Stay away!! - 10/28/2012

If you are thinking of moving here, DON'T!!!!! I came here for the military 17 years ago and regret every day of it. Can't wait to leave. Everybody and their brother is moving here and RUINING what was once a great place. The local and state government doesn't care, all they see is $$$$$!! Roads, radio, jobs, eateries, sports, traffic, housing, drivers, and lack of greenery all suck. It seems like yesterday that this was a sleepy little city,now its a congested dump. People,please leave!! You really are not wanted/needed here. Go back to where you came from and ruin your own city.

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Raleigh, NC is one of "America's best cities" - 10/24/2012

According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Raleigh, NC is #1 in their ranking of America's best cities (2011): "To most residents of Raleigh, it may not come as a surprise that their city earned the title of America’s Best City. Raleigh shows the cultural graces that go along with anchoring the so-called Research Triangle, home to North Carolina State University, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Among its many attributes the city sports 867 restaurants, 110 bars, and 51 museums, according to Onboard Informatics, as well as a thriving social scene, good schools, and 12,512 park acres, equal to several times the green space per capita in cities like New York and Los Angeles, according to the Trust for Public Land. It also offers a great deal on nights and weekends—from concerts and opera, to the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes and college sports, to the 30,000-square-foot State Farmers Market. Raleigh may have a population of only about 400,000 and span about 144 square miles, yet data show it still offers a lot, if only in a smaller package. True, Raleigh may not be the center of the tech universe like San Francisco, a hub of higher education on the same scale as Boston, or a vibrant 24-hour metropolis like New York, but all those cities also offered higher unemployment, a dearth of parks, worse public education, and other negative factors that weighed against them."

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Relocation Plans - 9/29/2012

Hello, we are a family of four, me and my husband and two little girls. We are looking for a good place to raise our kids, with good schools and low crime rate. I am and accountant, but I haven't been able to find a job in Florida since I graduated a year ago. My husband is a truck driver who owns his business. We live in a small town in FL, we don't like crowded cities. I was considering Cary, NC as a possibility. Can anyone give some advise?

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cost of living - 9/19/2012

like to know

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Raleigh, NC, quality of life is good - 9/3/2012

