Looking for info on North Carolina

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I am thinking of moving to the Chapel Hill area of North Carolina. Does anyone live there or have first-hand experience with the area? I have checked a few sites on the Web but I’m not finding what I want to know, and no “bad” points are really provided. I am interested in:

[ul]
[li]Climate - how humid is it? Are the summers unbearably hot? Is central air-conditioning a must?[/li][li]Housing costs - are apartments easy to find? What is a normal price for a 2 bedroom? What do you get for the money (a 2-bedroom shoebox?)? How about houses/condos to buy? Good selection? What kind of money are we talking about?[/li][li]Culture - kind of arts, music, etc., events are there?[/li][li]Jobs - easy to find? What’s the unemployment rate down there? There seems to be a lot of industry; are jobs there for the taking or would I have a long search in front of me?[/li][li]Cost of living - especially, is the cost of living lower (than the Northeast, for example) but the wages a lot lower too?[/li][/ul]

I now live in Boston, if that helps with the comparison. Any info anyone has would be much appreciated. Thanks.

2

depends on what you want, what you want to do…

Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary and Research Triangle Park are merging into one very large area, boundaries are pretty much in-defined, all a 1/2 hour drive from each. The area is pretty hot and humid in the summer, and thewinters pretty cool, with an week or so of really cold. Cost of living is still pretty low, but higher than the rest of the state, due to: 1. Research Triangle Park, and all the high tech industry there, and arriving daily. 2. The fact that there are three major universities (NC state, UNC and Duke)with-in a stones throw from each other. Salaries are comporable with anywhere else, the economy is booming, and cost of living is still pretty low.Medium cost of living. 2 bedroom apt’s goes from can be in the mid $500 to $1200, depending on area, and how nive you want it to be…but the average price for something like a 1200 sq ft summit apt will be in the $800-900 range. The area has a fairly active artistic community, museums, arts and crafts area…etc…

Chapel Hill - Mainly a university town. Beautiful area. small downtown with great restaurants, tons of night-life which is maily university driven. A fairly boheme area (UNC is a liberal arts school)

Raleigh - Booming, cost of living is a little higher. Great night-life, both university post graduate. Museums, plays, a revitalizing downtown…etc…

Cary - One big expensive suburb

RTP - See Cary, add tons of high-tech industry.

Durham - Up and coming area. Very nice around Duke, rest of the city is either a big suburb, or being re-gentified.

I lived in Raleigh for six years so I’m partial to Raleigh. Hope this helps.

3

depends on what you want, what you want to do…

Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary and Research Triangle Park are merging into one very large area, boundaries are pretty much in-defined, all a 1/2 hour drive from each. The area is pretty hot and humid in the summer, and thewinters pretty cool, with an week or so of really cold. Cost of living is still pretty low, but higher than the rest of the state, due to: 1. Research Triangle Park, and all the high tech industry there, and arriving daily. 2. The fact that there are three major universities (NC state, UNC and Duke)with-in a stones throw from each other. Salaries are comporable with anywhere else, the economy is booming, and cost of living is still pretty low.Medium cost of living. 2 bedroom apt’s goes from can be in the mid $500 to $1200, depending on area, and how nive you want it to be…but the average price for something like a 1200 sq ft summit apt will be in the $800-900 range. The area has a fairly active artistic community, museums, arts and crafts area…etc…

Chapel Hill - Mainly a university town. Beautiful area. small downtown with great restaurants, tons of night-life which is maily university driven. A fairly boheme area (UNC is a liberal arts school)

Raleigh - Booming, cost of living is a little higher. Great night-life, both university post graduate. Museums, plays, a revitalizing downtown…etc…

Cary - One big expensive suburb

RTP - See Cary, add tons of high-tech industry.

Durham - Up and coming area. Very nice around Duke, rest of the city is either a big suburb, or being re-gentified.

I lived in Raleigh for six years so I’m partial to Raleigh. Hope this helps.

4

Ponch pretty well summed it up. I’m a native. I work in the Raleigh area, but I commute. I prefer country life, so I drive 45 minutes each day for that reason, and the fact that just one county in either direction can significantly lower the cost of living. A $100,000 home in one county would cost you only $50,000 for the same house in another.

The summers are murder, very humid, couple of months of 100 degree weather. Central air is a must. Starts the end of July and pretty much runs through September.

