HELP US MOVE PLZZZZZZ

[decodelighted]

Do you mean Cary, NC? Carrboro is a smaller town right next to Chapel Hill. It is basically just residential. Durham and Cary are closer to the research triangle park. I live in the triangle and of course am partial to it, but geesh there are so many people moving here the traffic is getting worse, and price of housing is going up (but I'm sure it is less expensive than New England). I really wish I could have convinced my Mom to move down 10 years ago, she could have found some real bargains in housing. Instead she is dealing with the weather in the midwest and is also so over it.

Hey part gypsy! I haven't checked out Cary yet online. Stumbled upon folks talking about Carrboro/Chapel Hill on a message board and they way they were describing Carrboro it just sounded like heaven to me. Hippies, Farmers markets, Film fest, comedy festival, improv classes, arts community, first gay mayor in the US, super liberal (in Southern terms LOL), community-oriented, walkable downtown adjacent to downtown Chapel Hill. Keep in mind I'm moving from WOODSTOCK, NY. Maybe that'll inform my reasoning HA!

But I AM really interested to check out Raleigh & Durham & Cary & Research Triangle Park while I'm down there. Because I might be all wrong about where would "feel" right. Ya know? I've lived in NYC and Brooklyn in the past and DH has lived in Chicago ... so living in a more urban area may appeal. THANK YOU!!!!

 

[AprilBaby]

Austin, tx; San Diego; Raleigh Durham

 

[decodelighted]

As NewEnglandLady mentioned, what about Richmond?

We just picked up and moved to Richmond area this past summer. My husband and I are both from the Boston Area. We moved to Chicago for a few years for my job. He got a great job working at home as a programmer for medical software based out of MA. That allowed us to move around a bit until we found our perfect spot. Chicago was too cold. Tried DC- too city for husband. Tried outside Baltimore. He liked the waterfront property better but still not enough room for his fruit trees and projects. So we started looking at houses anywhere, but had to be:
-East Coast,
-near "stuff"(shopping/restaurants etc within 30 mins or less),
- warmer,
-able to get 3 + bedroom house on 2-5 acres where we could have a mini farm for under $310K
-and have reliable internet connection (not satellite).

We ruled out New England. Even with family up there, we couldn't afford what we wanted near a city with "stuff".
He said no to NYC, NJ. PA - didn't do anything for us. We did a real search into Eastern Shore MD and DE. But there was not enough stuff over there. 45 mins to the only Panera was not an option for me! And internet was spotty at best. Some people still use AOL over there!

That is when we started looking at Virginia Beach, Newport News, Norfolk area. But that area is not very "walkable". We liked it but the market was moving too fast for us to travel down on the weekends from MD.

We then found a great looking horse farm house in Mechanicsville, VA- just 30min outside Richmond. But it didn't have cable internet that he needs to work.

We looked a little bit more based on Comcast and Verizon access. We found the perfect 4.5 acre, 2 master bedroom and 3 other bedrooms and huge office, 3 stalls, pasture and huge garage house in a nice little agricultural zoned neighborhood just south east of the city. We have paved driveway,trash/recycling pickup a cul-da-sac neighborhood but enough space that we can have our animals and the boy can be doing midnight wood work in the garage and not bother the neighbors. It is the perfect mix of rural and city life we were looking for. We are about 45 mins away from the real fancy part of Short Pump with everything under the sun, but under 20-30 mins to all other areas of the Richmond area. And we have a new shopping area that is 10 mins away with a Panera, Target, 2 grocery stores etc. We can zip right in to the real down town. And there are big hospitals like VCU etc in the area. UNOS is a big tech employment place as well. My husband's company is always looking for other remote programmers if yours is in the human health field.

Sounds like you are more of in the City person. I have done a few things in Church Hill and love the look of it. Reminds me of the sweet neighborhoods of DC just on hilly area. Carytown area is super cute. Reminds me of Chicago. Lots of eating ares on the sidewalks, lots of funky shops and restaurants.

