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To all you folks who moved down to NC from Bucks County...you did the right thing!! We moved from Chapel Hill, NC to Hilltown, PA about 2 months ago and I am miserable! 309 is terrible! Hubby is from PA and wanted to try living closer to home. We moved from a family friendly neighborhood in Chapel Hill to a neighborhood where we haven't met a single person, even though there are a lot of houses. People in PA must be hibernating or something. Hubby told me to give it 2 years...well I am counting down the days when I can move back to the Carolinas!
I have lived all over NJ, NY, MD, NH, and the UK - and love bucks county the best. We live in Doylestown and am here forever. The beauty, history, culture. My parents retired to NC (near Wilmington) and I have been there many times all over NC and my husband and I would never live there. Too hot in the summers, too many depressed areas - next to wealthy - and southerners and the southern way is not for us. The schools are terrible too - especially in there area - you need to do private. Not worth it.
We moved down 5 years ago from Montgomery County (KoP and Philly) and it was the best decision we ever made. Schools are great, good jobs, affordable housing, traffic isnt so bad. Best part about it is the escape from the anger up there. People here are just generally less pissed off about their existance than in Philly.
Yeah, I definately have to agree with that last sentence!Everybody in NC is in such a better mood, very helpful, and very polite.
North Raleigh, north of 540, reminds me of Bucks county - Richboro up through New Hope and such. Rolling roads through heavily wooded areas and fields, seeing deer four times a week (and other wildlife), yet close to shopping and the highways. Its very bucolic even though civilization is 5-10 min away.
My wife grew up in Doylestown and is a product of the Central Bucks school system--1980's-90's. She later graduated from a prestigious honor's program at a top-notch college. While the excellent CBSD might give someone an initial "leg up," we both agree that it is really natural aptitude and parental involvement that really make the difference. This will not be a popular statement for all those parents that over-obsess about schools, but if you are not an "Einstein" then it is unlikely that your children will be geniuses, regardless of the school system. I grew up in rural Mass, with a graduating HS class of 50 and have had a successful career despite humble beginnings. You obviously are interested in your children's success, and study after study shows parental involvement counts most.
My point is that the schools are quite good here--Wake County and Orange County, but not quite as good as CB. CBSD is quite unusual and it will be hard to find an equivalent anywhere. Doylestown is an area that while many parents can afford private schools, most send their children to public.
That said, NC is far more affordable. If you find the schools are not up to par, you can likely afford private school with the profits you will likely reap after selling your home.
My wife often says that this part of NC reminds here of how Doylestown used to be, before "outsiders" started moving in. She is referring to the manners and friendliness that used to be such a perk of living in Bucks. I can't tell you the number of times "soccer" moms in giant SUVS have flipped us the bird while cursing at us as they peel out of the Genaurdi's parking lot. We go up to PA to visit several times a year and each time it saddens my wife to see her hometown changing so much.
It is peaceful and laid-back here, but not dull. People are mostly respectful. Neighbors watch out for one another. Kids play out in the streets like we used to. This part of NC will be an easy transition from BC. You will find many (positive) similarities w/in the demographics here. There are also many former Bucks Countyans (sp?) here. My wife actually bumped into a former HS crush in Target during our first year here.
My wife prefers the Outer Banks to the Jersey Shore--natural beauty with little tackiness. If you hate the winters up there, you will love it here. When we get real snow, it melts a day or two later. No yucky grey slush. You can be outside all year down here. Summer is hot, but that is what AC is for. In all seriousness, you need AC in BC as well.
Please keep all NC's wonderful attributes to yourself :-) We feel like we discovered a secret by moving here and wish that all the magazines and newspapers would stop publishing those lists that name NC as such a great place to live. We don't want anymore Yankees moving down here, ruining the area. We prefer Northerners to believe that NC is a backwards state. Though, we repeatedly heard the term "Near South" when news commentators referred to NC during the election.
Good luck making your decision!
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Everybody in NC is in such a better mood, very helpful, and very polite.
