Quality of Life is very high
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12/21/2006
I am a native Southern Californian who is recently transplanted to Cary about 4 months ago in Sep. '06.
The people:
In contrast to some of the other opinons I have read the people here are quite pleasant, sure there are a few rude individuals but they are everywhere. The native southerners here are the nicest people I have ever met. There are plenty of people here from big cities, L.A. and N.Y. and they of course have brought their attitudes along with them.
Traffic and Commute
Traffic is not near as bad as the 405 or the 5 at rush-hour. In CA I worked about 25 miles from home and I commuted 1 hour each way. In Cary I work about 15 miles from home and I commute 20 minutes each way during rush-hour. I'd call that a big improvement. But be careful where where you choose to live and plan your route carefully. If you choose to live in Apex, Holly Springs, or even south Cary and you intend to commute to RTP be prepared for a 40 minute+ commute.
Family Life:
Cary is packed with families with young children and play dates galore. Cary has plenty of parks to visit and is close to the "city life" that is offered by Raleigh and Durham. Cary has beautiful 'Greenways' for biking or hiking and plenty of nearby lakes for picnics, fishing, and water sports. Cary, Raleigh, and Durham always have special shows or festivals taking place. Even the local grocery stores sponsor special events and tours of local farms. So there is always plenty to do and nearly all events are kid friendly.
Cost Of Living:
The cost of living here is much lower than So. Cal. Groceries can be a little more expensive here but the cost is more than offset by the lower cost of housing. Housing in So. Cal is 3 to 4 times more expensive than it is here. Rent in So. Cal. (Irvine for example) can be more than double what it is in Cary for a comparable apartment. Utilities is about the same, property tax is about the same, and income tax is about the same as So. Cal. With the cost of housing so much lower in Cary it is not even close to being 'a wash' as one opinion stated.
All in all I really like it here.
Ed | Costa Mesa, CA