Visit and do your research before you decide
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9/13/2021
I've lived in Raleigh since 1971 so I've definitely seen a lot of changes, some good and some not! I won't say which is which in my review because realistically, we all have different things that matter to us.
-Housing/Real Estate- Prices are rising like crazy (compared to the past decades) and there is not enough inventory for everyone who wants to buy, especially at entry-level prices right now. Raleigh has a lot of suburban sprawl, with inadequate public transportation. Road construction has struggled to keep up every year I've lived here it seems. City Council decisions seem to tend to favor developers and not enough attention is being paid to how growth is affecting the character of the city and quality of life. Depending on the architectural/neighborhood styles you like, there is some variety- from small mid-century homes to McMansions to brand new neo-traditional homes. Raleigh has small pockets of older neighborhoods with lots of trees. But Raleigh also has a history of developers tearing down older homes to squeeze in larger, pricier buildings. In recent years this trend has even expanded to the southern and eastern edges of the city, traditionally where substandard housing existed for citizens segregated due to race. Raleigh has seen many waves of rapid population growth over the years, with the mass influx of IBM'ers from northern states in the 60's and 70's to today. The residential development we see these days is either high-density (not single-family homes which have dominated Raleigh in the past) high priced condos and single-family homes shoehorned into tiny lots, devoid of trees except for a sapling or two planted by developers. In some cases, entire neighborhoods are falling to this type of development.
-Culture- I mostly know about the arts (visual and performing arts) so that's what I'll comment on. Raleigh has a vibrant arts scene, but I will say you'll need to seek it out a bit to find it. To the extent that arts organizations need physical locations, the growth and sprawl mentioned above don't help. As for foodies- there are fantastic restaurants of all kinds here. The trick though is if you came from an area where almost *all* the restaurants were amazing or they were all located in one area, you'll find you'll need to drive (sometimes to neighboring cities about 30 minutes away) to get to them.
-People- Raleigh is a much more diverse place than it used to be, owing to the many, many transplants. What I would consider being what a typical "Raleigh" person to be, really no longer exists. We are located in the south, but rarely will you encountered a native, true southerner. I am frankly amazed when I meet a new person these days and they are actually native to Raleigh. There just aren't that many of us, relative to the whole population. A Raleighite today is an amalgamation of America really, since people move here every day from the rest of the country, mostly attracted by the jobs.
-Character of the city- Raleigh has historically been a somewhat sleepy little town and many people would say if it had not been named the state capitol (New Bern was actually our first capital city) and if we didn't have RTP and several quality university's close by (UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State, Duke) Raleigh would just be a speck of nothing. As a kid growing up, I thought Raleigh was incredibly boring and sincerely could not imagine why anyone would come here. I think Raleigh has kept a lot of that middle of road, nothing special vibe, while at the same time experiencing explosive growth. Some people might yearn for that, while others it might put them to sleep.
-Public Schools- The schools are okay, but not great. They are underfunded and the constant growth means constant redistricting. Most schools are close to or over their official capacity. Building new schools is challenging due to some resistance of residents to fund measures and the aforementioned challenges acquiring the real estate.
-Jobs- Jobs in the tech and healthcare sector remain plentiful and well-paying. But many more people are working for low wages in the many service industries here. My advice would be to have a job or your income lined up before you move.
Robin | ,