Possibly moving from Pittsburgh to Raleigh, need help!! (Charlotte, New Bern: appointed, rental)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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Life is very good here actually. Pittsburgh has everything I want in a city and it allows me to have a good lifestyle. It is actually on Forbes best cities to live in consistently. However, you nailed it on the head. The weather is HORRIBLE!!! We get about 50-70 days of pure sunshine a year. Thats it, a year ago we got more rain that Seattle! The whole city and neighborhoods are all mountains and hills. So, weather and clouds just converge on the mountains and dont pass over quickly. Winter is VERY cold, we actually dont get as much snow as people think, its just often in the negatives temperatures. The roads are god awful, there is little to no public transportation, There is no room left for expansion because of the hills and mountains, so no new roadways can be made and there is constant traffic and road work. I live 13 miles form downtown and it takes me 45 minutes to get to work, even the back way.
Pittsburgh is an old city and so are the neighborhoods, its growing so a lot of new places are up and coming, but it just has that old "cold" type vibe. Also, my Fiancee is not from Pittsburgh, she likes it but does not want to live here much longer, she desperately wants to move South. Happy wife=happy life. I have 6 years of experience in my field, with a degree from a good school. It wasnt too hard to find a job here in Pittsburgh, I read up on Raleigh and found their really up and coming. So I started networking in Linkdin with recruiters at businesses, then that led me talking to the managers, then that led me to interviews over the web and now I have one offer for a job that is opening up in 5 months due to the person retiring. So, I need to make a decision fast.
I highly suggest making a trip then. My friend moved from here to Pittsburgh for work and he visits his gf in the area frequently. The flights are not that expensive. Your fiancee may not be from Pittsburgh. Is she from the South? While the Triangle is part of the "South" it is not very southern in many aspects.
I don't know what aspect of "Business" you are in, but if you are in Finance, there are a lot more opportunities in Charlotte for that kind of work. Your fiancee may also find more takers for her CPA. PS - a CPA is going to net you a lot more money than 50k a year
I highly suggest making a trip then. My friend moved from here to Pittsburgh for work and he visits his gf in the area frequently. The flights are not that expensive. Your fiancee may not be from Pittsburgh. Is she from the South? While the Triangle is part of the "South" it is not very southern in many aspects.
I don't know what aspect of "Business" you are in, but if you are in Finance, there are a lot more opportunities in Charlotte for that kind of work. Your fiancee may also find more takers for her CPA. PS - a CPA is going to net you a lot more money than 50k a year
We have a trip planned for 4 days next month month. I have to meet with the company I have an offer from. My degree is marketing management but I have been an account manger for 4 years and the last 2 I have been a division manger at a local business here in Pittsburgh. She works downtown at one of the national big 4 accounting firms. She just passed her CPA testing and is seeing if the company will offer her a different position or if they work with anyone in the Raleigh Area. I'm sure she wont have a hard time finding a job. By "south" we mean anything somewhat warmer that Pittsburgh. The "southern charm" is not something that weighing on any of our decisions.
I have been to Charlotte recently and actually was not impressed and have talked to many recruiters there on linkdin. I have better opportunities in Raleigh actually. Charlotte is loaded with the same kind of resume's as mine and want more finance driven candidates.
out of all these replies I am still waiting for someone to actually talk about the neighborhood I should be looking at. advantages vs disadvantages, ect.
out of all these replies I am still waiting for someone to actually talk about the neighborhood I should be looking at. advantages vs disadvantages, ect.
I gave some feedback on that.
The "neighborhood next to Oakwood" is called Heritage Heights, I think. Here is a google coordinate: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.796436,-78.615047,15z (the neighborhood surrounding Lions Park ). IMO, it is the closest feel you'll get to an older Pittsburgh Neighborhood.
But the real answer is that Raleigh is new and shiney, and Pittsburgh is an older city. They are from different backgrounds and are on different trajectories, so it's going to be very hard to make comparisons that you are asking for. Again, I'm not in a position to say one is better than another. That is up to your taste.
