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Hello all,
I am another person who wants to move south from Twin cities, MN. It's mainly for weather. From my online research it turns out that housing market has peaked up a lot in RTP & Charlotte area. So cost of living wise I feel it's going to be a wash in my mind. So move has to be for milder winters & southern lifestyle mainly
Family of 4 with 2 elementary going children. Working in IT industry.
I am inclining towards RTP ( Cary, Apex and may be Holly springs) but considering Charlotte as well. I have few friends in both areas and obviously they are biased. Both look like great places to live and raise a family with beautiful places and parks to visit, tons of restaurants and stores. As with any family schools and safety are of most importance. So I know it's pretty close.
Charlotte seems pretty spread out just like Twin cities, where as RTP is more like suburban feel. I was hoping to learn from people's experiences and opinions about both the cities. Anything you can share good, bad and ugly will be helpful in understanding the life over there.
Hello all,
I am another person who wants to move south from Twin cities, MN. It's mainly for weather. From my online research it turns out that housing market has peaked up a lot in RTP & Charlotte area. So cost of living wise I feel it's going to be a wash in my mind. So move has to be for milder winters & southern lifestyle mainly
Family of 4 with 2 elementary going children. Working in IT industry.
I am inclining towards RTP ( Cary, Apex and may be Holly springs) but considering Charlotte as well. I have few friends in both areas and obviously they are biased. Both look like great places to live and raise a family with beautiful places and parks to visit, tons of restaurants and stores. As with any family schools and safety are of most importance. So I know it's pretty close.
Charlotte seems pretty spread out just like Twin cities, where as RTP is more like suburban feel. I was hoping to learn from people's experiences and opinions about both the cities. Anything you can share good, bad and ugly will be helpful in understanding the life over there.
-TS
I'm glad you are moving for the weather, because there isn't much in the way of "southern lifestyle" in the triangle area or in Charlotte. I'm from Pennsylvania, but I have experienced "the south", and while the triangle might have matched that description more completely in the past, it does so, today, primarily due to its placement on the map.
If I ask 100 people around here where they are from, probably 80 or more will tell me places like NY, NJ, PA, and now, CA. The mayor of Raleigh seems hellbent on making the city a modern metropolis. Holly Springs is growing like crazy. I don't venture to Cary that often, but it is a super popular place to live. People who live in Raleigh, but close to Cary will tell you they live in Cary. A status thing?? Who knows ... it's not my kind of place, but it is nice. Apex, in my opinion, is the most "southern" of the places you mentioned. You might want to check out Morrisville. It's between Raleigh and Durham, next to the airport and RTP and Cary and William B. Umstead park and Jordan Lake ... it's convenient.
Personally, if I could rewind the clock to 2005 when I moved to NC (but have the knowledge I now have), I would have chosen Hillsborough as my landing spot. It is convenient to RTP/Durham and Chapel Hill, is a really nice quaint little town, more hilly (hey, I like hills!), and I would have been able to get a 2 - 10 acre property instead of the quarter-acre property I ended up with in Raleigh. If it weren't for the super-amazing nanny who cares for our son near where we live, I would be extremely motivated to move to Hillsborough. Honestly, I am looking at moving back north, but that's to be closer to family.
Other than suggesting that you take a look at Morrisville, the only other suggestion I'll make, and it is a STRONG suggestion, is that you come down here for a visit. Stay for as long as you possibly can, drive typical commute routes during rush hour, explore neighborhoods, etc. Oh, the other thing it would be nice for you to experience is the summer weather. Some people like it, I do NOT. Winters are mild, but I do wish I could see a little more snow. Not a lot, but more than we get here. The first year we moved to Raleigh (maybe it was year 2), I remember speaking to my father on the phone on Christmas day. I was outside in my backyard in a t-shirt. It was 80 degrees. To me, 80 degrees is not Christmas weather. It's difficult to get into the holiday spirit for me here.
Ok, I have to get back to work! Good luck with your decision.
If you're moving in the spring, be certain that you are happy with the school assignment. There is little chance that you will be able to change to another school mid-year (traditional, year round, magnet or charter). Also keep a look out for capped schools, especially in the areas you are looking.
Thank you, carlito2002wgn for detailed reply. I will look into Hillsborough more. I remember seeing it on the map but honestly didn't go into the details. How are schools over there.
I heard mixed reviews about Morrisville online and from my contacts in the area. Some like it and some think it's over populated and crime has gone up recently ?
80 degrees on Christmas is odd for sure but after spending 13 years in MN, I am not complaining about less snow for sure
farebluenc, I agree 100%. I meant we will move after finishing current school year. Wake county system won't enroll children till they have an address in the area and are present physically to complete the paperwork. I will change my post to "moving next summer" . Thanks
I'm glad you are moving for the weather, because there isn't much in the way of "southern lifestyle" in the triangle area or in Charlotte. I'm from Pennsylvania, but I have experienced "the south", and while the triangle might have matched that description more completely in the past, it does so, today, primarily due to its placement on the map.
OK so maybe I *might* agree there is not much southern lifestyle in the Triangle area. But if you live here, all you have to do is get in your car and drive 30-45 minutes in any direction and you will find plenty of it. Go down to Seagrove for the pottery, go over to Pine Level for wine, Selma for antiques, Carthage for BBQ (when Pik N Pig reopens), go to Meadow for the buffet. You can stay in the Triangle bubble but if you want to get to know the place better, you have to be willing to go find it.
Thank you, carlito2002wgn for detailed reply. I will look into Hillsborough more. I remember seeing it on the map but honestly didn't go into the details. How are schools over there.
I heard mixed reviews about Morrisville online and from my contacts in the area. Some like it and some think it's over populated and crime has gone up recently ?
80 degrees on Christmas is odd for sure but after spending 13 years in MN, I am not complaining about less snow for sure
Crime seems to have gone up everywhere recently. I just looked at crime stats for Hillsborough and was surprised at the numbers I saw. I guess what one needs to understand is that there are good areas and bad areas in every city and town. When I think of Hillsborough, the sort of crime I would expect is teenagers playing mailbox baseball. I suppose there are parts, though small, of Hillsborough where crime is more likely to happen, and the higher incident of crime there skews the numbers for the town as a whole.
Crime in Morrisville is on the rise, but isn't terrible, and again, it depends on exactly where you live in Morrisville. There are places there where I'd not expect to see much in the way of crime at all. By my standards, it is definitely overpopulated, but the same thing is happening all over the area. Everybody wants to move to the Triangle area. Trees are being leveled and large apartment complexes, townhomes, and cookie-cutter communities are popping up everywhere. I think Holly Springs might be growing the fastest.
In general, crime rates look to be lower in most places around here than the Twin Cities area. Cary and Apex look to be the best in this area.
I can't speak to the quality of the schools in any of these towns as I have not done enough research on the topic. I do believe there are highly regarded charter schools in Hillsborough (Orange County). When my son reaches school age, I plan to send him to private school.
Are you willing to share the price range of a home you would be looking at? That could really help narrow the search down. Also, what size home? Amount of land? New home or old? Any other details.
Last edited by carlito2002wgn; 09-28-2021 at 02:18 PM..
Most of the triangle, including most of Raleigh, and Durham, is more like Eden Prairie or Minnetonka than Minneapolis or St. Paul. The density just isn't there since the city became big on white collar work post 1970 as opposed to industry/manufacturing at the beginning of the 20th century
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