We briefly looked into the Triangle but nothing really fit. Same for Savannah and Charleston. Savannah might be a good one for walking city.

Hopefully something in that long winded explanation will help narrow down your perfect spot. I know I am always interested why people move or live where they do. And a lot of people ask us how we picked Richmond.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for taking the time to write all that up. I REALLY appreciate it. And I'm so glad you've found your "piece of heaven". My sister picked out Short Pump for her forever home after growing up in Tidewater, VA (Norfolk/Chesapeake/VA Beach) & living in Valencia, CA for a spell. DH is checking out the tech prospects in/around the Richmond area more closely after the # of times it was recommended in this thread.

 

[decodelighted]

Ever think about moving overseas for a year or two? If your husband can work remotely, why not?

Hey Monnie! YES, actually! That's been our dream as long as we've been together (and I expect that it was both of our dreams before we met ) For awhile we thought it could work w/DH's job but his company has been moving toward more face-to-face meet ups and growing at a rate where he's having to travel a lot within the US & we're thinking his CEO would not be amenable to vastly increasing the amount of travel $$ for him right now by making all the flights international flights LOL! For a bit it was looking like we might be able to move to Amsterdam but that didn't work out either. GREAT IDEA!!!!! Thanks!

 

[decodelighted]

I was going to suggest NC, too. The Durham area is part of the triangle region, and it's worth looking into. As Dee*Jay said, it's known for its tech. positions.We lived in Charlotte for a year from '09-'10, and we loved it. It's Charlotte's not in the triangle region (it's maybe 2 hours south), but my husband got an IT position there, and he liked it a lot. There's a really cool area of Charlotte close to downtown (they call it uptown), called Dilworth. It's near the older sections of Charlotte, and there's lots of great restaurants. We lived in a planned community in a different area of the city, and we loved that, too.

Hey Zoe! Thanks! Why did y'all end up leaving the Triangle?

 

[decodelighted]

Deco have you ever checked out city-data? You can type in a city or area, and then browse questions, or ask your own about a particular area. Almost too much information but at least you can glean patterns.

Hey again! Yeah, you know ... that *may* have been the message board I learned about Carrboro. But, if so, I got there from a random google search and didn't think to remember the name for other searches . THANK YOU for the tip. I'm going to bookmark it now for sure!

 

[decodelighted]

I'm just going to say I'm with you!
This winter has me thinking getaways and vacation property are not enough!
This is our third winter back from a couple years abroad, and while the cost of living is better here, or anywhere in the US, I crave a more moderate climate! My spouse is talking to recruiters. I wish he could work from anywhere!
Good luck with your search!

Hey Harpertoo! Thanks! Good luck w/your search also!!

 

[decodelighted]

I have lived in Richmond for 5 years, Charleston for 4 years, and Charlotte for 4 years. All have their funky artsy areas, all have walkable downtown areas, all have great medical centers. The triangle area of NC is a bit different. Only Charlotte has a good airport. Hands down. Richmond and Charleston can feel very southern. I have enjoyed living in each, but for different reasons. Charlotte probably has the most options for what you want in terms of jobs. Richmond will be the least expensive. Charleston is very expensive. But has the beach! I live in Charleston now, and moved back here from Charlotte. I had lived in Charleston previously and then moved to Charlotte. I found Charlotte easy to live in, but boring. Most people LOVE Charlotte. I would never move back to Richmond, but loved living there at that time in my life. It still will snow in Richmond and Charlotte.

Hey Gemtastic! Thanks sharing your opinions and experiences! So true about the snow .. my sister is due for 8 inches in Richmond this week sometime?? Who knew? I can only remember snow a handful of times growing up in Tidewater VA but maybe I blocked it out? Would love to visit Charleston sometime. Hoping there are more tech jobs there than DH thinks! Would be LOVELY to be by the coast. It's in my DNA!

