Driving tour of Raleigh/Durham/CH/Cary to Decide Whether to Relocate?
December 28, 2014 12:17 PM Subscribe
We are going to Chapel Hill for a long weekend, starting 1/1, and are very seriously considering moving there from Brooklyn. I've read previous threads on the Research Triangle area, and we may have an appointment with a realtor set up, but we're not quite sure how to prioritize what areas/streets/towns we see, and, in particular, don't want to end up driving around aimlessly, especially with a 7 month old in the backseat. Mefites, please help us organize our time so we can make an itinerary!
We are currently looking to move to the Research Triangle area, but we don't really know where to start and want to make sure we are getting the correct sense of what it would be like to live there. My parents moved to CH about a year ago and love it. I've visited twice, so have some general sense of what the 70-plus gated-community crowd likes to do there (and have only seen CH, nowhere else), but Mr. Luckdragon and I are looking for something a little different from that.
About us:
--early-thirties couple with a 7-month old baby
--attorneys and generally risk-averse (if you hadn't figured that out already)
--hoping to find jobs that allow us more of a work-life balance than most legal jobs in NYC, even if they cause a decrease in salary
--currently live in Brooklyn (in a more unfashionable neighborhood); we like walking, small businesses, and public transit, but understand we will probably have to give that up in NC
--mostly nerdy homebodies: we have close friends over for dinner once a month or so, and rarely go out, spend most of our time reading
--we expect to rent for our first year if we move, and then, hopefully, buy a reasonably priced house
--we like to cook at home; we are frugal
--Mr. Luckdragon likes to go to they gym; I like to swim
--I am fiscally liberal and tend to be somewhat socially conservative; Mr. Luckdragon is socially liberal and fiscally conservative
--we are hoping to have at least two more kids and maybe as many as 4 more, God help us
What We're Looking For:
--a family-friendly environment with a strong sense of community, ideally a community that is not too materialistic and where it's not unusual for mothers to work (I am hoping to open a private law practice eventually)
--good enough public schools, but don't have to be perfect; ideally kids could walk to school
--access to nature/parks/walking trails
--a place where we can have a larger house, with trees, and a small backyard (trees are important, size of house less so, except for the fact that we may eventually have 5 kids)
--we're not opposed to HOAs or new construction, but a really functional old house would be ideal
--ideally would be able to drive to non-strip-mall/chain restaurants and farmer's markets
--somewhere not too far from Chapel Hill (35 minutes or less, though this is flexible), since my parents are there
One limitation: From my research online, everyone says you should know where you are working in RDU before you commit to live in a place because of the traffic issues. We don't know that yet (Mefites: can anyone speak to where the majority of legal jobs are in the area?). I suspect, however, that one or both of us might end up working in Raleigh.
Places we know to consider but don't know anything about: Cary (but where, specifically??), Carrboro (too expensive?), Southern Village in CH, Old West/Old North Durham (but which specific streets should we see?).
I am really intrigued by the idea of living in Durham and think we might like it, especially until our kids are of school age--specific thoughts about that area especially welcome.
We can spend a day or two driving and looking around, probably in 2-3 hour chunks with the baby. Very much appreciate any help you can offer.
Also would appreciate any insights on what we should see that would convince us NOT to move there--we don't know our blind spots yet.
We are currently looking to move to the Research Triangle area, but we don't really know where to start and want to make sure we are getting the correct sense of what it would be like to live there. My parents moved to CH about a year ago and love it. I've visited twice, so have some general sense of what the 70-plus gated-community crowd likes to do there (and have only seen CH, nowhere else), but Mr. Luckdragon and I are looking for something a little different from that.
