Raleigh-Durham for 40s single female (Charlotte, Chapel Hill: real estate, apartments, rental)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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I am considering moving to the Raleigh-Durham NC area but I have only visited Durham once. The South-Point Mall was great and the people seemed friendly but it seemed that all apartments in the better area of town were expensive. I would be moving from a small town in Florida, aproximately 50,000 people with very little to do.
Is the area near NCSU nice and is there much crime near the Crab-Tree Mall area. I am a single 40 year old female and would like live in an area where I can go to movies and restaurants at night sometimes.
Is it easy to meet people in my age group or will my social life be boring.
I would also like to explore the churches in the area. Are people very active in churches? I love God and respect all religions but I don't like to be asked by everyone I meet "What church to you go to?" Is Raleigh a city where people are like that?
I do drive but would probably take public transportation at times. Is the public transit widespread? Does it go to desireable neighborhoods?
I am considering moving to the Raleigh-Durham NC area but I have only visited Durham once. The South-Point Mall was great and the people seemed friendly but it seemed that all apartments in the better area of town were expensive. I would be moving from a small town in Florida, aproximately 50,000 people with very little to do.
Naturally, that all depends on your perspective. Lots of people come here from Northeast or California and are beside themselves at how low the cost of living in the Triangle is. But, compared to a small town in Florida, this area may seem expensive. What's your approximate price range?
Quote:
Originally Posted by movinggull
Is the area near NCSU nice and is there much crime near the Crab-Tree Mall area.
I think that most of the areas around N.C. State are nice, but that's a matter of opinion. Certainly the neighborhoods just north of the main campus (across Hillsborough Street) are quite nice and very popular. In the other directions, the adjacent neighborhoods are a bit more uneven, including a lot of non-residential areas, but there are no terrible places.
There's not particularly a lot of crime in any of the areas right around Crabtree Valley Mall, but as in any other urban or semi-urban area, crime can occasionally occur and a few basic, commonsense precautions may be a good idea. But there's nowhere in that part of town where I or most people would feel unsafe to visit or to live.
Quote:
Originally Posted by movinggull
I am a single 40 year old female and would like live in an area where I can go to movies and restaurants at night sometimes.
Is it easy to meet people in my age group or will my social life be boring.
That's mostly up to you. The whole Triangle area tends to skew a bit young, but there are plenty of single people around of all ages and descriptions. Whether or not it's "easy to meet people," though, has a lot to do with your personality, preferences, and the choices you make.
Quote:
Originally Posted by movinggull
I would also like to explore the churches in the area. Are people very active in churches? I love God and respect all religions but I don't like to be asked by everyone I meet "What church to you go to?" Is Raleigh a city where people are like that?
In that respect, you should like Raleigh and the Triangle area. There are tons of churches of all sorts of denominations all around here, and many active, church-going Christians. But there are plenty of non-church-goers, non-Christians, and atheists/agnostics around here, too, and I have very seldom found people in this area trying to cram religion down each other's throats, or constantly asking everybody where they go to church.
Quote:
Originally Posted by movinggull
I do drive but would probably take public transportation at times. Is the public transit widespread? Does it go to desireable neighborhoods?
Public transportation around here consists solely of buses (there's no rail or train system). The buses get a bad rap from a lot of people, but they're actually not bad. They're relatively fast, cheap, and reliable, and they go pretty much everywhere except the far outer suburban fringes. So, yes, they go to desirable neighborhoods, undesirable neighborhoods, and everywhere in between.
My approximate price range for an apartment would be $700 to 850. Would there be many in my range near NCSU?
You'd be in heavy "student housing" both for that price range and in the "near NCSU" area. Is there a specific reason (e.g. job) that you want to be near NCSU? That is a heavy student-populated part of town (no surprise); not where lots of folks your age would typically want to live.
Public transportation in Raleigh is far below most cities its size, except right in the downtown area. You may be aware that the majority of Raleigh, real estate-wise, is suburbia. Chapel Hill/Carrboro has a great free bus system. No light rail in the area to speak of (metro or above-ground trains) that serve the metro itself. You usually need a car to live here, barring special circumstances such as living and working very close together.
Public transportation in Raleigh is far below most cities its size, except right in the downtown area. You may be aware that the majority of Raleigh, real estate-wise, is suburbia. Chapel Hill/Carrboro has a great free bus system. No light rail in the area to speak of (metro or above-ground trains) that serve the metro itself. You usually need a car to live here, barring special circumstances such as living and working very close together.
