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I've seen a lot of threads that talk about whether Raleigh is a good area for singles. Most say it's not because it's too family-oriented. Others say the area still has a lot to offer singles. But it seems like people are talking about two extremes. On one end, you have families wanting a safe place to raise kids, a good school system, churches, etc. On the other end, you have young singles in or just out of college looking for great bars, clubs, and an active nightlife. But what about the person in between? I'm single, without kids, but I'm also in my 30s and a working professional. I'm past the age of club-hopping and partying. I'm at that stage where if I'm ready to settle, start a family, buy a house with a yard, etc. So what is Raleigh like for people in that phase of life? And if anyone is familiar with Austin, how does Raleigh compare with Austin in this respect?
I'm in a similar situation as you. I do like this area very much. There is all of the family stuff available when/if you are ready to start that family.
In order to find the right someone with whom to start the family, you need to get out and meet people.
There seems to be plenty of grown-up entertainment here and it hasn't been at all difficult for me to meet people. There is theater, opera, festivals, parks for hiking and biking, and so forth. It depends on what you're into! There are activist groups (pick yer poison: politics, social justice, etc.) if you're into that.
There are a lot of very active meetup.com groups in this area as well. There are dining out groups, happy hour groups, nightlife groups, biking groups, running groups, photography groups, book club groups - you name it, there is a group for it in this area.
If you are a religious person, there are so many churches around that you could hardly spit without hitting one. Not as many synagogues and mosques, but some.
I've not been to Austin so I can't compare, but I do like it here very much. I feel that there is enough city-life to keep me happy without feeling like I'm lost in the "big" city.
Thanks Jenny_B. I've looked at meetup and it seems like a potentially good way to meet people. I guess I was just worried after reading the other threads that Raleigh is really only meant for two kinds of people, families and students. I live in a big metropolitan city where there are lots of museums, galleries, festivals, etc. But the cost of living and the congestion makes it hard to enjoy those things very often. I just don't want to move to small small city where there's nothing to do if you don't have kids.
Also, I'm not religious so having plenty of churches around isn't a big selling point. How tolerant are people? It's not the kind of place where they shove their religion in your face or try to convert you, is it? Do they get offended if you're not religious? I noticed Austin is pretty tolerant. They let you do your own thing.
How is the area politically? I'm pretty liberal and worry about being lost in a land of conservatives. I hear North Carolina may be turning blue next Tuesday. I know the area will never be like the west coast, but as long as it's not like Kentucky or the rest of the Bible Belt, that would be good.
Thanks Jenny_B. I've looked at meetup and it seems like a potentially good way to meet people. I guess I was just worried after reading the other threads that Raleigh is really only meant for two kinds of people, families and students. I live in a big metropolitan city where there are lots of museums, galleries, festivals, etc. But the cost of living and the congestion makes it hard to enjoy those things very often. I just don't want to move to small small city where there's nothing to do if you don't have kids.
Also, I'm not religious so having plenty of churches around isn't a big selling point. How tolerant are people? It's not the kind of place where they shove their religion in your face or try to convert you, is it? Do they get offended if you're not religious? I noticed Austin is pretty tolerant. They let you do your own thing.
How is the area politically? I'm pretty liberal and worry about being lost in a land of conservatives. I hear North Carolina may be turning blue next Tuesday. I know the area will never be like the west coast, but as long as it's not like Kentucky or the rest of the Bible Belt, that would be good.
Raleigh is a nice town and while there is plenty for families I never have a problem finding something to do. We have plenty of Museums, galleries and event locations. We have sports (hockey, baseball, basketball, football, soccer, most everything). We have bar districts with everything from live Jazz, Rock, Metal and Blues, to clubs with DJ's spinning. In the metro area there are tons of art, beer, wine and music festivals.
Most of the people that say it is too family oriented just don't get out or look for things to do. I will admit, this is not a town where you easily stumble onto things while out walking, driving or riding. Normally you have to see a flyer or read about an event.
