North Carolina peeps!???

[moremoremore]

We are SERIOUSLY thinking of moving to Charlotte....from Long Island...Anyone live in Charlotte??? Questions, questions!!!

 

[gailrmv]

I think Diamondseeker2006 and Tacori live there, not 100% sure!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

ME ME ME!!!!! MOVE!!!!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 5/16/2007 9:50:38 PM
Author: gailrmv
I think Diamondseeker2006 and Tacori live there, not 100% sure!

DS lives about 40 mins away I think (but I know she comes to Charlotte once in awhile).

 

[Mara]

mmm, greg and i are going to raleigh next week (as part of a family east coast visit to see greg''s family)....to scope it out for moving as well. so i will report back to you on what we think. we are visiting only the triangle area though...raleigh and chapel hill and wake forest more specifically. i have to say that i have not been super impressed so far based on their hotel options, hahaha. but we''ll see!!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Mara- I really think Charlotte has a different vibe than the triangle area. I know I have mentioned this before but I *love* living here (and I have lived in 3 other states and briefly in a different country). It is such a young city and growing. I love the low cost of living. I love the location (3 hours to the mountians, 3 to the beach). Downtown (well, we call it uptown) is very nice. Lots of cool places to live and things to do. Of course it does not have as much as SF but not many places do. I like that it is a managable size as well. I don''t remember what Greg does for a living but you should put Charlotte on your list if you are looking to move to NC. We have some *very* nice hotels

 

[mrssalvo]

I have family in Charlotte and LOVE it there. I agree with Tacori about the location in general. I don''t know enough about the city to be any more specific.

mara, I''ve been to Raleigh, athough it was a few years ago so I''m sure things have changed but it''s not really anything like a big city or something. I really think if you and Greg are thinking about moving to NC you should research Charlotte too. Much more to offer IMO if you''re used to the big city life.

 

[moremoremore]

Hi guys!! I'm excited!!!
Tacori- Now I'll torment you...and Mrs. Salvo for details!!!

Mara- I ditto what the other gals say...from what I've read, they are a totally diff vibe....I don't think I could do any place else than Charlotte coming from NY!!!

Tacori- My friend down there suggested Ballantyne (why can't I find that city on realtor.com...is it really a "city"...)
What about Mint Hill? Pineville? Matthews? Are these actual "cities".. so confused (dumb question I know)
What are the "best" places for a NYer? (I bet you guys hate us a little bit? or is it good b/c property values are going up?)

Hubby will be keeping his NY salary (SWEET) but I'll be losing mine..I have NO desire to practice law anymore in any event...so we won't be rolling in the cash...but I can have a great house and a yard and a nicer lifestyle (I mean actually nicer, people here in ny suck LOL)....and a CHANGE!!! My tiny 2 bedroom coop (like an apt/condo for you out of staters!) is worth about $350,000...and a house for the same there is amazing compare to the cr*ap holes here for that...On long island, I'd need to spend $500,000 for a small, major fixer upper with taxes around 10,000 a year. I don't want to spend a lot of money...I want to take the approach that hubby could always lose his job and need to get a NC salary...Are they really that much less? So I'm being very conservative in house prices...This will be a starter or something small that needs work and can be expanded... Maybe no more than $250,000.00-$300,000 ... Damn student loans If I work, we can do $350,000-$450,000 but hmmmm..I'd rather have less house and stay home and have kids (GOD, did *I* just say that?) Again, you can't get anything for that here...so even the small fixer uppers are amazing to me...

Any city suggestions?
How is the traffic to downtown Charlotte?
Should I focus on Area 5 like my friend suggests?
What's the deal with "areas"?
Is it super hot and humid in the summer?
Will this make me a southern belle? LOL....
I"M EXCITED!!! I need a dog or something LOL

 

[Lorelei]

Moresie, I just wanted to wish you luck with everything!

 

[moremoremore]

Meow! Thanks!

I just re-read my other post...WHAT is going on with me? LOL...Did I just say KIDS? and worse yet, DOG?

(I actually do love dogs and just about anything that isn't human

)

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/17/2007 9:19:18 AM
Author: moremoremore
Meow! Thanks!

I just re-read my other post...WHAT is going on with me? LOL...Did I just say KIDS? and worse yet, DOG?

