Raleigh, North Carolina - 2/3/2008

Very disappointing place to live. We moved here because an almanac said how wonderful it was for working mothers, culture scene, weather, employment, etc. It was voted best city I believe for working mothers. Let's take into consideration what no book tells you. The attitude of the people. Being Yankees from New York we are treated as such. They still carry the old grudge of north versus south. It is a beautiful state, with opportunities for employment, but it is definitely losing its appeal. Many companies and apartments are being built, and the trees are being cut down. Raleigh is now becoming a place for businesses and apartments, not family homes. In the past 4 years, we have seen the landscape of our area go to absolute hell. We are looking to relocate. May be a good area to live if you are Mexican. There are many moving down here, and the Mexican Community is becoming stronger.

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Raleigh - 1/22/2008

I lived in Raleigh through college and 4 years after. I now live in Colorado. I guess I just generally thought that it was kind of boring. But boring can be a good thing depending on your age range. I think it would be a wonderful place to raise children. For all the time that I spent there, I was never over the age of 26, single and without children. Living in Colorado, I have so much more access to outdoor activities. It is hard to be bored. If it's cold, you ski or snowshoe. If its warm, you hike in gorgeous mountains. It takes an 1.5 max to get to the slopes. So, I am mixed. I lived in North Raleigh and had hiking trails and very nice neighbors, but we just ran out of parks to visit and restaurants. I attended law school in Chapel Hill and enjoyed the culture there much better. I think Chapel Hill and Durham offer a little bit of funkiness that Raleigh doesn't have. I also like the fact that there is a more prgressive climate there. If I were coming back to NC, I would try to live nearer to Chapel Hill - but its so pricey. Raleigh offers better housing options. Overall, Raleigh is a wonderful place to live but those coming from cities with many cultural or outdoors opportunties may find it a bit confining.

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overcrowded - 11/12/2007

With the area in Wake County growing so fast, the schools are very overcrowded and re-assignments are often. The school boards are constantly trying to adjust the demographics so that all schools end up being average and socioeconomically "diverse".

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great city - growing by leaps and bounds - 11/11/2007

You won't recognize Raleigh in 3 years. It's downtown is going through a revitalization that will transform it from a 'B' to and 'A' city.

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People Of Faith In Raliegh! - 9/23/2007

People in and around Raleigh talk the talk and walk the walk and claim the are Southern Baptists. Then why have I been living in a hotel in Garner, NC (8 miles from Raleigh) with my wife and 3 kids. When we bought a brand new $350k home that is infested with mold from a leak. The builder botched the leak up, without cleaning it up correctly and he won't pay to have it cleaned up now, even though by NC law there is a 1 year Warranty on the home. He and his Realtor wife claim to be Christian People from the South. Hog Wash! There is no excuse for this hide behind Jesus, screw over your fellow man bull. We will be leaving ASAP!

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Raleigh...BIG YAWN - 9/21/2007

This is an HONEST opinion of Raleigh. Overall this is a great place to START a family but there is not much to do. Honestly!!! There is the farmers market & a few poorly organized shin-dings at the park (maybe 100 folks). Below average trip malls abound with no shortage of Targets or Walmarts but thats it!!! Where are all of the private schools, theatre, arts, nightlife, world class shopping, etc. Houses are not cheap here any longer & EVERY other house looks like the one before. Every one shops at the SAME furniture & clothing stores. People ARE polite BUT there is no real connection because there is nothing to do but head off to Target then grab Carolina BBQ!!! If you are not in the medical (Duke is EVERYWHERE), research, or engineering field...forget about it. My household income is over 200K and my husband & I still can't find much to do. The wives are bored here & popping out babies left & right because WHAT else is there? This is not the place for a single woman, families with teens, Liberals, those with refined taste, or anyone who is looking for an inexpensive place to live. You must have middle or upperclass income to live well BUT you will still be bored. Unless you don't mind spending lot's of time inside a cookie cutter house.

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NCSU Graduate, waiting list for homeless shelter, - 9/20/2007