FWIW, and not to beat a dead horse, the neighborhoods in your size and price range will likely come with a very diverse demographic. I view that as a huge plus, but since it was mentioned early by you, it's worth noting in my response.
The "neighborhood next to Oakwood" is called Heritage Heights, I think. Here is a google coordinate: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.796436,-78.615047,15z (the neighborhood surrounding Lions Park ). IMO, it is the closest feel you'll get to an older Pittsburgh Neighborhood.
But the real answer is that Raleigh is new and shiney, and Pittsburgh is an older city. They are from different backgrounds and are on different trajectories, so it's going to be very hard to make comparisons that you are asking for. Again, I'm not in a position to say one is better than another. That is up to your taste.
FWIW, and not to beat a dead horse, the neighborhoods in your size and price range will likely come with a very diverse demographic. I view that as a huge plus, but since it was mentioned early by you, it's worth noting in my response.
Thank you again, I am actually not looking to replicate anything with Pittsburgh. Its one of the reasons I want to move. I'm tired of the "old" and want the new. I want to see palm trees around, new stores, new developments, nice roads, ect. I'm just trying to find the same type of area I live in now, only newer. If it doesnt have some of the stuff I have now, thats fine.
Honestly, as a young person, if I were you, I'd come down and check it out (you already are), and then I'd really consider renting a place near DT Raleigh, or near Cameron Village area for a year. You can figure out what's going to work for you that way.
For newer and shinier, maybe near Midtown (North Hills Mall Area). A nice 2 BR rents for around $1500 there, I think. To be honest, I don't know how much, but seems like that is what is mentioned in other discussions....
Thank you again, I am actually not looking to replicate anything with Pittsburgh. Its one of the reasons I want to move. I'm tired of the "old" and want the new. I want to see palm trees around, new stores, new developments, nice roads, ect. I'm just trying to find the same type of area I live in now, only newer. If it doesnt have some of the stuff I have now, thats fine.
Don't count on the palm trees. You have to go to the coast to find those.
Thank you again, I am actually not looking to replicate anything with Pittsburgh. Its one of the reasons I want to move. I'm tired of the "old" and want the new. I want to see palm trees around, new stores, new developments, nice roads, ect. I'm just trying to find the same type of area I live in now, only newer. If it doesnt have some of the stuff I have now, thats fine.
Won't find many palm trees in Raleigh. It's not coastal or South enough.
We get about 50-70 days of pure sunshine a year. Thats it, a year ago we got more rain that Seattle! The whole city and neighborhoods are all mountains and hills. So, weather and clouds just converge on the mountains and dont pass over quickly. Winter is VERY cold, we actually dont get as much snow as people think, its just often in the negatives temperatures. The roads are god awful, there is little to no public transportation, There is no room left for expansion because of the hills and mountains, so no new roadways can be made and there is constant traffic and road work. I live 13 miles form downtown and it takes me 45 minutes to get to work, even the back way.
I moved here from Pittsburgh about 15 months ago. I had lived my entire life in W. Pa. up to that point. I'm a good bit older than you, but hopefully can give you some decent guidance here.
The weather is without a doubt a whole lot better here. I think there was a beautiful blue sky on my drive in to work each of my first 16 days here. That's like a whole spring and summer's worth in Pittsburgh.
The topography/geography of Pittsburgh is beautiful and scenic, but does not lend itself to getting from "here to there" very easily. For its terrain and geography, Raleigh - and moreso Cary, is not quite as straightforward in its systems of roads and highways either, but it's a whole lot better than Pittsburgh in that regard. The roads are generally in great shape and most of the thoroughfares throughout the suburbs are 4 lanes - with sidewalks to boot. Imagine if Library Road, Broughton Road, and Castle Shannon Blvd were all like Bower Hill Road is through most of Mt. Lebanon.
I'd suggest checking out some of the neighborhoods off of Lynn Road, between Lead Mine Rd and Glenwood Ave. Also, between Lead Mine Rd and Creemoor, north of Lynn Road but south of Strickland.
You'll likely pay a good deal less in property taxes here. But the schools are organized differently. Imagine if Allegheny County ran the entire school system instead of each of the local school districts. That's the way it is here.
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