About us:
--early-thirties couple with a 7-month old baby
--attorneys and generally risk-averse (if you hadn't figured that out already)
--hoping to find jobs that allow us more of a work-life balance than most legal jobs in NYC, even if they cause a decrease in salary
--currently live in Brooklyn (in a more unfashionable neighborhood); we like walking, small businesses, and public transit, but understand we will probably have to give that up in NC
--mostly nerdy homebodies: we have close friends over for dinner once a month or so, and rarely go out, spend most of our time reading
--we expect to rent for our first year if we move, and then, hopefully, buy a reasonably priced house
--we like to cook at home; we are frugal
--Mr. Luckdragon likes to go to they gym; I like to swim
--I am fiscally liberal and tend to be somewhat socially conservative; Mr. Luckdragon is socially liberal and fiscally conservative
--we are hoping to have at least two more kids and maybe as many as 4 more, God help us
What We're Looking For:
--a family-friendly environment with a strong sense of community, ideally a community that is not too materialistic and where it's not unusual for mothers to work (I am hoping to open a private law practice eventually)
--good enough public schools, but don't have to be perfect; ideally kids could walk to school
--access to nature/parks/walking trails
--a place where we can have a larger house, with trees, and a small backyard (trees are important, size of house less so, except for the fact that we may eventually have 5 kids)
--we're not opposed to HOAs or new construction, but a really functional old house would be ideal
--ideally would be able to drive to non-strip-mall/chain restaurants and farmer's markets
--somewhere not too far from Chapel Hill (35 minutes or less, though this is flexible), since my parents are there
One limitation: From my research online, everyone says you should know where you are working in RDU before you commit to live in a place because of the traffic issues. We don't know that yet (Mefites: can anyone speak to where the majority of legal jobs are in the area?). I suspect, however, that one or both of us might end up working in Raleigh.
Places we know to consider but don't know anything about: Cary (but where, specifically??), Carrboro (too expensive?), Southern Village in CH, Old West/Old North Durham (but which specific streets should we see?).
I am really intrigued by the idea of living in Durham and think we might like it, especially until our kids are of school age--specific thoughts about that area especially welcome.
We can spend a day or two driving and looking around, probably in 2-3 hour chunks with the baby. Very much appreciate any help you can offer.
Also would appreciate any insights on what we should see that would convince us NOT to move there--we don't know our blind spots yet.
Best answer: I moved to Durham from California 10 years ago and have grown to love it.
The Watts-Hillandale/Old West Durham neighborhood meets all of your requirements. You'll get a feel for the area if you head over to Oval Park (1100 Oakland Avenue). There are three parks in Watts-Hillandale and there's a small greenway from Indian Trail Park (2499 Indian Trail). The local elementary school is EK Powe. You can take a drive up 9th Street to see the school and the feel of the area. This neighborhood is near the 147 and 85 freeways and very convenient.
Trinity Park is another great neighborhood with a nearby greenway. Most homes in Trinity Park are in the walk zone for the Montessori magnet. You can drive down Markham (starting at Buchanan) to get a feel for the area. There's a great neighborhood park there as well (410 Watts Street).
You may also like Duke Park/Old North Durham. It's also very walkable. If it's a Saturday, I'd definitely go to the Farmer's Market (501 Foster Street). There's a nice new park there so you can get a feel for the area even if it's not a Saturday morning. To see the Duke Park neighborhood (106 W. Knox Street) drive around the neighborhood. The schools in Duke Park/Old North Durham aren't great. Everyone I've spoken to sends their kid to a magnet or drives to applies by permit to another school. But, hopefully this will be different in 4-5 years.
If you are looking for more affordable homes ($125-$225K), I really love Northgate Park. The homes are generally smaller, and it's a wonderful community. The park is the center of the community (300 West Club). There's a magnet elementary school, Club Boulevard, with a walk zone that people like.
Feel free to message me if you have questions. There will be a bunch of working moms in all of these neighborhoods.
posted by JuliaKM at 12:56 PM on December 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
The Watts-Hillandale/Old West Durham neighborhood meets all of your requirements. You'll get a feel for the area if you head over to Oval Park (1100 Oakland Avenue). There are three parks in Watts-Hillandale and there's a small greenway from Indian Trail Park (2499 Indian Trail). The local elementary school is EK Powe. You can take a drive up 9th Street to see the school and the feel of the area. This neighborhood is near the 147 and 85 freeways and very convenient.
Trinity Park is another great neighborhood with a nearby greenway. Most homes in Trinity Park are in the walk zone for the Montessori magnet. You can drive down Markham (starting at Buchanan) to get a feel for the area. There's a great neighborhood park there as well (410 Watts Street).
