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Several weeks ago I posted on the Miami forum about a possible relocation there. Well, after discussing the issue with my wife, friends, and numerous others (rnc2mbfl on this forum has already been very helpful), we've decided to relocate to the Triangle area this winter. Where exactly we're not sure, which is my reason for posting here.
As for work, I'll be establishing a marketing and sales division for a new start-up company that's headquarted in New York. I'll most likely be working out of my home for the first few months, but at some point, probably toward summer, I will need to set up a small office. If there are any people in marketing/sales, where are the best places in the Triangle area to set up an office? Best office complexes, best human capital/labor pool, etc.? Or does it really matter? I want to be near where the smartest people are, as I'd like to offer a very low commute time as one benefit when it comes to hiring people.
As for what my wife and I want, we'd like an older more established neighborhood with character, tree-lined streets, family-friendly, diverse, safe, clean, good schools. We'd also like walkability (e.g. ability to walk to the market, park, coffee shop, etc.) As for type of home, we're open to a single-family house, townhouse or apartment. The only criteria is that we'll need at least 3BR and 2B.
We spent the summer in Raleigh, and liked the city very much. We also spent a fair amount of time in Chapel Hill and were also quite impressed. We haven't really spent much time in Durham, however, but some of the comments about some neighborhoods undergoing major revitalization make it sound appealing. Cary seemed a little too cookie-cutter suburb-like to me, but perhaps I missed the more charming areas.
So, are there any areas/neighborhoods that offer what we're looking for business/lifestyle wise?
This is a tough one. If you're hoping for a short commute for you and the people you employ, then you're going to have to live near them. And because you don't know who they are or where they live, choosing a location based on that is nearly impossible. There are smart, talented people all over the Triangle, so choosing to be in one area won't necessarily put you close to the critical mass of talent.
I will tell you that commuting west on 40 from Raleigh, Cary and points east is difficult. Commuting east on 40 is much more manageable. My husband's company just moved to Morrisville from Durham because most of the employees are commuting from Raleigh or Cary, and the drive to their office in South Durham, just outside of RTP, was a hardship.
If it were me, I'd ignore the traffic and set up an office at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham (American Tobacco Historic District Homepage) because I'm selfish and love Durham and feel assured that I could find lots of smart, capable people to do good work for me here.
Durham has neighborhoods like you describe. What's your price range? Trinity Park and Watts Hillandale come closest I think. Some here would say the drawback is the schools, but if you ask people who actually have their kids in the schools, they're likely to say something different.
Chapel Hill is great, has great neighborhoods, indisputably good schools, etc. Only problem is that it's on the west side of the triangle and isn't exactly centrally located.
Raleigh also has some older established neighborhoods inside the beltline that you might like--Cameron Park, Hayes-Barton, Five Points. I don't know much about Raleigh--hopefully someone else can pipe up about the good/bad.
I also can't speak to Raleigh but Durham has many beautiful, historic, walkable neighborhoods, and Durham was ranked the sixth smartest city in the US by Forbes.com. A vast proportion of Durhamites are college educated and/or have advanced degrees. There appears to me to be quite a bit of office space in Durham both around downtown and in spurts in the SW, and Research Triangle Park in the SE corner is mostly located in Durham.
Durham is more diverse than its surrounding cities in all ways and overall test scores reflect that. That said, the schools and teachers are of as high a quality as you'd expect for the Triangle area.
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