little high for the area, but coming from Livingston you'll laugh at such paltry amounts.
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Old 05-31-2014, 08:50 AM
 
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
9,767 posts, read 15,739,138 times
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Not from Essex County (from Phila.) but my good friend grew up in Livingston! I think you will be most comfortable in Cary or maybe Apex as far as comparison school-wise. I know the schools in Livingston are excellent. Cary's schools are part of Wake County as you know. And as a very large school system, the demographics, test scores, and performance varies quite a bit. Some of the high schools in Cary would be most similar to Livingston High.

You will miss the access to NYC and the shore, for sure. But you will like the shorter, warmer winters and the longer pool/summer season, although it can get quite hot/humid (as NJ can, but for a longer period here). You will probably miss being near your family. Your husband will probably miss the Italian food available all over New Jersey.

You will probably gain a newer, bigger home for the same price and the taxes would likely be half of what you are paying now. Commute time will be much shorter and traffic will be much less dense.

From what you wrote and from my experience here in the Triangle as a native Philadelphian, overall, I'd say:

The Pros are:
husband's job opp.
nicer home
lower cost of living
warmer weather
shorter commute/less traffic

Comparable:
school - if you get in the right one
similarly educated population
suburban

Cons:
No access to NYC or big city
Beach is farther away
Shopping may not be as good depending on where you shop
No plethora of good Italian or Chinese food
Not near family

You'd have to decide if the pros outweigh the cons. Hope that helps.
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Old 05-31-2014, 09:11 AM
 
41 posts, read 59,574 times
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Great feedback.
Husband would be in Morrisville - RTP.
Yes, anything would be better than the taxes we are paying.
I understand very well the correlation between income and test scores, my parents sacrificed from living like kings to paycheck to paycheck to move the family into upper middle class suburbia NJ to get us away from the crime and drugs in NYC. Being involved parents and old fashioned culture and values does more than just a "premier" school. My friends are shocked at my kid's late bedtimes because I hold dinner until 7:30 so everyone eats dinner together unless husband misses his train or has to work late.
The quality of life in NC, weather and the time our family would get back from my husband's much shorter commute is priceless. I'm hoping we will like what we see in July so this living in limbo can come to an end.
We are fortunate enough that this isn't a mandated relo. It would be my husband's choice to relo the entire division to NC and expand the team, instead of laying off most of the team in NY and increasing a team overseas. Keep those jobs in the US, I say!

Last edited by Ayuen75; 05-31-2014 at 09:37 AM..
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