I grew up in the Lake Norman area (Huntersville, to be precise) in the 1970s and 80s. At that time the population was about 2000 people. It now has about 35,000 people. Even though I miss the old farming/cattle community of years gone by, I have to admit the amenities Lake Norman now has are very nice and very convenient. Anyone living there rarely has to go into Charlotte for anything.
I would also like to mention the Concord/Kannapolis area just East of Charlotte (about 15-20 miles). It is rapidly growing and is a fairly easy commute into Charlotte.
Another benefit regarding the Charlotte area is the job opportunities. Industry has spilled into the surrounding areas in all directions so that finding a job outside the city limits is fairly easy. Furthermore, Charlotte is the hub for the Carolinas Medical Center juggernaut. Plenty of medical jobs are available.
As far as the people, I have always found them accepting and pleasant. Of course, I’m one of them so I’m admittedly biased.
Chapel Hill has been liberal for a very long time. In the 60s Jesse Helms said “We don’t need a new state zoo, just put a fence around Chapel Hill”
One thing I find amusing is a large chunk of Duke professors live in Chapel Hill instead of Durham. People commute from CH to RTP and Raleigh since outside of UNC there are not many jobs there.
This winter’s not a good example, but most winters we only get one snow of more than an inch or so. Asheville’s in the mountains, true, but it’s also in a valley and in a rain-shadow, meaning it stays warmer than the surrounding mountains and also gets less precipitation.
Still may be too cold for you; certainly it’s not as warm as the Piedmont. But it’s not as cold as the rest of the mountains.
I’m baaaaack! Looking around at jobs, what are opinions on the Winston-Salem area? There are a couple of opportunities around there, but that is probably the ONE place I haven’t asked about yet
I lived in Winston-Salem for 4-1/2 years in the mid '90s, but it has changed a lot since then, with Wachovia shipping out and the steady decline of the tobacco industry.
I visited back in November and to be honest, it felt a little like a suburb surrounding a ghost town. With Wake Forest, it’s probably not in danger of collapsing in on itself just yet, but it is probably on its way to becoming the Chapel Hill of the Triad.
WS/Greensboro is more blue collar than Charlotte or RTP areas. It’s growing but not as fast as Charlotte or RTP areas. Their Dell plant just closed but FedEx has a new big hub there.
Thanks. Not hugely interested in the area, but it was making some resurgence then we would consider. Doesn’t sound like it!
Still leaning more towards the usuals - Charlotte, Raleigh or Asheville…possibly a coastal community just because we LOVE the water, but that would be a far shot. You all have been greatly helpful!
One other thing to recommend about Charlotte, if you are into amusement parks, is Carowinds. It’s not exactly Disney World or Six Flags, but it’s pretty good and right outside the city limits.
Someone took me to a gourmet food store (I think it was in Chapel Hill.) It was huge and chock full of amazing things. Any idea what I’m talking about? I might have chosen the triangle area just for that had I know about it at the time.
I live in Carrboro; I moved from Pennsylvania just over six months ago to start grad school at UNC. I haven’t spent much time downtown or anything because I’m so busy with school, and I don’t have a car, so it’s hard for me to do things in the evenings. There’s a free bus system that covers Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and it’s great for me during the day, but I can’t get anywhere near my apartment past 9 PM or so, so I just never go anywhere. But I do like living here. Like the OP, I was concerned about moving to The South because I’m a liberal, but Carrboro is full of liberals. I’m a Christian, but I haven’t been going to church because the buses don’t run on Sundays, and no one’s ever bothered me about it.
One of these days I’ll take a road trip and a large cooler up there. The prepared food and deli/cheese selection is much better than anything I’ve found here.