 

[decodelighted]

DH and I are in tech as well, and our current location has an ever shrinking industry. We want to eventually relocate due to the high cost of living where we are. Our warmer candidate cities include Houston, TX, Georgia - Hotlanta or Alpharetta, Research Triangle, NC, Seattle, WA

Hey PintoBean! Thanks for weighing in! Good luck on your search as well!

 

[decodelighted]

[
Same thing - I was going to heavily suggest the Pac NW as well! No state income tax in WA... moderate winters...very liberal...tech-centric. When I moved to Washington my mom (in Florida) was devastated. I explained to her that I used to be a 10 hour drive from her (I lived in Miami, she lived in the panhandle) but would now be a 6 hour flight away!

Hey sonnyjane! Love your thinking on the mom pitch. Re: Pac NW ... my DH's home office is in Portland so we could relo there for free. So it's tempting! I've never been though so would really need to see for myself before committing. If my upcoming trip to NC (planned last night & during the course of this thread LOL!), doesn't feel right -- the next stop might be Portland. Thanks for the scoop on Washington. It sounds great and I hope you're super happy there!

 

[decodelighted]

Richmond is a good idea, or western VA, like around Charlottesville. Schools are good; there's plenty going on if you like university cities. Albemarle county housing is expensive, but not as bad as northern VA, and the other counties around there are very affordable. I've been looking at both those areas when DH & I move in a year or so.

Charlotte is BORING, have to agree on that. The Triangle area would be better, I think, for your husband's work. Consumer Reports recently rated hospitals around the country & not one in the entire Charlotte area rated better than "meh." Makes me doubtful about living there.

I thought of Charleston too -- it's just a wonderful place, but talk about sweating buckets! We visited in April & nearly died of heatstroke walking around the city.

From what I've read, Pittsburgh has become quite a lively city, lively and lovely, though I haven't been there in many many moons. Might be worth looking it up to see what's going on.

--- Laurie

Hi Laurie! Appreciate your input & ideas! I love Charlottesville actually. And went to summer camp there as a kiddo. We were thinking it might be too mountainous and snowy? Topography-wise it seems quite similar to where we currently live in the Hudson Valley. But maybe that's wrong & we're conflating it w/Wintergreen resort ... which is where we've visited more often in the last few years there. Pittsburgh = TOO COLD. OOF about Charleston in April! I do not want heatstroke either! Which is why, despite my brother being there and LOVING the place, we've ruled out Austin TX for the most part. (We ruled out all of Florida due to my personal experiences there as well as the heat. )

 

[decodelighted]

Austin, tx; San Diego; Raleigh Durham

Hey AprilBaby! Thanks! We've never considered San Diego ... but I did a special on it a few years back and it did look lovely. Will ask DH to check into the tech aspect there. Ideal, ideal world -- we'd be near water. And SD would certainly fit that bill. SO far from family though. Maybe a decade or two from *now*.

 

[monarch64]

Ever think about moving overseas for a year or two? If your husband can work remotely, why not?

Hey Monnie! YES, actually! That's been our dream as long as we've been together (and I expect that it was both of our dreams before we met ) For awhile we thought it could work w/DH's job but his company has been moving toward more face-to-face meet ups and growing at a rate where he's having to travel a lot within the US & we're thinking his CEO would not be amenable to vastly increasing the amount of travel $$ for him right now by making all the flights international flights LOL! For a bit it was looking like we might be able to move to Amsterdam but that didn't work out either. GREAT IDEA!!!!! Thanks!

Don't let the dream die. I don't know what you do, but I'm pretty sure you could market yourSELF well enough to snag something lucrative in some fab European country and hang out over there for a year or few while hubby freelances. I'd hate to see you guys "retire" already...

 

[zoebartlett]

I was going to suggest NC, too. The Durham area is part of the triangle region, and it's worth looking into. As Dee*Jay said, it's known for its tech. positions.We lived in Charlotte for a year from '09-'10, and we loved it. It's Charlotte's not in the triangle region (it's maybe 2 hours south), but my husband got an IT position there, and he liked it a lot. There's a really cool area of Charlotte close to downtown (they call it uptown), called Dilworth. It's near the older sections of Charlotte, and there's lots of great restaurants. We lived in a planned community in a different area of the city, and we loved that, too.

