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As a couple without children I think to say any one town is a better fit than another is just strange. Everything in the triangle is nearby for you to go to Durham or Chapel Hill or pop inside the beltline to go to a nice restaurant.
I have always lived in a nice development without kids and never had an issue.
True -- assuming that living in a development is one's choice of lifestyle. Personally, my wife and I don't want to live in a post-1960s development; we prefer older street-grid neighborhoods with the charms like alleyways, pocket parks, etc.
I find that there are different characters between the towns and cities in the Triangle, which is both visible in the built landscape and, to some extent, in the kinds of neighbors you'll have. Again, not as a good or bad thing -- but the neighborhood you choose may help determine whether you'll naturally have more or less in common with your neighbors. The recent thread about which out-of-state areas new Triangle residents move to is telling -- NYC/Chicago/Boston/LA urban dwellers seem to prefer Orange and Durham Counties, while the more suburban areas around these cities as well as Sunbelt transfers tend to go for Wake and Johnston Counties.
Different strokes for different folks and all that -- but really and truly, I think you can sense a difference between the areas.
As a person who lives in MA and relocating down there for work reasons, I have found this forum to be extremely helpful. But I am getting the strong impression that not too many people care to live in or recommend Durham. Hopefully that isn't the case, as we just put in an offer on a house in Durham! Why such negativity towards Durham?
SaJaMo, look around a little more and you'll find plenty of happy Durhamites on these boards. BullCityRising is one, as is IndigoBlue, Southpoint, and many more ... including myself!
What makes the Triangle great, IMHO, is that there is something for everyone here. The problem that presents, though, is that you really need to get out & drive around to find the area that is best for you.
My fiance and I moved here 2 months ago and do not regret it at all. I love the peacefulness and our area and neighbors. I do though miss my family and friends in NJ. But they understand and support me no matter what.
SaJaMo- I found Durham via an old college friend. She gave me the tour of Durham (9th street, Fosters, Duke Trails, and Brightleaf). I longed for Durham when I got back to Orlando. So as a recent college grad--I packed my car and moved! I've lived in Durham for the past five years. I just bought my first home in N. Durham and I love it. I hear other members on the board say different strokes for different folks. I think that is very true. I do visit Raleigh as well. I don't love just Durham but the Raleigh-Durham area for the people, different activities to do, and the variety of restuarants. I learn of new places and things to do all the time. I hope you settle in well!
I am considering moving to the RTP area. I have been before to look around and was pleased with the area. However, after reading the messages on this site I am now hesitant about moving here. I have lived in Atlanta for 20 years and do not like it here. Therefore, I will be moving without a job and plan on living in a corporate apartment until I get settled. I am very marketable in the technical field so I am not worried about finding employment. I am more interested if this is a good city for a 40's single person to relocate too?
Cominng from the North East you can't beat the weather or taxes in NC. However, you cannot discount the school problems such as extreme over crowding. In the NE our children always attended school in a class room within a school. Here in a lot of places within the Raleigh area they attend school in a trailier on the school grounds. Its the best they can do. The state just passed a $1,000,000,000 Bond to build schools and the plan is to try to get another $1,000,000,000 Bond passed in 2008 so for now taxes are less but over time they may catch the NorthEast I just pray the test scores do as well. Other than schools, we regret the great bakeries, resteraunts, and food stores. Its a great area for the 30 something crowd raising a family. Plenty of houses built, being built, and being planned. The beautiful Raleigh area landscape is being carved up for growth.
Cominng from the North East you can't beat the weather or taxes in NC. However, you cannot discount the school problems such as extreme over crowding. In the NE our children always attended school in a class room within a school. Here in a lot of places within the Raleigh area they attend school in a trailier on the school grounds. Its the best they can do. The state just passed a $1,000,000,000 Bond to build schools and the plan is to try to get another $1,000,000,000 Bond passed in 2008 so for now taxes are less but over time they may catch the NorthEast I just pray the test scores do as well. Other than schools, we regret the great bakeries, resteraunts, and food stores. Its a great area for the 30 something crowd raising a family. Plenty of houses built, being built, and being planned. The beautiful Raleigh area landscape is being carved up for growth.
Just to clerify...the state did not pass a $1 billion bond, it was Wake county that passed it. The voters will most likley also approve another $1 billion bond in a couple of years. The growth issue will get better in Wake county as the schools get built. I was a product of the Fairfax County school system in VA and most schools had trailers there too and it's considered one of the best school systems in the country and rivals anything they have in the Northeast.
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Personally, my wife and I don't want to live in a post-1960s development; we prefer older street-grid neighborhoods with the charms like alleyways, pocket parks, etc. 