(I actually do love dogs and just about anything that isn''t human

)

Head bonk! Hehehe....must be the thought of good country livin! Can''t beat it!

 

[moremoremore]

LOL...

I'm actually giving seriously thought to going into the animal field...too old for vet school (and too stupid LOL)...maybe work at a shelter (and be seriously poor) or become a vet tech or vet assistant or anything involving animals of all kinds. I'm not just going to wake up one day and be happy...so even if I have less money and less house and GASP- less diamonds LOL... I'll have a meaningful life. Geez, WHAT is going on with me tee hee

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/17/2007 9:31:48 AM
Author: moremoremore
LOL...

I''m actually giving seriously thought to going into the animal field...too old for vet school (and too stupid LOL)...maybe work at a shelter (and be seriously poor) or become a vet tech or vet assistance or anything involving animals of all kinds. I''m not just going to wake up one day and be happy...so even if I have less money and less house, I''ll have a meaningful life. Geez, WHAT is going on with me tee hee

I think you would be great at working with animals, good thing to weigh all your options now and then.

 

[fire&ice]

Well, I''m an ex NYC pat who moved to Raleigh, NC in the later 70''s. I adjusted quite well - but what did I know - I was only 16! Raleigh does have a much different vibe than Charlotte. Raleigh is still way more small town. Traffic flow is horrendous. Schools not so great - but none of NC schools are all that great. My parents sent me to private school.. GREAT University systems though. Mara, Wake Forest used to be the depth of country. I know it is getting built up as suburb - but not too close to Raleigh downtown. Not much action in downtown Raleigh. I doubt whether I would move back. I would go to Chapel Hill before Raleigh & buy one of the old houses near the University. Raleigh has much more of a suburban life feel. The only place I would consider moving to is the 5 points area. But, I''m a Raleighite & hubby''s family goes WAY back there. It is a nicer way of life though. Much less stressful. When my Father worked in NYC he had high blood pressure. Too this day, after moving South, his blood pressure is normal.

Our second home is in Greensboro - the "Piedmont Triad". My heart is there. They have an active downtown. I have heard it''s a much better place for adults though.

Charlotte is a whole different story. It''s a city for young people. It''s become a financial hub of the South. But, there is still that good ol''e boy network thing going on. And, they still produce many debutants.

As far as traffic goes, I''ll let Tacori ring in. My experience has been that it is very difficult to get around. I always get lost. Streets begin, end & begin somewhere else again.

My Nephew lives there and loves it. Seems like there is plenty of social action. He lives close to the city in a regentrified area called "No...something"

I really like NC better than VA. But, there is a couple of things we can''t move to NC.

Best of luck to you all!

 

[Mara]

hehe honestly i doubt we will move. lately now as we have been considering moving, i suddenly realize just what a fabulous life we enjoy where we are. sure it's expensive but i guess there's a reason for that, like the NY area right? people want to be here. i should think about THAT part more. hehe.

but on the other hand if we moved, it would be to start a family and become surbarbanites so that we could give our children a better lifestyle than we have here...or one that we could have here with kids more specifically. it's hard to be a single income family here in N. CA with the prices and lifestyle and i wouldn't want to be a working mom, i have seen so many other mom's here struggle with it big time. sure you can MAKE it work, but it's also about what kind of life we want to give our kids.

IF we have kids that is!!! discussions are ongoing, hehee. so while neither of us is actually ready, we figure we might as well go check out NC since we have been reading about it. in terms of charlotte vs NC...we are both in the tech industry more than financial and would probably have an easier time getting jobs in the triangle area. i like the idea of chapel hill or wake forest because they are not in the 'city' really...and seem a bit more 'unique' than raleigh or durham or cary. i don't really want a cookie cutter kind of environment and wake forest has huge lots backed by doh..forests...which we do not have here at all with housing, and chapel hill seems to have a lot of old world charm which is intriguing. i doubt we'd live IN raleigh. charlotte sounds interesting but also i am REALLY not into the whole southern good ole boy thing. SF is SOOOOO amazingly diverse, that is another reason i am absolutely paranoid about moving anywhere else other than NYC.

the other area we want to check out this year is Austin TX. but while if we moved to NC, Greg's fam would be like a 3 hour drive for us...TX would always be a flight for either my family or his, it's near no one we know really. so while Austin might be more liberal and more like SF for us...we'd be totally on our own.

lastly, i think about this often and i posed the Q to greg the other night. do we really want to move somewhere and 'start over' at this stage in our lives? i think it might be really hard for both of us. but anyway, we're trying to keep an open mind and consider all the options. we'll be in that area for 3 days and if we can find time, maybe we'll add charlotte for a quick look-see.