5

I’ve lived in Raleigh for the past 10 years, and I have/have had a lot of friends who live in Chapel Hill, and I visit CH often.
It gets pretty humid in the summer – you really need to have A/C in your car and in your home. Chapel Hill has a pretty good nightlife. Franklin Street has a lot of good bars and restaurants catering to the UNC crowd. Unemployment is very low right now - ~4% - and there are plenty of jobs out there. You shouldn’t have a problem with the job or apartment hunt, especially at this time of year.

I agree with what ponch said, expect for the Durham thing (and I’m not really disagreeing with him). Unless you are a crack dealer, I would not recommend that you move to Durham.

6

I think the cost of living in this area is high. I’m comparing it to things that I’ve heard from people transferring in from CA, GA(Atlanta) and CT. Unemployemnt is very low here. Apartments are very hard to find around the end of August due to a glut of students coming into Raleigh, Durham and CH. I live in Durham and have for over 20 years. Basically a medium size town with a very small town attitude. Not much in restaurants or social places. And you have to know where to live. The public schools suck too. If you don’t mind the drive and would prefer more rustic settings, I would head to Mebane, Efland, Roxboro, Oxford or Morrisville. You can find out a great deal of information from relators.

7

I am not the best person to ask about this, because I find more things wrong with this area than right. That said, since others have came to mostly praise the area, I shall now bury it. :smiley:

It costs way to much here for housing than it should, unless you want to exist a long way out. The public transportation blows here for an area this size. Traffic has quickly become a nightmare - in the short five years I’ve been here, it seems as if traffic has tripled at least.

If I had a choice as to my North Carolina destination, I would pick Charlotte and even the Winston-Salem/Greensboro areas over Raleigh.

My 2/100ths of a dollar… God, I miss New York…

Yer pal,
Satan

I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR:
One month, one week, two days, 19 hours, 44 minutes and 53 seconds.
1592 cigarettes not smoked, saving $199.11.
Life saved: 5 days, 12 hours, 40 minutes.

8

I live in Carrboro, which borders Chapel Hill, and is pretty nice also (arguably even more artsy than Chapel Hill itself.)

As you might expect, you’ll find that apartments generally get more expensive the closer they are to campus.

Agreed with the weather. Unpleasantly humid in the summer (to me at least), and usually there’s not much winter. Although January we had a freak snowstorm which caught everybody by surprise - 20 inches in Raleigh!

Arts: Plenty of musical venues to choose from, the most famous is the Cat’s Cradle, which is small but can attract some decent names. Same with the Carrboro ArtsCenter. If you can stream RealAudio, try out http://www.wxyc.com for a generally weird time.

Twice a year there’s a big arts-crafts-music fair that blocks up Franklin Street (the main street on the north end of the UNC campus.)

Jobs: If you’re looking for something to pay the bills until you can find a REAL job, you might check out the Village Advocate ( http://www.chapelhillnews.com/Classifieds/ )
or Tar Heel Temps, for University jobs ( http://www.ais.unc.edu/hr/tht/main_tht.htm ). (The Village Advocate also has extensive housing listings.)

Don’t get yourself in a situation where you have to commute by I-40 to work and back. Nasty, nasty traffic, and hardly any mass transit between Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.

Spy on downtown Chapel Hill near campus: http://robocam.wral-tv.com

9

OH NO! NOT ANOTHER TRANSPLANT!!

Its OK, I’m alright now. Please excuse me (NC-born & raised). Now for your post:

  • Climate - “Its not the heat, its the humidity!” Last year, we set a record for the most 100-degree days in one year - 15. We, The Triangle, also have the second worst air in the nation. In 1999, we were second in ozone alerts. A/C is an absolute must, as mentioned, in both home and vehicles.
  • Housing costs - The apt. vacancy rate is on the rise so you will find some values but the market is tight in Chapel Hill. Many college students live in Durham and commute to Chapel Hill (8 miles from city center to city center). The condo market will soon be overbuilt like the apartments so, expect to find some deals. As mentioned, the North Raleigh and Cary markets will get you a shoebox. The farther from the those markets you get, the price drops considerably and the size grows.
  • Culture - Lots to do and see! Arts, sports, concerts, lakes, museums! It ain’t NY, but there is variety. #1 ampitheatre in the South!
  • Jobs - Unemployment is below 2% for the area, if you can believe that. So, only the sick, lame and the lazy don’t have jobs. It is definitely an employee-market now. Employers are begging for decent help. Tecchies are scooped up very quickly.
  • Cost of Living - Higher than it should be for an area of this size. Raleigh (Wake County) just went through a tax assessment in 2000 so your home will not be assessed for another 8 years. Durham (Durham County) will be assessed in 2001. Unsure about Chapel Hill (Orange County) but know taxes are higher than average.

