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Hello. We're thinking about moving from Long Island to the Triangle and have been considering the city of Cary. (We haven't found jobs yet, but we're applying for work in RTP and in Cary.)
But it's a big place -- like 100,000 people. I'm not sure whether LI has an equivalent. LI (at least where we live, in Western Suffolk) has a bunch of 20,000-40,000 towns that are closely connected. That is, you're not driving through 10 miles of "no man's land" between towns.
Cary has many many neighborhoods, so we'd like to know what you think about them. Is living near the giant Towne Center or some other landmark a good thing, for instance? Does it get "worse" the closer to Raleigh you live?
A few parameters that might help, considering everyone's idea of "good neighborhood" might be different:
We are unashamed to say we like the suburbs; it has the proximity to a city but isn't too rural. We don't mind houses that are somewhat close together (but not right on top of each other like in Queens)...some of the homes we see online seem to be in the middle of nowhere or so far apart that you need binoculars to see your neighbor. (And I don't mean in a Peeping Tom way; we have a telescope for that!) We're not nosy neighbors, but we don't mind waving hello if we see you outside or inviting you over for a BBQ.
We don't mind living near a mall (that is, like the Towne Center, not so much the character-lacking strip malls that plague LI), though we like that wide-sidewalk-with-cute-shops area that we spotted on a Cary website. What counts is that most of the basic stuff -- supermarkets, movie theaters, bookstores, some fast food -- is nearby. So something too rural where we're driving 15 minutes to the supermarket or a bookstore would not be for us.
Finally, are there any other nearby areas, such as Wake Forest or Apex, or even parts of Raleigh itself, that might be a reasonable option, too?
We have two young (under 3) kids, so decent schools, daycare, and other child-based-elements are factors.
We'd be looking at homes $300K and under. The house doesn't have to be new construction -- our current home was built in 1960 -- we value a usable back yard and a nice-looking, accessible street over the newest in kitchen cabinets.
For LIers who relocated, we live in Western Suffolk, so we're comfortable with a Smithtown/Commack/East Northport-ish vibe, not so much a Garden City/Westbury/Carle Place density, nor a Centereach/Shirley sparseness. (If that helps; you might disagree with my assessment of the LI areas.)
Obviously we're not looking for the exact same LI experience in NC -- I'm not trying to open a bagel-and-pizza-import business, though that might prove lucrative -- but a neighborhood with some similar factors would help us make the transition.
And perhaps there's no neighborhood like this, in which case whatever advice you could give would be great.
Finally, are there any other nearby areas, such as Wake Forest or Apex, or even parts of Raleigh itself, that might be a reasonable option, too?
Judging from the number of folks from LI tat are moving into Wake Forest, yeah...we are a reasonable option.
Cary is not the only nice place in the Triangle by a long shot....though the national magazine might have folks believing that.
In your price range it's going to be harder to find a bad neighborhood then a good one, though your money will go further outside of Cary and IBL (inner beltline) Raleigh.
I just want to throw out a friendly question. From the threads I've read from folks relocating from Mass. and N.Y., there's this odd compulsion to make sure they're moving to an area with others from the same area, too. I was sorry to see a thread where someone was thinking about Wilmington, because she liked it... but only wanted to go if there was a track record of others from L.I. liking it.
I'm a transplant too, moving to Durham after 10 years in Cambridge, Mass. But I also grew up in Florida, and my family's lived in N.C., Ga. and Fla. since the 1760s. I was perfectly comfortable coming here and picking a neighborhood that my wife and I were comfortable with, regardless of whether we were going to a town on the Mass-exiles "approved" list.
Was this easier for me because I've grown up in the South and knew what to expect? I'm sure for many there's still a fear about moving south because of past history, news reports, the Jesse Helms legacy, etc. -- though for me, I knew the state well enough to know that anywhere in Charlotte, the Triangle, etc. would be 'fine.'
Or is it something else? The desire to connect with neighbors who'll be able to relate to you? Likelihood of shopping and dining options that are familiar?
I just want to throw out a friendly question. From the threads I've read from folks relocating from Mass. and N.Y., there's this odd compulsion to make sure they're moving to an area with others from the same area, too. .....Or is it something else? The desire to connect with neighbors who'll be able to relate to you? Likelihood of shopping and dining options that are familiar?
Just curious!
From my take on it (I lived in Mass for a while) there is a much more definite 'good area' v. 'bad area' mentality....and you are judged on what side of the tracks you live.
I don't know if folks want to live around other transplants from the same area per se, but that want reassurance that they aren't moving to the 'wrong' neighborhood (and someone who can tell them how different areas compare to similar areas in their home area) not yet realizing that it just doesn't work quite the same way down here.....That you can live someone other then two or three developments in Cary and still have a social life.
Then again, each transplant may have their own reason for asking...
It's mainly because we know very little about the area other than it's generally well regarded. But just looking at lists of houses (and yes, we should come down and actually visit too) doesn't give the whole picture.
Here's an example. We currently live in town A, which is about 12 square miles. Town B is about 5 miles away, but most everyone on Long Island would agree (based on a number of subjective factors) that town A is better than town B. Town B is about 10 square miles.