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 5/17/2007 9:13:59 AM
Author: moremoremore

Are they really that much less? So I''m being very conservative in house prices...This will be a starter or something small that needs work and can be expanded... Maybe no more than $250,000.00-$300,000 ... Damn student loans If I work, we can do $350,000-$450,000 but hmmmm..I''d rather have less house and stay home and have kids (GOD, did *I* just say that?) Again, you can''t get anything for that here...so even the small fixer uppers are amazing to me...

HI:

You read it here first folks---in plain English--we have it in writing!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh happy travels!

cheers--Sharon

 

[fire&ice]

Raleigh is a nice place to raise a family. The schools are O.K. - but none of NC are that great. It''s why you will see many day private schools. Wake Forest is quaint. It still is VERY country. Wake Forest University used to reside there until they moved to Winston-Salem. Chuck Amato, NC state football coach until he got run out on the rail, lived in one of those big huge pricey subdivs. in WF. Chapel Hill is far more liberal than Raleigh. It''s a University town. Near Franklin street is a cool area.

Yeah, for tech jobs - bio, etc, the Research Triangle is the place to be. I''ve told you this before. If you really want an adventure, check out Blacksburg, VA. VT is there. It''s a college town, so there is something to do. It''s a little kept secret about their foundation property with TONS of little wacko techno science fiction lab stuff going on there. You probably still have my email addy if you want details about something.

Richmond, VA also has bio upstarts - Unos is the corner stone for that to happen. You would be closer to family.

 

[Mara]

F&I I thought that Wake Forest had great schools...or that is what the vibe I got from looking online was...is that not true?

Our schools here are really not good at all, unless you move into a really pricey area JUST for the schools (like my parents did)...so any type of bump would be an improvement really...if we stayed here and had kids we'd probably do private OR sacrifice an arm and a leg to move into those pricey areas to get the schools...which would just add either way to a financial burden!

We already have a townhouse here that has appreciated crazily, so we have some nice equity to play with...but we are unsure what we want to do with it. We are overall lazy and happy where we are but on the other hand we feel like we should do something to kind of 'bump' ourselves up into the next tier of home ownership. But is it really worth it? We don't really know.

Anyway, my biggest beef right now mentally is why do we have to make any sort of decision??! Why can't we just stay here and continue on as is. Why does life have so many big life-changing decisions you have to make? hehee. We just want to enjoy and BE!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

MMM- We live in Ballantyne. There are two houses for sale in my neighborhood. We could be neighbors!

It is actually an area NOT a city. For example, our mail still has "Charlotte" on it. We are on the south side. I would look for homes here. The area we are in is called area 5. Don''t look at Mint Hill or Pineville. Even Matthews is kind of far away. They are cities. I don''t think they have the type of houses you are interested in (taking a leap here). My hubby is in real estate and Charlotte was one of the FEW cities in the US that didn''t see a drop. For $350,000 you can get new construction (or with in the last 10 years) at least 4 bedrooms, probably 2500-3000 square feet (just guessing here). His NY salary could stretch VERY far here. You could, dare I say, have a close lifestyle as you did on both your salaries in NYC.

Other areas that are nice are Cotswald (but they are older homes, when I say that it means 1950s here, haha)
Southpark (you will pay more for less there though)
Uptown (if you want to live in a loft)
Dilworth (trendy area)
NoDa (is in transition)

But I really think area 5 is a great bargin. Close to everything. We live about 10-15 mins from the airport. About 15-20 mins from uptown. Not going to lie, traffic does suck but that is really my only Charlotte complaint. We have great shopping (SouthPark mall has everything you could want), great food, great weather....

Do you want city living or ''burbs?
Ask all the questions you want. When we moved here I had never even been to NC. Almost 5 years later there is no where else I rather live. DS2006 will be so excited. Our GTGs can be more than just the two of us!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I don''t know the details but I think Charlotte DOES have some good public schools. We are planning on sending our children public. Charlotte is growing so fast (south charlotte) that there are many new schools that maybe you do not know about F&I.