You may also like Duke Park/Old North Durham. It's also very walkable. If it's a Saturday, I'd definitely go to the Farmer's Market (501 Foster Street). There's a nice new park there so you can get a feel for the area even if it's not a Saturday morning. To see the Duke Park neighborhood (106 W. Knox Street) drive around the neighborhood. The schools in Duke Park/Old North Durham aren't great. Everyone I've spoken to sends their kid to a magnet or drives to applies by permit to another school. But, hopefully this will be different in 4-5 years.
If you are looking for more affordable homes ($125-$225K), I really love Northgate Park. The homes are generally smaller, and it's a wonderful community. The park is the center of the community (300 West Club). There's a magnet elementary school, Club Boulevard, with a walk zone that people like.
Feel free to message me if you have questions. There will be a bunch of working moms in all of these neighborhoods.
posted by JuliaKM at 12:56 PM on December 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Old West Durham has more of what you want than you seem to think you will find. Living in OWD, you have an excellent, walkable elementary school in E. K. Powe. You can walk to 9th St and all it includes, including grocery stores and a huge variety of restaurants. You also have access to the cultural resources on both the east and west campuses of Duke, either by walking or by using the campus bus system (which is open to everybody). It is easy to get downtown (where many of the law offices are) using the city buses (that go through the neighborhood) or to walk a little further and take the free Bull City Connector, which runs very frequently. Or you can even walk (it's about 2 miles to downtown).
Specific streets to check out: obviously drive up 9th St and the parallel Broad St to get a feel for the commercial area. Nice residential streets include W Knox St (our old street, in fact) and Englewood. You might also drive up Carolina Ave north and cross Club Blvd and check out the next neighborhood north, Watts-Hillandale, which has more big houses that might be more attractive to your large family ideas.
Finally, you will hear coded language frequently when people talk about Durham. This neighborhood is "sketchy" or the schools are "bad". Durham is a majority-minority city, and so frequently all those phrases mean is "Black and Latino people live there." Of course there are poor areas (with poor people of all ethnicities), and there are areas with crime, but I have never felt happier or safer than when I lived in Durham. But not everybody likes diversity.
posted by hydropsyche at 1:03 PM on December 28, 2014 [4 favorites]
Specific streets to check out: obviously drive up 9th St and the parallel Broad St to get a feel for the commercial area. Nice residential streets include W Knox St (our old street, in fact) and Englewood. You might also drive up Carolina Ave north and cross Club Blvd and check out the next neighborhood north, Watts-Hillandale, which has more big houses that might be more attractive to your large family ideas.
Finally, you will hear coded language frequently when people talk about Durham. This neighborhood is "sketchy" or the schools are "bad". Durham is a majority-minority city, and so frequently all those phrases mean is "Black and Latino people live there." Of course there are poor areas (with poor people of all ethnicities), and there are areas with crime, but I have never felt happier or safer than when I lived in Durham. But not everybody likes diversity.
posted by hydropsyche at 1:03 PM on December 28, 2014 [4 favorites]
For a school, I recommend Woods Charter School in Chapel Hill. It's K-12, which is great, and the classes are small. If you're in the area, and willing to drive your kids, they can go. Public. Good stuff.
I understand that Durham has some great restaurants. There's Fearrington Inn for fancy-schmancy dinners. There are also homes for sale, or to build there.
Pittsboro has a cute downtown-ish area, but it's pretty remote for me.
I like the Prizm website to check out the market segmentation by zip code. So if you're browsing places like Rent.com and have a question, you can pop the zip code in and see what kind of folks live in the area.
I like the area, and if I weren't so devoted to Atlanta, Chapel Hill, etc would be my next stop.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 2:02 PM on December 28, 2014
I understand that Durham has some great restaurants. There's Fearrington Inn for fancy-schmancy dinners. There are also homes for sale, or to build there.
Pittsboro has a cute downtown-ish area, but it's pretty remote for me.
I like the Prizm website to check out the market segmentation by zip code. So if you're browsing places like Rent.com and have a question, you can pop the zip code in and see what kind of folks live in the area.
I like the area, and if I weren't so devoted to Atlanta, Chapel Hill, etc would be my next stop.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 2:02 PM on December 28, 2014
Best answer: If there is any way at all for at least one of you to get a job before you commit to a specific location, you should really do that. You want to avoid I-40 between Raleigh and Durham during rush hour at all costs, and I say that having lived and commuted in Los Angeles for almost five years. That traffic is miserable. I would love to live in Durham, too, but I work in Raleigh and it doesn't take many times of sitting on I-40 before you realize that commute would be far less than ideal.
