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Ok so I am a 25 year old guy considering a move to North Carolina. I currently live on Long Island in NY and absolutely hate how expensive and congested it is. The only reason I ended up here was due to it being one of the few places I could find a decent job after college. I am pursuing my architecture license and will begin taking exams next year so I am considering a move within the next year, maybe a little later. What is it like in North Carolina i guess is my question? I have been to the outer banks and love it there however that is the only portion I have been to. I am a big outdoors guy (hiking/snowboarding/hunting) and would like to live somewhere relatively close to all that. Is Asheville a nice place? I would like somewhere with a younger crowd and somewhere within commuting distance to one of the larger cities in the state due to my profession. Also, is it really hot in NC? Of the big cities in NC which would you consider to be the best? I would especially like to hear from anyone that relocated from NY. Thanks in advance!
A good friend of ours is an architect here. She has been her a while, and up until recently her choice appeared to be an Ashevillain (purposely misspelled as a weak attempt at humor) who was an architect rather than an architect who lived in Asheville. There are not a lot of architect jobs available here and the ones that exist pay less and have less room for advancement than larger places. She turned out to be the exception to that rule, but that was the function of the fact she wins awards and her company was purchased by a larger firm headquartered elsewhere.
In terms of outdoor activities, you would be in the middle of most of what you want and a short drive from the rest (one measured in minutes).
Whether Asheville is a nice place depends on your definition of a nice place. I can't really comment on the younger crowd scene since I don't really fit anybody's definition of young (some say my age is determined by carbon dating).
Asheville is not a commuter distance from anywhere, other than perhaps Greenville (which would still be an hour fifteen to an hour and a half each way, and probably not a pleasant commute when winter weather sets in). By road we are more than two hours from Charlotte, and three and change from Atlanta.
In general, the reality is Asheville is not a place you come to build a career unless your employer just happens to have opportunities here. Even then it is often a temporary stop on the career ladder. It is a place where people who have built careers and are valued enough to have telecommuting as an option can settle, those who have finished their careers come to retire, or those who have reached the top of their career ladder and now want to kick back a bit assess their options. There are exceptions, unfortunately I don't think the architectural field is going to provide a lot of opportunities here for you at this stage in your life.
I wish the news were better, but I am trying to provide an honest assessment.
Ok so I am a 25 year old guy considering a move to North Carolina. I currently live on Long Island in NY and absolutely hate how expensive and congested it is. The only reason I ended up here was due to it being one of the few places I could find a decent job after college. I am pursuing my architecture license and will begin taking exams next year so I am considering a move within the next year, maybe a little later. What is it like in North Carolina i guess is my question? I have been to the outer banks and love it there however that is the only portion I have been to. I am a big outdoors guy (hiking/snowboarding/hunting) and would like to live somewhere relatively close to all that. Is Asheville a nice place? I would like somewhere with a younger crowd and somewhere within commuting distance to one of the larger cities in the state due to my profession. Also, is it really hot in NC? Of the big cities in NC which would you consider to be the best? I would especially like to hear from anyone that relocated from NY. Thanks in advance!
The Mule has given you good advice and a good overview of what to expect here. Let me add that the only way you can ascertain for yourself which areas would suit your lifestyle and needs is to actually visit this area, as well as Charlotte (2 hrs. from the mountains) where there will be more opportunities for employment and you don't have to live in a "city", plenty of suburban small towns .
You could also investigate Greenville SC which is only an hour or so from Asheville and is a thriving/growing location for some large companies.
thanks for the responses guys, I really appreciate your input. I have more questions now I do eventually plan on coming down and checking out a few areas at some point before making any move. How about Raleigh and Charlotte, I hear the most about those two as far as being cool places to live. My only concern with NC and the South in general is the heat, I am a cold weather person and I am worried that I would really hate the heat but I also hear the western parts of the state are much cooler temp wise. I would miss the snow too. I am trying to find a state that has the best combo of living cost and fits my lifestyle and NC seems to fit that all except for the heat. Are there any areas down there that are really building a lot? What has really gotten my attention with NC is the real estate. The houses are selling for half and even a quarter of the cost of houses up here and the taxes are sooooo much cheaper.
I you can find all the things you want and need in NC, but I don't think you are going to find them in one place in NC.
Asheville is not exactly a launching pad for your career. We don't get a lot of snow in the typical winter. The heat is comparatively mild, the humidity reminds you sometimes it is still the south. We definitely do have four seasons, but the differences are not as vast as what you are used to.
You can get snow farther up in the mountains, but you can't likely get a job.
