Raleigh DU'ers...

[KoKo]

How do you like living in Raleigh. If you are native or if you are transplants.

What's the Best and Worst of Raleigh. I'm singling Raleigh out...but know that we can all get to Chapel Hill, Durham, Beaches and Mountains..so what we feel about Raleigh may be influence by "It's so EASY to LIVE HERE!"

But, what's Unique to Raleigh...Pro or Con...if Raleigh was "Landlocked?" What makes Raleigh distinctive and if it isn't WHY?

Good local restaurants, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, French, Italian, etc?

Best Chain Restaurant?

What's good?

:shrug:

[OneGrassRoot]

1. I actually spent several hours last week...........

trying to come up with three things I like about this area that are unique to the area.

I came up with two, and they're rather lame:

1. I like the style of many of the homes here versus other places I've lived (two-story, front porch)

2. The veterinary community...one on every corner due to the vet school. As an animal lover, I like that.


I really, really don't like to sound whiny all the time, but I've been here since 1991 and have never liked it. I've tried....honestly.....and I'm sure it's because I haven't found the right places and people.....but I am quite unhappy here. Sadly, due to joint custody, I can't just up and leave.

[OneGrassRoot]

2. Oh, and I'm a Yankee at heart, which is part of the "problem" *S* n/t

[SunDrop23]

3. I gave it some thought...

I moved here in 1994 from Wilmington to get on the high tech wave. I am still here, but I too have never really liked Raleigh. I mean, I can take it or leave it.

The weather is great here. We don't have four distinct seasons, but the winters are manageable - I HATE cold weather - and if there is too much precip, they just shut everything down.

There are plenty of educational opportunities here if you are an adult.

There are plenty of good doctors.

You are equidistant to the mountains and ocean.

I'll work on some more and post them later...

[KoKo]

4. Let's keep it going.....

Might be a great thread for those of us living in Raleigh, looking how to survive. Raleigh is unique. A Durham person said it's "White Bread/Bland" to me when I moved here. Said we were wrong not to choose Durham to live.

[kick-ass-bob]

5. I like the inside the beltline atmosphere.

5 points, Glenwood South, downtown (getting some better). Of course, it is more liberal down there, too.

The further you go from these areas, the more cookie cutter it turns, and is not so appealing.

I really like the greenways, too - even that bridge they put over 440.

[SunDrop23]

6. Raleigh overall is definitely cookie cutter.

There are some pockets of progressivism, but overall it is a town of "don't bother me with current event while I'm loading the kids in the minivan to take them to playgroup." That type of mentality, if that makes sense.

The old money in Raleigh seems to be an island. You know they are there, but they pretty much keep to themselves inside the beltline at places you and I will never be able to have access to.

[kick-ass-bob]

7. what does that have to do with the OP's question?

I was talking about the places to go and do things - and threw in the "more liberal" piece.

The good places to go and do stuff (besides shop at a mall/Wal-Mart) are in the areas that I mentioned. What do I care about the "old money in Raleigh?"

[KoKo]

12. I understand what you say...and that certain areas are hard to

get into. You have to have been here for generations to be included in some places.

[Lex]

8. Popping in to say "I love Durham"--it's liberal, eccentric, artsy,

and has the Durham Bulls baseball team, Full Frame Documentary Film Fest, Durham Blues Festival, and lots of fun and funky stuff to do.

It's black, white, gay, straight, progressive, accessible, affordable, can still have a "hometown" feel while being big enough to attract lots of musicians, film festivals, authors, and artists.

The only other NC cities I'd even consider living in that are this progressive are Asheville or Chapel Hill/Carrboro.

[Vox_Reason]

9. Raleighite for 22 years

When you think of Raleigh, you really have to think about the whole "Triangle" area, to include Durham and Chapel Hill. Of the 3 cities, Durham and Chapel Hill/Carrboro are definitely of greater appeal to lefties, particularly CH/Carrboro. But that's part of what makes living here great--accessibility!

I can be in downtown Carrboro in 25 minutes from where I live. I can head to Glenwood South, or the City Market area. I can be on a beach or on a mountaintop in 2-4 hours. There's several of every kind of restaurant you could want, including some nationally famous ones, as well as some outtasite homegrown chains like Char-Grill. There's a really good arts scene, with plenty of theater, live music, dance festivals, operas, community theaters, arthouse cinemas, etc.

There's 4 seasons, none of which are too punishing, usually. People are friendly. Schools are really good (I'm partial to UNC, my alma mater.) There's plenty of good jobs. It's clean and green with lots of trees. Tons of great parks and lakes. The traffic's way worse in other similar-sized metro areas than it is here.

It's a nice, unpretentious place with a lot of great things going for it, and I plan on staying here for the duration. I've got a lot to look forward to!

[Lex]

10. Mmmm . . . Char-grill . . . .

*drool*

[Vox_Reason]

14. Heh heh!

Char-Grill should be added to the list of controlled substances. Almost too good to be legal!

[KoKo]

11. Raleigh makes Kiplingers List "Seven Coolest Cities."/Young Professionals

http://biz.yahoo.com/weekend/sevencities_2.html

7 Coolest Cities
Kiplinger's Personal Finance
By Jane Bennett Clark

Forget New York. Our top towns for young professionals are fun and affordable.

Tempting as it may be to launch your career in Boston, New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco, you may find it just as rewarding -- and a heck of a lot cheaper -- to look beyond the bright lights and high rents of those meccas for twentysomethings. We found seven locations that are perfect for young professionals. These cities all have a healthy head count of people under 30 and a solid or improving job market. Each city's cost of living is at or near the national average for students and young wage earners, based on numbers from the Economic Research Institute. For neighborhood and rental information, we culled local resources and Craigslist.org; recent listings are under "what you just missed." As a bonus, we asked relocation experts at Salary.com to calculate the extra money you'd pocket if you left a job that paid $35,000 in New York City and found a cohttp://biz.yahoo.com/weekend/sevencities_2.htmlmparable position in one of our hip havens.


7. Raleigh.
Part of the Research Triangle (including Durham and Chapel Hill), Raleigh is as hot as it gets, thanks to a healthy job market, a billion-dollar downtown rehab, top universities and plentiful, inexpensive housing. About two years ago, Tom Augur, a 27-year-old certified public accountant, left Boston for Raleigh's small-city atmosphere. His three-bedroom townhouse cost $150,000. "I would have gotten 50% less in Boston and paid more than twice as much," he says. Young locals eat sushi and listen to blues in Glenwood South, or hit dance parties in the Warehouse District.

http://biz.yahoo.com/weekend/sevencities_2.html

[rndmprsn]

13. interesting...

i'll have to check some of the areas out

[Vox_Reason]

15. Independent Weekly's Best of the Triangle 2005

Here's a fine answer to your original question of "What's good?" The Independent is a weekly, lefty tabloid that will be your free guide to plenty of worthwhile and interesting stuff to do each week.

http://indyweek.com/durham/2005-04-06/cover.html

I agree with most of the choices. Winners, maybe not, but between winners and runners-up, it's a pretty good list.