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Not trying to discourage the move but why move from one booming metropolis to another? What you're experiencing in Denver is exactly what is occurring here. Just don't let the booming market be your reason for leaving Denver expecting to avoid it by moving here.
Was thinking the same thing...that OP is basically moving from the frying pan to the fire. They did say in the title of the post that they were looking to move to "outside" the Triangle area though. They also seem to be focusing on areas further out away from the "hot" areas.
Hillsborough is probably the best bet for them. A 15/20 minute commute to two of the biggest hospital campuses in the state. A charming town that is a little pricier than more rural surrounding areas but not in the path of the explosive growth of Western Wake and Southern Durham counties. Sounds like Cary or Wake Forest is exactly the type of area they DON'T want to live.
Last edited by TarHeelNick; 11-18-2016 at 07:52 AM..
I disagree hillsborough is taking shape as a posh bedroom community and is allready about priced out the OPs budget but it is a good place. Who nose what itll cost in 3 yrs
I would say hillsborough, chatham county, north durham will be your focus zones.
I'd also suggest Hillsborough or Carrboro maybe but those would definitely rule out WakeMed and Rex. North Raleigh may fit your needs and if you're near 540 the commute to UNC or Duke isn't terrible. Brier Creek may be a good jumping off point though it's suburbia with big box stores. I will go out on a limb here and suggest renting for a year when you first move so you can figure out exactly where YOU want to be and where you'll be working. Renting in Brier Creek would be the most central to get to any of the major health systems. Schools are good in that area which may not be as true in others. Make sure to research those.
It may be a good idea to look at neighborhoods with a pool either in it as part of a HOA or nearby to join. Summers are HOT and the pool is also a good way to meet neighbors.
The family and I are hoping to move to the Triangle area in a couple years. It looks like it is becoming quite the boom area- which is both exciting and unnerving.
We are moving from Denver, which has grown immensely over the last 5 years. Traffic is becoming worse, parks are overcrowding and the housing market is through the roof. While people are moving in, we're moving out.
I don't want to rain on your parade or anything, but I have family in Denver. I'll be completely honest with you -- we trade stories all of the time about the crazy growth our areas are mutually experiencing. You might think that by coming here, you'll escape the Great California Exodus that is overwhelming Denver, but the truth is that many of those people are also moving here, because of the available tech jobs that offer similar career paths but with cheaper cost of living... plus you have many people moving here from the Northeast for similar reasons (primarily to escape high cost of living). I'm not knocking those people or their reasons for moving (they are very legitimate), but the demands of that rapid growth is causing very similar strains on infrastructure to what Denver is experiencing. It's true that this area is still smaller than Denver, and Raleigh isn't as "trendy" as Denver, but the problems are still here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cbarnard7
We are in the health field, so I'd imagine we'd find a job within the triangle. I have been to Cary, Apex, Morrisville, etc and while I like those areas, I think they'll grow so fast it'll be overcrowded and overpriced soon.
What areas do you suggest for:
-Young family
-Houses under $300k
-Good schools
-Within 25-30 min commute to UNC/Duke
-Low Crime
-Stores nearby (big box and locals)
-Big yards
Pittsboro looked promising, but that new Chatham Park is really going to change things.
What about Hillsborough, Mebane, Wake Forest? Meet any criteria? What are the safest parts of Durham?
I'm not sure about Mebane, but the other places you list are having a harder and harder time offering a lot of choices within the criteria you've listed. You'll almost certainly have to give up a price point, a "good" school district, yard size, or something, especially if you move in the time frame of another two years from now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cbarnard7
All in all, we're looking for a nice, quiet place to raise kids and be within a short drive to the popular areas (downtown, universities, etc). We're trying to avoid the cookie-cutter, big box suburban neighborhoods that are popping up so fast.
Thanks for the advice!
I seek the same thing -- a nice quiet place to raise our kids without feeling major competition for school options and also not having a long commute and a huge price tag for a house (we don't live in a great school district now). Unfortunately, that has increasingly led us to think about leaving here for places outside Raleigh/Durham. My recommendation for you is actually Winston-Salem. With Wake Forest University and the teaching hospital there, there is probably a lot of opportunity in healthcare work, and it's also a little quieter region of the state but still offers a lot for families. North Carolina is beautiful, and offers a really great quality of life, so i don't want to put it down or discourage you from considering a move -- but if you're trying to leave the pressure of a high-growth city, I am not sure I can recommend Raleigh-Durham proper to you. Perhaps look a little further out than employment at UNC-Duke, and you'll find what you're looking for.
Does anybody else think that they should determine exactly where they will be working BEFORE they settle on a location?