I have lived here since 1958, so I feel qualified to make a few comments. These are mostly responses to what others have said on this site, and I hope if you are thinking of moving here--you will find this post helpful. Like most southern cities, Raleigh has many people who attend church regularly and some of these people are very conservative and judgmental. If you don't want to attend church, though, no problem. I'm a liberal Democrat and not very religious, and no one has ever questioned my stance...at least not that I was aware of:) I can tell you that there are plenty of liberal Democrats here. Inside the Beltline Raleigh is mostly populated by natives. It's extremely gorgeous and very pricey. I wish I could afford to live there. But if you are worried about people not being nice to you because you are from somewhere else, I can tell you that you are more likely to be happy in north Raleigh, Cary, or Apex. I really love Apex; my sister has lived there for a long time. Schools: they are in a period of instability and I don't think anyone knows what will happen with the public school system. I am not really up on the public school system as I sent my kids to a private school in north Raleigh. This school had kids from all over the world and from several different religious backgrounds, but most of the students were either Christian or Jewish. This school, Ravenscroft, is truly a shining gem, and my children were very well prepared for college. In the past, the public schools of Enloe, Broughton, and Leesville Road have been great high schools, but since the system was changed a few years ago, I'm not sure if that is still true, or, more accurately, I am not sure if you could buy a house and then be positive of where your child would go to school. We had a great system of magnets and charters, but there was a successful movement to try to make neighborhood schools the norm, with the result being that there is now a big mess. It was felt that the neighborhood system just threw us back to the days of segregation; I am not sure of exactly what the current situation is, but buyer beware and do your due diligence. If you go somewhere like Apex, you are probably safer school wise because Apex is rather removed from Raleigh, so maybe the problems would be fewer. I can say unreservedly that Apex is a great place to live. Downtown Raleigh has recently been revived and it is very nice. There are plenty of downtown condos as well as historic homes. To the person who complained about our not having much food variety, we have tons of restaurants that are NOT big box restaurants, and we have a lot of different ethnic foods represented. There are also a lot of cultural events. Keeping in mind that we are not NYC, we have a lot of music from our symphony to local jazz and blue grass. We have tons of movie theaters, and there are also a lot of plays put on, from traveling Broadway troupes to local college presentations. We have nice parks and recreation areas...I know of several lakes where you can rent a boat and go sailing. I don't know what the crime statistics are, but I can tell you that I have felt very safe here and I don't know why anyone wouldn't. It's not 1940, so we keep our doors locked and use common sense. If I were thinking of moving here, I would not even give crime a thought. We are part of the Research Triangle Park, along with Durham and Chapel Hill. Tons of newcomers come here for IT jobs, and I think that many of them locate in north Raleigh, Cary, or Apex...or Morrisville. We have very good public universities in NC, with UNC-Chapel Hill being the flagship. NC State University is in Raleigh and it is a great school, especially for science, math, and IT type majors. It has a fantastic School of Design. I am a graduate of Chapel Hill and THAT is one of the most gorgeous places in the USA, and if money were no object, I would live in one of the beautiful old parts of Chapel Hill and commute to my job in RTP or even Raleigh. Coming from that direction, you would have favorable traffic on I-40 as most commuters are coming from the opposite direction. And Chapel Hill has great public schools, free bus service, and great health services. Having said that, Raleigh also has great access to health care. UNC and Duke are each about (depending upon what part of Raleigh you are coming from) about 25 minutes away. (We also have very good hospitals here in Raleigh). Durham is also beautiful but it has a significant crime rate, so be very careful about location if you buy there. My husband is a Duke grad and even he says to be careful in Durham. But you should be fine if you stay in a good neighborhood, IMO. I don't think I would want to put kids into the Durham public schools. Apex or Chapel Hill would be safer choices. Raleigh has nightlife if you want it, but I don't, so can't comment on it except to say that there is an active nightlife scene. My kids are grown now and one lives in Asheville and the other lives in Shanghai, but they had plenty of nightlife choices when they lived here. They were taught to take taxis if they had been drinking, and it is pretty easy to do, though we don't have fleets of them cruising the streets-you have to call on your cell for a pick up. Raleigh is slightly over 2 hours to the closest beach, and NC has absolutely gorgeous beaches. It is about 4 hours to the mountains, and there is skiing there in the winter, but it is mostly on artificial snow and not like skiing in Vermont or another great ski area. Still it is there and relatively close if you just have to have a ski fix. People here are very engaged in watching ice hockey and basketball. We always have hope for football glory from Chapel Hill or Duke, but we usually end up feeling like Charlie Brown after Lucy snatches away the ball. Why did we believe, yet again? The cons of living here, IMO, I am getting to. I have to qualify by saying my husband, who is from OKC, would not agree with these cons. Although most people say they like the climate,I am not really a fan. Maybe I am just spoiled and don't know any better, but I think it is mostly gray in the summer and in the winter. We rarely get snow, and I wish we could count on at least one good snow per year. The spring is very short; you almost go from winter to summer--however the springs and falls are beautiful. The sky is blue and clear. If it does snow, it is completely embarrassing to see how everyone responds to it by emptying store shelves and closing schools as the first flakes arrive. We don't have great road clearing trucks (we do have snow plows but apparently not enough of them)-- The traffic on I-40 leading to RTP is horrible, and I have driven all over CA, so I do have something to compare it to. I was stalled on the freeway in LA and realized that it actually looked much like I-40 during rush hour. That is one reason you might want to live in Chapel Hill and come at it from a different direction if RTP is going to be where your job is. That said, if you can avoid rush hour, there is still a lot of traffic, but it's not like sitting in a parking lot. I realize this has been long, but I wanted to try to add a balanced response to some of the misinformation I've seen here. I hope this has helped you as you consider your upcoming move to this area.

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Life in the City of Oaks - 8/1/2012

There is so much to do here in Raleigh and the surrounding area. Have lived here for 12 years and truly enjoy the opportunities presented on a daily basis. Great living! Great lifestyle! Great place to have called home!

