Long Islanders NY that moved to the Triangle area North Carolina. (Raleigh: transplants, crime)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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I know there was a very similar thread like I'm about to start here. I just cant find that thread and my questions are not exactly as the other thread.
Please forgive my grammar. And whatever other mistakes i make. I had brain surgery and it slowed me down big time! Anyways on to NC info
I was trying to get a comparison from basically everything when you compare your experience from moving to the Raleigh NC area coming from LI, NY, NJ.
How do the public schools compare? My children are 12 & 13.
Utilities - how much of a difference?
Property taxes? I know they must be lower then up east. But by how much?
Job market? Overall market
Crime - Areas to avoid, gangs, drug issues?
Towns that are best- I guess its all on opinion and taste. But whats the real difference between Cary, Apex, Wake Forest, Clayton, fuquay varina?
The roads- well kept?
Traffic - NY traffic is bad! But how is the commute in the Raleigh area?
Air quality? I did some research but couldnt exactly find where Raleigh ranks. Does Raleigh have a smog issue?
Fitting in - Is it like anywhere else? Overall are many from somewhere else anyways? Does the NY accent cause issues with locals?
Transient area- Is Raleigh a very transient area? Do people come & go? Steady?
Medical care/quality- How well is the quality of medical in the Raleigh area?
Weather - Does it snow at all? Any areas to avoid due to flooding?
If you can help with any info I would really appreciate it! If I didnt ask a question, please add anything that may help.
By the way our max home budget is between 245,000-285,000 max. Thank you very much!!
Most if your questions can be answered by the sticky thread at the top of the page. As a former Long Islander I know how special some of our species think they are, but if you are truly ready to move to the Triangle and there are things about it that appeal to you, your move will likely be successful. If you're throwing darts at a map and just want to get off the Island then that's not a good strategy.
The one question you should ask yourself is - if this place sucked, would people keep moving here?
PS Your budget is fine for getting a nice house in a house area but it won't be brand new and it might even need some sweat equity.
I know there was a very similar thread like I'm about to start here. I just cant find that thread and my questions are not exactly as the other thread.
Please forgive my grammar. And whatever other mistakes i make. I had brain surgery and it slowed me down big time! Anyways on to NC info
I was trying to get a comparison from basically everything when you compare your experience from moving to the Raleigh NC area coming from LI, NY, NJ.
How do the public schools compare? My children are 12 & 13.
Utilities - how much of a difference?
Property taxes? I know they must be lower then up east. But by how much?
Job market? Overall market
Crime - Areas to avoid, gangs, drug issues?
Towns that are best- I guess its all on opinion and taste. But whats the real difference between Cary, Apex, Wake Forest, Clayton, fuquay varina?
The roads- well kept?
Traffic - NY traffic is bad! But how is the commute in the Raleigh area?
Air quality? I did some research but couldnt exactly find where Raleigh ranks. Does Raleigh have a smog issue?
Fitting in - Is it like anywhere else? Overall are many from somewhere else anyways? Does the NY accent cause issues with locals?
Transient area- Is Raleigh a very transient area? Do people come & go? Steady?
Medical care/quality- How well is the quality of medical in the Raleigh area?
Weather - Does it snow at all? Any areas to avoid due to flooding?
If you can help with any info I would really appreciate it! If I didnt ask a question, please add anything that may help.
By the way our max home budget is between 245,000-285,000 max. Thank you very much!!
We have been very happy with the schools.
We found the gas and electric bill to be much less, but the water bill is a lot more. ( I believe it is water,sewer and trash in the bill here.)
The property taxes are way lower and will be the biggest difference from up north. We went from 13000 a year to just under 3000 a year. But you pay for things not included in your taxes. (trash, yearly tax on vehicles to MV etc..)
Can't offer much about job market, I am a SAHM and my husband took a buyout and works a retirement job because he is too young to hang around the house with me all day.
You are right about towns. Cary was our choice because we wanted to be near lots of shopping and restaurants and walkability was important to us. Not all of Cary is walkable, but lots of choices near me. I have been to Clayton and found it very rural. Have not been to Wake Forest or Fuquay Varina because it was too far from RTP for us. Apex is a nice area and is just a little further from RTP.
The roads are fantastic. You will not miss traffic one bit. In this area most are newer so I have not found any maintenance issues.
I have not noticed any smog or air quality issues.
Almost everyone I meet is from somewhere else. I rarely if ever hear a southern accent. I guess most near me are Northern transplants. Everyone seems to get along fine. You will be one of the very many NY accents as it is not rare in this area.
Very happy with the choices of Dr.s and hospitals. No medical issues so can't comment any further than regular check ups.
