Real Expectations of the Triangle
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2/22/2014
I've read a lot of negative comments on Raleigh and I've lived in the area for a couple of years now. I was born and raised as a young child in Louisiana, but went to high school and college in Northern Virginia, just outside of DC. Because of this mixture and the clients I serve in the triangle area I've been exposed to both sides of this North/South divide. So to cut to my biggest pieces of advice;
1) If you are looking for a Northern friendly "liberal" area, you are looking for Cary/Apex. We jokingly say Cary means "Containment Area Reserved for Yankees".
2) Know that you are moving to the south and while southerners are generally very nice and polite, you get what you give. Much of the rude behavior I've experienced or been told about has been in the city itself and (no offense) tends to come from people who have moved to the area rather than those who lived here for a while.
Having lived in a true major metro area (DC) I will say there is no traffic and the cost of living is very low. In just about any city, the cost of housing is higher within the beltline and the manners of the people are lower. Raleigh is no different.
Having been raised with southern manners and values but educated in a Northern City I can get along with pretty much everyone around here, but please acknowledge if you want to relocate here that you should make an effort to assimilate into the culture and not expect the culture to change to suit your comfort or preference.
Sarah | Angier, NC