I've been in Raleigh for almost ten years. Of the three cities in the RDU area, my impression is that you will find more legal jobs here, especially if either of you specialize in anything related to government. The problem with Raleigh is that Inside the Beltline - the older, most beautiful part of town - is wildly overpriced compared with what you will find outside of that 440 loop. I live about halfway between I-440 and I-540 (sort of in between what is known as Midtown and North Raleigh) and I find it a great compromise - affordable, convenient to downtown and the highways, walkable to greenways and my library and a few other things. You can't really expect anything like a proper urban environment outside of a few Inside-the-Beltline neighborhoods, though (Oakwood, Boylan Heights, Mordecai).
posted by something something at 2:43 PM on December 28, 2014 [4 favorites]
I've been in Raleigh for almost ten years. Of the three cities in the RDU area, my impression is that you will find more legal jobs here, especially if either of you specialize in anything related to government. The problem with Raleigh is that Inside the Beltline - the older, most beautiful part of town - is wildly overpriced compared with what you will find outside of that 440 loop. I live about halfway between I-440 and I-540 (sort of in between what is known as Midtown and North Raleigh) and I find it a great compromise - affordable, convenient to downtown and the highways, walkable to greenways and my library and a few other things. You can't really expect anything like a proper urban environment outside of a few Inside-the-Beltline neighborhoods, though (Oakwood, Boylan Heights, Mordecai).
posted by something something at 2:43 PM on December 28, 2014 [4 favorites]
I have no idea of the price range, but Carrboro does certainly fit a lot of your criteria: a cute, walkable downtown area (with the business district around also UNC also being within walking distance/free public transit) with a farmer's market, locally owned restaurants and businesses, good schools, etc. Some nature trails/bike paths nearby around UNC.
Do note that Carrboro has a reputation of being very, very crunchy/ granola (e.g., drum circles outside of the organic co-op-- which has a delicious hot breakfast buffet), which might well suit your husband, but not you.
Southern Village kind of creeps me out, tbh- it's an attempt at building a facsimile of a small town with a square and a market, etc., but when I've visited/walked around, I got a bit of a Stepford-vibe.
posted by damayanti at 3:06 PM on December 28, 2014 [3 favorites]
Do note that Carrboro has a reputation of being very, very crunchy/ granola (e.g., drum circles outside of the organic co-op-- which has a delicious hot breakfast buffet), which might well suit your husband, but not you.
Southern Village kind of creeps me out, tbh- it's an attempt at building a facsimile of a small town with a square and a market, etc., but when I've visited/walked around, I got a bit of a Stepford-vibe.
posted by damayanti at 3:06 PM on December 28, 2014 [3 favorites]
I left the area in 2000, so take this with a pile of salt, but based on your preferences you might look at north Chatham County between CH/Carrboro and Pittsboro.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 3:09 PM on December 28, 2014
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 3:09 PM on December 28, 2014
Carrboro ticks all of your boxes, I'd say. Memail me with specific questions, but I have lived here for 8 yrs and love it. Prices vary a lot depending on what you choose. Taxes are more expensive here than elsewhere, but you get good schools, walkable downtown area, and local public transportation (free bus in CH/Carrboro, though routes/sched are limited). Yes, there is a bit of crunchy granola vibe in some ways, but my street/neighborhood has doctors, lawyers and professors, so there is plenty of "professional" vibe as well.
Good luck in your search!
posted by msbubbaclees at 4:32 PM on December 28, 2014
Good luck in your search!
posted by msbubbaclees at 4:32 PM on December 28, 2014
Chapel Hill and Carrboro are great, but a commute from there to Raleigh would be soul-destroying. Also they are the most liberal parts of the state, and I can't help but wonder if you all might like Raleigh better, especially since more jobs will be there (Raleigh has a population of about 430,000, whereas Chapel Hill and Carrboro combined are under 85,000, to put it into perspective).
The drive from Raleigh to Chapel Hill will be longer than 35 minutes depending on traffic, but I think it'd be better to do that drive to visit parents than as a commute, which is when the commute might be an hour or longer.