It has snowed some every year since I moved here. (2012) Even had a sizable blizzard. My realtor joked that they get broom snow here. Of course I asked what that meant and she said it's snow that you can clear with a broom. ( She was an upstate NY transplant) They will not clear the roads the same as you are used to. The kids will get a snow day at the threat of the first flake. That's just the way it is. Ice is a real threat though, but it all melts quickly. No flooding issues I am aware of.
You don't say what you want in a house. That is not a huge budget here, but depending on what you want it is very doable. You will get more for your money the further you get from RTP. But remember that you may decide to change you budget when you factor in property taxes. We save 830.00 a month in property taxes alone.
We have found this to be a really nice place to raise a family. You will miss things from home. You will also find new things to like. We use our many trips to NY to visit family and enjoy the things we miss.
If I can answer any more questions for you just ask away and best of luck!
Thank you so much for responding with such great info! I will respond more soon.
Happy 4th of July to all
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauradrops
We have been very happy with the schools.
We found the gas and electric bill to be much less, but the water bill is a lot more. ( I believe it is water,sewer and trash in the bill here.)
The property taxes are way lower and will be the biggest difference from up north. We went from 13000 a year to just under 3000 a year. But you pay for things not included in your taxes. (trash, yearly tax on vehicles to MV etc..)
Can't offer much about job market, I am a SAHM and my husband took a buyout and works a retirement job because he is too young to hang around the house with me all day.
You are right about towns. Cary was our choice because we wanted to be near lots of shopping and restaurants and walkability was important to us. Not all of Cary is walkable, but lots of choices near me. I have been to Clayton and found it very rural. Have not been to Wake Forest or Fuquay Varina because it was too far from RTP for us. Apex is a nice area and is just a little further from RTP.
The roads are fantastic. You will not miss traffic one bit. In this area most are newer so I have not found any maintenance issues.
I have not noticed any smog or air quality issues.
Almost everyone I meet is from somewhere else. I rarely if ever hear a southern accent. I guess most near me are Northern transplants. Everyone seems to get along fine. You will be one of the very many NY accents as it is not rare in this area.
Very happy with the choices of Dr.s and hospitals. No medical issues so can't comment any further than regular check ups.
It has snowed some every year since I moved here. (2012) Even had a sizable blizzard. My realtor joked that they get broom snow here. Of course I asked what that meant and she said it's snow that you can clear with a broom. ( She was an upstate NY transplant) They will not clear the roads the same as you are used to. The kids will get a snow day at the threat of the first flake. That's just the way it is. Ice is a real threat though, but it all melts quickly. No flooding issues I am aware of.
You don't say what you want in a house. That is not a huge budget here, but depending on what you want it is very doable. You will get more for your money the further you get from RTP. But remember that you may decide to change you budget when you factor in property taxes. We save 830.00 a month in property taxes alone.
We have found this to be a really nice place to raise a family. You will miss things from home. You will also find new things to like. We use our many trips to NY to visit family and enjoy the things we miss.
If I can answer any more questions for you just ask away and best of luck!
Moved from LI (10 year resident, non-native) to West Cary this past New Years. No regrets. The pizza/bagel situation is murky at best. As for your less important life choices (yes, I'm kidding)...
Schools here, overall, are not as good as LI/Westchester as a whole. I say that comparing the district's composition here being the entirety of Wake County, one of the largest in the nation, as opposed to individualized village/city districts on LI/Westchester/No. NJ. There are several good charters (run by the state) and magnets (run by the county) in addition to private schools. There are excellent public schools in Wake County... you just have to look for them. The state ranks all its public schools, for anyone who likes the rankings approach to analysis.
Gas/electric here are a lot less. Someone else commented on the water. It seems reasonable. I say that coming from 1.5 irrigated acres and a pool going to unirrigated .25 acres with no pool, so without serious math, I cannot compare. The water bill where I live includes trash and recycling curbside pickup ($16/mo). I paid a separate $75/mo for that on LI.
Property taxes here are significantly less. Paying 1/3-1/2 of what I would pay for a similar house on LI. Aside from the actual price of a house, this will be where you see the biggest savings in cost of living. Chapel Hill's taxes are higher, and most attribute that to the schools traditionally being the best in the area.
The job market is pretty good. If you work in IT, pharma, medicine, sales, law/government, personal services, or academia... you will be OK. If you are in a job related to fashion, entertainment, or high end hospitality... not so much. Teachers are severely underpaid. And if your job involves travel, you will love RDU and shake your head every time you return to LGA.
