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This may be a very presumptuous and pretentious question to ask....but do you have a college degree?
I say this because people who rave about the economy here do so generally through the lens of coming from an upper-middle class background and hold an advanced degree. Even bachelor degrees have become so ubiquitous that unless you have a specialized engineering degree; you aren't necessarily "in high demand" for most employers unless you have very, very specific/specialized skills.
Unions aren't a thing here and generally speaking; "blue collar/middle class" is pretty marginal.
The people who move here and find it relatively affordable are those who owned homes in the NYC area (or other expensive areas of the country) and find they can get a bigger house here for less $$ and with lower property taxes. Day to day expenses here aren't that much different from most areas of the country. Gas is probably more expensive here than it is in NJ, groceries will probably be the same; I have no concept for what rent is like in the area you are coming from but it has risen sharply here the past few years (a national trend).
I've come across many people who have moved to this area from the NE with a service job (server at a restaurant, barista, nanny, gas station/convenience store worker etc.) and no degree and the future isn't exactly much brighter for them here and all of their friends and family are back "home"...not to mention moving itself is expensive!
Last edited by TarHeelNick; 07-05-2015 at 06:31 PM..
This may be a very presumptuous and pretentious question to ask....but do you have a college degree?
I say this because people who rave about the economy here do so generally through the lens of coming from an upper-middle class background and hold an advanced degree.
Actually I think it is a reasonable question, and a good analysis of the Triangle economy.
I also wanted to ask the OP what his job skills were, since the Triangle does not have a lot of well-paying manufacturing or blue-collar jobs. Combine that with the "right-to-work" state laws and the very low percentage of union jobs, the picture is not so good for some job skills.
This may be a very presumptuous and pretentious question to ask....but do you have a college degree?
I say this because people who rave about the economy here do so generally through the lens of coming from an upper-middle class background and hold an advanced degree. Even bachelor degrees have become so ubiquitous that unless you have a specialized engineering degree; you aren't necessarily "in high demand" for most employers unless you have very, very specific/specialized skills.
Unions aren't a thing here and generally speaking; "blue collar/middle class" is pretty marginal.
The people who move here and find it relatively affordable are those who owned homes in the NYC area (or other expensive areas of the country) and find they can get a bigger house here for less $$ and with lower property taxes. Day to day expenses here aren't that much different from most areas of the country. Gas is probably more expensive here than it is in NJ, groceries will probably be the same; I have no concept for what rent is like in the area you are coming from but it has risen sharply here the past few years (a national trend).
I've come across many people who have moved to this area from the NE with a service job (server at a restaurant, barista, nanny, gas station/convenience store worker etc.) and no degree and the future isn't exactly much brighter for them here and all of their friends and family are back "home"...not to mention moving itself is expensive!
I regularly do all of what you mentioned and I'm in Durham. you'll be fine here. Just don't come here and try to compare it to Tokyo and NYC like some other poor sap did.
Thank you! Not looking for another NYC or Tokyo.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TarHeelNick
This may be a very presumptuous and pretentious question to ask....but do you have a college degree?
I say this because people who rave about the economy here do so generally through the lens of coming from an upper-middle class background and hold an advanced degree. Even bachelor degrees have become so ubiquitous that unless you have a specialized engineering degree; you aren't necessarily "in high demand" for most employers unless you have very, very specific/specialized skills.
Unions aren't a thing here and generally speaking; "blue collar/middle class" is pretty marginal.
The people who move here and find it relatively affordable are those who owned homes in the NYC area (or other expensive areas of the country) and find they can get a bigger house here for less $$ and with lower property taxes. Day to day expenses here aren't that much different from most areas of the country. Gas is probably more expensive here than it is in NJ, groceries will probably be the same; I have no concept for what rent is like in the area you are coming from but it has risen sharply here the past few years (a national trend).
I've come across many people who have moved to this area from the NE with a service job (server at a restaurant, barista, nanny, gas station/convenience store worker etc.) and no degree and the future isn't exactly much brighter for them here and all of their friends and family are back "home"...not to mention moving itself is expensive!
I am considering relocating from the New York City area and have come across some positive articles on Raleigh. I have a few questions:
Quote:
1. Should I consider moving there?
That's entirely up to you--we don't know you, so how can we advise you on where to move?
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2. Is life slow or fast paced there?
Slow compared to NYC, fast compared to many other places. It's not really either one.
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3. Is the economy strong there?
Pretty good, for now.
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4. What are the people like there?
They are...like the people here. Whether you'll like them, you'll have to decide after you spend a little time here.
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5. Is there enough to do there?
That's very subjective. We don't know what you like to do, or what you consider "enough" to do.
In short, you've asked very general questions giving us almost no idea of what you are expecting or looking for, and you seem to know nothing about the area, including why you are considering moving?
So no, I do not think you should move here at least until you give us more concrete information and come to check out the area for yourself. Some from other places like it, some don't--it's a very personal thing depending on what YOU are looking for.
I'm not sure how you thought we would be able to answer your questions, given no context?
You don't even say what your degree is in or what field you'll be looking for work in. Really, we aren't mind-readers.
Question for you: Why are you considering this area with seemingly no real knowledge of it?
Question for you: Why are you considering this area with seemingly no real knowledge of it?
The OP said because of "some positive articles" and a desire to leave NYC for somewhere with a more laid back pace. As we all know, many people move to Raleigh or think about moving there because of all this national attention it gets in "Best/Top" articles that rank the Triangle really high.
I am considering relocating from the New York City area and have come across some positive articles on Raleigh. I have a few questions:
1. Should I consider moving there?
2. Is life slow or fast paced there?
3. Is the economy strong there?
4. What are the people like there?
5. Is there enough to do there?
Thank you!
I moved from NJ and lived here for just under 2 years and am moving to California in a few days and couldn't be happier. This area definitely will be better for you if you're married and preferrably have children. Night life isn't bad in downtown Raleigh but will be very lame compared to NYC. Also the public transportation stops running completely after 11 and cabs are very expensive. So expect to drive a lot and don't even think about doing so after drinking.
Food isn't bad here at all actually. There's a lot of Mexican, Indian, Japanese and some decent Italian as well. And it's pretty affordable for the most part. Also a decent amount of sporting events, and some good local museums and theaters.
It still gets nearly as cold as NYC at night (thanks to the heat effect of NYC) in the winter as well though days are typically around 10-15 degrees warmer mid-winter. Summers can be hot and humid but aren't actually bad compared to many areas of the South. You're in a pine tree piedmont area instead of around water.
There's a few absolutely disgusting murky lakes around but you really got to drive 2+ hours to get to the beach. And there's some nice mountains but they're about 4 hours. So while you can get to either, it usually comes with the stipulation you stay overnight somewhere.
From my perspective my move to CA is coming with such a large pay increase that I'm coming out ahead even adjusted for COL. Keep in mind many of the wages in these union-free right to work states will be a joke compared to what you're used to. Also expect mediocre health insurance benefits. Definitely some decent jobs in software/engineering however, so see what you can get and don't move without a job offer.
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