Consider a move down that way

[Slide Panda]

So I'm putting some thought into leaving the DC area for N Carolina, so I wanted to get some 1st hand experiences.

I'd probably be targeting the Raleigh area, as I've got family in Pinehurst which is part of the reason I'm considering the move.  The aim is to be closer, but not *too* close I'd also like to be nearer to a city for the jobs, culture blah blah.

I'm a web nerd by trade.  I bridge the gap between design and light development - HTML CSS, Flash w/ Actionscript, some PHP Javascript etc and have my fine arts degree so I can make stuff look nice.  So in theory I'd be looking for a job in that field, preferably with a creative firm.

I've done some cursory looking and saw a listing for a job in Carrey - what's it like there?

Got any suggested places to live?  Good job hunting resources?  Know anyone looking and all that crap.

I guess just give me the run down.  I've been down to visit my parents - but don't know a huge amount about life down there.

[jdubbs32584]

So I'm putting some thought into leaving the DC area for N Carolina, so I wanted to get some 1st hand experiences.

I'd probably be targeting the Raleigh area, as I've got family in Pinehurst which is part of the reason I'm considering the move.  The aim is to be closer, but not *too* close I'd also like to be nearer to a city for the jobs, culture blah blah.

I'm a web nerd by trade.  I bridge the gap between design and light development - HTML CSS, Flash w/ Actionscript, some PHP Javascript etc and have my fine arts degree so I can make stuff look nice.  So in theory I'd be looking for a job in that field, preferably with a creative firm.

I've done some cursory looking and saw a listing for a job in Carrey - what's it like there?

Got any suggested places to live?  Good job hunting resources?  Know anyone looking and all that crap.

I guess just give me the run down.  I've been down to visit my parents - but don't know a huge amount about life down there.

Psssst its Cary. Cary is very nice. There's lots of riders in the Raleigh area if I remember correctly.

There's also the big city of Charlotte where I live. Its close to the mountains (2 hours or less) and great riding.

Good luck, let us know if you need any help setting up shop. 

[Slide Panda]

Sorry - Like I said it was very cursory research. 

Maybe this info will help a bit too.  If you are familiar with the DC area - I live in the Southern Section of Arlington.  MY place isn't on the beaten path, but I've got a .5 mile walk to a couple blocks of restaurants, and grocery and movie theater.  If possible, I'd like some sort of area like that.  While I don't know if I want to live down town (since I wany a garage!) but I do not want the total suburban experience since I'm not married and the only kids have fur a 4 feet.

The desire for a garage and the requirement to keep the critters means I'd be looking to buy a place.  I currently own and (if) I can sell my place I should be able to do decently down there since DC prices rang towards the high side.

Am a smarter to target the corridor between Raleigh and Durham?

J - tell me more about Charlotte..

[jdubbs32584]

Sorry - Like I said it was very cursory research. 

Maybe this info will help a bit too.  If you are familiar with the DC area - I live in the Southern Section of Arlington.  MY place isn't on the beaten path, but I've got a .5 mile walk to a couple blocks of restaurants, and grocery and movie theater.  If possible, I'd like some sort of area like that.  While I don't know if I want to live down town (since I wany a garage!) but I do not want the total suburban experience since I'm not married and the only kids have fur a 4 feet.

The desire for a garage and the requirement to keep the critters means I'd be looking to buy a place.  I currently own and (if) I can sell my place I should be able to do decently down there since DC prices rang towards the high side.

Am a smarter to target the corridor between Raleigh and Durham?

J - tell me more about Charlotte..

Downtown Charlotte is a happenin' place. There's always something going on. Also in Charlotte, there are different neighborhoods that are very unique. NoDa (North Davidson) is an area that is very artsy and has gone through a bit of a renaissance lately and quite nice. Theres a lot of bars and a huge music scene there. Very cute old houses and lots of condos. But, like any urban renewal area, you can be kinda close to run down areas. There's also Dilworth, a great little neighborhood just south of downtown with great places to eat and lots of old oak trees and such. There's all sorts of these little neighborhoods that have very cool places to live and walking distant restaurants.

Charlotte's a big city though, and we have big city problems. Traffic can suck royally and there's obviously crime. We've got tons of people coming to the city for oppurtunity and don't have the infrastructure yet to really support it. If you're looking for something quieter and with less traffic, I'd suggest the mountains or the Triangle (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill).

You'll find more people to ride with in Raleigh too. But Charlotte's cool if you want a city thats growing and has a lot of stuff going on.

[Slide Panda]

That's some good info to work from.  Thanks. 

Yeah I'm trying to find the bridge between 'Downtown' and the boonies... Dilworth ot the like sounds like it might do.

