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So here's my situation, I'm 22 years old and I've pretty much lived in NYC and subsequently Long Island (Manhasset/Port Washington) my entire life. I even went to school up in Syracuse, NY (SU), and although I travel a ton, I haven't experienced living outside of the Metro Area.
At this point in my life, with a very flexible job (I work online for a living), I'd like to relocate for a change of pace, as well as the thrill of simply doing/experiencing something completely different. I am a New Yorker at heart, so I picture myself returning to NY down the road, but for now I'm considering several options. The Raleigh area is one of them, since Raleigh is close to one of our offices (15 minutes from downtown apparently, though I've never been there). So now I come to you, the experts, for some much needed advice .
What I am looking for: Well, because I am pretty comfortable in the city setting, I'd ideally like to live in Raleigh the city (unless I'm convinced otherwise by you friendly people here on the board that the suburbs might better fit my requirements). I'm hoping to RENT an apartment (to see if I like the area before buying a condo/house).
Neighborhood: I'm looking for a NICE area (nice meaning safe, not slummy, etc.), with a relatively young crowd, great restaurants, and a lively nightlife scene. I thoroughly thoroughly enjoy meeting new people, and having a good time. I don't want to rent an apartment in a dorm building, but young professionals/college students in the area is probably a perfect fit.
Apartment Specs: I'm looking for something that's 2 – 3 bedrooms, as I'd convert one of them into a home office. 1,000+ sq ft is a must.
Budget: Up to around $2,000.00/month, although less for something nice would be fantastic . I'd probably try to rent something for ~6 months, and if I liked the area, I'd buy.
So where should I start looking? General opinions on Raleigh are welcome as well--thank you all in advance for your help!
I would look into rentals in and around downtown raleigh. There are many new condo projects just being completed and rentals can alreay be found on Criag's list. A quick serach of 222 Glenwood (New Condo Project) tunrs up several units renting for below $2K and they include parking spaces in a garage. There are other condos to be found as well. You can also find rental houses near downtown in the historic neighborhood of Boylan Heights. Cameron Village is also a great place close to the action downtown and it puts you a little closer to the Students over at NC state if that is what you are looking for.
Here is a cool one I just found at the CottonMill which is an older condo building: Link (http://raleigh.craigslist.org/apa/813008932.html - broken link)
You will certainly find a very nice place in Raleigh with your budget.
After reading your write up I am wondering if you will like the slower pace of Raleigh / NC. You are use to the city, NYC no less and Raleigh is no NYC. Is it going to be hopping enough for a 22 year old? You may want to come on down and spend a weekend or two in Raleigh prior to the big move just to make sure its really what you want. Just my opinion.
with your budget, as already mentioned, you should have no problem finding something. I agree with dansdrive that you should probably check it out first. I have friends who live in Atlanta for example who really want to move up here because it is a little slower paced, but the downtown gives them pieces of what larger cities have to offer. As for downtown, check out 222 and Palladium Plaza. They are both new buildings (loft style), but have some rentals in them from investors. They also offer two different areas of downtown and you can see the differences.
My significant other is also a New Yorker like yourself, and moved to live around the Cameron Village area in Raleigh recently. His only complaint about the area was related to having little to no public transportation along with useless shops in Cameron Village, aside from the starbucks and the 24 hour grocery store. I'd suggest checking out the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area, 30 minutes west of Raleigh, since it pretty much fits the description of the neighborhood/budget you are looking for. You might want to compare the two towns before making your move. It's night and day.
Thank you so much for the replies, comments, and suggestions. (That Craigslist link to the CottonMill rental looks pretty nice.. and it's literally more than twice the size of my current apartment, for less than half the price! ). I'll have to take a look at Chapel Hill/Carrboro.
Also, I will definitely come check the area and various neighborhoods out a bit before actually moving. One of my employees has a house not far outside of downtown Raleigh, and offered to let me stay with him for a weekend. I'm going to put together a list of your suggestions and make my rounds.
Raleigh is a great choice. I am from Maryland but have lived in Jersey and LI. (Huntington) I have also lived in Raleigh for two years and loved it. My husband was relocated to Jersey but he just received a promotion, which allows us to move back to Raleigh. YEAH!!!!
Raleigh has a lot to offer. Downtown has several clubs and restaurants. The clubs don't compare to NYC but they're still fun. My cousin is a club promoter if you want any info. Raleigh also has several festivals throughout the year. It's great to raise a family there. The weather is great....still has all seasons but is not as cold, or freezing.
The real estate is unbelievable. My husband and I are building a house in Wake Forest. (the Heritage) For the amount of money we are paying to build, we could only get a shack here in Westfield, NJ. We have rented for years. Our apartment here in Jersey is very nice but is way too expensive. (like NYC prices) In Raleigh, you can get the same thing (granite countertops, hard wood flooring, etc) for way less. And you get a pool, gym, business center.... I would suggest the Brier Creek area, The Crossings at Alexander Place, or the North Hills area, The Alexan at North Hills. Both are under $2000. You could also rent a house, a nice house, for under $2000.
I hope this helped. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask a way.
Good luck with your decision.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrMet
Hi Everyone,
So here's my situation, I'm 22 years old and I've pretty much lived in NYC and subsequently Long Island (Manhasset/Port Washington) my entire life. I even went to school up in Syracuse, NY (SU), and although I travel a ton, I haven't experienced living outside of the Metro Area.
At this point in my life, with a very flexible job (I work online for a living), I'd like to relocate for a change of pace, as well as the thrill of simply doing/experiencing something completely different. I am a New Yorker at heart, so I picture myself returning to NY down the road, but for now I'm considering several options. The Raleigh area is one of them, since Raleigh is close to one of our offices (15 minutes from downtown apparently, though I've never been there). So now I come to you, the experts, for some much needed advice .
What I am looking for: Well, because I am pretty comfortable in the city setting, I'd ideally like to live in Raleigh the city (unless I'm convinced otherwise by you friendly people here on the board that the suburbs might better fit my requirements). I'm hoping to RENT an apartment (to see if I like the area before buying a condo/house).
Neighborhood: I'm looking for a NICE area (nice meaning safe, not slummy, etc.), with a relatively young crowd, great restaurants, and a lively nightlife scene. I thoroughly thoroughly enjoy meeting new people, and having a good time. I don't want to rent an apartment in a dorm building, but young professionals/college students in the area is probably a perfect fit.
Apartment Specs: I'm looking for something that's 2 – 3 bedrooms, as I'd convert one of them into a home office. 1,000+ sq ft is a must.
Budget: Up to around $2,000.00/month, although less for something nice would be fantastic . I'd probably try to rent something for ~6 months, and if I liked the area, I'd buy.
So where should I start looking? General opinions on Raleigh are welcome as well--thank you all in advance for your help!
Shame such a pile of junk was built in such a great location.
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. 
. I'd probably try to rent something for ~6 months, and if I liked the area, I'd buy. 
Raleigh's a great choice!