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Moving to NC - 4/17/2012

I actually amin serach of information... I will be moving to NC later this year or early 2013. I was looking at Raliegh, Greensboro or somewhere around those vacinities. i am a single mother with one child left at home and would like her to attend a Charter school verses a regular High school, One with high standards and acedemics. I will also need to work. We are of a mixed decent but hard working and not into all the social TV hype. Much more laid back and family oriented. Where would be the best city? (by your opinion)... My oldest daughter and her husband will be moving there as well but not sure where, but in the same area and she is a teacher. Thank you for your input! Angela

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Raleigh is a fake city - 2/22/2012

Raleigh isn't a city. Its a regular-nothing-special, half-assed planned kind a place that thinks that having 3 tall buildings in what it laughingly calls "downtown" qualifies it as city. Quite honestly, if it wasn't for RTP, this dump of a town would be off the map. Clearly, some key people in certain media have been massively bribed to put Raleigh in "Best Place for...." rankings - what else explains its position in those rankings? As for the people, they really are quite rude, arrogant and tiny minded and god help you if you need a job here and don't know anyone. There's only one direction for this place and its down. Every day, we regret that we moved here and can't wait to move to a modern functioning city, with people who have an understanding of the real world.

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Below Average Quality of Life - 2/16/2012

My family and I moved here 9/2010 and thought Raleigh to be the ideal place to start a career and raise a family. Big Mistake. I have a Bachelors Degree in Finance and am still looking for a job in my field. I've had few interviews but not one offer. I now work in a restaurant, which is where I don't want to be. However, because I have to pay the bills, this is what I must do. The people here are distant and rude and do not like anyone not from the South. I find the people drive without caution. My wife can't find a decent job either. People here don't open up to you. I lived in FL for 31 years and thought NC would be a more prominent state, but I was wrong. I still can't believe you have to pay property tax on your own car. Overall, this was an expensive and costly move. We were thinking about Asheville, but think the grass is no greener there. We'll have to relocate as our funds are running low. We can't make ends meet, so we must move to a more suitable city and state. Sorry, but this is not the place for newcomers trying to raise a family.

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Below Average Quality of Life - 2/16/2012

My family and I moved here in 9/2010 with plans to stay here for a long time. I have a Bachelors degree in Finance and am still looking for a job in my field of study. Unfortunately, no bank or finance company has yet extended an offer. I've had few interviews and hard luck getting my foot in the door with an entry level position. We thought Raleigh was a beautiful city with plenty of opportunity. However, it's anything but that. The people are generally not that friendly and drive dangerously, for example. The taxes here are ridiculously high and we have to pay property tax on our vehicles, too. I work in a restaurant because no employer is willing to at least give me a job as a bank teller. There is definitely a lot of southern "home cooking" here. No one likes you unless you're from the South. I feel like the move to this city was a big mistake. We are thinking of moving to Asheville, but I don't think the grass is any greener there. Good luck finding success and fortune here. It's a disaster. Sorry!

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Raleigh, NC - 2/8/2012

Great place to live and raise a family!

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Raleigh looked good to me. - 1/2/2012

I am from Albany, NY and visited Raleigh and Charlotte about a year and a half ago in search of a greener pasture. I wasn't really impressed with Charlotte, but Raleigh I really enjoyed. The people were very friendly to me as a Yankee with a NY accent (I have an accent?), constantly went out of their way to show me around, tell me where to go, what there is to do in town... very very hospitable not to mention the best seafood at the 42 st Oyster bar, mmm!! I went down looking for Chinatown and little Italy which is not the case, but if you ask around you can find whatever you're looking for. Of course there will be the "locals rule" wherever you go, but I didn't get that at all when I was down there. Lots of great golf courses nearby and I'm investigating taxes and other hidden costs of living. Taxes seem significantly less than NY, my dollar goes very far here. People even smile at you and ask you how you are doing. Very simple, easy living, absolutely loved it and can't wait to relocate.

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Interesting Reading - 12/22/2011

I stumbled onto this page because I'm curious about Raleigh, NC. My family and I are considering a move to Raleigh but I've never visited. We would be coming from a quiet, rural area in another southern state. I have to say that after reading some of the "negative" reviews left exclusively by transplant "Yankees" (yep, I said it) I'm definitely leaning IN the direction of Raleigh. I consider all of the "cons" posted by that type to be "pros" for us. We are not a traditional family and happen to have lived all over the country (mostly southern states) but, I think Raleigh sounds really nice. I was not born in the south but, I proudly claim the south as my home. I firmly believe in GOD and our Savior Jesus Christ and no "liberal, non-traditional, artsy snob" is going to make me apologize for that. These people who need constant cultural (or otherwise) stimulation amuse me. How about getting off your butt and going for a walk in a park or reading a book (try the Bible, the greatest story ever told). ALL history of this country, including confederate history, is educational and it is OUR history as a great nation. I'm not going to feel ashamed or necessarily proud of any part of history because it is just that; history. We must learn from history. Our Civil War was a power struggle, plain & simple. Don't use it as your excuse to slander a group of people you feel superior to because you come from a soulless, scrupulous culture. With that being said; thanks to all of you who are "too cool for the South" for your reviews. Now; pack up & move back up north where you belong. Better yet, if you are that disenchanted, maybe you should leave the US all together.