It sounds like you are house hunting when you should be job hunting. But I'd talk to a real estate agent who knows Raleigh and tell him/her what you want (and one real estate agent can't really know the whole Triangle that well, really).
Durham is nice, too, and you might be able to live someplace walkable there, so it's worth considering.
posted by bluedaisy at 5:01 PM on December 28, 2014
The drive from Raleigh to Chapel Hill will be longer than 35 minutes depending on traffic, but I think it'd be better to do that drive to visit parents than as a commute, which is when the commute might be an hour or longer.
It sounds like you are house hunting when you should be job hunting. But I'd talk to a real estate agent who knows Raleigh and tell him/her what you want (and one real estate agent can't really know the whole Triangle that well, really).
Durham is nice, too, and you might be able to live someplace walkable there, so it's worth considering.
posted by bluedaisy at 5:01 PM on December 28, 2014
Best answer: Basically, you are us, including the young infant! (The only big difference is politics -- we're both socially and fiscally very liberal, so YMMV).
I don't live in NC now, but I know the area VERY well. I think you want to live in Carrboro. Carrboro is the Brooklyn of the area (okay, Durham types, you might disagree, but with an infant, you have to worry about schools and Durham is just not good enough yet, in my opinion. Or at least not reliably that good yet. And you don't want to pay five private school tuitions.)
Carrboro schools are GREAT. It's walkable. It's not crazy expensive (in my opinion, but I've lived in similarly expensive cities as NYC so everything seems cheap.) There are lots of cute cafes, and a farmer's market, etc. It just has a good vibe, and it's only getting better. Property I think is still undervalued. It's where I would live if I lived here. Go to Neal's Deli, Open Eye Cafe, Jesse's, Weaver Street Market, Vimala's cafe (okay, Chapel Hill, but walking distance.)
Ok, Southern Village? No. It's very Stepford Wives (at least from the outside, I can be convinced otherwise!) There is a lovely park and a terrific elementary school, but I run there a lot and I think it feels suburban creepy and cold. (again, just my opinion!) But it IS walkable in that contrived, suburban village kind of way, and I'm sure there are a lot of young families you could be friends with.
I'm so sorry we'll miss you or we would take you around! Memail me if you'd like more info.
posted by caoimhe at 6:01 PM on December 28, 2014 [2 favorites]
I don't live in NC now, but I know the area VERY well. I think you want to live in Carrboro. Carrboro is the Brooklyn of the area (okay, Durham types, you might disagree, but with an infant, you have to worry about schools and Durham is just not good enough yet, in my opinion. Or at least not reliably that good yet. And you don't want to pay five private school tuitions.)
Carrboro schools are GREAT. It's walkable. It's not crazy expensive (in my opinion, but I've lived in similarly expensive cities as NYC so everything seems cheap.) There are lots of cute cafes, and a farmer's market, etc. It just has a good vibe, and it's only getting better. Property I think is still undervalued. It's where I would live if I lived here. Go to Neal's Deli, Open Eye Cafe, Jesse's, Weaver Street Market, Vimala's cafe (okay, Chapel Hill, but walking distance.)
Ok, Southern Village? No. It's very Stepford Wives (at least from the outside, I can be convinced otherwise!) There is a lovely park and a terrific elementary school, but I run there a lot and I think it feels suburban creepy and cold. (again, just my opinion!) But it IS walkable in that contrived, suburban village kind of way, and I'm sure there are a lot of young families you could be friends with.
I'm so sorry we'll miss you or we would take you around! Memail me if you'd like more info.
posted by caoimhe at 6:01 PM on December 28, 2014 [2 favorites]
One more addition -- downtown Raleigh is also really cool, cheapish and up-and-coming. But still not a TON there, but I think that will change. Politically, it might suit someone more conservative than the Carrboro option.
posted by caoimhe at 6:02 PM on December 28, 2014
posted by caoimhe at 6:02 PM on December 28, 2014
Weird, just realized that my comments are almost identical to damayanti's. Sorry to be repetitive but good that we're on the same page!
posted by caoimhe at 6:04 PM on December 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by caoimhe at 6:04 PM on December 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
I live in Chapel Hill and I love it. I would second the advice to figure out where you are working before you settle. However, if I were to buy a house in Chapel Hill, I would look on Davie Circle, Rogerson Drive or Maple Ave because the houses are old, cool, charming and affordable. The school zones would probably be Estes Hills, Glenwood and Carrboro, all of which are great. Carrboro has a lot of interesting older mill houses. I teach in Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools and can't say enough positive things about the schools here.
