Review of Raleigh, North Carolina


Bland and Boring
Star Rating - 7/5/2021
I don’t see how Raleigh makes the top best places to live lists. The people are funny acting and job market is only great if you are in IT or Medical/biotech field. Cost of living is rising, if you make less than $80k as a single or $160k as a family you better have a side hustle (e.g: Uber, Lyft, side business) if you don’t want to live paycheck to paycheck.
There isn’t much to do outside bars and restaurants on Glenwood south/North Hills. Outside of those areas Raleigh is bland suburbia. Raleigh is not a city! There is no aquarium, zoo, theme parks, or decent museums. You are paying city cost of living without all the big city amenities.
People act the same, very cliquey, dress alike, and drive the same type of vehicles. Raleigh is full of basic bros/gals with no individual character or personality.
If you want true city life, this is not the place for you. Move to Charlotte, Nashville, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Austin, or Miami for a true southern city with lots of things to do besides bars and restaurants.

Chris | Durham, NC
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2 Replies


This is the most accurate review of the RDU area on the site.
Maris | Raleigh, NC | Report Abuse

I disagree about the museums! NCMA is great and their campus is a wonderful public art space. The NC Museum of Natural Sciences is really neat, as well. There are some restaurant gems, as well, although my favorite recently closed. The best thing about the area, in my view, is the greenspace! Amazing public parks and greenways abound. We do get some good live shows at the various music venues and Goodnight's Comedy Club. Overall, I do agree that the vibe here is pretty bland and it's not a very urban city. It has been hard to meet people. It's a bit button up and sterile and probably a good scene for families. It is also getting more and more expensive and historic neighborhoods are losing the little character the city has to offer with hyper-development.
vanessa | Raleigh, NC | Report Abuse
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