Crime: like everywhere else, if you are into illicit activities, your safety is likely to be at issue. Same applies to drugs... you want them, I'm sure you can find them. There are areas to avoid. They will be obvious. The internet and the news should help you figure that out. Other than that, it is very safe.
Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill-Carrboro/Cary-Apex each have their own feel. Fuquay is farther away. Holly Springs seems to be experiencing the newest of the development. Cary developed in 2 phases: 1st in the 90s and the most recent in the mid aughts through now. C-A-R-Y is an acronym to many for good reason (Carolina Area Relocated Yankees, Containment Area of Relocated Yankees, etc.). North Raleigh was the same way in the 90s. Not sure what it's like now. Raleigh and Durham have (relatively) small but pronounced downtowns, each going through a renaissance of sorts. Cary and Apex are strictly burbs, although Apex does have 1 little "main street" section.
The roads here are a dream compared to the NE. There is, to date, only 1 toll road (540/147), and it's dirt cheap (NY perspective). What pays for all the new roads? The yearly property tax on vehicles: surprise! Decreases as vehicle depreciates. There are traffic issues, but nothing like metro NYC or DC.
Cary is very transient: Americans from all over the US, and foreigners from all over the globe... a lot of coming and going. Most that leave do so to pursue better employment or visas expire, not because they dislike it. UNC and Duke provide some of the country's best medical care: teaching, research, and practice. Air quality seems fine... no smog, and with all the trees, that's not hard to understand. But, there are not many recreational bodies of water.
It does snow. Not a lot. When it does, school is canceled and authorities advise people to stay off the roads. The municipalities do not have the equipment to deal with it, and it puts first responders at risk. Grocery stores will sell out of milk, bread, eggs, and bottled water. And that cracks me up every time!
There will be culture shock (re: pizza, bagels, etc.)... things here move at a slower pace and people here value manners. I think that is nice. People wave to each other as they pass, and because it is transient, a lot of people have been "the new guy" so people are more open to newcomers. However, THERE ARE A TON OF (metro) NY'ers HERE!! My neighbor is from LI also, the people at the end of my street are from No. NJ, and I see an NJ/NY/CT plate on the local roads almost daily. Giants and Yankees fans are everywhere, along with Cubs fans, and as my young daughter pointed out the other day "way too many Steelers fans."
Your budget will get you into a single family house in a safe neighborhood. Investigate the schools. Some are overcrowded, so the county "caps" them. Check the county's website for more info.
Good luck.
PS-> You will be met with a lot of resistance and resentment if you move here, complain it is not like "home", try to change that, and then complain when you are unsuccessful.
PPS-> Honestly, I miss the beaches of LI's north shore. I also miss Fairway, Century 21, and Bloomie's. Every once in a while, an egg sandwich from a deli would be nice, and a kosher deli is a thing of beauty... other than that, I'm glad I'm here.
The triangle is lost to transplants hardly a native to be found I dislike the accent because it's so pervasive but I would dislike hearing a southern accent in NYC and a Canadian accent in Louisiana.
The area is sneakily creeping into NE problems as mindsets migrate and people say "it's not as bad as NE" *yet*
Wake county has never been more unaffordable and traffic has never been worse and toll roads are in the pipeline.
I don't consider the pace of life slow at all and the large town farm country feel i remember even 20yrs ago is gone.
NE transplants have huge phobias about "the south" but in my opinion if you don't need to work here Greensboro Winston Salem offers a superior quality of life. Unless you're niche career fits the city.
I sound angry but if the cost of living is as bad as folks act I wouldn't want to live there either.So, whatever
The triangle is lost to transplants hardly a native to be found I dislike the accent because it's so pervasive but I would dislike hearing a southern accent in NYC and a Canadian accent in Louisiana.
The area is sneakily creeping into NE problems as mindsets migrate and people say "it's not as bad as NE" *yet*
Wake county has never been more unaffordable and traffic has never been worse and toll roads are in the pipeline.
I don't consider the pace of life slow at all and the large town farm country feel i remember even 20yrs ago is gone.
NE transplants have huge phobias about "the south" but in my opinion if you don't need to work here Greensboro Winston Salem offers a superior quality of life. Unless you're niche career fits the city.
I sound angry but if the cost of living is as bad as folks act I wouldn't want to live there either.So, whatever
But the great thing is you only have to drive 20 minutes to get away from all the things you're complaining about.
It is nothing like the NE here, and likely never will be. If it was I wouldn't be here.
But the great thing is you only have to drive 20 minutes to get away from all the things you're complaining about.
It is nothing like the NE here, and likely never will be. If it was I wouldn't be here.
Oh yes it will.
The morons in command still have no idea why rail transit is needed.
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Long Island NY to Raleigh NC
