Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Recent widow w/ middle school and high school age kids relocating to Hickory area. This is a complete startover. I'm interested in affordable rentals, a good church, good football team w/ great coaches. A strong Christian community is essential. Currently a regional mgr w/ a major nonprofit organization. Graduate level education. Seeking to change career fields. Open to suggestions and info regarding the area. I am basically looking for a safe, tight knit yet open community for my family to be established and grow.
I'd be willing to bet that he'd say Hickory is not real open to newcomers... at least not on a certain social level.
I just asked my husband, a Hickory native. He says that Hickory can be clique-ish, but if someone is willing to be open to the locals' way of doing things, they will be easily accepted.
Overall, I think Hickory could be a great fit for what the OP is looking for. You might want to touch base with the local United Way or YMCA execs for networking purposes.
It would help to know why you chose Hickory (do you have friends there already?) Also, where do you live now?
Non-profits in Hickory are notorious for hiring "within the community" but if you have contacts there . . .
Some really nice churches in and around Hickory. Also, there are many nice communities outside Hickory proper, where your sons could have a great education and strong sports program.
If you have a price range for a home, that would really help in suggesting where to move.
Hickory is VERY provincial. The locals are clannish and tend to hire people that they know.
That being said...if it is what you have your heart set on, I would suggest looking perhaps at Lenoir-Rhyne University...for both living area and a possible career change.
More details or guidance on what you are looking for would help.
I'm moving there to be closer to family and for the cost of living. Right now I don't want a big career move. I need to work to support the fam. I simply want to go to work get a pay check--leave work at work when I leave. I want to allow myself time to heal. I'm in Texas right now.
I'd be willing to bet that he'd say Hickory is not real open to newcomers... at least not on a certain social level.
I just asked my husband, a Hickory native. He says that Hickory can be clique-ish, but if someone is willing to be open to the locals' way of doing things, they will be easily accepted.
Some of these snoots you will never be accepted nor would you want to.
Overall, I think Hickory could be a great fit for what the OP is looking for. You might want to touch base with the local United Way or YMCA execs for networking purposes.
As a Hickory native, I will agree that some of the Hickory crowd inside the city limits are very clique-ish, and I hated that about my home town. I personally never wanted to be around those boring people anyway, however, if you move outside the city limits into the NE area or into Mountain View area, you will find the people totally different. In another post, I wrote that my kids went to the St.Stephens school district and my kids had a wonderful experience at all the schools there. From Clyde Campbell Elem. to middle school and on to St. Stephens High. If you get involved with their schools, you will meet people from other areas of the country and have a wonderful experience in the community. In the NE, there are many lovely neighborhoods as well as the Mountain View area and there are many price ranges in both areas. It is still very close to the downtown area. There are places to volunteer to get your foot in the door for what you may want to do. The folks at the LandMark Society were always very open to everyone and fun to volunteer for, which I did for many years. The theatre love people to get involved and I helped with their fund raisers there, as well. You may find a few pretentious snoots in the museum arena, but the science center would probably be okay.
It has been many years since I have lived there, but there are so many new people that have moved into the area, that there was then, and I am certain now, that there will be a newcomer's clubs. I wish you all the luck in the world and if there is anything else you want to know, feel free to ask.
Considering the current unemployment rate in the tri-county area of Catawba-Caldwell and Burke is the highest in the state (last I read), I'd say Hickory and surrounding area is not such a good bet, if you're the soul breadwinner for the family. There's not many options, and the jobs that are available (granted I don't know much about the non-profit industry) typically pay a lot less than the national average. And yes, the natives can be quite clique-ish (I say this as a foreigner who moved to Burke county and didn't find it very welcoming, even though I married a "native").
Real estate is cheaper here than probably in Texas yes, but cost of living (food, gas, utilities) are pretty high, and going up all the time.
We lived in Longview for about 6 months years ago. Unless Hickory has changed a lot it is exaclty what you will need. I could not have asked for a more welcome environment. We visited a church in the area, I think the name was Bible Baptist. A couple from the church made a point to visit us once a week as long as we lived there. They came to see us every Thursday night. I think we had been assigned to them in some way. I will always remember the kind people in Hickory with very warm feelings. I am glad I was able to live there for that small amount of time.
My husband had a job there when we moved, so I don't really know about the employment. Lenoir Rhyne sounds like a good choice to me.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hickory Move