Hey Zoe! Thanks! Why did y'all end up leaving the Triangle?

We actually lived in Charlotte, which is about 2 hours south of the Triangle, I think. The Triangle is known for its research and tech jobs, but when my husband looked for jobs in NC, he found one in Charlotte. He got the position right away so we didn't end up looking at the Triangle after all. If I were you, I'd look at both areas if you have the time.

We ended up leaving Charlotte after a year because our parents and most of my husband's family is in our home state in New England. We just missed friends and family too much, and also, my position ended and I'd have to look again. I had the opportunity to return from my leave of absence at my district in NE, so we came home. We really did love the area though. It's so different than what we're used to, and it was refreshing to learn about a new region.

ETA: I second the recommendation to check out city data's site. It's very helpful, and each state (and regions of many states) have their own forum. It's a good place to ask questions of those who live and work in the areas you're considering.

 

[Roxy]

I was going to suggest NC, too. The Durham area is part of the triangle region, and it's worth looking into. As Dee*Jay said, it's known for its tech. positions.We lived in Charlotte for a year from '09-'10, and we loved it. It's Charlotte's not in the triangle region (it's maybe 2 hours south), but my husband got an IT position there, and he liked it a lot. There's a really cool area of Charlotte close to downtown (they call it uptown), called Dilworth. It's near the older sections of Charlotte, and there's lots of great restaurants. We lived in a planned community in a different area of the city, and we loved that, too.

Hey Zoe! Thanks! Why did y'all end up leaving the Triangle?

Raleigh/Durham (Triangle) is definitely worth looking into as well as Charlotte. DH and I had been looking into both locations a few years back & loved them. Of course, NC wasn't getting the snow that it's getting this year though .

Other places we're researching are where airline "hubs" are located so we'd have a lot of travel options whenever we need to head out of town. Ex, Atlanta (Delta hub) and Dallas (American hub) were two cities on our short list. Another great option for fantastic weather is Albuquerque, NM. It's not a hub, so travel isn't fantastic, but you get all four seasons w/out major extremes (snow that melts w/in days or hours; heat w/out humidity, so you can sit in the shade comfortably for hours). Since Dept of Energy is there, there are a LOT of tech jobs w/ either the National Laboratories or DOE contractors, and the quality of life is great so your income goes a long long way!

 

[endless_summer]

Decodelighted - live in the same general area as you, and I think everyone is feeling it this year! I agree - the cost of living in NOVA and the DC area generally is completely insane (we would love to get out from under it one day too!). I don't know much about NC other than a friend of mine recently moved there and love it - he and his wife could easily purchase a house and now have a family, which financially here would have been very, very hard to do.

That said, I grew up in the south, and ATL is definitely worth checking out. I know plenty of GA Tech grads that have done very well for themselves in ATL (most engineers, not sure if that's quick the tech your husband is, as opposed to start-up computer companies). It's far easier going than NOVA/DC culture - it doesn't feel like such a rat race between the work-work-work personalities that tend to live in the DC area and the hustle to keep up with the cost of living. Traffic can be horrendous, but if you live inside 285, you skirt the brunt of it, as most of it is commuters from the suburbs coming in and out with rush hour. And, there are walkable areas inside 285 - Midtown, the Highlands (both of these with easy access to Piedmont Park - great for running, sports, dark parks), areas around Emory,…there are more, just ask when you start looking. You really can't go wrong if you pick a major city in the SE, whether its somewhere in the Carolinas, ATL, even Nashville - I'm sure you'll have a major step up in terms of quality of life.

Hope that helps & Good luck!

 

[endless_summer]

NORTHERN VIRGINIA.

Huh.. wait. Maybe that's what NOVA means?

If so.... ROFLMAO at the high cost of living thing. Depends on your perspective! Compared to NorCal it's heaven out there. I'm wanting to move there so badly because "it's so affordable out there!"