I found statements on www.bestplaces.net while looking for Raleigh demographics while looking for a new job. I feel responsible to let people know what I have been through, so others like me do not have to. Raleigh has been a terrible place for me. I do not have a car now either because I cannot afford to fix mine yet. Raleigh is getting worse. The bus system is not safe, be careful if you take it. I never got good guidence or help besides my mother just throwing money at me to delay having to deal with problems and get rid of me. Now, she lets me stay with her, but says I need to find my own place soon. So, I am on the waiting list for the homeless shelter. I've had problems and people here seem really selfish. Also, the system is not effective at preventing bad things. I never got the help I really needed. Neither did my significant other, however we were getting better and staying in an efficiency hotel until we could save enough for a deposit on an apartment. However, in May, I was working late at an extra temporary job and my boyfriend got hit by a drunk driver walking me home from the bus stop. He now has brain injury and still cannot walk since May 2007. I am thankful he is still alive but I hope he gets better. I used to live in Cary, but I want you to know if you have any pets to please be careful they have a leash law for Cats. Long story short, my cat was probably sent to the pound in Garner and euthanized; the Cary animal control neglected to transfer paperwork and records. For that reason you can understand I do not like Cary either. Also, when I lived there, about five years ago, the bus sytem was very limited. I read another comment about people being discriminated against. I have noticed the descrimination is against all types, not just whites against blacks, or race; I have experienced blacks abuse whites too. It is a problem for all. Regardless, it does not matter what type, abuse is abuse whatever race or income bracket. Discrimination and reverse discrimination exists in Raleigh NC. Also, I have a lot of problems due to lack of money. A major problem I have experienced is the terrible bus system. I had to turn down jobs because I take the bus. Also, in Raleigh there are many areas where there is a bus stop and there is not a sidewalk. Also, people have harassed me on the bus and use rude language. The busses are not always clean either. It is worse taking it alone. I currently work for a telefundra

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Yankees Go home/Odds and Ends - 8/22/2007

I'm a New Yorker - rented in Cary for a few months and moved into a home in N. Raleigh a year and a half ago. I like Cary better, but I didn't think the roads could keep up with the growth and it's a little more expensive down there. I have not come across people who have the attitude "Yankee Go Home." But I have to tell you, I meet more people from the North than I do North Carolina! The people who are native to N. Carolina, are warm and generous, polite people. If they hate me, they haven't let on! But I don't have any "liberal" attitudes or complain about their state, etc. Every place I've lived has its pros and cons. It's wonderful that nobody honks their horn here. People have patience! The first few times people cut me off it traffic, I instinctively flipped them the bird. Now, my finger has retracted because I am so embarassed we do that in the North. But traffic is bad. They can't keep up with the growth and the DOT has made some mistakes using wrong materials, leading to more road work to fix the problems. Everywhere you turn, they are doing construction - widening roads, etc. I don't see myself here long term, as I feel landlocked and the summers are SO LONG. I think the last time I spent more than 5 minutes outside was in April. It's humid and buggy, as it can be in NY, but it doesn't last as long in NY. The flip side is the LONG winters in NY. It's also growing at a ridiculous rate down here and I think the quality of life will suffer. The reasons people move down here, will become obsolete with the growth. Housing is already more expensive than we thought. They are building McMansions on every plot of land possible. In my immediate area in the last year, they have cleared 5 parcels of land and are putting up houses from 470K - 800K+. And we're talking, 3,000 sq. ft. homes on .1-.14 acres. But people are buying them up. I do wonder what Native North Carolinians think of all of us moving here. Some of them (like my realtor) understand that housing is so expensive where we move from and that they, too, would not be able to afford a house from our native states. But I'm sure the growth has made others resent us. And I feel bad about that.

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Hispanics moving from Austin - 8/22/2007

As a yNew Yorker who has lived here a couple of years, I can say there are many Hispanics living here. I don't know whether they're legal or illegal (not my business to check!) But the last article I read in the paper gave the # of about 900,000 in the state. I have never seen anyone discriminate against them, but Hispanics may have a different story to tell. As far as year round schools, expect it! The school system is a mess right now. Wake County supposedly has some of the best schools around, but with so many people moving here, the schools just can't keep up with the growth and year round and different tracks seem to be the solution right now. But parents are revolting, so I don't know what will happen. I would be an upset parent, too, if my kids were on different calendars. That is just ridiculous. If you really want a traditional calendar for your kids, DO NOT MOVE HERE.

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Great place to live - 8/16/2007

I truely believe that Raleigh is a good place to live. There are a few growing pains going on throughout the greater Raleigh area such as traffic problems and construction but I find that they are minor compared to most other cities in the U.S. As with many other great southern cities we are getting a "Northern Transplant Overload" which is causing the city to lose much of the values that make it a great place to live. On the other hand there is also a contingent of "old Raleigh money" that in my opinion can be just as nasty as some of the not so tolerrant transplants. I would stay away from Cary and the lure of good schools and pretty urban design and go for one of the many other suburbs that developing quite nicely. Morrisville, Wake Forest, Zebulon, etc. are all suburbs with property value on the rise and decent schools. If you are planning on moving to Raleigh, just plan on slowing down the pace of your life and don't use your car horn if you can't get through a stoplight in one cycle(rare unless it is rush hour).

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response to kevin - 8/12/2007

Kevin I think the people in Raleigh are very welcoming if the newcomers come in with an open mind and don't try to convince us that the way things were done at home is the way things should be done.

