Please tell me about North Carolina

VaSteve · 05-24-2006, 06:30 PM

I know some of you live in NC, I can't remember who however. My wife and I are considering leaving the rat race of DC. I liked NC when I was a college student (10 years ago) and figured with the lower cost of living, it might be a good place to be. Primarily, I think Charlotte would have the best opportunities but the Raliegh/Cary/RTP area might also be good.... but different.

Can someone share some insight? Job market, places to live, culture, etc, etc.

cliyde · cliyde's Garage

Well, for starters you have the best of the Blue Ridge Mountains and NC Beachs all within a driving time of 5 hours (via I-40). NC is most reasonable in non-metropolitan areas for housing. Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Cary, Wilmington areas are all booming right now with real estate and job opportunities. Research Triangle Park being one of the biggest employment areas. I lived in the Triangle for 5 years and loved it. But like everything, it was time for a change. I now live on the coast of NC and couldn't be happier. I would add that the city of Charlotte is supposedly the largest city in North Carolina and the 20th most populous in the United States. So I'm not sure if you'd be going from the fryer to the frying pan or not. Best of luck!

Quote:

Originally posted by VaSteve
I know some of you live in NC, I can't remember who however. My wife and I are considering leaving the rat race of DC. I liked NC when I was a college student (10 years ago) and figured with the lower cost of living, it might be a good place to be. Primarily, I think Charlotte would have the best opportunities but the Raliegh/Cary/RTP area might also be good.... but different.

Can someone share some insight? Job market, places to live, culture, etc, etc.

Moses · 05-24-2006, 08:37 PM

A move to the Carolinas is a reasonable consideration based on barbecue alone.

Tervuren · Tervuren's Garage

I personly love it - its a great place for the cars. Great roads. I see Porsche's around here a lot. (Black 911, Boxter, 911 Turbo Cab, plus the 4 944's in my sig - cover's today, Ferrari F430 Spyder last week)

dtw · 05-24-2006, 09:57 PM

Hope you're not islamic...we're the pork capital of the world.

Seriously, it is a great state. I've lived here since '90 and wouldn't live anywhere else - and believe me, I've lived in or visited just about everywhere in the lower 48.

If I can assist in anyway with helping you learn more about the Raleigh Durham (and Cary) area, don't hesitate to ask.

And Moses (apparently my alter ego on the west coast...we have the same taste in most things) is right on about the 'cue.

KFC911 · 05-25-2006, 05:07 AM

Steve, if you're desiring to get away from the 'rat race', then imo, Charlotte isn't a fit. Cary/RTP (although I lived there 20 some years ago) has also grown too much for my tastes (although many folks who live in BIG cities would still think of both as 'hooterville' by comparison). Caveat...as is true almost everywhere, the key is where you live in relation to where you work, etc., if you don't have to deal with the daily bs, then both Charlotte & Raleigh would probably be OK. Since you're a CPA (assuming you want to continue) I don't think you'd be tied to either of those two cities....might I suggest you check out Asheville...one of the 'cooler' (and growing with opportunities) cities in NC imo. After where you've been living, you'll think you were in heaven regardless of which locale you pick

Halm · 05-25-2006, 05:34 AM

I was born in Charlotte, moved away at 16 and then back at 42. During my “corporate travel” I lived everywhere from major cities like D/FW and far south NOVA to small town America, Warsaw, IN. THIS is the place to live. Actually any of the towns from Winston-Salem and east are great. As a CPA, I think any of the bigger towns will work. As a Porsche community, Charlotte has more going on than the rest of the State combined.

PM me for my email and phone number. I’ll be glad to answer any questions you might have.

sand_man · 05-25-2006, 05:54 AM

We have nice cooters here...

Jim Richards · 05-25-2006, 05:58 AM

Steve, after living in BFE for so long, you'll feel at home in NC.

They do have some nice cities and the barbeque is different but pretty darn good.

Halm · 05-25-2006, 06:13 AM

The Q here is terrific. And keep in mind that there are 2 distinctly different types. First is “Eastern” style which is vinegar based and is what you find in most parts of the State. The other is “Lexington” style. It is tomato based and much sweeter. You can find it in Charlotte, W-S, GSO and all the towns close to Lexington. Pick your poison… They are both good!

KFC911 · 05-25-2006, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Halm
.... THIS is the place to live.....