Then again I live in cost of living hell. But there are jobs out here. So you take your blessings where you can.

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

Yep, we have all kinds of kitchy little names for our neighborhoods - would you believe we have a NOMA too?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

This is funny but I say all the time that I cannot understand why people ever settled in the north unless they were coming from Canada or Scandanavia or something! We did just have several inches of snow in NC, but it is rare. We usually get a couple of inches a year and it's a big deal! Maybe every 10 years we get one big snow. But we have 4 seasons and we have mountains and the beach. The Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area would be a place that you'd feel comfortable. I live closer to Charlotte, and I think there is plenty to do there as far as shopping, theatre, etc., but it isn't quite the same as the Chapel Hill area where you have both UNC Chapel Hill and Duke, which are two of the top universities in the country. You will be happy moving to NC once you see our housing prices!

Charleston I adore and we vacation near there. But it is HOT in the summer and not where I'd want to live full time unless I could live one the beach!

I also lived outside of Richmond for 5 years and loved it, but I think it is a great southern city but I think the Research Triangle area of NC might be your best fit. Come on down and we'll get together! There are some PSers over that way, too!

 

[zoebartlett]

Deco, my sister lives in the Portland area, and she LOVES it. It's a liberal city, very health-conscious, and the downtown area, known as The Pearl, is great. There are lots of great shops and restaurants, a great bookstore called Powell's, and a cool outdoor market near Christmas time. My sister takes her dogs to the river and dog parks near her all the time, and it's a very pet-friendly city. The winters seem milder than they are here in the northeast. I've only been to Portland once, several years ago, but I really liked it. If there's anything specific you'd like to know, let me know and I'll ask my sister. I'm sure she'd be happy to help out.

ETA: I will say that the dreary weather takes some getting used to. My sister's very used to it now, and she just accepts that there will be plenty of overcast, drizzly days. I'm not sure how much of a consideration that would be for you, but it's something to think about.

Oh, and if you like local theater, Portland has a great theater scene. That's why my sister originally moved out there and she couldn't be happier.

One more thing about NC...

I'll echo DS and say that the weather in NC is awesome. It doesn't get snow really, maybe a few inches at a time. It can get cold, but not nearly as cold as it does in the northeast. The weather and the southern hospitality were the two things we loved about living in NC. If you're not used to it (the hospitality, that is), it can throw you at first. It did take some time to get used to because as a New Englander, we're a bit more reserved in general. It really was wonderful how kind everyone was, and we still miss it.

 

[Gypsy]

I'm bumping.

So... as I mentioned, my DH and I would really like to move out of Nor Cal.

The Raleigh/Wake Forest area of NC seems very promising.

Can someone tell me more about living there?

 

[E B]

I've lived in Cary, NC for two years now (only five more weeks until we move!) and I would not describe it as liberal-- and I suspect you and I fall on pretty similar areas of the political spectrum. I would describe Cary as suburban, upper middle class, white, and relatively conservative. But that's how most of NC feels to me.

Durham, Chapel Hill and Carrboro would be good choices within the triangle- Durham probably the best match as it's the most affordable of the three (generally) and closest to RTP. Hits all of your wants, depending on how close you want to be to the major airport. And FWIW, my husband and I are in the process of buying a home in one of the three locations I mentioned above so I'm practicing what I preach, so to speak.

 

[E B]

We've lived in Portland as well, and had I not suffered from seasonal affective disorder, we would have stayed. We loved everything about it except for the rain. If you can handle long periods of rain, it is an excellent option, but the cost of living is a bit higher.

 

[decodelighted]

Ever think about moving overseas for a year or two? If your husband can work remotely, why not?

Hey Monnie! YES, actually! That's been our dream as long as we've been together (and I expect that it was both of our dreams before we met ) For awhile we thought it could work w/DH's job but his company has been moving toward more face-to-face meet ups and growing at a rate where he's having to travel a lot within the US & we're thinking his CEO would not be amenable to vastly increasing the amount of travel $$ for him right now by making all the flights international flights LOL! For a bit it was looking like we might be able to move to Amsterdam but that didn't work out either. GREAT IDEA!!!!! Thanks!

