Taking VA/NC Road Trip... Looking for places to move to (transfer, neighborhoods)

[Pudzley]

Hey everyone,

My fiancee and I are currently living in north Jersey (bergen county) and we want out. It's far too expensive and crowded here. We are taking a week long trip down to VA and NC and are stopping by several cities. We wanted to see if anyone familiar with these cities can recommend any neighborhoods we should check out.

We are an engaged couple in our 20s with no kids and we would like a place that has the convenience of living in a city without living in a big city. So some kind of suburb or on the outskirts of a city where entertainment, shopping, etc would be a quick drive away. For example, we used to live in Arlington, TX and found that to be a great mix where it wasn't overly crowded or with too much traffic, but we had tons of shopping and entertainment around as well as easy access to major highways. We also had Fort Worth and Dallas 30 minutes away if we did want to go to the city for a day. My fiancee works for Walgreens and she would be transferring so it is a must that there be at least several Walgreens in vicinity. Also, very important is the cost of living. Right now, anything will be better than Bergen County, NJ... but having lived in TX with no state income tax, we got a bit spoiled, so a place with a cost of living near or below the national average would be optimal. As for me, I will likely be going back to school so most of the cities we are visiting have schools with the programs I'm interested in.

Here are the cities we will be stopping by; any advice as to which neighborhoods to check out would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

- Richmond, VA
- Charlottesville, VA
- Roanoke, VA
- Blacksburg, VA
- Greensboro, NC
- Winston Salem, NC
- Raleigh, NC
- Norfolk, VA
- VA Beach, VA

[KathrynAragon]

Norfolk and VA Beach are very congested but there is SO MUCH to do in that area. It's actually one of my favorite places in the country, once I can untangle myself from the urban sprawl and get out to see the historical sights and the water. But that can be a challenge.

Central Virginia is beautiful and beautifully situated between the Appalachian Mountains (which are lovely) and the ocean with all it's charms. Central Virginia is very green, lush, with rolling hills and lots of history as well.

I personally prefer Virginia over North Carolina because the entire state is just a bit more cosmopolitan than North Carolina. But NC has the same advantages when it comes to mountains, oceans and a beautiful interior. Plus the cost of living is probably lower.

Both states are beautiful and full of friendly people.

[David_J]

Based on your criteria, I'd stay away from NoVA.

Cost of living in Virginia is somewhat lower than North Carolina, but it's not a huge difference. Virginia is still a little more urbanized than North Carolina. Virginia is a little cooler climate-wise compared to North Carolina, but again, it's only a minor difference.

Honestly, there's not a huge difference between those states (apart from NoVA). Take your pick, I guess.

[kyle19125]

I would choose NC over VA as it's quite a bit more sophisticated and progressive in the cities you're interested in. Within those NC cities I would opt for Greensboro/Winston Salem over Raleigh as they're less expensive and offer as much to do. The close proximity to the mountains is a nice plus as well. In Greensboro pretty much the whole NW side is very desirable as well as parts of downtown and where I would focus on living, and oddly enough the same applies for Winston Salem. I would consider both cities a toss-up in terms of which to choose. Winston-Salem has more of a "creative class soul" while Greensboro is a bit more conservative in my opinion.