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I'm flying out next Wednesday to the triangle to scout Chapel Hll/Cary/Carrboro. I can pack some sandwiches with me. Just let me know form where and how many
I actually just visited my relatives back in San Jose, so I can give you the picky version of what Raleigh doesn't have:
1. Sourdough bread (bring some with you because you won't find good San Francisco style sourdough bread anywhere)
2. Gallo Salami (bring that with you too because you don't even want to have Salami on your pizza because it is just lacking the flavor of Gallo)
3. Mother's cookies (oddly enough, they don't sell them here)
4. See's Candies (only available on the West Coast, but you can order it online)
5. Chevy's (they just have the best fajitas)
6. Semi-logical school system (we bus kids 45 minutes to get to some of their schools in Wake County and have them on the insane block schedule, which is fine for high achieving students, but really hurts those who struggle in school and the lack of alternative schools for those who are really not interested in being in a regular classroom setting)
7. Small, clean and tasty Taquerias (there are a few, but not like there were in CA, one on practically every corner)
8. Carpool lane and mass transit (no Bart, no light-rail, the bus system isn't really even comparable to that in the Bay Area)
9. Beach nearby with hotels to stay in (people only rent houses here, there are very few hotels and motels compared to Santa Cruz, which is a positive and a negative)
10. Fresh, reasonably priced seafood (in the general grocery stores, you can pretty much only purchase seafood from the counter, there aren't any packages to buy like you can with meat, and you can't find really fresh seafood in the restaurants)
11. Fences and backyards that are landscaped where you sit and hang out (backyards typically consist of a BBQ and grass...nothing else)
12. Jamba Juice (someone really needs to open a franchise here!)
I really miss all of those things, but I have to say, as I sat in Chevy's while visiting CA last week eating my tasty spicy shrimp fajitas (mmm) I still said to myself, I can't wait to get home to NC. It's green, it's beautiful, it's quiet, I don't feel claustrophobic, I can walk slowly through the grocery store and not get run over, I have a nice beautiful home that I never would have dreamed of affording back in CA with a huge backyard, and open land everywhere instead of three-story condominiums and houses built right on top of each other. Overall, I think it's a better way of life here. Also, I'm atheist too and a teacher and my students sometimes ask me what religion I am, but no one has asked me which church I go to and I've been here a year now. I have also found that the lack of In N Out doesn't bother me since I found Five Guys (way better fries too). =)
If anyone has any suggestions on finding comparable items to my above list, I would be forever grateful to hear them. =)
Southpoint Mall has a See's cart during the holidays and there is a Jamba Juice on the UNC campus. Also, I recall there being a small Mexican restaurant in Carborro that is run by several bay area natives. I want to say Cosmic Cantina but that may be wrong. You got me on the Mother's cookies. I love those frosted animals!
PROS
Friendly people
Beautiful, lush greenery
Dramatic Storms... makes you feel Alive!!! (unlike in Calif, where it's just sunny all the time)
Lower cost of homes
Beautiful homes!
Lower cost of gas (compare it to CA prices, and you'll know what I mean)
Plenty of shopping
Plenty of well-educated people
CONS
Lack of sidewalks and crosswalks .... this state, or at least the Triangle, is woefully behind in being pedestrian and bike friendly. It's very spotty.
Lack of good restaurants... I'm sure there are some here, but even the ones with great atmosphere don't have nearly as good of food as you can commonly find in CA.... I don't know why, and I don't like it, but for some reason the food is bland here. Please give me suggestions on where to find tasty, flavorful food in the Triangle... I want to believe it is here! I love it here and I want to find good food!
No ocean or mountains nearby
Humidity
Biting insects
Bad drivers.... I have seen some of the worst drivers here. They tailgate, they don't use turn signals... it's a real free-for-all.
To much redistricting in the Wake County school system
Restaurants:
In-N-Out
Islands
Ruby's
Yard House
GOOD Mexican restaurants
GOOD sushi restaurants
Stores:
IKEA (I know there will be one in Charlotte in '09, but there isn't one in Raleigh. They're a dime a dozen in CA.)
BEV Mo! Oh, how I miss this liquor store! It was a drinker's nirvana! Absolutely every type of liquor/beer/wine you could want, plus mixers, plus snacks and just everything you'd need for a dinner party. I HATE the ABC Store thing here. I actually took a picture inside an ABC Store to send to friends. At first they thought I meant the type of ABC Stores they have in Hawaii. Oh no... much different thing here! They couldn't believe it. It's so antiquated how hard liquor is sold here.
Convenient car dealerships -- I don't have dealer service anywhere near my home... seems like there were many more dealerships where I could take my car for servicing in CA.
Please, no one take offense to anything stated above. I DO think this area has it all over CA... really. There are just a few missing stores and restaurants.
CONS
Lack of sidewalks and crosswalks .... this state, or at least the Triangle, is woefully behind in being pedestrian and bike friendly.
Really? I am in Cary. Everywhere I go there are sidewalks. I was amazed at how many there are. There are many bike trails also, but I do wish we had more. Ones that are not shared with the road.
Actually I was just talking to a friend last night and I've lived in the Triangle now for 6+ years and while there are lots of things I do miss about the Bay Area I'm actually very content in NC and am glad I made the move when I did.
My last year living there (2001) was so hard, being out of work and the tech industry having gone bust, and having a huge mortgage to still pay and just coming up with goose eggs on the job front.
I don't know where in the triangle you live, but as a former CA resident I highly recommend Shiki Sushi in Durham (on 54 across 40 from southpoint) or the brand spankin' new Sushi Love (right by duke hospital on erwin rd).
We just moved from Pleasant Hill, California 4 weeks ago (for those that dont know where that is, about 30 miles east of SF) a little suburbia town of about 60,000 people. We are renting a house in North Raleigh. So far, we LOVE it here.
Pros:
It is so green here. Trees everywhere, beautiful tree lined streets everywhere!
The beach - you can actually swim in the water here (the ocean in Nor. Cal. is freezing!)
Gas prices are definitely lower
Definitely slower pace of life here - that is what I was hoping for
Very friendly people everywhere!
Amazing lightening storms
Cons:
Very spread out city! Just not used to it yet!
BIG bugs
No Jamba Juice
No In n Out
Well thats all I can think of so far. I love living in North Raleigh because I am so close to everything yet our house is located on this beautiful tree lined street that makes you feel like you are far away from the hustle and bustle. Hard to believe that the mall is only 1/2 mile away!
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Pros and Cons of the Raleigh/Cary Area