Francois, with all due respect, I'm not sure I agree that "Public transportation in Raleigh is far below most cities its size, except right in the downtown area." I haven't traveled to and in every medium-sized city in the United States, but I have been to a number of them, and I would say that Raleigh's bus system is a little below average for comparable cities, but not far below. Especially when you take into account Raleigh's development pattern, lacking the strong grid layout that cities west of the Appalachians often have, and its sprawling, un-planned-out road network, I think the CAT bus system does a decent job, even beyond "right in the downtown area." Even in other cities (apart from than the biggest and most dense cities), outside of the downtown areas, the public bus routes tend to become more diffuse and spread-out, and taking a bus trip often requires some planning and a bit of a walk, drive, or bike ride to a stop. I don't think that's a lot more true in Raleigh than elsewhere, do you? Where specifically have you had a particularly hard time getting around on Raleigh's bus system? My biggest complaints about the CAT bus system are its limited service on weekends and off-peak hours, and the lack of development of the bus stops themselves in most places, forcing riders to wait without a place to sit down, without any shelter from the elements, and sometimes even without a paved surface to stand on. Beyond that, though, I think that the CAT system is pretty good. It definitely is, in my experience, fast, reliable, and inexpensive, and it goes to most parts of the city pretty well. It's still true, unfortunately, that much of Raleigh is a difficult place to live without a car, of course, and relying exclusively on the CAT buses for transportation could get frustrating. But it is a useful part of the transportation system for a lot of people, and I don't think it's a lot worse than those of a lot of other comparable cities.
Before deciding where to live, consider where you work. Living in Durham & commuting to Raleigh (or the other way too) could be a deal breaker for some folks. Traffic on some roads in rush hour can be brutal in the area.
That said, if you decide on Durham, don't base your decision on the two mall areas. Durham is huge & has lots to offer. Urban, suburban, little neighborhoods, downtown appartments, etc.
Bus system is okay. Better downtown & worse/less frequent the further out you get. It goes all over, so yes, it goes to "safe" areas.
I did read in the paper they just finished some big study & are re-doing the routes to improve on-time performance & address rider volume & issues. Not sure if that will lead to anything? But they are at least looking at it.
Regarding crime, check out the RAIDs website & they can help you drill in and see by area what is being reported. RAIDS Online - Crime mapping, email reports and tips for the public
Just remember, like any given city, there will be some crime. I don't know of anywhere totally crime free. Use common sense - lock your door, don't leave the box from the big screen TV delivery on the porch for everyone to see and be aware of your surroundings. If you are very concerned about it, maybe look for a rental in a gated community (still won't eliminate issues, but would help).
Meeting people is pretty easy, in my opinion. We got into several Meetup groups after moving here and have made some good friends that way. There are hundreds of groups in this area, so most likely you'll find a few to match your lifestyle & interests.
Grab the local paper & check out the visitors' center too. Always tons of things going on in Durham. Only reason you are bored here is because you chose to be.
You specifically mentioned movies, so check out the Carolina Theatre (Durham) & the Varsity (Chapel Hill). Not only do they have fairly current movies but they do retro shows. We saw "Its a Wonderful Life" at Christmas time . Just north of here is a drive in theatre (Hendersonville I believe) and in Raleigh there is an IMAX theatre.
Plenty of churches in the area. You didn't mention specifics, so not sure what denomination you are looking for. We seem to find (at least in our area) there are very few Catholic churches or Jewish synagogs, but seems to be a Baptist church on every corner.
I do find I am asked about my "home church", much more so than anywhere else I've lived. That said, I get the impression it is a casual question, like "where do you work" or "do you have pets". Just a conversation starter, I've never had any issues with a hard sell or somethig beign "shoved down my throat".
As far as the dating scene, it is a bad place for a single female to move. There is a shortage of men, I'm a man and remember just how many stunning friendly women there are and nowhere I've been to in America compares to it. As a churchgoer you may do better but it's rough out there. The Triangle area is wonderful with a great deal to do but keep in mind you will be at a disadvantage as a single woman in her 40s
An average single woman in her 40s will find this area to be weirdly absent of available/normal/single men. But I suspect that is true of many areas, not just the Triangle. Socially it's pretty much a bust here though. PhenomenalAJ is right about that.
Thanks to all who have responded to my inquiries about the Raleigh area. It does seem to have some possibilities in some areas but not many in the dating area according to this forum. I have also done some research about nearby towns and Garner seems nice. It seems to be really close to Raleigh but not nearly as big. The crime rate was lower but it does seem to be a small town. Are there very many transiets there? Are the neighborhoods diverse in terms of religion, race and ethnicity etc. How about Apex? How good is the CAT system in the smaller surrounding towns. Finally, in comparison to Raleigh is Charlotte NC a better city for 40's single female. I am not a rocking-chair 40 but I do like to be around people my own age with similar interests and lifestyles. Any information will be greatly appreciated!
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. Just north of here is a drive in theatre (Hendersonville I believe) and in Raleigh there is an IMAX theatre. 
Thanks to all who have responded to my inquiries about the Raleigh area. It does seem to have some possibilities in some areas but not many in the dating area according to this forum. I have also done some research about nearby towns and Garner seems nice. It seems to be really close to Raleigh but not nearly as big. The crime rate was lower but it does seem to be a small town. Are there very many transiets there? Are the neighborhoods diverse in terms of religion, race and ethnicity etc. How about Apex? How good is the CAT system in the smaller surrounding towns. Finally, in comparison to Raleigh is Charlotte NC a better city for 40's single female. I am not a rocking-chair 40 but I do like to be around people my own age with similar interests and lifestyles. Any information will be greatly appreciated!