Charlotte and Raleigh definitely do get hot (and, being the south, humid). You would be far more likely to successfully launch your career in either of those places.
But if you are a cold weather person, NC is probably going to leave you longing for winter. Again, you could find that farther up in the mountains, but you will probably be working in a coffee shop.
But yes, housing prices are taxes are much less than what you are accustomed to seeing.
If I were in your position, I'd probably be looking at Colorado. The cost of living and taxes there are more in line with the NC side of the equation than the NYC/Long Island side.
The only reason I ended up here was due to it being one of the few places I could find a decent job after college. I am pursuing my architecture license and will begin taking exams next year so I am considering a move within the next year, maybe a little later.
If you want to continue working in architecture, I would suggest going wherever you find the best job. Since there are probably slim pickings in western NC, I would second the recommendation of Colorado. Perhaps also Idaho, Utah and Oregon, wherever there is growth and money to spend on new buildings.
It looks like you want these things: outdoors activity, youthful energy, inexpensive living, "nice place", congestion free, and opportunities in your chosen profession of architecture. My ratings:
You might also consider the northern Virginia area. My brother-in-law has a successful career as an architect there. Yes, DC congestion is bad, but it's not far to all the outdoors things you like — skiing, snowboarding, hiking, hunting, etc all in the Shenandoah.
What kind of architecture are you interested in? My brother-in-law builds skyscrapers and corporate hqs all over the world, Dubai, Bermuda, govt contracts, throughout the US.
If you're interested in high-end mountain cabins, if you're really diligent and talented you might be able to make a career of that in NC (Asheville, Boone/Blowing Rock), but I would think the competition would be stiff and the pay low for a freshly minted architect. You could make it happen, though. I have a cousin in the mountains of SW Va who I believe is finally working in an architecture office after getting her architecture degree from Va Tech 5 years ago.
You might also consider the northern Virginia area. My brother-in-law has a successful career as an architect there. Yes, DC congestion is bad, but it's not far to all the outdoors things you like — skiing, snowboarding, hiking, hunting, etc all in the Shenandoah.
What kind of architecture are you interested in? My brother-in-law builds skyscrapers and corporate hqs all over the world, Dubai, Bermuda, govt contracts, throughout the US.
If you're interested in high-end mountain cabins, if you're really diligent and talented you might be able to make a career of that in NC (Asheville, Boone/Blowing Rock), but I would think the competition would be stiff and the pay low for a freshly minted architect. You could make it happen, though. I have a cousin in the mountains of SW Va who I believe is finally working in an architecture office after getting her architecture degree from Va Tech 5 years ago.
I am more interested in residential, and as you said, I am actually considering maybe one day many years from now starting a firm that specializes in mountain cabins (thats a possible idea anyway, as i have only been in the profession for 2 years so I really dont know). My worries about Virginia is that I would just be replacing my current situation in Long Island in a different state. High taxes, high cost of living and expensive real estate. What has really caught my eye about NC is that I could buy a nice house there in a couple years at half what I would pay here and still earn close to the same salary, if not more than I do now considering I am underpaid at my current job. The real estate in NC comparative to here is sooooo much cheaper, and I want to invest in real estate/rental property. NC seems like a great place for that from my perspective but I am 25 so what do I really know?
It looks like you want these things: outdoors activity, youthful energy, inexpensive living, "nice place", congestion free, and opportunities in your chosen profession of architecture. My ratings:
Salt Lake City/Park City -
outdoors activity - 9 (hiking - 8/snowboarding - 10/hunting - 7)
youthful energy - 5
inexpensive living - 6
job opportunities - 8
congestion free - 5
"nice place" (very subjective) - 6
Visit these three areas and determine which fits you best.
I have really been considering those areas out west as well, they fit my lifestyle perfectly in a lot of ways. I am just concerned about being so far away from family. Colorado worries me for similar reasons as Virginia, I hear its very expensive and just getting more and more expensive. Have you been to Salt Lake City by any chance? It looks like a really cool place.
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I do eventually plan on coming down and checking out a few areas at some point before making any move. How about Raleigh and Charlotte, I hear the most about those two as far as being cool places to live. My only concern with NC and the South in general is the heat, I am a cold weather person and I am worried that I would really hate the heat but I also hear the western parts of the state are much cooler temp wise. I would miss the snow too. I am trying to find a state that has the best combo of living cost and fits my lifestyle and NC seems to fit that all except for the heat. Are there any areas down there that are really building a lot? What has really gotten my attention with NC is the real estate. The houses are selling for half and even a quarter of the cost of houses up here and the taxes are sooooo much cheaper.