I think any new city is hard to get around when you first move. We are *very* close to a 485 exit ramp so it is not too bad for us (when we use the highway).

Mara, Charlotte is getting pretty large so there are many opportunities (not just in banking).

Okay, off to the docs. I will check this thread later!!!

 

[fire&ice]

The thing about Raleigh schools is that they keep redrawing the districts. People move to a certain area for the school only to go somewhere else. WF is a little newer than I keep up with. What are the name of the schools & district?

To make the leap or not is a life changing decision. If it''s any help, we couldn''t imagine our life if we had stayed in Raleigh. Same comfortable life. Same friends. Same ole Same ole. Probably raising nice little debs. Not a bad life. But, I don''t think we would be as stimulated or challenged. I get into trouble when I am bored. I think I would have been bored staying in my hometown. Then again, we didn''t move across country. If you hate it, could you go back? Probably.

The cost of living in most of the Southeast is it''s biggest draw. Less stess all the way around.

 

[FireGoddess]

I have a very good friend that lives in Charlotte - it''s GORGEOUS! Can be kinda muggy in the summer but such is the east coast in my experience. It''s a beautiful city. DH seriously considers moving there after spending some time there at my friend''s wedding.

 

[Mara]

F&I...it could be hard for us to move away and return here. the reason is that the cost of living is such here that we''d most likely have a hard time re-breaking into the market, and if it''s on an upswing (totally possible the way things are here), we might end up in a 2 bedroom condo with not as much equity after being gone.

one of our ideas if we do decide to move is to go and rent for like 6 months or a year and keep our townhouse here...and rent it out. so that if we absolutely cannot make it out there, we''d have a place to come home to. we''d probably lose a little bit of $$ in that time as i don''t know if we could rent our place to cover all expenses including property taxes, but it would be better than selling, taking the leap, moving, and having to come back in a year or so with probably less equity and maybe in an upswing of a boom here...things are so volatile in this area you never know when it will just start climbing again. i would hate for us to shoot ourselves in the foot.

so we''ll see. sometimes i question if we really want to have children as well or if it just seems like what we are supposed to do. i think greg is more susceptible to this than i am. so i think the next few years are really the time for us to suss out what we want to do, where we want to be etc. make our big decisions i guess. even though seriously, i feel lazy. hehee. but it''ll be fun to visit for sure. we have ressies at some yummy dinner places and we both love looking at houses and exploring, and all that, so we will make the most of it.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Okay MMM- I told hubby about you and he said you would be crazy to move anywhere BUT Ballantyne. He said make sure you look in area 5-5 (that's us). It really is a beautiful area. Lots of shops and restaurants. Like I mentioned before the houses are newer so besides cosmetic changes you may want to make you should be able to get a move in ready home. Our home was a foreclosure (so we got it for a steal) and was built in 1995. We are currently changing out all the brass with brushed nickel and have major plans (tile & paint). Let me know if you decide to come visit. Maybe DS2006 will drive up and we can all have lunch or something.

FG- It is beautiful. My brother is always shocked how clean uptown is. There are very few Charlotte natives. Most people are from up north. It can get humid but so can the midwest in July. I love not having to deal with snow storms. We have a long spring, long summer, long fall, and short winter. For us it is perfect.

 

[moremoremore]

Thanks guys!!!!

Tacori- My main focus has been on Ballantyne...I'm glad you confirm its "awesomeness" LOL.. I can't possibly that moving to Charlotte could ever be a bad idea...it's no NY but it's still a major city!!!

I'm SO over NY. I hate NYC and never go there. I "appreciate" the shopping and dining...but am just not that into it. Macys is good enough for me...Well, along with the internet
The rest of Long Island is on my nerves as well...I won't miss it one bit...I would love to work on a goat farm as far as I'm concerned...
I WILL miss being so close to the water...

As far as traffic, I can't IMAGINE it being worse than where I am...It takes me 45 min to get to work anyway...so as long as it's the same I'm fine with that!

Yipppeee!

I'll let you know when I'm coming Tacori!

