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Advice from OCers on where to visit in Raleigh area

()pen(arry

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2010
Messages
735
Location
Seattle, WA; escaped from 18 years in TX
My wife and I are headed to Raleigh (we live in Dallas) for our first anniversary, in June. We want to look at the area as a potential place to move in about 15 months. Can any of you OCers give me recommendations on places to visit and things to do that will give us a good sense of whether we would want to live there? OC looks quite likely, here in Texas, this September, but we're tired of this damn-hot and boring state, and another OC-friendly state appeals to me.
 

rdinatal

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2007
Messages
119
Location
Lake Normanopolis, NC
While I can't help with Raleigh specifically I can say that after moving from NH to Houston to Charlotte it was a great decision. Charlotte IS a BIGGER city than Raleigh btw (good friendly jab). My wife and I felt right at home in NC.

Good people even though some are still fighting the civil war (another good friendly jab). Four seasons and it's not too bad getting to either the mountains or the ocean. I know of two Texans that live close by that just love it here.

Oh, did I say that I'm a Yankee that likes guns? So please, NC natives, don't be too harsh!!

-R
 

jag06

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2010
Messages
292
Location
, North Carolina, USA
I drive through Raleigh several times a year, have to say I don't really care for it that much, but I don't spend that much time there so I cant give a lot of details on where the good and bad areas are. Garner and Carry are a little nicer from what I have seen, but Carry is not a OC Friendly area from what I have heard. I live in the Winston-Salem/Greensboro area, much nicer over this way. Is there anything in particular that is drawing you to the Raleigh area?
 

()pen(arry

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2010
Messages
735
Location
Seattle, WA; escaped from 18 years in TX
Is there anything in particular that is drawing you to the Raleigh area?

It's Raleigh or Charlotte. We don't want to be in the sticks with the rednecks. Raleigh seems the more urbane option, of the two, but I can't say that I would really know. We haven't decided to move there, but it (or Charlotte) is our number one option, right now.

EDIT: An up-side to Charlotte is that Reformed Theological Seminary is there, and I've been considering an MA in Religion.
 
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mattwestm

Guest
North Raleigh has a nice feel to it (Millbrook Road/Falls of Neuse Road/Creedmoor Road/North Hills). There are also some decent places around Crabtree Valley Mall. Downtown Raleigh has a decent night life, but it's kind of targeted towards NCSU students. I'm from N. Raleigh and my parents still live there. Plenty of good restaurants, but Raleigh doesn't have too much to do as far as tourism goes. Since you live in Dallas, Raleigh traffic will be a breeze to you. Be warned though, Raleigh gets really hot and humid in the summer.

Since you are a gun person, check out Eagle 1. They have a pretty limited selection, but the indoor range is nice. Davi's Guns has a nice selection, but I find the staff somewhat rude and the prices are high. There are some other decent gun shops right outside of Raleigh too.

You'll probably like Raleigh a lot. Low taxes, fairly inexpensive housing, nice job market, restaurant variety. There must be some reason I keep seeing NY, NJ, MD, and PA license plates all over the state... I'm getting tired of NC and ready for a change (lived here my whole life). Maybe the deep south for graduate school...

Enjoy your visit.

EDIT: While I've enjoyed my numerous stays in Charlotte, the traffic and cost of living is higher than Raleigh. Not to mention the crime... Raleigh is a smaller version of Charlotte with just as much to do... Wake Forest (right beside Raleigh) has Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
 
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rotorhead

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2010
Messages
862
Location
FL
It's Raleigh or Charlotte. We don't want to be in the sticks with the rednecks. Raleigh seems the more urbane option, of the two, but I can't say that I would really know. We haven't decided to move there, but it (or Charlotte) is our number one option, right now.

EDIT: An up-side to Charlotte is that Reformed Theological Seminary is there, and I've been considering an MA in Religion.

To many North Carolinians, Charlotte isn't North Carolina- it's South Carolina :)

Both have their good and bad points, really. I prefer Raleigh and surrounding area over Charlotte. It's closer to the beach, and still close enough to the mountains if you want to head that way. For sports, Raleigh has the Hurricanes, where as Charlotte has the sorry Panthers and some obscure basketball team. The Raleigh area is THE hub for ACC hoops too. On the flip side, Charlotte and the surrounding towns own NASCAR and has the highest concentration of race teams located in one area in the country.