I'm not afraid of living downtown nor the city.  I'm a child of 1980's era Philly, so I don't jump at my own shadow.  Just downtown living is usually more bucks for your square foot and getting a garage is real tough, at least around here it is.  And I'd really like a garage to call my own. 

And traffic... haha anythings better than DC trust me

[Paradux]

With your tech background the triangle sounds ideal. Cary is nice but quite suburban. Downtown Raleigh is improving but that has made home prices a bit higher. Either way, you will be spending less than in the DC area. I'd consider Durham and Chapel Hill too. All four cities in the area are quite different.

Proximity to mountains is the biggest plus for Charlotte. Riding isn't too bad around the triangle but is great in western nc.

[yamifixer]

not to bash my new home but the coast kinda blows. Don't get me wrong, the beachs are great but otherwise nothing. it's expensive, and I took a massive pay cut to come here (50%ish) thankfully my wife got a good job that's why we are here. and most of all the riding is awfull. straight, flat, and boring.

[BWClark]

Don't mean to spam, but as suggested, I'm piggy backing on this tread with my own Q's... This is cut and paste from my original post in NMC.

You've got me thinking hard about Charlotte, NC. Accommodation looks downright affordable compared to New Zealand and our other options in the US, and there seem to be plenty of prospects for work in my area. My wife and I like the size of the city (big enough, and not so large that we will be too lost), the climate looks decent, with outdoor pursuits abound(?).

Just a couple questions to anyone that's been there...

1. What's the cultural scene like? Music? Theater? Arts? I'm into Jazz, Funk, and Dance/Electronic/House music.

2. My wife is a mix of Philippino/Persian backgrounds, has been studying the civil rights struggle in the US, and the racism issue is fresh in her mind. She's a bit concerned about a "racist legacy of the south" both directed against her, and just in general. My take is that there are racists everywhere (including here in NZ), but in major metropolitan cities people are largely educated and exposed to lots of other cultures, and so I don't imagine Charlotte to be any worse than LA or Auckland. I haven't been there though. Any experience?

3. Generally, what do people think of Charlotte NC?

Sweet!   

[Slide Panda]

Hey BW - I see you found the thread

I'm not a beach person, so I'm fine with passing on the premium turf out there.

Cary - yeah I got the impression from my quick zillow sweep, that it was a bit more suburban that I'd find ideal. 

Time to do a little zillowing on Charlotte. 

Thanks for the input so far.

Some other random considerations you might help with:
Any sort of music or arts scenes in the various areas?  I like to catch a show now and then, Rockabilly, Celt punk (DKMs Flogging Molly etc)
Any areas particularly dog friendly? 

[jdubbs32584]

Don't mean to spam, but as suggested, I'm piggy backing on this tread with my own Q's... This is cut and paste from my original post in NMC.

You've got me thinking hard about Charlotte, NC. Accommodation looks downright affordable compared to New Zealand and our other options in the US, and there seem to be plenty of prospects for work in my area. My wife and I like the size of the city (big enough, and not so large that we will be too lost), the climate looks decent, with outdoor pursuits abound(?).

Just a couple questions to anyone that's been there...

1. What's the cultural scene like? Music? Theater? Arts? I'm into Jazz, Funk, and Dance/Electronic/House music.

2. My wife is a mix of Philippino/Persian backgrounds, has been studying the civil rights struggle in the US, and the racism issue is fresh in her mind. She's a bit concerned about a "racist legacy of the south" both directed against her, and just in general. My take is that there are racists everywhere (including here in NZ), but in major metropolitan cities people are largely educated and exposed to lots of other cultures, and so I don't imagine Charlotte to be any worse than LA or Auckland. I haven't been there though. Any experience?

3. Generally, what do people think of Charlotte NC?

Sweet!   

Ok, let me see if I can help you out. I'm a native to charlotte and can help you out. Oh, and I'm very proud of the city so please don't think I'm being rude or anything.

Question 1: The cultural scene in Charlotte is constantly improving. We have large populations of Hispanic, Scots-Irish, German, African, Asian, and Indian. New festivals and celebrations seem to pop up every year. I like to describe Charlotte as a multicultural New South city. We have decent theater, great local bands and a great arts district (NoDa). We've got Tremont Musica Hall, the Double Door, and a big pavilion for the high profile concerts. Keep in mind that we are a Southern city so you're gonna run into more Southern food and culture than you're used to if you're from another country.

Question 2: Like you said, every place has racists. I'm almost (I said almost so please don't flame me for this) am offended that your (or your wife's) view of the South is one of racists. Civil rights disputes happened all over the country (yes, the South too). I totally acknowledge that the South has this reputation but its VERY unfounded. I've lived here my entire life and I can't emphasize enough that this city, as well as the ENTIRE state is tolerant. Like any other place in the US, you're gonna run into the assholes who give us a bad name but Southerners in general are not racist in anyway. I think you'll find that, as a rule, Southerners are more friendly than just about anybody else (no flaming please, just my opinion and experience). Again, its not just in major metro cities that you'll find tolerance and understanding. Just because we're country doesn't make us racist.