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For Families - 8/10/2007

Raleigh is a great place for families.If you are looking for an affordable,clean,safe place this is it.There are lots of parks,family friendly environments that are easily accessable. This is not a good place for middle aged people who enjoy single life. Everyone is looking to get hitched,have babies,get a mini van or suv,get a cookie cutter mcmansion in Cary,Wake Forest,and then start complaining about schools,traffic,growth. There are no places to walk around,view single life activity other than bars at night.Another boring southern town like Charlotte. I guess if you like corporate america,suburban life,this place is good.

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For Families - 8/10/2007

Raleigh is a great place for families.If you are looking for an affordable,clean,safe place this is it.There are lots of parks,family friendly environments that are easily accessable. This is not a good place for middle aged people who enjoy single life. Everyone is looking to get hitched,have babies,get a mini van or suv,get a cookie cutter mcmansion in Cary,Wake Forest,and then start complaining about schools,traffic,growth. There are no places to walk around,view single life activity other than bars at night.Another boring southern town like Charlotte. I guess if you like corporate america,suburban life,this place is good.

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Nice place to live - 8/7/2007

Raleigh, NC is a pleasant place to live. Not knowing much about the area before moving here, i was under the impression (for some reason) that it would be much larger. It is a rather small capitol city. But it seems to be a great place to raise a family. Cary, NC is very close by and it ranked in the top 5 places to live in the US on the TODAY show. If I had it to do over again, I would probably look to move to Cary, NC. For more things to do I would consider Charlotte, NC. It is not as "sleepy" as Raleigh seems to be.

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Considering Raleigh move - 8/3/2007

I was considering a move to Raleigh. Obviously, the climate is nice and the area is reasonably priced. But, I was concerned about the "Yankee Go Home" mentality that some southern areas can have. I was wondering if there were any northerns in the area now that can tell me if that is a legitimate concern. Thanks.

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There are a ton of Hispanics in Raleigh.......... - 7/24/2007

I just visited there!!! Heard North Carolina also has the most "illegals" in the nation - something that has deleterios effects on our country for all Americans!!! The drivers are crazy in Raleigh - both rude and ignorant (like merging without looking!!!) Good luck with your move!!!

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hispanic families - 7/22/2007

We are planning a move to NC (research triangle park area) from Austin Texas in the next 2 months or so. We are a professional hispanic family with 2 girls in middle school. Our concern is we have read several comments on different web forums about hispanics not being welcomed into the community. Are our fears unfounded? Also, we do not have year round schools here in Austin. We are in a great school district here and are looking for the same in NC. WE WELCOME ANY COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS AND WOULD NOT BE OFFENDED IF SOMEONE TELLS US TO STAY HOME!!!

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It's an OKplaceto live - 7/18/2007

I am actually from Raleigh. However, throughout the years I traveled back and forth from Raleigh to Charlotte,NC. Raleigh is not the place to live until you have a family or just ready to slow down and prepare for one. I moved back 10 years ago when I learned I was pregnant. The education here is outstanding. But keep in mind that there are some not so good schools in Raleigh as well, so you have to do extensive research. If you are not rich or in the "right" neighborhoods you run the risk of not having access to certain schools or activities. Raleigh is not my choice city to live in, but my family is here and my kids will receive a great education. But as soon as they graduate, my husband and I are out of here. And there will be lots of traveling until then.

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Previous posting - 7/2/2007

Michelle, What are you talking about? There are no "native Southerners" in Raleigh!

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Pretty City, Just Not For Me - 7/1/2007

I lived in Raleigh from 1997-1998 and couldn’t wait to leave that city for Atlanta. I first moved there from the Wash DC area and it was a major cultural shock what a “Can’t-do” town it was. People will tell you anything you want to hear and then leave you hanging and not follow through. At that time I was a seasoned administrative assistant professional with good skills and experience and it was such a battle trying to find a decent paying job to make ends meet. Most of the temp jobs I worked on (to pay the bills) were awful places to work. I also noticed a stuffy snobby “state capital” mentality with the native Raleigh people. If you and your parents and grandparents weren’t born in Raleigh and raised in Raleigh then you just aren’t a true southern (even though I was raised in Fayetteville NC). At the present time I am proud to say I am half Yankee. All people talked about were restaurants and movies and nothing else. I felt I was treated as a Leper and stigmatized by a few of the native Raleigh women because I was a 30-something single woman with no children—I didn’t have the right social status in their eyes. I did not run into very many single men (bars and nightclubs are not my thing) but my impression of the few single men I did run into played games and jerked me around like I was supposed to be some desperate woman. Atlanta may be more crowded and frantic but it didn’t take me long to find a decent job and it sure was easier to make friends and establish an extended family there.

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