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Apparently I work a couple of blocks away from Lucette Grace and didn't know about it. I am going to have to go pick up a pain au chocolate next week thanks to your picture!
How in the world did you end up on the most scenic part of the Neuse River Trail (Milburnie Dam area) You MUST have gotten some great inside information
I agree with others that this is a wonderful post. We just moved to northern Raleigh four weeks ago and have yet to do much exploring since we've been so exhausted trying to unpack and put the house together. We came from the DC area and I'm delighted with our move so far. Much more friendly, some traffic but it's bearable and so many helpful people. We're convinced we made the right choice in relocating for retirement.
I'm glad I wasn't hungry when I read your post! Wow. I think you've seen more in 5 days than I've seen in 5 years!
Sounds like you came with an open mind which is really good. I'm sure if you decide to make the move you will find a place that suits you. One thing about this area, it seems there is something for everyone and there's little you have to compromise on as far as safety and amenities.
My FIL says "Raw-lee" and we laugh every time.
I thought everyone might think me strange for posting so many food pics but with all the talk here about restaurants, pizza, bagels, etc I took a chance that someone might be interested. I miss those meals already!
You're absolutely right, that there are many areas that suit and that makes it a little harder to whittle down a list. All in due time!
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Originally Posted by TarHeelNick
That's not terribly far off.....closer than the cringe-worthy "Rally" that I've heard many folks from NY and other areas of the country say!
There was a thread here about it a while ago (I searched because I naturally want to say "raw lay" and still catch myself) and "raw lee" seemed to be a front runner. What do you think?
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Originally Posted by Flamingo13
Love your post OP!! Gives me hope that Raleigh area might be an area for me to investigate after all! (last visit was New Bern area, which although nice in its' own way, isn't for me
It's only my first trip, but I'd be happy to help if I can. I'm not sure what you're looking for but we quite enjoyed our time there.
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Originally Posted by NYC2RDU
We had a similar experience regarding North Raleigh. We had a predetermined list of expected target areas to consider and scrapped 'em all after visiting the second time and checking out North Raleigh, also sort of on our way out of town.
Keep up the good work, you're well on your way to making an informed decision.
And next time you're in town, check out Big Ed's in Downtown Raleigh for breakfast. It took me years to make it there and I regret it.
I know it's a big area but we drove all around the area bordered by 540, 440, 70, and 401/1. I also noticed a bunch of rental places, but I'd have to find one that was dog-friendly and I'm thinking renting a small house might be better for that situation. If I can find it.
Thanks for the breakfast suggestion. We do love our breakfasts!
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Originally Posted by NorasMom
Love, love, love your post - impressed by how much you accomplished! You went places I haven't gone and now I want to go there (would also love to see that Halloween house).
You're right, Durham is pretty spread out, with little pockets of things...the area around Nana's is one of them; so funny how a bunch of restaurants have popped up right there (parking is a challenge at times).
I want pastries.
Glad you had a great trip and you are very good photographers!
Thank you!! When I posted my proposed itinerary, everyone said it was too much but I think we did pretty good! We did take a couple of things off the list, and we didn't feel rushed at any time.
Durham sounds like a place we would visit but maybe not settle around that area. That will be my next area of research, points west of the city but I have a feeling that we'll keep coming back to North Raleigh and Garner.
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Originally Posted by cyn7cyn
I was excited as a kid in the candy store when I saw your post. Especially giddy after you warned it was long. Everyone's right you did ALOT. Big fan of Lucette Grace myself, their coffee is excellent and the Dixie Cannonball is my favorite restaurant biscuit. Your a fan or gravy so you must try it next time. So cool that you checked out the Oakwood Halloween house. The couple who do it have been featured in the news often. I believe the husband said that growing up his family wouldn't allow him to decorate and now he can and does. I know they have art students help set it up and on Halloween night there are live actors on the sidewalks. I used to live down the street and its a favorite to stop at. The Pit is good but it's more formal then a typical BBQ place. Good transition for newcomers. I like that you pointed out the size of downtown. Sometimes I think people who have never been here assume it's much bigger even after posters tell them it's small. People in NYC have a version of small in their heads which is usually several times bigger then it actually is. When someone starts talking too much about urban,nightlife,walkability I always try to break it to them that yeah we got that for about 3 blocks.
Sugar on everything... Is there a wonder diabetes is bad? I've never seen it sprinkled on biscuits, so that's not common. Baked sweet potatoes have brown sugar most times but I wasn't aware about the fries. Don't recall ordering lately though.
Glad you liked Garner. I know it's got its rougher spots but really it's just got older spots that haven't been revitalized and probably won't be for awhile. However a much larger portion is very typical middle class suburb. It gets discredited on here mainly because it lacks much of a white collar,upper class enclave. There are rich people here but not neighborhoods of them. The people who do have lots of money don't have to be showy , there's not that kind of competition here that exists in some of our More affluent towns.
I've gone on longer then you and without cool pictures.lol
Great post and kudos for being a very untouristy tourist.
I'm so glad you liked it! I thought I was being a little too detailed, it took me a long time to type it out lol
Dixie Cannonball is officially on the list! We just happened to walk past the house, I like little discoveries like that. I would definitely visit again on Halloween too. Could you imagine what he would do if he had even more room?
I knew going in that downtown wasn't that large but I feel like it was just right. Raleigh is the kind of city I would like to work in, and I've never wanted to work in a city before.
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Originally Posted by georgiacat
Apparently I work a couple of blocks away from Lucette Grace and didn't know about it. I am going to have to go pick up a pain au chocolate next week thanks to your picture!
I've had pain au chocolate before (in France even) and sometimes they focus on the chocolate portion rather than the pastry but this had the best consistency. Buttery and flaky without being overly dry or dripping. If you don't mind paying a bit more for it, it's a nice place for breakfast. With free wifi too and their bathrooms were very clean. (97% sanitary rating lol) We probably could have been satisfied with the coffee and one pastry but I couldn't resist a second.
How in the world did you end up on the most scenic part of the Neuse River Trail (Milburnie Dam area) You MUST have gotten some great inside information
Actually, it was probably the one thing I didn't ask the forum before we left! Once we decided to walk instead of bike, I thought - going slower, we're going to want to see stuff along the way. So I did a google image search for the trail, saw a picture of the dam and found out the name, then google mapped it and switched to satellite. Once I followed the trail north and saw the wetlands and the bridge, I knew this was our spot. Followed the trail south a bit and found the parking area, dropped a star on that area, and we had a plan!
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Originally Posted by poppydog
Great post. I'm sure it will help out other folks interested in the area. The photos were a great touch.
I know I wished people posted photos more. You can discuss things all you want but a few photos really give you a feel for things, don't they? I used to carry around a DSLR but I took all those pics with my Samsung S6 phone.
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Originally Posted by lynnmc2066
I agree with others that this is a wonderful post. We just moved to northern Raleigh four weeks ago and have yet to do much exploring since we've been so exhausted trying to unpack and put the house together. We came from the DC area and I'm delighted with our move so far. Much more friendly, some traffic but it's bearable and so many helpful people. We're convinced we made the right choice in relocating for retirement.
Oh boy, I want to talk to YOU! I'd love to know what you think of the area so far. Are you inside the beltline? Did you rent first?
I'm glad you're liking it so far. The friendliness makes things so much better, doesn't it?
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Originally Posted by MikeJaquish
Contagious joie de vivre!
Great post.
Thank you Mike! This process has been made better by you and others here, who are so willing to help people like us. I'm already looking forward to our next visit.
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