Don't let the dream die. I don't know what you do, but I'm pretty sure you could market yourSELF well enough to snag something lucrative in some fab European country and hang out over there for a year or few while hubby freelances. I'd hate to see you guys "retire" already...

Even if we make a move away from the Northeast .... we'd still dream (and plot) to live abroad at some point. Don't worry! We're not dead yet!

 

[decodelighted]

We ended up leaving Charlotte after a year because our parents and most of my husband's family is in our home state in New England. We just missed friends and family too much, and also, my position ended and I'd have to look again. I had the opportunity to return from my leave of absence at my district in NE, so we came home. We really did love the area though. It's so different than what we're used to, and it was refreshing to learn about a new region.

Hey Zoe,
Thanks! Didn't mean to pry! Makes total sense. We'd be making the move South for some of the same reasons you came back North. And I totally agree that it's very cool to shake things up every once in a while & get new perspectives from different environments. What I *DON'T* want to happen is to fall into the trap of thinking moving somewhere else will be a magic elixr for all problems. You know the old saying: WHEREVER YOU GO, THERE YOU ARE.

 

[decodelighted]

Other places we're researching are where airline "hubs" are located so we'd have a lot of travel options whenever we need to head out of town. Ex, Atlanta (Delta hub) and Dallas (American hub) were two cities on our short list. Another great option for fantastic weather is Albuquerque, NM. It's not a hub, so travel isn't fantastic, but you get all four seasons w/out major extremes (snow that melts w/in days or hours; heat w/out humidity, so you can sit in the shade comfortably for hours). Since Dept of Energy is there, there are a LOT of tech jobs w/ either the National Laboratories or DOE contractors, and the quality of life is great so your income goes a long long way!

Interesting about Albuquerque. I was just looking at this crazy thing ... the pleasantness index or something:

http://www.kellegous.com/j/2014/02/03/pleasant-places/

i"ll have to see if that concurs! Still think it might be too hot for *us* ... even w/o humidity (we're chub). Good luck on y'alls search and thanks for the scoop!

 

[decodelighted]

Decodelighted - live in the same general area as you, and I think everyone is feeling it this year! I agree - the cost of living in NOVA and the DC area generally is completely insane (we would love to get out from under it one day too!). I don't know much about NC other than a friend of mine recently moved there and love it - he and his wife could easily purchase a house and now have a family, which financially here would have been very, very hard to do.

That said, I grew up in the south, and ATL is definitely worth checking out. I know plenty of GA Tech grads that have done very well for themselves in ATL (most engineers, not sure if that's quick the tech your husband is, as opposed to start-up computer companies). It's far easier going than NOVA/DC culture - it doesn't feel like such a rat race between the work-work-work personalities that tend to live in the DC area and the hustle to keep up with the cost of living. Traffic can be horrendous, but if you live inside 285, you skirt the brunt of it, as most of it is commuters from the suburbs coming in and out with rush hour. And, there are walkable areas inside 285 - Midtown, the Highlands (both of these with easy access to Piedmont Park - great for running, sports, dark parks), areas around Emory,…there are more, just ask when you start looking. You really can't go wrong if you pick a major city in the SE, whether its somewhere in the Carolinas, ATL, even Nashville - I'm sure you'll have a major step up in terms of quality of life.

Hope that helps & Good luck!

Hey endless summer!

Thanks for commiserating! Maybe it's a bad year to knee-jerk react & move. But I'm afraid I'm one of those who pulled up stakes in NYC within a year after 9/11 as well. I guess I'm a reactionary chicken. But honest? Thanks for the scoop about ATL. Only visited once, during a particularly hot summer. But seemed like a great city. Food for thought.

