Thoughts & Comments on the Raleigh, NC area?

Thoughts & Comments on the Raleigh, NC area?
We are considering a move to the Wake County area - Raleigh, Cary, Apex... I would appretiate any thoughts from those who live or visit there! Schools, shopping, taxes, jobs.... whatever! wow.... that is exactly the kind of input i was looking for. i have heard only from a friend who moved to holly springs from long island - - to them, anything that has taxes less than 10,000 a year is awesome.
Renting & Real Estate - 5 Answers - 2008-01-10 06:53:10

Best Answer
please do urself a favor-dont move!!!! it was charming 15 years ago.now,the roads are choked with traffic,the commutes to work are awful.its like driving in manhatten.food prices are high,as hi almost as in nyc-my uncle,visiting recently was surprised.because of massive growth and not enough schools,our kids are being bussed,or forced into year round schedules-with the older and younger kids tracked out at differing times,making family vacations difficult to plan.we have been in the grip of intense drought for months,water is going to be more expensive,and water restrictions are set to become more severe as this drought worsens.taxes have gone up to support more schools,our house values have all gone up-good for sellers,bad for those who now have to pay higher taxes on their properties,with older people on fixed incomes being forced to sell/downsize.teardowns of existing victorian thru 1950's homes is rampant,they are being replaced with ugly mcmansions.we cant stand the L.A style traffic and the fact that every green space is ploughed and paved to make way for yet another mall or apartment complex.everything this city was is being ruined by massive growth.we are moving to my grandmothers rural property,as raleigh is now one big traffic laden mess.cary is the same and apex is getting that way.its called "urban sprawl"-think "stripmall"-and its ugly.i live in the historic partof raleigh downtown-victorian thru 40's homes.sounds pretty,right?ooops,did i mention,its 2 blocks from a section notorious for prostitution and shootings?yes,right down the road are crackhouses.no one seems to be doing much about that.there have been several drug-related killings 2 blocks from my home in "historic oakwood."

All Answers
Answer 1
NC is where I am from, Charlotte specifically. The tax rate is higher in Charlotte, but the prices of homes in Raleigh are far greater than Charlotte, so in essence, each year you will fork out more in property taxes. I personally, like Charlotte better. People here call it the "big little city" because it's not spread out over a huge geographical area like Raleigh is. Raleigh has also been a huge victim of tons of abandoned buildings in industrial parks that are no longer being used. That makes for a huge eyesore of a city. Raleigh also has more issues with drugs there than Charlotte because I-95 runs right through Raleigh, which is well known by drug enforcement. I can't imagine living anywhere else.
2008-01-10 07:03:33

Answer 2
please do urself a favor-dont move!!!! it was charming 15 years ago.now,the roads are choked with traffic,the commutes to work are awful.its like driving in manhatten.food prices are high,as hi almost as in nyc-my uncle,visiting recently was surprised.because of massive growth and not enough schools,our kids are being bussed,or forced into year round schedules-with the older and younger kids tracked out at differing times,making family vacations difficult to plan.we have been in the grip of intense drought for months,water is going to be more expensive,and water restrictions are set to become more severe as this drought worsens.taxes have gone up to support more schools,our house values have all gone up-good for sellers,bad for those who now have to pay higher taxes on their properties,with older people on fixed incomes being forced to sell/downsize.teardowns of existing victorian thru 1950's homes is rampant,they are being replaced with ugly mcmansions.we cant stand the L.A style traffic and the fact that every green space is ploughed and paved to make way for yet another mall or apartment complex.everything this city was is being ruined by massive growth.we are moving to my grandmothers rural property,as raleigh is now one big traffic laden mess.cary is the same and apex is getting that way.its called "urban sprawl"-think "stripmall"-and its ugly.i live in the historic partof raleigh downtown-victorian thru 40's homes.sounds pretty,right?ooops,did i mention,its 2 blocks from a section notorious for prostitution and shootings?yes,right down the road are crackhouses.no one seems to be doing much about that.there have been several drug-related killings 2 blocks from my home in "historic oakwood."
2008-01-10 07:08:25

Answer 3
Check NC schools rank on the US list. When we lived there ten years ago NC ranked 48 out of 50. Maybe it's better now. Are you black, because NC is the south and I found many people to be very open about their racial preferences. Keep in mind that I am from the DC metro area where diversity is better accepted. I also found people in general were not very well educated. Quite a surprise for an area so close to Duke University, pharmaceutical companies, RTP, and IBM. North Raleigh and Cary has quite a bit of upper class, but they are very snobby, unless you live in the right area too. I highly suggest you think twice. Good luck, hope you find the right place.
2008-01-10 07:16:03

Answer 4
I am shocked to read all of these negative comments. I moved to Raleigh a year ago and although it's not my cup of tea, I dont think I've met a single person here that doesn't love it. The population is growing steadily and most people who move here are from NY or NJ which is why I think they like it, since they can be around the same type of people, if feels familiar. We are in a severe drought, but housing prices will be much cheaper than NY and traffic although locals find horrible will be nothing to you. Also, despite negative comments on schools they are not as awful as described, Wake County Schools, especially those in Cary consistently rank in the top 100 of the nation yearly. And local towns like Cary and Apex also rank in these lists regularly. I suggest visiting and deciding for yourself. Taxes although higher in Cary, still probably won't compare to those in NY from people I've talked to. It can be difficult to find a job but if your in a technological or professional field it shouldn't be a problem with the Research Triangle so close. P.S. to answerer #1 I-95 does not run through Raleigh it's more than 20 miles away and the city is much smaller than Charlotte in geographical size, after all our beltline is only about 20 miles long.
2008-01-10 07:46:22

Answer 5
Raleigh is actually a pretty nice city. I don't know where Mary gets her info from...she sounds like she's describing Fayetteville....NOT Raleigh. (Abandoned industrial buildings? WTF????) But I'm not surprised...most people in Charlotte think the rest of the state worships them or something. I've lived in Raleigh for 13 years now, and am a North Carolina native so I think I know my city. It's a decent, fast growing city. The economy is relatively strong here...definitely science-based though, with education and government as other big job sources. Raleigh along with it's neighbor cities Durham and Chapel Hill, forms the Research Triangle area which is a scientific research hub for the region. Lots of colleges here too, as you probably know. Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill are growing with more opportunities these days. (That said, if you don't have a job lined up already, I'd probably not move yet.) All three cities here have been doing a good deal of downtown revitalization and urban development in the past decade. I've seen a great deal of change here in the urban cores. As for the other Wake County towns like Cary, Apex, etc, I really don't have much good to say about them. They're just sprawling suburbs full of gated communities, cul-de-sacs, and strip malls. If you've ever seen the movie "Stepford Wives" then you've seen Cary.
2008-01-11 07:20:19