Single 28 year old gal - move to Raleigh/CH? (Durham: chapel, theatres)

[LeavingNYC2008]

I'm a born-and-bred New Yorker who has been itching for a less noisy, friendlier, greener place to live. Would love some input on whether a newly-single, 28 year old gal would be happy here? Ideally, I'd love a decent "downtown" scene (art, theatre, music, bookstores, a decent selection of bars) but without the trendy, expensive, "ultra-chic" New York vibe. Just looking to relocate somewhere that has a progressive, young, vibrant culture without the hipster attitude. I'd also love to know if there's housing in walking distance of things to do, or if I'd need to bring my car everywhere (definitely appreciate the pedestrian-friendly aspect of NY). Thanks for your input!

[maxpower212]

Look into Chapel Hill and Carrboro. They skew progressive and young for sure, CH more so due to a larger college crowd. Art, music, and bars are good here, but don't expect a lot of theatre anywhere in the Triangle, that is, in any particular spot. There are a couple local theatres in CH and larger ones are within an easy drive. NCers love their cars, and there is a lot of sprawl, so you'll need a car for sure. I think that CH and Carrboro are among the most walkable, if not THE most walkable communities in the Triangle. There is a good bit of the hipster vibe, I will say....

Raleigh is making an effort at improving downtown but right now it's a nightmare and generally not both walkable and affordable (you can find one or the other pretty easily). I think most people in the area would generally recommend the CH/Carrboro area for you, although the Triangle might not be your ideal living locale. You might also look into Asheville, in the mountains, if you haven't already.

[seattlenextyear]

I'd look into CH or Durham. But really, you should look into what type of jobs you want or if you want to go back to school, and then figure out where you want to live. I'm hesitant to recommend Carrboro if you're going to be going to a job in RTP.