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I have been approached for a job (postdoctoral) at UNC starting in the Spring. I currently live in LA with my husband (30, me 29) but we are from the UK originally.
We love LA - even with the high costs and traffic - but the department at UNC is a much better fit career wise for me. The offer is good, but we don't know NC at all.
I am planning on flying out in Sept for a visit to check out areas - a friend from NC suggested Durham as this is pretty hipster - we enjoy eating out, galleries, being outdoors. We don't have children yet - so we'd consider some of the lofts available.
My husband is an architect - so we were a bit worried there wouldn't be opportunities in NC for him - LA has so many that it hasn't been a problem for him staying in employment. And while the move is for my job - we want for him to be able to work and develop his career.
You're on the right track checking out Durham. My guess is you'd be able to find something that's fulfilling if you live in downtown Durham, but that may be it given where you are coming from, what stage of life you're in, and what you say your interests are.
We moved from downtown Chicago and ended up in a golf course community in North Raleigh, but the big difference is we're a bit older and have 2 kids under 4. If we were in your shoes, it would be downtown Durham or Carrboro. When you come out, I suggest focus on those areas and really kick the tires on them.
OP - NC is vastly different from SoCal in terms of culture, climate, people, geography, you name it. I don't know anything about the market for architects in NC, but suffice it to say that the vast population of the LA metro area generally supports many specialized professions that wouldn't thrive elsewhere. As you might expect, the cultural outlets won't compare in either scale or content. I would imagine the "hipster" scene to be similar.
Chapel Hill itself is a smaller, Southern college town that leans left politically. I can't think of anything in your experience that would be fair to compare it to except perhaps UCSD? (except UNC's undergrad concentrates more in liberal arts and doesn't have the amazing scenery of UCSD!)
Durham may have its strong points, but it is a high crime area and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I remember reading a few years ago about two Durham residents who drove to Chapel Hill and robbed and murdered the UNC class president in cold blood.
Like anything, there's no substitute for personal experience so visit those areas and see if that's what you're looking for. Sometimes the answer will be obvious once you're looking at it.
The crime spoken of in the previous post was nationally reported because the beautiful young victim held such promise. Her name was Eve Carson and she is still greatly missed.
I'm no fan of Durham for many reasons and yes it does have high crime rate---in certain areas--just like any diverse area. Even the best addresses in LA or NYC or Martha's Vineyard have a horrific crime from time to time.
I live in Chapel HIll, went to school here left and moved all over the place and came back 40 years later. It was a mistake to have left in the first place. Many people who once lived in Chapel come back eventually. Chapel Hill and Carrboro run right into each other and most folks haven't a clue where the line crosses from one to the other. Carrboro might be considered more hip with interesting independant restaurants. In fact the whole area is considered a foodie's paradise.
Chapel Hill/Carrboro have the best school system in the state and the property taxes are high to support that system.
When you come for your visit I would recommend you contact a realtor to show you around. Some go to Carrboro and see the old mill houses and are in shock "Is that all there is to Carrboro?" No you just have to know where to look
The general area is call the Triangle because Chapel HIll, Durham and Raleigh are all interconnected. All the area is easy to get to with good roads. The traffic can get intense sometimes but nothing like LA. Many people live in Chapel HIll and work and commute to Raleigh or Durham and vice versa. There are also many nice smaller communities around the major universities- UNC. NC State and Dook plus of course The Research Triangle Park.
It would not be even possible to compare and contrast LA to Chapel HIll/Carrboro, Durham. Each has its own charm and unique vibe.
What kind of Architect is your husband? My brother-in-law is an architect designing big buildings for big organizations all over the world — Bermuda, Vegas, Dubai, China, Europe, all over the US, federal contracts, etc. When they wanted to move back south from New York, there wasn't a lot of opportunity in NC for him so they ended up in the DC area. If your husband's work is in very large skyscrapers, corporate headquarters, etc, then NC is probably not a great fit for him. There may be a few firms in-state that do that kind of work, though. If he's doing homes, schools, healthcare, offices then I'm sure there are good firms here.
