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That out of the way, here's why I'm leaving this state as soon as possible. Please, don't read further if you're desperately in love with NC and can't stand to read a bad word about her. No state is perfect for everyone. If you enjoy living here, I can't be happier for you, but everyone has an opinion and this is mine.
I hate the 'locals', their accents (ya'll *shudder*), the way they drive, the way the houses look, the way the city doesn't keep up with mowing the grass along the highways like they should. Why don't they build curbs out here? Is there a shortage of cement?
I hate the political climate (though, I have to admit I was very impressed and proud of NC last month), the physical climate, the humidity, POLLEN DROP (oh, holy cow), the way people treat their pets, the overflowing abundance of fundamentalist Christians (not that I hate the people, just too much of a good thing so you can put your scathing indignance away).
I hate the local 'culture' (big SUVs, fast food and spend, spend, spend).
The schools are crummy, the kids have attitudes and no one seems to know how to properly use a blinker or merge onto a highway (really, you're not supposed to go 30mph while trying to get onto a highway where everyone else is going 65-80mph... I promise). It's the long, skinny pedal on the right - push it.
Also, can we please ban cell phones while driving already? It's not rocket science.
I hate how greedy developers gobble up every scrap of 'unused' land and build droves of hideous, cookie-cutter townhomes (which, so you know, 'townhome' is just a fancy name for 'apartment') -- as if we need one more. Trees are okay once in a while, too, you know!
There's no parks out here, either. Maybe it's just an 'out West' thing, but there's no public neighborhood parks for people to enjoy. It's called enriching and building a community, Raleigh. Maybe you might try it once in a while -- if only you could get the basics of building a road or highway, then you'd have some more money to play with.
I hate how all the shopping complexes all have the same stores in them: Briar Creek, Cary Crossroads, Triangle Town Center, that new place out in Apex off the 64 -- ALL THE SAME.
No one comes here on their tours (music-wise), you have to drive up North or to Atlanta for any good shows.
I hate when they drive farm equipment on the roads, but there's never any locally grown produce in the stores to show for it. Isn't Food Lion BASED in NC? Why aren't they helping their own state instead of hurting it?
There's nothing to do on weekends except spend money (no good clubs, not enough locally owned, non-chain restaurants and is busking illegal here or what?). They can't seem to put together a decent 'festival' either. Sure, there's the coveted State Fair (which is just a basic fair with four of every ride and ten of every food stand where everything is three times as expensive as it should be), but that's a big bore after the first trip. Did anyone else get suckered into going to that Greek Festival at the fair grounds a month or so ago? We paid to get in only to realise it was a big dinner party put on by some church - they had about FOUR vendors. Big, fat, waste of money to get in.
I hate the joke they call 'downtown', the highways don't make sense, too many roads are circles and they all change names a half a billion times - it's like the civil planners have ADD or are just sadistic jerks that want you to always be wondering what happened to X road and where the hell-o you're headed now.
...Uh, I think that about covers it. Don't get me wrong, there's some nice things about NC. I enjoy the flea market at the fairgrounds, the farmer's market with the funny German pastry guy and the Asian lady that sells flowers and sometimes you come across this awesome person that's just so quaint you want to take them home. But, really you're too far away from the mountains (real mountains, not foothills) while not being close enough to the beaches to enjoy them, so what's there to do except want to leave?
Exactly what "out west" are you talking about? I'm a CA native, and I've never seen as much "green space" as here.
Twoisbetter, I grew up in Southern CA - we had parks everywhere. Little neighborhood ones, big state ones. All over. It was awesome. I'm really not sure what you mean by 'green space', sorry.