That's funny... although Charlotte isn't 'for me', Hal's opinion seems to be universally shared by everyone I know that has ever lived there

So Hal, where do you go in Charlotte for the good Lexington style Q? I'm picky btw, if they don't use wood, (i.e. cooks w/ gas), then it isn't even real 'Q imo.

fastpat · 05-25-2006, 06:27 AM

I would agree with KC911, if you're tired of the metropolitan culture of D.C., then Charlotte definitely, and the RDU in my opinion, are more of the same. Winston-Salem might be tolerable, and good job opportunities as well, in fact the whole state is pretty good for jobs, depending on your goals.

Think, and look, along the I-85 and I-40 corridors, and think about South Carolina and Georgia as well. North Carolina, where I spent most of my formative years, is becoming all too Californicated, legally speaking, for my tastes, one of the reasons I located in South Carolina on my return to the East Coast.

Halm · 06:43 AM

LOL. I live in Davidson, a northern suburb and go to Greg's for the Q. It is in Mooresville. We are looking at moving down into CLT and I honestly don't know where I'll go then. And by "THIS" I was trying to refer to NC, not specifically Charlotte. I would go back to W-S in a heartbeat or Wilmington as well if I had to leave CLT.

A quick story about Greg's. One day I did a call in order. As I was paying I noticed a new Mini S pulling in to the parking lot. A few minutes later as I turned to leave, Jr. was standing behind me to pick up his order too!!!

dtw · 05-25-2006, 06:43 AM

DC != Raleigh/Durham. I've spent months on end in DC for business and can promise there's no comparison.

Steve, I didn't realize you were a CPA - whether you decide on RDU or Charlotte, or even Greensboro, I can help you out with networking/job-hunting. Are you in public or private practice? I work in public but know plenty of clients that are hiring. Plenty of jobs here.

Halm · 05-25-2006, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by procon
My 0.02...

If you're looking to get out of the rat race, I suggest the Asheville area.

With all due respect, Ashville / Hendersonville, etc is too cold, too rural and too many retirees.

fastpat · 05-25-2006, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Halm
With all due respect, Ashville / Hendersonville, etc is too cold, too rural and too many retirees.

The cold tends to reduce the nutcase quotient rather well, I think.

Then, again, when it warms up in the spring the Floridians swarm the area.

VaSteve · 05-25-2006, 07:45 AM

Wow guys, thanks for all the insight. I'm slanmmed to work today, but I'll follow up on your comments, with specific questions and PMs.

I live in Burlington/Elon when I went to school and really liked it there 11 years ago. It took me a while to learn Barbecue was a noun, up here it's a verb.

Jim Richards · 05-25-2006, 08:42 AM

Steve, our son lives in W-S and his (and my) opinion is that it's not where he'll stay. After his residency's over, he's out of there.

Halm · 05-25-2006, 01:55 PM

Jim, that is an interesting comment about W-S and I can see where you may be coming from. Winston can be a bit parochial like Richmond, but IMHO, not quite as bad. And there is still a heavy influence on the town by RJ Reynolds that I clearly don’t like either. But if you can get past that, which you can do, it is a great mid-sized town in which to live. I guess it is like a lot of places. It is all attitude.

KFC911 · 05-25-2006, 03:48 PM

I don't want to give W-S a bum rap, but there is a reason that I commute from Greensboro everyday, and have for 17 years...I wouldn't want to live in W-S either. It's not necessarily a bad place, but it just doesn't appeal to me, and it's still a ghost town after 5 pm (G'boro is WAY ahead of them in that dept.). BTW Hal, the RJR that you remember doesn't really exist anymore (it's Reynolds America now, thanks to a corporate buyout ...ahem, I mean merger), and has nowhere near the influence it once did imo. Wachovia is also gone (another, ahem... 'merger' and is in Charlotte now), and forget about US Air, so today, the medical field dominates the W-S area (think Wake Forest's Bowman Grey School of Medicine), and associated hospital, etc. Asheville on the other hand (although it may have it's share of retirees, etc.) is actually quite a happening place for the younger crowd, and imo has a very bright future... and talk about p-car 'twisties'! Don't get me wrong, I like the RTP area (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) too, but I remember how it used to be, and it's just grown too much for my preferences...there is no way I would now live (where I used to) in Cary and make the bs drive out to the RTP everyday. DTW is correct though, about it being all relative when compared to the DC area. Now let's get this thread back to BBQ (the noun, not the verb Steve)

!