I am sure that Durham's crime rate is nothing compared to LA. Don't worry about that. I rarely feel unsafe in Durham. It's an interesting place with a bit of an urban/gritty vibe downtown, but mostly artsy/creative. Great restaurant scene.
Raleigh downtown is fun, too, but overall the Triangle is very family-friendly — lots and lots of suburbia. It's very down to earth and genuine compared to some of LA (disclaimer — I lived in LA briefly in the early 90s), and some folks find it more boring, but there is good stuff happening here, too —*award-winning chefs/restaurants, exciting indy music scene, home to lots of well-known authors, etc. There's a bit of high dollar movie-making, too, (Hunger Games, etc) but it's obviously not Hollywood. Chapel Hill is a classic college town.
It's worth it to come visit for a few days and then maybe combine it with a visit to the beach or the mountains for a bit of a vacation.
I am sure that Durham's crime rate is nothing compared to LA. Don't worry about that. I rarely feel unsafe in Durham. It's an interesting place with a bit of an urban/gritty vibe downtown, but mostly artsy/creative. Great restaurant scene.
LA's crime rate (within the city proper, excluding other surrounding cities) is much lower than most people think - it's actually on par with Raleigh in most categories. That said, I completely agree with all of your other points!
OP, Durham does have a higher crime rate than Chapel Hill or Raleigh. It's also a very different city, socially and economically. We moved back to the Triangle from SoCal (3 years near LA, 1 in San Diego) when I was 36 and my wife was 30, and we chose downtown Durham because of the more urban vibe that poppydog mentioned. We've been here for almost 6 years now and have no plans to leave unless we relocate out of state.
Chapel Hill has the better under-30 bar scene. The young professional crowd seems to prefer the more urban parts of Durham. Lots of people with UNC ties live right near Duke's campus. Unlike UNC, the Duke undergrads are confined to campus housing (for the most part), which makes the area more "town" than "gown".
Also, lots of new luxury apartments in that part of Durham will be hitting the rental market soon. I'd expect that Crescent Ninth, Crescent Main, 300 Swift, 605 West, and West Village III will all at least have some units ready to go by the end of the year. There might be some good price competition.
Durham is dangerous, but so is LA. And, just like in LA you can avoid bad neighborhoods, you can do the same in Durham and overall in the Triangle.
I moved from the NYC area; besides the food (and that may be because of my dietary choices) there isn't anything that I miss.
The job opportunities for your husband could be limiting, however, this area has so much construction going on, both public and private. I'd be damned to think that there weren't opportunities for Architects.
Durham is dangerous, but so is LA. And, just like in LA you can avoid bad neighborhoods, you can do the same in Durham and overall in the Triangle.
I moved from the NYC area; besides the food (and that may be because of my dietary choices) there isn't anything that I miss.
The job opportunities for your husband could be limiting, however, this area has so much construction going on, both public and private. I'd be damned to think that there weren't opportunities for Architects.
Durham may have its strong points, but it is a high crime area and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I remember reading a few years ago about two Durham residents who drove to Chapel Hill and robbed and murdered the UNC class president in cold blood.
ONE murder (which didn't even happen in Durham) does not exactly give reason to rule out Durham. They are coming from LA, after all!
OP, Yes, Durham is a great, revitalizing area and Duke University will ensure plenty of Hipsters, particularly in the Ninth Street area. Carrboro, on the other side of Chapel Hill (and closer) is also quite hipster and used to be known nationwide for its live music scene. It's true that the Durham county schools are not considered the best, but they since you don't have children, even if you do later, you would have plenty of time to move before that became a concern.
Also, because of the revitalization going on in Durham, I suspect architects could find work there.Lots of old downtown buildings and warehouses being repurposed.
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