Question 3: Charlotte is the biggest city between Atlanta and DC. We're the second biggest banking city in the US behind NYC; two of the top four banks are headquartered here. We've got the NBA, NFL, and many minor league sports. Its a big city with so many people from so many places you're gonna be hard pressed to hear a Southern accent.

Again, please don't think I'm angry or pissed off or anything but I want you to understand that the South is not what you think. Like you said, there are racists every where and the South does not have anymore than any other part of the country.

Oh, and this ones for yuu. Charlotte is pretty dog friendly. We don't have any rules against the big dogs (pits and such) which is very good. We have TONS of parks and woods and creeks and greenways for puppies to get dirty in. Theres even a dog bar in NoDa. Other restaurants are catching up to the idea of having your dog sit with you outside.

Any other questions guys? I'm more than happy to answer, as you can probably tell. I love my state, city, and the South in general.
 

[BWClark]

Ok, let me see if I can help you out. I'm a native to charlotte and can help you out. Oh, and I'm very proud of the city so please don't think I'm being rude or anything....

Question 2: ... I'm almost (I said almost so please don't flame me for this) am offended that your (or your wife's) view of the South is one of racists.... Just because we're country doesn't make us racist.

No flames, don't worry!  

Thanks for responding, and thanks for not being offended! I'm being frank with my questions because I'm protected by the anonymity of the inter-web. 

Judging by what you said, I'm on the right track in my view. My wife has only ever been to LA and Chicago, and as I mentioned, she's been learning about the civil-rights movement so her view is somewhat tainted. (Edit: This sounds bad too. What I mean is she's focusing on some select events in history that are, of course, hugely significant, but her focus doesn't represent the present reality in general, accurately. Whew...) Also, even though she's lived in NZ almost all her life, she's never felt 100% at home here because of her background, and she doesn't really want a repeat of that experience. I'm not concerned at all. I'm really asking on her behalf so I have a little more authority by saying "Bubble here says it's cool".  

I'm interested in a finance job, I'm interested in putting away some money, and I'm interested in life balance, so keeping living costs down without having a 2 hour commute would be nice. I'm getting the impression that $1000-1200/month in rent will get me something at a good standard. Does this sound right to you? What sort of commute times might I be looking at at this rent price point? Should I count on spending less/more?

We're a young newly married couple (full of optimism ), and we want to earn well, save and invest and have a decent life in the meantime. Does Charlotte fit the bill in your opinion? We don't know anybody there. Is it friendly to newcomers?

Thanks for your help! Sorry for the blunt questions previously and almost offending you!  

[jdubbs32584]

No flames, don't worry!  

Thanks for responding, and thanks for not being offended! I'm being frank with my questions because I'm protected by the anonymity of the inter-web. 

Judging by what you said, I'm on the right track in my view. My wife has only ever been to LA and Chicago, and as I mentioned, she's been learning about the civil-rights movement so her view is somewhat tainted. (Edit: This sounds bad too. What I mean is she's focusing on some select events in history that are, of course, hugely significant, but her focus doesn't represent the present reality in general, accurately. Whew...) Also, even though she's lived in NZ almost all her life, she's never felt 100% at home here because of her background, and she doesn't really want a repeat of that experience. I'm not concerned at all. I'm really asking on her behalf so I have a little more authority by saying "Bubble here says it's cool".  

I'm interested in a finance job, I'm interested in putting away some money, and I'm interested in life balance, so keeping living costs down without having a 2 hour commute would be nice. I'm getting the impression that $1000-1200/month in rent will get me something at a good standard. Does this sound right to you? What sort of commute times might I be looking at at this rent price point? Should I count on spending less/more?

We're a young newly married couple (full of optimism ), and we want to earn well, save and invest and have a decent life in the meantime. Does Charlotte fit the bill in your opinion? We don't know anybody there. Is it friendly to newcomers?

Thanks for your help! Sorry for the blunt questions previously and almost offending you!  

I love this!!!! 

Ok, lets start with....

Finance job: Like I said, we're the second biggest banking city behind NYC. We've got Bank of America (where I work) and Wachovia. We've also got soooooo many other decent sized banks. If you're looking for that kind of finance job, we've got you covered. If you're looking for a different kinda of finance job, our job market isn't bad at all. Its not the greatest but its not the worst and is pretty good considering the state of the economy here in the states.

