An Outsider's Guide to North Carolina : A Horror S
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9/2/2015
I moved here 21 years ago from East Tennessee to be with my estranged wife and unborn child. If not for them, I would never have came here. I am still trapped here. North Carolina has two faces, the mountains and the sea, and about half of the people here have two faces as well.
A large portion of the people in this area are generally ignorant, sullen, mean, and unfriendly; the black and hispanic population are generally friendlier than some of the white folks. I have met a lot of nice people trapped economicly in North Carolina. The tax rate is unfair and too high. The cost of living is going up, especially with rental properties and food. Since a lot of industries have fled the country, you can visit the big empty buildings throughout this fair state in every small town. The big cities have more to offer economically, but the crime rate is higher. Schools suck here. The colleges are okay, if you can afford to go. Raleigh and Charlotte are the kings and queens of the state, while most of this state, excluding the beaches, is largely ignored by its government.
Remember the Andy Griffith show? Well, the real North Carolina is nothing like that; in fact, its likely it never was. If you got Mt.Airy, you can visit the Andy Griffith museum. The downtown is full of quaint tourists stores. Its an a nice place to visit, but not a great place to live. At least they have more than...
When I moved here, I settled first in the State Road community outside of Elkin. Yes, they actually named a community that. At that time, there were plenty of jobs and factories hiring people. Not anymore. Elkin is a empty wasteland downtown, with the factories shut down, and most of the stores and businesses shut. If you drive through the town through HWY21 you will see that its a long string of empty buildings and for sale signs.
Jonesville is connected to Elkin by a two lane bridge. If you cross the bridge and zip down the road to the interstate, you won't even know you went through it. It has no downtown really, but it does have the only movie theater in the area. I have heard that you can get a hooker if drive around a few blocks in this quiet little town.
Sparta, which is above Elkin on HWY21 is a wasteland, even though its in the mountains above the continental divide, its mostly a area for retirees and a few people who actually own a place to live up there. They like tourists and golfers up there, as industry fell flat a long time ago.
Yadkinville is a town that wants to be a bedroom community for Winston Salem, N.C.; but since Winston already has so many, Yadkinville is sort of a reject. It has nothing much to offer anyone, except high taxes, little growth, incompentant management, and a closed hospital. Yadkin is okay, depending on what redneck backwater you decide to live.
I chose the Hamptonville Area as its strategically located in the middle of everywhere else you want or need to go in this county or area. Its relatively quite, with only the occasional dead body being found or home break-in (after our break-in, i nailed everything shut). Its been a little worse lately, as my land lord was shot this year during a drug related robbery at a client's house. He is doing much better now.
Statesville was a drug haven the year I spent living there back in the 90's; they were selling crack on the streets back then, as it was literally a drive by business. I hear its more kept under wraps now days.
Walnut Cove is a place I lived briefly, and its a small town that is currently having its water supply contaminated by fracking in the area. It is right down the road from Belew's Creek where Duke Power had their ash dumping problem, so just keep on driving.
Wilmington would be the place to retire near the beach, assuming you can afford it. I vacationed there twice, and its good for that. The beach makes the sullen, backward people of North Carolina more pleasant.
So, let go over our list: If you move here, you should only move to Raleigh, Charlotte, or Wilmington. These are the only places you will think resemble civilization. The bigger cities have gangs, and gang related problems, so if you visit or God forbid, move here, stay outta sections of cities you do not know. Even the larger cities like Winston and Greensboro have big city problems, so follow that rule there as well.
North Carolina is a state of connected by bad roads, through small, barren towns and somewhat pleasant rural communities; its small towns cities are mediocre, and its big cities are not really worth seeing. Aside from the beach or the Blue Ridge Parkway, there is nothing remarkable about the state, and nothing you cannot find somewhere else.
Want to retire to the Mountains? Go to Tennessee. The rednecks there are a little nicer. Want to live at the Beach? Go to South Carolina.
Bobby | Hamptonville, NC