Raleigh and Cary are more conservative than Chapel Hill and Durham. Durham is very up and coming and probably less expensive than Chapel Hill, also closer to Raleigh if it's where you end up commuting.
posted by mermily at 9:12 PM on December 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
Raleigh and Cary are more conservative than Chapel Hill and Durham. Durham is very up and coming and probably less expensive than Chapel Hill, also closer to Raleigh if it's where you end up commuting.
posted by mermily at 9:12 PM on December 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
I feel like you wouldn't be happy in Cary. Cary is the land of sprawl, chain stores, and HOAs that rule with iron fists. Any extra square footage you'd be able to afford there would be negated by the decrease in quality of community/life.
Same with Southern Village. It seems like every town in North Carolina now has one of those pre-planned Stepford-esque developments ("Midtown" in Raleigh is another one), and my impression is that the homes aren't terribly well constructed, either.
I agree with everything said above about Carrboro--Carrboro is safe for all kinds of walking and biking, and homes have large yards without being too sprawly. Lots of great coffee shops, restaurants, local businesses out the wazoo. And a high-IQ population, too, which makes socializing and schools generally better.
ITB Raleigh is a bit pricier, but maybe ideal for your mix of conservative/liberal. And it's a great place to grow up (I know from experience!) The greenway system is vast and lovely, with lots of other parks and mini-parks, and tons of small local businesses. If you find a place near Five Points, you can walk up to Lily's Pizza for dinner, stop in to the Third Place for coffee and dessert, and walk across the street to the Rialto to check out a movie. It's delightful. I also have a bit of experience in the legal scene in Raleigh--depending on what you practice, Raleigh might be your best bet (although I recently heard something like 8,000 attorneys are currently practicing in Wake County, which should be taken with a grain of salt, but the gist is that the market is a bit saturated).
Feel free to message me if you have any questions--I no longer live in the area, but I grew up and went to school there and I visit often. Good luck!
posted by magdalemon at 7:36 AM on December 29, 2014
Same with Southern Village. It seems like every town in North Carolina now has one of those pre-planned Stepford-esque developments ("Midtown" in Raleigh is another one), and my impression is that the homes aren't terribly well constructed, either.
I agree with everything said above about Carrboro--Carrboro is safe for all kinds of walking and biking, and homes have large yards without being too sprawly. Lots of great coffee shops, restaurants, local businesses out the wazoo. And a high-IQ population, too, which makes socializing and schools generally better.
ITB Raleigh is a bit pricier, but maybe ideal for your mix of conservative/liberal. And it's a great place to grow up (I know from experience!) The greenway system is vast and lovely, with lots of other parks and mini-parks, and tons of small local businesses. If you find a place near Five Points, you can walk up to Lily's Pizza for dinner, stop in to the Third Place for coffee and dessert, and walk across the street to the Rialto to check out a movie. It's delightful. I also have a bit of experience in the legal scene in Raleigh--depending on what you practice, Raleigh might be your best bet (although I recently heard something like 8,000 attorneys are currently practicing in Wake County, which should be taken with a grain of salt, but the gist is that the market is a bit saturated).
Feel free to message me if you have any questions--I no longer live in the area, but I grew up and went to school there and I visit often. Good luck!
posted by magdalemon at 7:36 AM on December 29, 2014
I am going to go against the grain and suggest Cary. It is more conservative and family-oriented than any of the the other cities (Raleigh, Durham, and CH) in the Triangle, but there are still plenty of good small businesses and non-chain restaurants (especially ethnic ones), and it's more likely to get you a nice big backyard with trees at a reasonable price than the more urban options. The Wake County public schools are very good, but are not likely walkable. The biggest thing it has going for it is reasonable commutes to Raleigh and the RTP, and decent commutes to Chapel Hill and Durham. I'd look in the Prestonwood area, and east of there between, say Weston Parkway and NW Maynard. If prices there are still too high, you could look at towns in southern Wake County (like Apex, Garner and [where I live] Fuquay-Varina). They are probably more suburban than you would like, but are dramatically cheaper than the rest of the region, for now.