Living costs: Charlotte is relatively cheap to live in. You're number of $1000-1200 a month for rent will easily, easily get you a nice (not awesome) apartment within the city in the suburbs. We're talking, 2bed/2bath for that kind of money at the very least. My suggestion would be to check out charlotte.craigslist.org to get a visual representation of what you can afford for that price. If you do that, feel free to email me about the areas that you find and I can give you an honest opinion about crime rates and amenities in those areas.

Commute: If you're in the city, as opposed to the Lake Norman/Huntersville area (areas north of the city) or Rock Hill (south of the city), you're looking at a 45 minute commute at most during rush hour. Once you start moving outside our beltway (the interstate that runs around the city), you're gonna see an increase in commute times. From Lake Norman, it can take you a smidge over an hour to get to downtown. Commutes overall are not bad in Charlotte. Traffic will always suck but you're not looking at 2 hours unless you live 40-50 miles away from the city.

Overall attitude: Charlotte is very friendly in my opinion. We've got people from absolutely everywhere here so you're likely to find a group thats into your culture. I would say that of the population of Charlotte, less than 40% are actually from Charlotte. We're very multicultural and accepting and are well on our way to becoming more open minded, along the same lines as NYC. People, for the most part, are nice and you can stop just about anybody on the street and ask for directions. You'll find that we also talk to strangers in the grocery store, on the train (we recently got a train, like the metro in dc and ny but nothing underground. it only runs south of the city but is in the process of expanding), on the bus, in line at Starbucks.

Please feel free to keep asking questions. I loooove that you're asking, its very good to get an idea of a place before you decide to move there. And I am more than happy to help out in any way. If you are looking at apartments and see areas like University City, Dilworth, NoDa, Southend, let me know and I'll happily explain the geography.

[DucHead]

If you wanna come to Raleigh to check it out, I can put you up for a few days. 

I'll PM you my cell number.

Dave

[BWClark]

I've got some more for you...  

It's hard for me and my wife to gauge how much we could earn and save. This stuff is always touchy and personal and somewhat taboo, so again, excuse the frankness.

Part of the problem we're having is different countries really value jobs differently. This is a major contributor to my move back to the US. I'm in finance/investments, and New Zealanders are scared of the stockmarket, so I want to head back to my roots where I have a chance of reaching my potential. I've been running my own boutique stock brokerage here for about 5 years, with mixed results. I'm trying to build a picture of what I can maybe earn(?).

I went to highschool in RI, and got 1350 on my SATs
I have a Bachelor of Commerce from Auckland University (here in NZ) with a double major in Management and Employment Relations.
I have Customer Service experience as an employee in retail and a call center.
I've been a professional stockmarket investor for almost 10 years, and set up my brokerage about 5 years ago.
I'm computer literate, reliable, present well,  all that...

I don't have any local US licenses yet, but I'll see what I can do before I get there.

How difficult would it be to get a job in the $50-60k bracket for me IYO? (This is tough stuff I know, but I've got nobody else to ask!) I'd like to work up from there, but if I can get in at at least that point, I'm doing better than break-even. I saw a job at Vanguard that looked good, but it's hard to get salary indications.

My wife is a NZ qualified dentist, and those qualifications don't amount to much there in the US, which is fine, because she wants a change anyway. She might be prepared to work as a hygienist for a time, but probably will want to move away from dental stuff altogether. If she does, and is able to move into something managerial/professional, what is an average salary? $30-40k?

If you ever move countries you will appreciate how difficult this is to assess.

How's working for BAC? What is your role there? How long have you been doing it?

I'm not really comfortable with this money talk, but I'll post up anyway as I figure we're among friends (aren't we?). We're just freaked out and trying to ensure we're likely to accomplish what we're trying to accomplish. Feel free to speak generally if you'd rather not go into specifics.

On another note, we're likely to go there for a visit in late August sometime, and so would be keen to meet anyone interested in meeting us for a dinner/drink! Thanks for the offer of a place Dave! We like to be self sufficient, but it's good to have options and contacts!   
Thanks again!  

[jdubbs32584]

If you come and visit, feel free to give me a shout. I don't have a place to put you up but I can show you some stuff in town.

I'm not sure what the market is around here for your kind of job. Even though I work for The Bank, I'm not in the financial part. Since we are a bank town, I'm assuming thats theres opportunities here for your type of work. Our economy is decent in Charlotte, its not great though. I don't think 50-60K would be a problem with your experience level and education. And I think you're numbers are spot on for your wife too. BUT I am not an expert so don't hold me to anything.

At BAC, I'm a network architect and analyst and have been working for them for a year. Before that, I worked for Wachovia for three years doing about the same thing. I just graduated from college so being in the adult world of buying cars and motorcycles and renting apartments is new to me.

I haven't been in your situation before so I can't tell you what to do. I can tell you that Charlotte is a great city with a TON of opportunities. Come and visit!