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Stay away if you are coming from the north. - 10/28/2011

I moved to Raleigh, NC last year from East Haven, CT because I was offered an IT job there. Pros: -Cost of Living is very low in comparison to CT. -If your a Baptist then this state is for you. -If you have family who are from the south or of southern origin and your anglo-saxton or african american your good. Cons: -LET ME SAY THIS CLEARLY, southerners dislike northerners. They refer to us as "Yankee's" and if you don't talk like them and use "Y'all" they will know you are not one of them. -You have to have excellent credit to rent an apartment and they always charge you out the nose for a pet deposit, application fee, this fee that fee etc.. I rented from an apartment in Raleigh, and just because I complained about another tenant that was harassing us on Thanksgiving we were giving our walking papers and subsequently sued for $2000.00 fore damages they claimed our dogs did which wasn't the case. -They percieve us "Yankee's" as rude and cut you off when in conversation. Needless to say that my experience living in Raleigh was a horrible experience... I was in a car accident where I was T-boned by an oil truck in Downtown Raleigh where my girlfriend almost died. It took the cops 2 hours to get to the scene. They proclaimed it was my fault after they saw I had "Connectictut" plates on my car where they wrote me a ticket for failing to stop at a stop sign when the truth of the matter was that the oil truck was going 65 in a 30 in a one way road. The owner of the oil company was shaking hads with the officers on scene and being buddy buddy while they took pictures of the damage. There is a huge sense of southern pride down there and they aren't over the civil war. They show respect constantly for all the southern civil war soliders constantly in the Oakwood cemetary. They also fly the rebel flag there. They are nice to your face but talk crap behind your back.. I was fired from jobs because I don't talk or act like they do... I have lost 3 IT jobs down there because of it. Everything on Sunday is closed until 1pm for Church... specifically Baptists. Good luck trying to find a Catholic Church, or Good Italain Food... they are also very racist against Italian Americans - Just go on you tube and look at the southern states nissan commericals. Its very bad there if your not from the south otherwise your good.

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The Six Years in the Triange were Worst of my Life - 10/4/2011

1. Before you buy real estate, be careful. NC is a "Buyer Beware State" Nuke plant not a disclosure item (lost my earnest money), and also Sex Offenders list not a disclosure either. Due dilligence is necessary BEFORE you make an offer. 2. Racism is alive and well in the triangle - will not expound. Go to comment section of WRAL or other local news sites to get the "flavor" of the culture. They have started deleting hate speak...yeah. 3. Husband was an executive at RTP Fortune 100 company. When lay-offs occur...you, like us will be out of luck. Big biz is continually laying off. My neighbor IBM Lonovo (20+yr employee) got his pink slip upon his return from medical leave. That was nice of them, at least he got thru rehab before they canned him. Economy is big business friendly, but diversity of mid-size employers is weak. 4. Crime is terrible. We were six figure earners, so not living in the slums by any means. Neighbor across the street had car stolen. A workman doing rennovations at my home, had tools taken from his trailer. My husbands bass boat stolen (snapped the lock and just drove off with it). School contruction site robbed. A 21 year old co-worker of my daughter at Frankie's Fun Park near Brier Creek (Luciano Alejandro Cabrera, 21) was found murdered this summer. And this was just in my neighbor-HOOD. The rich guys in North Raleigh. 5. My mother-in-law (80) came to be with us here. She was neglected and abused in assisted living home. (by the way, we did remove her) Reported incidents to Dept. of Health and Human Services...they were fined $20,000 but it is not documented on DHHS website. (How does the buyer beware here if they hide this kind of thing?) p.s. before using adult day care center, find out if staff are volunteers or court ordered. Duke healthcare system is not all that by-the-way...not personal or compassionate to caregivers and inflexible in scheduling. Exposure to VRE (hospital super-bug) 2009. I don't even know how to describe the inhumane treatment of senior with memory disorder, maybe it is just as bad elsewhere - I hope I never find out. Do not think that this is some healthcare Mecca...it is not. 6. Kids, especially the teens, were bored. 7. The weather (mild if you take the hot and cold, add em together and divide by two). But I experienced 17-22 degrees in winter and 102-104 degrees in summer. Loved the thunder storms though. And the changing of leaves in autumn was glorious. 8. Overall community was uptight, unfriendly, and I am glad to ge gone gone gone. Home is where you are loved. Be near the ones you love and people who care about you...being far from family during a crisis like lay-off or illness is your worst case scenerio.