I'd very strongly recommend renting in Cary if you do move before you have jobs. Both for the aforementioned commute issues, and because there is a lot of rental stock in the area.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:28 AM on December 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'd very strongly recommend renting in Cary if you do move before you have jobs. Both for the aforementioned commute issues, and because there is a lot of rental stock in the area.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:28 AM on December 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks, everyone, for the really helpful responses. We definitely will not be driving around aimlessly now!
I know we are putting the cart before the horse here, but we just wanted to get a sense of the place before deciding to go whole hog into the job search (and very expensive law-license transfer process) in a new state. To that end, if anyone has ideas about how to break into the legal market there, we'd welcome them.
Any additional thoughts on Cary? Any former New Yorker types transplanted there have insights?
It really does seem like we would like Carrboro a lot. We're so excited to visit now, and so glad so many Mefites have experience in the area.
posted by luckdragon at 6:19 PM on December 29, 2014
I know we are putting the cart before the horse here, but we just wanted to get a sense of the place before deciding to go whole hog into the job search (and very expensive law-license transfer process) in a new state. To that end, if anyone has ideas about how to break into the legal market there, we'd welcome them.
Any additional thoughts on Cary? Any former New Yorker types transplanted there have insights?
It really does seem like we would like Carrboro a lot. We're so excited to visit now, and so glad so many Mefites have experience in the area.
posted by luckdragon at 6:19 PM on December 29, 2014
We are also relocating to the area and are ex La and Nyc people. Would be curious to hear what you have found that is neighborhood-y and down to earth?
posted by privatechef at 8:29 PM on May 5, 2015
posted by privatechef at 8:29 PM on May 5, 2015
We are moving to chapel hill in a couple weeks from the countryside of Ct. We are excited to be going to a college town after being in a fairly straight, conservative and very small town.
We lived in Miami, Ny and La before moving here to Ct and found this was just too much of a shift from the urban life we left.
Trusting that the triangle area will be a cool place to settle down. We are both in our late fifties and have traveled a lot and are still working and enjoying anything alternative, cultural, out of the box and diverse. Carrboro may be the ending point as we are renting in chapel hill for the first year.
Anyone have an opinion on whether this is a good fit; Carrboro or chapel hill?
posted by privatechef at 6:25 PM on June 17, 2015
We lived in Miami, Ny and La before moving here to Ct and found this was just too much of a shift from the urban life we left.
Trusting that the triangle area will be a cool place to settle down. We are both in our late fifties and have traveled a lot and are still working and enjoying anything alternative, cultural, out of the box and diverse. Carrboro may be the ending point as we are renting in chapel hill for the first year.
Anyone have an opinion on whether this is a good fit; Carrboro or chapel hill?
posted by privatechef at 6:25 PM on June 17, 2015
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This is absolutely true, traffic's a bit of a hellscape between the cities unless you site yourself pretty carefully. There are a lot of legal jobs in Durham (and the law schools are in Durham and Chapel Hill), so it's definitely an option as well as Raleigh.
Cary is not for me, personally, but a lot of people with school-age families like it.
You might look at Woodcroft, a planned subdivision in south Durham (near the mall) with lovely bigger homes and walking trails and a great community for families. There's a swim club (that I believe you can walk to). The folks I know there mostly send their kids to Catholic school, though, so I don't know how the public school is (it's the wealthier end of Durham, though, so probably not terrible). I think it was probably built in the 60s and 70s? Not brand new, but not prewar-old.
Downtown Durham is great, pretty walkable and very interesting with lots of neat little businesses catering to the Duke students and profs, and some great historic buildings that have been renovated into lofts and apartments ... but it's pretty gritty in spots. You'd definitely want someone who knew the area to help you look.
You do really need to understand, though, how NOT walkable RDU is as a whole. It is a car place through and through, with just a few little pockets of walkability. Generally assume any promised public transit will never actually occur; you'll be pleasantly surprised if it does. (It won't.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 12:33 PM on December 28, 2014 [1 favorite]