Now, Cary is 40 square miles, which means you could fit town A and town B plus the distance between them into about half of Cary. So just saying you bought a house in Cary might not be enough info. Smaller towns like, say, Holly Springs, are easier to get a bead on because the homes and neighborhoods are likely to be similar throughout.
From what I've gathered, Cary has houses at $700,000 and up, and houses that are well under $300,000 or even $225,000. So this means that Cary is extremely diverse in terms of home prices, ergo likely in terms of neighborhood.
I gave the basic parameters because even two people saying they live "on Long Island" likely have different experiences. We're not looking for a carbon copy of LI, or even former LIers as neighbors, necessarily. I'm interested in learning about the parts of Cary...like whether there's a difference between living closer to downtown than further out.
Thanks, Beatchbag, for the response. That's an interesting perspective.
And I would agree -- it absolutely makes sense to look at a place to know whether you'd like it or not. Let me tell you why I think this, strictly in my opinion:
From a perspective of a "safe choice" ... it's hard to go wrong with Cary, because just about every part of Cary is decidedly middle-class to upper-middle-class, which is kind of its 'spread' of diversity. But the downside is there's nothing really 'distinctive' about Cary. It's all new growth subdivisions and office parks, save for a couple of features like the Koka Booth Amphitheater (which is incredible), and a downtown they're trying to bring character to. You're hard-pressed to find anything about Cary that's really very different than the norm. (This is where some of the Stepford Wives jokes come in!) If you're buying from a distance... this may be important to you,
Now, me and my wife? We looked at Cary and Apex but chose Durham in a heartbeat. Durham has greater socioeconomic diversity than Cary, which is very important to us. (Of course, we're the kind of people who would, if we had to live in NYC, choose to live in Bklyn. or Manhattan over NJ/LI -- different strokes and all that.) Durham has areas that are rougher than anything you'll find in Cary; but it also has areas with historic homes, incredible restaurants, unique shops, an amazing state park, etc., that together (again, IMO) give my town more character and charm than anything you'd find in Cary.
I think in the end it always comes down to a personal choice. There's something comforting about homogeneity (I don't use the word to make a value judgement) and it certainly can make for a choice that has less perceived financial and emotional risk. Thanks for helping me understand the other side of the story!
I live in Cary and I understand where Bull City Rising is coming from. Because most of Cary's growth occurred after 1990, there is little historical character or "gritty" areas of interest. There is some economic diversity b/c of the wide spread presence of apartments and ranges of housing. However, outside of the DT core, it is difficult to find any housing built before the 1970's, which makes the architectural a bit on the homogoneous side.
When I visited Cary four years ago I made a pit stop in the local library and checked out a book on the history of Cary and was shocked to see how new it really is. It does make for a sor tof suburban mecca (hell for some). It all just comes down to what floats your boat or works for you in your current phase of life.
I live in Cary and I understand where Bull City Rising is coming from. Because most of Cary's growth occurred after 1990, there is little historical character or "gritty" areas of interest. There is some economic diversity b/c of the wide spread presence of apartments and ranges of housing. However, outside of the DT core, it is difficult to find any housing built before the 1970's, which makes the architectural a bit on the homogoneous side.
When I visited Cary four years ago I made a pit stop in the local library and checked out a book on the history of Cary and was shocked to see how new it really is. It does make for a sor tof suburban mecca (hell for some). It all just comes down to what floats your boat or works for you in your current phase of life.
Good luck!
Right.
Cary was less than 4,000 population in 1970, and today is pushing 120,000.
That alone tells a tale.
Right.
Cary was less than 4,000 population in 1970, and today is pushing 120,000.
That alone tells a tale.
Reminds me of Long Island's growth (for better or worse), except Cary's 20 years behind. The big difference is, on Long Island you're kind of trapped (it IS an island), whereas you can escape from Cary to other nearby areas if it's no longer to your liking.
The big downside we keep hearing is that Cary has no personality and is suburban sprawl at its worst. We see some great-looking properties in Wake Forest, too, for instance, and that doesn't seem as suburban-crazy as Cary.
(But with so many people living in Cary, there must be something going for it.)
We're a couple in our mid-30s with two kids under 3. We like to think we're somewhat urbane and cultured and don't fit the typical suburbanite-schlub stereotype (or maybe we're just smug), so we're not dying for strip-mall-land either. A nice, safe place that is kid-friendly in terms of schools is important. The jobs we've been seeking will likely be in Raleigh or thereabouts (we're both editors with a somewhat technical background, so most of the jobs would be in the RTP vicinity), so we wouldn't want a long commute. Keep in mind that my current commute (driving 7 miles to the Long Island Railroad station, one hour on the train, and taking a subway and walking two city-avenue blocks once I reach the city) is two hours door-to-door—EACH WAY!—so ANY commute would likely be better than what I have now.
I remember reading an article in the NY Times about Fayetteville or someplace where the sprawl grew too fast, making the suburb a nightmare in terms of traffic and congestion. We wouldn't want that, either.
It's starting to sound like we're looking for a utopia, but we're really just trying to learn more about the different areas. Again, your comments have been very helpful!
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Great Post, Bull City Rising!