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Not a place to live if you are a newcomer - 9/14/2011

This review by Kia is spot on when it comes to moving to North Carolina without a job. Down here, it's the New South,filled with people who are nice on the surface but truly not open to newcomers, especially "Northerners." Racism is subtle, also, because being married to a black man is fine, while dating a black woman not so much--except of course, on the down low. I'll tell anyone, in NC the living is not so easy for those who come without jobs, especially if they are "overeducated" or "undereducated" and not socially "connected." Don't get me wrong, the place is beautiful, housing is good compared to up North but not compared to anywhere else, and though winters are cold, they're much milder than up North. I say, bring your family and friends and have a job in line. Then, ya'll come on down! I'm a retired educator who came with a job but quit it because the kids in Charlotte were absolutely out of control. Afterwards, I didn't land another position, probably due to age, so I retired from the workforce. Down here, it's not just what you know--it's who you know and for how long, so please don't lose your job or enter these pearly gates jobless.The economy is tough and the average age is about 32, so as your competition, the ones without families can accept lower pay.

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trying to escape from the snobs - 11/26/2010

Anywhere where the super snobs leave negative comments, for instance about no culture ,I will love. Really thinking about moving here. It would be so great to live somewhere where people have more to their identity and personality. I want to have a conversation with someone and not hear them brag .People that think they are "cultured" usually think they are better than everyone else. They are the people that are deep down truly miserable and hateful. The only way they have true fun and feel like they get along with people is when they are drunk. I don't care what facts, culture, or education someone has . People are human beings . Those people act like they have so much depth, because of their knowledge, but that is all they have to identify with.

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Raleigh is a great place to live - 11/24/2010

I wanted to comment regarding some of the posts I have seen regarding Raleigh. We are home to three major Research 1 universities that hire their professors from the top schools in the country. We have the highest concentration of PhD's in the country due to our hundreds of high tech companies and universities and have a highly educated community. We have three very large malls and three smaller ones, with shops ranging from normal mall shops to Nordstroms and Saks Fifth Avenue. We have an international airport with service to Europe, Canada and Mexico, and we are one of the few cities in the US to fly into Heathrow vs. Gatwick. We have two science museums, the larger of the two (Nc Museum of Natural Sciences) was the largest in the southeastern US when it was remodelled. We also have the NC Museum of Art and NC Museum of History. We have tons of parks, greenways, and outdoor opportunities, if you take the time to look. Yes we have northern transplants. I am a native NC resident and get along with most of them. After all, they keep coming so we must be doing something right. Yes we have overbearing HOA's. I choose not to live in a HOA neighborhood. Yes we have our problems like any city our size. However we make the lists every year for best place to live. I highly recommend you give the area some consideration.

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Raleigh- A great place to live - 11/24/2010

Raleigh and the Triangle in general is a great place to live. We have three great Research 1 level universitiesthat hire professors from the top universities in the country and do cutting edge research. We have a very educated community with the highest per capital number of PhD's in the country and hundreds of technology companies. We have an international airport with service to Europe, Canada and Mexico. We have three very large malls and three smaller ones with stores ranging from normal mall shops to Nordstroms and Saks Fifth Avenue. We have a very large science museum (NC Museum of Natural Sciences- largest in the southeast when it was remodelled), the Museum of Life and Science, North Carolina Museum of Art and North Carolina Museum of History. We are definitely not a backwards area like some are saying. Yes overbearing HOA's are a problem, and I choose not to live in a HOA neighborhood. Raleigh has problems like any city it's size. Yes there are a lot of transplants from northern states, but as a NC native I get along with most of them. They keep comng, so obviously people want to come here. The area is growing very rapidly and consistently makes the list of top places to live. We have a lot to offer for anyone.

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why i think Raleigh rocks!! - 10/22/2010

Raliegh is a great place. Raliegh is not only homes to people, but to museums and animals and etc. Raliegh has many shopping places to. Raliegh is the capital of NC and a great place at that!!

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