Now for other tidbits of information: As Satan said, there is no mass transit. Many people live in one county and commute across two others to go to work and they do this of their own free will - Go Figure?! Today, I passed a line of stop 'n roll traffic crawling westward on I-40 that was 14 miles long and that was without any fender-blenders! Public schools are over-crowded as soon as they open any new ones. I have lived in each city of “The Triangle”, presently I live in Durham. I like it the best because I am centrally located. In 20 minutes I can be downtown Raleigh or in 10 minutes in Chapel Hill. Also, I am 2-1/4 hrs from the coast and 3 hrs from the mountains. Don’t let any negativity about Durham concern you. Crime is found in every city and town. I would not be caught in Historic Oakwood in downtown Raleigh after dark nor would I be in the downtown of any other city after the sun goes down.

Let’s see what esle . . . Chapel Hill has occasional problems with their water/sewer system; very alternative; love the Cat’s Cradle! CARY - Containment Area for Relocated Yankees - has to buy water from Raleigh; very pricey to live; nothing to do there. Durham gets a bad rap because it has the highest population % of blacks; 9th Street and the area around Duke Univ. has a northern feel to it.

How do I know all of this stuff? I was a hotel manager for 13 years and now I am in commercial real estate.

We will welcome you with open arms but we won’t like it.

10

Thanks everyone. You have certainly been a lot more informative than the web sites I’ve visited. None of them have been very clear on the weather, which is one of my main reasons from moving from New England - by their descriptions, you would think the area has the most temperate climate in the country.

I was also thinking about the Charlotte area but I haven’t really checked into that yet. I’m not in a big rush - I wouldn’t go until at least September, and more likely later than that. What I really want to do is quit my job here, move somewhere, and then take 3 or 4 months off, so I have to make sure I have enough money to live on during that time.

Thanks again. Feel free to add more if you should think of something.

11

Excuse me for the small hijack here, but I am noticing some names on this thread that I could invite to Satan’s Summer Shindig.

Matter of fact, why haven’t you spoken up yet? What are we, chopped liver? Too good for us? :smiley:

Oh, I see, you were just going to be fashionably late.

Well, Drewbert, ConMan, and Ponch, if you will be in the Raleigh area on June 17, you are more than welcome to stop in and visit us. Have lunch and a milkshake with us (the first round of shakes is on Bast :D)!

here’s the link to the details:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=23324

12

More about the weather, it is very temperate. I have worn shorts on Thanksgiving Day and been outside on Christmas Day without the need for a jacket or coat. Winter really only lasts for about 6-8 weeks (Jan & Feb). What winter weather we get is in the form of sleet and freezing rain and very minimal, unless you live in Hillsborough (almost due N of Chapel Hill and at a slightly higher elevation), there you get the snow. This year’s dump of 27", was a once-in-a-lifetime storm. Also, I have seen it snow in April one Easter. Don’t let the weather concern you. Though, you will have to sell or donate all of those winter coats and boots. You will love it just like everyone else does. It is not Florida. We still have the four seasons.

13

Hmm, looks like everybody else has covered this pretty well, but I can’t resist throwing in my two cents.

Climate – Great for about seven months out of twelve, painful between May and September. I’d go for the air conditioning if I were you.

Housing costs – In Chapel Hill, a 2-br rental within walking distance of campus goes for about $650/month. (At least mine does, and it’s a nice place, spacious and sunny. It should be noted that my landlord is somewhat senile.) Durham and Carrboro are cheaper, as is Chatham County. Can’t tell you about buying at all.

Culture – There’s tons of it, but most of it isn’t any good; I swear, in the last two years I’ve experienced more lousy bands, comically bad poetry readings, and theater performances that would make the playwrights turn in their graves than I would have imagined existed. There ARE some decent arts groups out there, but it takes some looking (and often a trip to Raleigh). Drewbert mentioned a lot of the local venues; the only thing I’d add is that NC State seems to be really good at having an interesting performing arts series (and UNC-CH tends to be really bad). Don’t expect Boston, but keep your eyes open and read the Independent faithfully to find the good stuff.