 

[decodelighted]

This is funny but I say all the time that I cannot understand why people ever settled in the north unless they were coming from Canada or Scandanavia or something! We did just have several inches of snow in NC, but it is rare. We usually get a couple of inches a year and it's a big deal! Maybe every 10 years we get one big snow. But we have 4 seasons and we have mountains and the beach. The Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area would be a place that you'd feel comfortable. I live closer to Charlotte, and I think there is plenty to do there as far as shopping, theatre, etc., but it isn't quite the same as the Chapel Hill area where you have both UNC Chapel Hill and Duke, which are two of the top universities in the country. You will be happy moving to NC once you see our housing prices!

Charleston I adore and we vacation near there. But it is HOT in the summer and not where I'd want to live full time unless I could live one the beach!

I also lived outside of Richmond for 5 years and loved it, but I think it is a great southern city but I think the Research Triangle area of NC might be your best fit. Come on down and we'll get together! There are some PSers over that way, too!

Hey diamondseeker2006!

I didn't remember you were from that area but that's awesome. It would be great to get together some time. I might be coming down w/a sister or two in early March to check things out & get a feel so we can rule in or rule out ... before my DH can make time for a trip - perhaps early Spring.

Re: housing prices ... oh I've been stalking the listings already! Carrboro doesn't have a ton of inventory ... so i know stuff won't be still available when we're ready to move ... but it's fun to get a feel for what's down there. After living in a 200+ year old house for almost 12 years now ... you can't IMAGINE how nice it is to see walk-in closets and open spaces and clean lines and new windows and fresh cabinetry. I'm having new construx-gasms. And big condOhOhOhOhhhhoooos. (I'll miss the super charming, cock-eyed widdle wee cottage of course but man, the stuff that bugs me about it is REALLY starting to bug.)

 

[decodelighted]

Deco, my sister lives in the Portland area, and she LOVES it. It's a liberal city, very health-conscious, and the downtown area, known as The Pearl, is great. There are lots of great shops and restaurants, a great bookstore called Powell's, and a cool outdoor market near Christmas time. My sister takes her dogs to the river and dog parks near her all the time, and it's a very pet-friendly city. The winters seem milder than they are here in the northeast. I've only been to Portland once, several years ago, but I really liked it. If there's anything specific you'd like to know, let me know and I'll ask my sister. I'm sure she'd be happy to help out.

ETA: I will say that the dreary weather takes some getting used to. My sister's very used to it now, and she just accepts that there will be plenty of overcast, drizzly days. I'm not sure how much of a consideration that would be for you, but it's something to think about.

Oh, and if you like local theater, Portland has a great theater scene. That's why my sister originally moved out there and she couldn't be happier.

One more thing about NC...

I'll echo DS and say that the weather in NC is awesome. It doesn't get snow really, maybe a few inches at a time. It can get cold, but not nearly as cold as it does in the northeast. The weather and the southern hospitality were the two things we loved about living in NC. If you're not used to it (the hospitality, that is), it can throw you at first. It did take some time to get used to because as a New Englander, we're a bit more reserved in general. It really was wonderful how kind everyone was, and we still miss it.

Hey (again) Zoe!

Thanks for the offer of a Portland* hook-up!!! Glad your sister is loving it there. It's very high on our list of options if NC doesn't appeal. DH grew up in upstate NY so he might be intoxicated by the NC southern hospitality! My family's from Virginia so it's in my DNA a bit. Maybe he'll finally understand why I decline things I want twice before accepting. HA! (Southern weirdness! "Aw no I couldn't. Really no thanks. Don't mind if I DO!!".

(*and i worked briefly with "portlandia" production team from afar -- so I have a weird fondness for it anyhoo.)

 

[decodelighted]

I'm bumping. So... as I mentioned, my DH and I would really like to move out of Nor Cal. The Raleigh/Wake Forest area of NC seems very promising. Can someone tell me more about living there?

ARE WE GONNA BE NEIGHBORS?????? Watch out, NC!

 

[JewelFreak]

HEY, DD -- I'm here too! If you come down, we have to have a GTG! We can show you the advantages of NC -- the sparkly kind first!

--- Laurie