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I'm new to the boards but have enjoyed reading them thus far. I apologize in advance for the length of my post. My name is Jason and I currently live in Takoma Park, MD with my wife and pets. I co-own an environmentally friendly house cleaning service and I'm also a musician. My wife has her masters in Anthropology with an emphasis in International Development and currently works at a non-profit in DC. I'm writing because we've been talking about relocating in the next year or so and we've narrowed our search down to the Chapel Hill area. We're interested in buying a home and my wife wants to be closer to her family (we're both originally from SC). As it stands now, the cost of living is way too high up here and the pace a little too fast.
So, here are my questions. First of all, we were hoping that we could get some advice about where to start looking for housing. We make decent incomes and would want something with 2-3 bedrooms, a modest back yard and a little space to stretch out. Because I'm a musician, a basement or something equivalent would be nice for me to set up shop. Which neighborhoods would be good for us to research?
Secondly, I am drawn to Chapel Hill because I've heard that it has a diverse and vibrant music scene. Are there any musicians on the board that can give me some insight into the area and what types of opportunities there could be for me there? (FYI, I am a percussionist who dabbles in everything from jazz to surf-rock, country western, metal, and even experimental music). How are the clubs and where are the best places to play?
Finally, employment. I would probably be starting a new house cleaning service wherever I end up and was wondering what the green cleaning industry was like down there. In other words, are there many companies around the area that provide that kind of service? Is there even a market for it? On a related note, would there be any opportunities for my wife to find work in the non-profit sector?
Again, I apologize for the length of this post. I know that much of this information could be found online from other sources but I was interested in getting the perspectives of people who have had practical experience in the area.
Any information that you could provide would be extremely helpful and we would very much appreciate it.
I'd look around Carrboro, since that's a more vibrant community, and one I think you'll enjoy.
Some of the cool clubs are Local 506 (rock) and Mansion 501 (more cerebral, with jazz nights). If you've "made it", you can play at the Cat's Cradle. There's also a few bars which will have live music (e.g. The Library).
There are also many "green" services in the area, so there's definitely a demand. Whether the market is saturated or not, I'm not sure.
Chapel Hill is tough because it is such a beautiful place but it's hard though to get an affordable house there as prices are pretty steep for owning your own home.
I think the music scene in this area has had better days, but there are a lot of working musicians in the area regardless. Check out or local free weekly for insight into our scene: Independent Weekly: Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill
Basements are hard to come by in the South, so look for a place with a garage or a bonus room instead.
Given your disposition and interests, I think you'd find this area appealing. Lots of green-minded do-gooders here. I think the market could bear another green cleaning service or two. Your wife could concentrate her job search to the universities. Duke and UNC both would be good places to look, but there are traditional nonprofits in the area, too.
Don't forget to investigate Durham, especially if Carrboro/CH are too pricey for you (you're looking at upwards of 300k in Carrboro and CH).
Fellow musician and triangle relocatee here. As mentioned above, basements are hard to come by -- especially in somewhat affordable areas. I'm actually just doing sound dampening in a spare bedroom and making due (and hoping my neighbors are cool once I get it ready to make noise!).
Lots of musicians in Durham, FYI. It's somewhat easier and cheaper to rent a house there than in CH.
There are a ton of music opportunities around here. But, it depends on what your looking for. I find the Triangle music community to be pretty segmented. But, there are lots of clubs and bands all over. If your interests include indierock and more experimental fare, see: trianglerock.music
A lot of good info. already given. I'd seriously consider Durham as well. Chapel Hill, and esp. Carrboro, would be great if you can afford them.
For your wife's work, I would say prospects are not good to be honest. DC is the place for that. I have a similar background (and know a number of others who do as well). Most people end up in another field or they end up doing a lot of travel as their positions are not based here. Those jobs just aren't here for the most part. It makes sense for them to be in DC, and they are.
Always a market for "green" services here. Whether there's room for you will probably depend on what you charge vs. what others who are in your business. Doing some market research would be good....
Thanks for all the helpful info everyone! Regarding our price range, we were hoping to top it off somewhere around $250 but could probably go as high as $300+. I figured the basement thing would be hard to come by but as long as I can have some area to set up and record, I'd be happy. I'm also looking to give drum lessons so it's important that I have a place to do that. What about practice spaces? I used to rent out a storage space when I lived in Columbia, SC for about $110/mo. Is there anything like that that I could look into?
While my wife is interested in continuing her non-profit work if possible, she's open to looking at other options for employment. We'll do some more research in the area and see what types of opportunities we can find. I think she knows her best bet is to stay up here but like I said before, it's just way to crowded, busy and expensive.
Finally, we're really big foodies and we're hoping that there are lots of good restaurants around (especially sushi and indian). Any good suggestions on that?
Thanks again everyone for your help. We're looking forward to coming down to visit soon and see what it's all about.
Basements can be found here, but they're usually daylight/walkout basements. You'll find them on homes placed on steeply sloping lots.
I just checked a local real estate site & it listed only 3 homes in CH that cost $250K or less & meets your desires (detached, 3 bedrooms & a basement). When I increased the budget to $300K, I found 9 homes. So obviously increasing your budget increases your options. As others have said, I would urge you to consider neighboring communities like Hillsborough & Durham (the western side since it's adjacent to CH). Both are close to CH, but offer much more square footage for the money - something you'll need with all that musical equipment!
If you're wanting to give lessons, I would get in touch with the local music shops. The one I frequent has practice rooms in the back where some people take lessons.
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