Jobs – The job market is great if you’re well-educated and in a technical field, but people who don’t have the training and skills that are in demand often end up really suffering. Cost of living is lower than in the Northeast, but higher than most of the rest of the country (and just about all of NC.)

Finally, I would like to confirm the prevailing opinion that Cary is the Evil Suburb from Hell. Don’t even think about it.

14

I was just wondering why you chose North Carolina rather than another state? I mean, what is the reason you want to move to the area? Is it personal or do you just like the climate/sound of the area? I’m not being nosy, I’m just wondering because I have noticed that very few people ever choose to move to Tennessee. They always end up here because of job transfers, etc. Feel free not to answer!

15

Evilbeth, I was thinking of North Carolina because it has a lot of the characteristics I am looking for: little to no snow (but still have four seasons and be nowhere near as hot as Florida); cheaper cost of living than the Northeast; some semblance of culture (because of the universities); major teaching hospital close by (ditto); not too far from either the ocean or the mountains; and closer to other relatives living in VA, SC, and TX.

There are other places that would probably also meet most of my requirements - CA, for example - but that just seems so far away to me.

16

Based on your requirements, I would take a serious look at Richmond, VA. That’s where I grew up, and it is so much better in many ways than the Triangle area. I’m just stuck here in Raleigh for now, but I would really like to get back to Richmond for the reasons you mentioned for coming to NC.

The mountains are closer; the beach is closer (check out a map); the summers are not even close to being as humid as it is in NC; there are a ton more things to do in Richmond; the Medical College of Virginia; cost of living is a little cheaper; etc. I could go on. 'Can’t help you w/ the TX / SC thing, though.

17

Small city North Carolina is better than small city anywhere. No real crowds…no real traffic. Andy Griffith was not far from the truth.

Stay away from the RTI…

I live in Lexington…Have a good job with a good company. Rents are cheap…Just find somewhere to be happy. Thats what’s important.

18

Myndephuquer said

Don’t you believe it! I lived in Richmond 4 years, Durham 5 years, Washington DC 18 years. Humidity is humidity! It sucks in all three places all summer. So you go A/C. Big deal. Haven’t been to Richmond in a long time, so may be wrong, but I think that Richmond may not have that much more to do than Carolina.

Biggest diff. is, they know what barbecue truly is in Eastern Carolina:D

19

Samclem:

I will have to agree with you 100% on that one. If it’s not Rocky Mount BBQ, then it sucks. :slight_smile:

IMHO, Richmond isn’t quite as humid as Raleigh. It must just be a Raleigh thing. I lived in Zebulon for a little while, and I would sit on my deck and see a nasty haze over the ‘big city’ just about every afternoon. It could be the layout of the city or something. Durham may be a little better, and more comparable, to Richmond, as far as humidity goes. I have heard that DC gets pretty bad, so I guess moving up the east coast doesn’t mean you escape the humidity.

(100th post – woo hoo!! :smiley: :cool: )

20

I live in Winston-Salem, which is a lovely town. I dig it. Here’s my advice:

1)everywhere in NC is humid as hell, but particularly CH which is in a river basin. You will need AC (as if you haven’t figured that out).

2)CH is a college town, everywhere. My brother goes to UNC, and everything in town has to do with the university. But it’s a huge college, so that means plenty of jobs to be had, lots of arts and stuff, thousands of places to get drunk, etc. Never short on entertainment venues.

  1. Durham is the biggest piece of shit town I’ve ever seen except for kanahwa city, WVa, including detroit. It is ugly, sleazy, a huge dirtball, and it smells. Raleigh is pretty, but it is conceived and run by the Evil Suit Guy, and is therefore quite sinister- do not let its outwardly pleasant nature fool you (and the road signs are very difficult to steal there, cuz they use round-headed bolts. For more info on the Suit Guy and Raleigh, see http://www.tt3.org )

  2. Charlotte is nice, but the crime and traffic are horrible. I lived there for 4 years, and the (figurative) scars are just now vanishing.

  3. Winston-Salem is the happnin’ place. We have more jobs than people, a huge med school at Wake Forest UNIv, and the whole town’s economy operates on the premise that tobacco is NOT addictive, because ironically our cancer research center is owned & financed by RJReynolds. Oh yeah, Sara Lee is even bigger than RJR. Mmmmm… cheesecake