I admit, I never worked in the Triangle (we moved here post retirement), but in Phoenix, where you worked determined where you lived (or visa versa, if you were locked into a home). I turned down LOTS of jobs because of the commute distance/time/traffic. In order to get me to accept my last position, they had to negotiate a different schedule to get me to accept - a flexible start time of 9:30am to 10:30am so that I could miss the traffic in the am and pm.
I would really wait until at least one of you finds employment before settling on where to live. Yes, there are a lot of hospitals, but they are from one end of the area to the other, and you wouldn't want to work at WakeMed (east Raleigh) and live in Hillsborough, for example. Clayton would make more sense in that regard.
Durham, despite its reputation, is quite safe other than an area just east of downtown (a crime map can show you, but simply looking around would make it obvious anyway) and really getting quite a fan base. But many aren't crazy about the Durham school system.
Lots of factors to consider, but really where your jobs are will be the largest, I think. You don't want an hour commute from one end of the Triangle to the other when it's totally unnecessary.
I don't want to rain on your parade or anything, but I have family in Denver. I'll be completely honest with you -- we trade stories all of the time about the crazy growth our areas are mutually experiencing. You might think that by coming here, you'll escape the Great California Exodus that is overwhelming Denver, but the truth is that many of those people are also moving here, because of the available tech jobs that offer similar career paths but with cheaper cost of living... plus you have many people moving here from the Northeast for similar reasons (primarily to escape high cost of living). I'm not knocking those people or their reasons for moving (they are very legitimate), but the demands of that rapid growth is causing very similar strains on infrastructure to what Denver is experiencing. It's true that this area is still smaller than Denver, and Raleigh isn't as "trendy" as Denver, but the problems are still here.
I'm not sure about Mebane, but the other places you list are having a harder and harder time offering a lot of choices within the criteria you've listed. You'll almost certainly have to give up a price point, a "good" school district, yard size, or something, especially if you move in the time frame of another two years from now.
I seek the same thing -- a nice quiet place to raise our kids without feeling major competition for school options and also not having a long commute and a huge price tag for a house (we don't live in a great school district now). Unfortunately, that has increasingly led us to think about leaving here for places outside Raleigh/Durham. My recommendation for you is actually Winston-Salem. With Wake Forest University and the teaching hospital there, there is probably a lot of opportunity in healthcare work, and it's also a little quieter region of the state but still offers a lot for families. North Carolina is beautiful, and offers a really great quality of life, so i don't want to put it down or discourage you from considering a move -- but if you're trying to leave the pressure of a high-growth city, I am not sure I can recommend Raleigh-Durham proper to you. Perhaps look a little further out than employment at UNC-Duke, and you'll find what you're looking for.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TarHeelNick
Was thinking the same thing...that OP is basically moving from the frying pan to the fire. They did say in the title of the post that they were looking to move to "outside" the Triangle area though. They also seem to be focusing on areas further out away from the "hot" areas.
Hillsborough is probably the best bet for them. A 15/20 minute commute to two of the biggest hospital campuses in the state. A charming town that is a little pricier than more rural surrounding areas but not in the path of the explosive growth of Western Wake and Southern Durham counties. Sounds like Cary or Wake Forest is exactly the type of area they DON'T want to live.
Quote:
Originally Posted by underPSI
Not trying to discourage the move but why move from one booming metropolis to another? What you're experiencing in Denver is exactly what is occurring here. Just don't let the booming market be your reason for leaving Denver expecting to avoid it by moving here.
First off: thank you all for your replies. Y'all are awesome and very informative.
A little back story about myself [to explain moving from Denver to another booming area]-
My wife and I were raised in Florida (I misspoke saying "from" Denver). We've lived in Denver for 5 years for work and love it except for:
-No beach (we lived <10 minutes from the water growing up)
-No family (everyone lives in Florida or Raleigh)
-Expensive Housing (we pay >$2000/month rent for a small cookie-cutter house 30 minutes outside of Denver/work)
We are both very outdoorsy- our favorite things are hiking, climbing, fishing, diving, kayaking, biking, soccer, etc.
We thought that moving to Raleigh would be a great compromise on all that we love. 2 hours to the beach, 3 hours to the mountains, fall colors/variable weather, Southern charm, 6 hours drive to family in FL/have family in Raleigh, no problems finding work (we're both medical laboratory scientists), etc. We love the beach and the mountains equally- NC is a perfect blend of them both.
I know any area with universities, great weather and a booming economy will attract crowds- I just don't want to be smack in the middle of it. It looks like Wake County is booming right now (and will eventually taper off when the next city is on the front page of the "best places to live" magazine) so I'd like to sit right on the outside. I know even that area will grow eventually as population grows (Mebane and Hillsborough both have 15 year development plans) but I figure if I can get a nice little house with some land I will be just fine.
Anyway- appreciate all of the input!
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