I've said this a few times now and since my post keeps showing up I'll go ahead and put this in big letters in hopes that everyone will stop assuming about my situation here:
I DID NOT WANT TO MOVE TO NORTH CAROLINA. AT THE TIME OF THE MOVE, I HAD NO CHOICE AS MY ENTIRE FAMILY WAS MOVING AND I HAD NO WAY OF SURVIVING ON MY OWN. I DID NOT RESEARCH ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA BEFORE I MOVED HERE. I HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF A CITY CALLED RALEIGH BEFORE I WAS TOLD THAT'S WHERE WE WERE GOING (I actually pronounced it ray-lee for weeks after I moved here before I was corrected). I HAVE PREVIOUSLY LIVED IN CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK. I PLAN TO MOVE TO ARIZONA. I DO NOT KNOW IF I WILL LIKE IT, BUT IT'S WHERE THE HUBS IS FROM AND I HOPE I WILL (I know he will). I HAVE VISITED AND RESEARCHED ARIZONA, YES.
PERHAPS 'HATE' IS A STRONG WORD, BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS. PLEASE, STOP TAKING THIS POST SO SUPER SERIOUS, EVERYONE. REALLY, IT WILL BE OKAY. EVEN THOUGH I SOUND LIKE I WANT TO BURN THE CITY TO THE GROUND (I kind of do), I DO NOT REALLY MEAN IT. I AM NOT THAT MISERABLE, SO STOP WORRYING (I'm sure you were all so concerned).
THIS IS POSTED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE OP WHO ASKED THE QUESTION. IT'S NOT TO MAKE ANYONE ELSE HAPPY OR RUIN YOUR DAY. IT'S A VERY CANDID ANSWER TO A VERY BROAD QUESTION (and, frankly, it was enormously therapeutic to write that post - we could start a whole board of people naming off why they hate this place or that one).
2. I wasn't bashing Upstate New York. It was a joke. If you want to pay five times what you should in property taxes (to pay for all those government workers), that's your business. The Adirondacks are beautiful.
I enjoyed reading your post. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. North Carolina is definitely not for everyone, and it is definitely not the "promise land" some people think it is.
Although I agree with almost every complaint you have, I have to admit, I live a much more comfortable lifestayle here, than I lived in any of the other 5 states I have resided in during my lifetime.
Good luck in Arizona. I hope everything works out for you.
I learned the state capitals, sure. But I only actually remembered those of the states that are worth anything. So there.
Also, I'm far enough away from the beach now and I do without it, so what would it hurt to be even farther? Nothing, really. It's just one more feather in Raleigh's proverbial cap that they have neither easy access to the ocean or the mountains.
^^Not everyone I grew up with liked where we all lived either so after High School they took it upon themselves to "get out of dodge" and moved out of mom and dads house to go start a life somewhere that made them happy or they went to college far away and found jobs in other parts of the country after graduation.
That is the amazing thing about being an adult. You are empowered to make changes in your own life. Nobody is really "stuck" anywhere and can find the resources to move if they really want to. Why somebody would spend years in place they dislike so much is a mystery to me.
First of all I am so sick of all you people driving around here with smiles on your faces acting as though this stinking desert isn't miserably hot and so depressing. Good God, when I was in Raleigh I was completely surrounded by greenery and trees - I mean everywhere. We even had a little thing called seasons, something you stupid Arizonians could only dream of having. I mean, seriously, it's just too freaking hot here - it sucks.
And don't even get me started on the people here. Everywhere I look I see some stupid blue-haired couple from Minnesota driving at least 25 mph below the the freaking speed limit. If you don't have blue-hair, then I swear you must be a Mexican gang member or something. I mean the freaking gang problems here are just out of control. Where I lived in Raleigh I didn't even have to lock my door when I left if I didn't want to. God I hate it here and the freaking blue-hairs and all the stupid illegal gang members.
And for the locals, well who exactly is a local? Who knows? How the freak can you be considered a freaking local and not even be able to speak english? Ridiculous! I remember back in Raleigh where the locals had just enough twang to really make you feel at home. Man do I miss that place!
I hope you all fry in the desert heat!"
Sincerely,
JillBoBill
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