To say that the million people of a town & 12 million of the whole state 'sucks' says more the speaker than those spoken of, I'd say.
Raleigh is a city of a half-million and the majority of people under age 50 come from outside North Carolina and they bring with them their attitudes, often seen as one of conceited superiority by locals who wonder why they would move to Raleigh, if where they come from was so great. 15% come from outside the USA. Seems all too often people move not blend but with a feeling of where they come from is better and want to change Raleigh, rather than adapt. So, sure, the guy from Long Island clashes with the guy from the West Coast, so what settles in is there are places where Pittsburg Steeler fans meet, eat and watch games, etc. For example, Raleigh has Vincents Italian Deli which attracts NYC & Long Island by the droves. Vincent is from NYC.
Raleigh is flush with money, clean government & corporate centers instead of heavy industry. Less than 3 hours west are the mountains and less than 3 hours driving east is the Atlantic Ocean. There's over a half-dozen colleges in Raleigh, plus Duke & UNC are less than 40 miles away.
Wake County has several lakes to fish, boat and ski on, too many golf courses, and a state park whose trails are not side walk trails. No professional sports teams, save hockey with the Hurricanes, one of the better things brought south by immigrants from the north. But college athletics sport UNC, Duke, NCSU local rivalries.
The climate has four distinct seasons, plenty of water, land covered in greenery, so there is a time for sweaters and for flip flops. There's about a week or two of cold weather with chance of snow, but 3 days of below freezing is rare, and there's a few weeks of 90°+ with a few days reaching a 100° -- enough to appreciate seasons, wear sweaters or shorts & t-shirts, but not enough to wear one down. Every ten years comes a hurricane to the coast and that's exciting more than scary.
Raleigh doesn't have a crime problem, but it has a rich side and poor side. Roads are good, and everything seems less than 20 minutes away.
Raleigh isn't utopia, but it's easy living and one can be happy here, if you've a mind to.
dj |
Raleigh, NC |
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