P.S. You'll all think I'm INSANE but I want a more mature house...maybe built in the 70s or 80s or 90s perfect...with some trees...New construction makes me nervous...like it's going to fly away for some reason...LOL..I'm most likely out of my mind

But we all knew that already...

hey- is it ME (wishful thinking?) or does that the ring pictured in mark t's cushion guy add looks like my 3 stone cushie??? I'll have to ask him!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

We have HUGE trees in my subdivision. I think the builders were careful to build around. I actually really like our neighborhood b/c the houses were built at different times (one of my neighbors built theirs in 2005) so they aren''t cookie cutter and in my neighborhood we aren''t totally on top of each other. It is a smaller one thought. Maybe 100 homes? They send out a newsletter and have GTG (though I have never gone) We are friends with two of our neighbors. It is the kind of place everyone waves to each other. There are many areas in Ballantyne to look at. You will be shocked when you see all the four sided brick homes (or we were at least!) You shouldn''t have trouble finding something. Like I said there are two in our sub (one has a pool!). I would just get in contact with a realtor and they will guide you. If you are used to bad traffic you will be fine here. We have Macy''s about 6 miles from us

We do have two lakes that are close. Lake Wylie (in SC but we are 3 miles from the border) and Lake Norman where all the Nascar people live at. They are very expensive homes but it is beautiful there. Besides that Wilmington is about 3 hrs away. Charleston is around 3 hours as is Savannah. Alanta 3.5 hrs. Plus we have the mountains. Ashville is beautiful. We actually did a feature in our mag about NC weekend getaways. I can give it to you if you are serious (or curious) Haha.

Oh I am so excited for you! I know you have mentioned this before and think you and your hubby would be very happy here. I cannot believe they aren''t reducing his salary! That is so wonderful!

Any other questions???

 

[partgypsy]

Hey More more more, I am a transplant too, from Chicago to Durham. I really like living in Durham as the cost of living is much lower yet being a university still interesting people, good restaurants. It is more urban of a nc town, which you may or may not be looking for. However I do at times miss Chicago. Also loved visiting friends in NYC, the dynamicness of it can be intoxicating. Of course it''s one thing visiting a place vs. living there. Although you say you hate NY, the pace of things down here is definitely slower. Would you like that? Or would it drive you crazy? The greatest plus is that you can support yourself without having killer hours or long commutes, which means alot quality of life wise. Think about what you spend your time on. If it''s shopping, going to hotspots, latest trends, films, art shows that are only in big cities, maybe not for you. If you like house, garden, family life/hobbies, you will have more time/money for that.

 

[mrssalvo]

once hubby and I move I''ll be closer to charlotte and will have to come to one of your get together''s too Tacori.

MMM- the weather is HOT and muggy in the summer, much like where i''m at in Nashville, but you really do get used to it and everyone pretty much cranks the AC everywhere you go. plus, nights do cool down a *bit* so it''s not crazy once the sun sets coming home from dinner or going out for a nice walk. I''m from Ohio and don''t miss all the snow and ice cold temps. one bit. I hardly ever where a winter coat now that i''m in the south. And you''ll be able to get a very large house for the $. I agree with Tacori that your standard of living will probalby be about the same, maybe even better if you move on one income b/c your dollars just go so much further.

I love NYC though, but only to visit. I wouldn''t want to live there either, unless I was a celebrity and could afford a penthouse over looking central park

 

[partgypsy]

Funny I was just thinking that if I was moving from California would recommend Chapel Hill, most "California" like, then I see Mara already did!
Though Mara I think it would be a big adjustment moving from CA to NC for you, you just seem like such a California girl at heart. I like your idea if you do do it, to rent for a year, because you don''t want to kick yourself if you move and can''t go back. Personally I don''t think people have to move to the ''burbs to raise a kid.

 

[dianne]

Hey moremoremore...I work in North Charlotte and live just on the outskirts in Concord...in area 11 (Cabarrus County). Taxes are lower than Charlotte and Cabarrus County has great schools...or so I've heard--I don't have children. You can get a great house for your buget so c'mon over to the North Carolina side!....Welcome!!

ETA: Tacori, I didn't know you were so close!

2nd ETA: I forgot to say it's less than a 15 minute drive to my job every day. And let me stress the fact you can get so much more house bang for the buck here. I think you will be shocked. Say...I think what I need to do is move away to an area with a higher cost of living, get a house, build up equity, sell and come back home and buy my dream house.....too bad I didn't think of that when I was younger....lol....plus I really hate moving. Good luck with your decision!