In jsut a short drive from Raleigh you have the beach, Washington DC, Savannah, Charlotte, the mountains. New England is roughly 11 hours away and Daytona is about 12 or so in the opposite direction.

In just a short drive from Charlotte you have....mountains.

Atlanta's down the road a piece too, before you hit the megalopolisisisisis of Alabama and Mississippi (yay)

I do want to add that if you decide on the Raleigh area, you may want to settle into one of the surrounding counties besides Wake. Wake County has high taxes, a ridiculous school board, and more taxes. Surrounding counties such as Johnston, Harnett, and others are less expensive to live in. However, if you're not worried about the cost of living, Wake is good too, pretty much.
 
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mattwestm

Guest
Atlanta's down the road a piece too, before you hit the megalopolisisisisis of Alabama and Mississippi (yay)

I'll probably be moving to one of those two states for graduate school. I'm looking for a change!
 

jag06

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2010
Messages
292
Location
, North Carolina, USA
I'll probably be moving to one of those two states for graduate school. I'm looking for a change!

My dads dad side of the family is from Mississippi, I have been there, trust me its not what its cracked up to be lol. Flat, HOT and HUMID, did I mention it is HOT? Bright side where we were at, which was near Mississippi state where my Grandfather went, is that there is not that many people there compared to here. Alabama was the same as Mississippi, just a different name.

()pen(arry, visit both cities if you can. Charlotte is a lot more tourist things, nascar races, NFL games, theme parks. Raleigh has NHL games, politicians, has a lot of smaller towns nearby, lower cost of living I think. What I like and dislike about both towns you might be the opposite, so check out both of them for yourself to see which one fits you and your wife the best. Whichever one you go with, try and get a place in the suburbs or out in the county. You might not want to be in the sticks with us rednecks, but there are a lot of descent rural areas near the large cities where you can be in the county and have good neighbors, some redneck some not, and its a lot nicer and still be just a few minutes from the city.
 

whoneycutt

New member
Joined
Apr 1, 2011
Messages
1
Location
North Carolina - Harnett County
I drive through Raleigh several times a year, have to say I don't really care for it that much, but I don't spend that much time there so I cant give a lot of details on where the good and bad areas are. Garner and Carry are a little nicer from what I have seen, but Carry is not a OC Friendly area from what I have heard. I live in the Winston-Salem/Greensboro area, much nicer over this way. Is there anything in particular that is drawing you to the Raleigh area?

:) That would be because Cary is simply a collection of relocated yankees from non gun friendly state...... (friendly jab).........
 

WTFOVER

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2011
Messages
111
Location
WNC
We don't want to be in the sticks with the rednecks

If your just trying to be funny I would caution you to be careful with whom you call a redneck as some will take offense to it and you may end up in a fight. While some people in the mountains could really be considered "redneck" not everyone is.
 

tomtaurus

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2010
Messages
20
Location
Greensboro nc
Rednecks

I take offense at the living in the sticks with a bunch of rednecks comment. I don't think we have any more rednecks than texas or any other state. Maybe you should stay in Texas.
 

Bearfoot

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2010
Messages
142
Location
New Bern, NC
Please forgive for being off-topic. I do more reading than posting, but this is something I must reply to.

Originally Posted by ()pen(arry
We don't want to be in the sticks with the rednecks

It is the stick-living rednecks that plow the soil and tend the livestock to put bread and meat on the table to feed your fat hiney.


tomtaurus
Rednecks

I take offense at the living in the sticks with a bunch of rednecks comment. I don't think we have any more rednecks than texas or any other state. Maybe you should stay in Texas.

I totally agree with you tomtaurus. Rednecks are everywhere. I was born and raised in the great state of Alabama. Job transferred me here to NC 15 years ago. Although there are things about this place I do not like, it is my home now and will respect it as such, and the people around me. I have become very well adapted and adjusted to the way of life in this part of the country.
 

sultan62

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2010
Messages
1,311
Location
Clayton, NC
I'm more 'read' than 'neck', but I took offense to the comment as well when I first read it, though I gave poster the benefit of the doubt.

Hopefully it was meant as a joke; if not feel free to stay the hell away, as redneck is not viewed in a derogatory sense for most here in NC.
 
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