The Triangle is a mix of every type of person. Most people are tolerant, even the older generation will only silently condemn you to hell these days. When I moved here 24 years ago (at the age of 10) it was much different. You will run into tons of redneck conservatives, and a lot of ultra liberal tree huggers. Personally I find them both annoying, the thing you almost never run into is those two extreme types of people fighting about something. Chapel Hill is very very liberal, Durham, is fairly moderate and Raleigh is a bit more conservative.
What are the suburbs like for a liberal 30something single? I work in IT so chances are I'll be working in RTP. I hear Cary is where a lot of northerners settle. Plus, I like that it's in the middle and convenient if I want to go to Chapel Hill, Raleigh or Durham.
What are the suburbs like for a liberal 30something single? I work in IT so chances are I'll be working in RTP. I hear Cary is where a lot of northerners settle. Plus, I like that it's in the middle and convenient if I want to go to Chapel Hill, Raleigh or Durham.
Cary is very yuppie, IMHO. I would call it more conservative than liberal, but I might be wrong on that one. It is not my cup of tea (except for Trader Joes). Personally if you are looking in the Cary area I would stick closer to the western side.
Denny,I think that you will fit in just fine. I am 34 and single with liberal views and do not attend church. IMO the triangle is pretty middle of the road politically. I live inside the beltline in Raleigh and most of my friends/neighbors seem to be similar to me in income/beliefs/views. There is plenty of bars in Downtown that cater to our age in Glenwood South or City Market/Moore Square. I spend most of my weekends at the Hibernian or Raleigh Times/Landmark Tavern. Throughout the year the city hosts may festivals and concerts (World Beer Festival and Raleigh Downtown Live come to mind) and there are alot of Galleries and museums spread throughout downtown.Durham, while a smaller city, has a nice downtown with alot of entertainment options in Brightleaf Square and the American Tobacco Complex. It is about twenty minutes away by freeway. Chapel Hill is more of a college town.As long as you don't mistake the Triangle for NYC or the Bay area I think you will find alot to like.
I am not religious either. I threw out the church thing because it does seem to be a popular extra-curricular activity around here! I'm not sure about the shoving-it-down-your-throat thing... I work in RTP and in the break room of my building it seems like the ladies are always talking about church events, sunday school, and the like. I never see men in the break room... that's something for me to ponder! LOL!
While the women do talk about churchy stuff, they seem to discuss it as an activity rather than about the spiritual stuff. No one has tried to godbless me or invite me to church yet. LOL!
I live in Clayton at the moment and the commute is more than I can handle I'll be moving closer to work soon and am considering the Morrisville area. It seems like the location would be convenient to both RTP and Raleigh/Cary. Since I'll just be renting an apartment for now I haven't given much thought to the relative conservatism or liberalism of my potential neighbors.
As long as you don't mistake the Triangle for NYC or the Bay area I think you will find alot to like.
Oh yeah, I don't have unrealistic expectations. I always laugh when people compare smaller cities like Austin or Raleigh to big metropolitan cities like New York or Chicago. I know that Chicago offers way more in terms of museums, galleries, etc. I know that I'd be giving up a lot of that by moving to smaller city. But as long as there's still stuff to do and places to see, I'll be happy. And if I'm still dying to see that stuff, I can always fly to NY or Chicago for a weekend getaway. For me, the biggest issue about Raleigh is the local culture and not feeling out of place.
As for not feeling out of place... My group of friends consists of people from Philly, Pittsburgh, Dayton, Long Island, SF, Orange County, CA, Newark, Ireland, London and Minneapolis. As the only local, I am the one that feels out of place!! This is a very deverse area with people from coming from all over. I moved around alot after college and one of the reasons I came back here was because of the diversity.
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C'mon down
I'm not sure about the shoving-it-down-your-throat thing... I work in RTP and in the break room of my building it seems like the ladies are always talking about church events, sunday school, and the like. I never see men in the break room... that's something for me to ponder! LOL!
