Raleigh, from a native who moved away and came bac
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6/1/2006
I am responding to Christopher from California, but anyone else can take this for what it's worth:
Let me tell you where I am coming from to give these comments some context. Grew up in Raleigh, lived there from birth until 1981, lived there again for a short while in early 90's, parents and brother still live there so I am visiting the town 8 to 10 times a year. I am early 40's, Caucasian, married with a child, spiritual protestant not attached to a specific congregation, lean to the right on fiscal and national security issues and just left of center on social issues, a professional with a master's degree, one of two in my extended family to get a master's degree, one of the few family members to ever travel and live outside the south (lived in Indiana for a while, lived in Portland OR for seven years) ... Moved back to NC in 2004.
I think Raleigh is a nice town, but it has changed tremendously since I grew up there. My parents moved there in 1961 and it was a sleepy town of 59,000! It has grown tremendously since the early 80's.
Some POSITIVES: real estate is still cheaper than lot of larger US cities, low crime rate, taxes cheaper than many large US cities, great weather as long as your AC stays on, mountains are several hours away, Wilmington and the Atlantic Ocean are three hours away, economy is pretty stable - it is the state capital, and the universities are attractive to employers coming in from outside the region (proximity to Research Triangle Park doesn't hurt, with more PhD per square mile than any other part of the US), the universities and new companies from outside the state mean an increase in diversity for the city, schools are OK - lack of public school violence you see in a lot of larger cities, tuition at state universities is CHEAP compared to most states, and yes, we do have some good universities in the state system. NC also has a huge community college system, there are many campuses all over the state, great for taking a night class or getting a certification in some professional topic. SOME international connections from Raleigh-Durham Airport. MOST people are pretty friendly, and I think most people (below retirement age)are learning to be more tolerant of those with a different appearance, lifestyle, etc.
Some NEGATIVES: weather (if you have a problem with heat), increasing traffic in some parts of town, city government, at least for now, grants way too many concessions to developers, "sprawl" on the edge of town,
Michael | Madison, NC