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I'm planing an initial exploritory trip through NC in February. Planning to spend a couple of days at each city. As far as overall quality of life, what city is best for a family with a teen son and a 2 yr old daughter. I'm in sales and my wife is looking into social work or education fields. Any information would be appreciated.
With the information you've given, it's between Charlotte and Raleigh. Asheville isn't a town to move to and raise a family.
Odd, I know several people who are raising families in Asheville. It's a beautiful, vibrant city, with easy access to an incredible array of things to see and do, and their kids seem to enjoy it just fine.
To the OP, there's no simple answer to your question. All three cities are great places to live. Asheville is smaller and will obviously not have the same level of economic opportunity, but otherwise you'll find plenty of people who would prefer to live in Asheville over Charlotte or Raleigh (both of which are find places to live, too.)
When I moved to Charlotte I wasn't thinking of family, mostly what I can do everyday and enjoy. I picked Charlotte because of the airport, it's bigger than Raleigh's airport. The Charlotte downtown seems very vibrant to me, although I don't go there enough. The real estate prices were very reasonable compared to where I moved from. I didn't want snow in the winter, so Asheville was out for that reason, Charlotte still gets very little snow but overall the winters are just cold. So really it depends on what you are looking for. Asheville is a very nice "kind of mountain" city with a very good feel to it. It reminds me of Berkeley in CA. A visit for sure will help you get an overall feel but read everything you can find on this forum, that's how I collected a ton of information before I moved. Good luck and let us know what you select and why.
How is it that you have narrowed it down to NC, but don't know the city? Are you looking in other states as well? Charlotte is the most urban, Raleigh the most suburban, and Asheville is all about the mountains (and unquestionably the most "liberal" of the three).
What attracted you to NC specifically (vs, say, SC, Va, etc)? This might give clues on which place fits your needs best.
Can I jump in here and ask for a little clarification on "just as cold?" I live in the Chicago area, and am considering a move to the Charlotte area because I can't take much more cold. If it's jackets and gloves, OK. If it's parkas, snowboots, and weathermen who tell you how many minutes you can remain outdoors before freezing exposed body parts - NO!
Once again, I wonder why the poster specifically omitted anywhere within the Piedmont Triad region.
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