Raleigh-Durham info please
 

Recruiter calls, pitches a job for me in Raleigh-Durham NC. I'm from MA.

Job sounds like a good fit. Good company, nice comp package, relocation, etc. Just in the preliminary phase though. Had one phone interview.

I mentioned it to the Warden and she's all for getting out of the icebox known as central Massachusetts. I told her that it gets cold in NC, but she pointed out that it probably never gets as cold as it does here (2 degrees F this morning) this early in the year. We also got 17 inches of snow last Friday.

Anyway, what can you OOTiots tell me about Raleigh-Durham? Real estate seems very cheap (I can basically get twice the house for half the $ or so it appears - I have a 1800 sf cape here on 1/2 acre).

We like hiking, biking, going to shows, etc. What else can you folks tell me about it?

Re: Raleigh-Durham info please
 

I'm not from the area, but I have family down there, and basically, I can't wait till I get the call that you got.

Re: Raleigh-Durham info please
 

I don't live there, but here's my experiences with the area:

-it's a "big college town" in a lot of ways, with lots of PHDs and a university centered economy, so unemployment is low

-cheap, although prices are climbing...still way cheaper than MA

-kind of a "mix of cultures" - a lot of NY/NJ/PA types there combined with the "native southerners" who are most definitely not like the NYC types - some people mind this, others don't

-there's a decent amount of entertainment, theatre and whatnot, and it's pretty inexpensive compared to the northeast

-it is flat there, so it might make things like hiking a little difficult...you are pretty close to the beach though if that interests you at all

Hope that helps.

-dustyn

Re: Raleigh-Durham info please
 

You are halfway between the ocean and the mountains. Others have told you what the economy is like, and they are correct. The traffic in Raleigh sucks big balls, because the region grew much faster than road planning allowed for. There is no shortage of things to do.

Re: Raleigh-Durham info please
 

Mad dank buds in Raleigh.

Mad ghetto thugs in Durham.

Re: Raleigh-Durham info please
 

Only been there on business a few times, but if you're young, you should like it. Very college-oriented, and Chapel Hill is a great town. Real estate is fairly cheap compared to the NE.

Re: Raleigh-Durham info please
 

It does get cold, but not like MA (highs in the 40s, lows in the 20s this week). I think Raleigh averages about 8 inches of snow a year, but freezing rain/nasty ice storms aren't uncommon. It isn't real cold in the winter, but there is a lot of rain and humidity.

Housing is probably cheap compared to MA. Right now and for many years, there have always been a lot of new housing developments being built. Depending where your job is, you may want to check out Cary, Morrisville, or Apex (if your job is in Research Triangle Park), or Wake Forest (Northeast of Raleigh) areas as all are basically connected to Raleigh.

Durham has nice areas, but also has more than its share of seedy areas.

Re: Raleigh-Durham info please
 

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you may want to check out Cary, Morrisville, or Apex (if your job is in Research Triangle Park), or Wake Forest (Northeast of Raleigh) areas as all are basically connected to Raleigh.


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This is good to know. It did seem that real estate prices were higher in Wake Forest than in other areas.

Since I don't know the area, what would a typical commute to the triangle be from, say, Wake Forest?

We're setting up another phone interview, so there's plenty of time. Thanks for the replies.

Re: Raleigh-Durham info please
 

Cary and Apex are very expensive now.

Re: Raleigh-Durham info please
 

hey man,
I'm from raleigh and lived there until I was 22. a while back I posted about things to do in raleigh, that post is here .

commuting to rtp is kind of a pain, I did it for years and it took me ~30 minutes from downtown raleigh. I really like downtown raleigh and would recommend looking at houses in historic oakwood and/or five points if you want to be near downtown. both are really nice areas.

for cheaper housing, garner is just south of raleigh, very close to downtown as well as the beltline and still very cheap. cary is boring as all hell and has no culture whatsoever.

there are parts of durham that are nice, and parts that are very ghetto. chapel hill is nice but very expensive.

feel free to pm me if you have more questions.