Tell me about North Carolina

[Priorityonecb]

We are in Clayton and love it! I work in Holly Springs! I recommend NC very highly and our schools here in Clayton are fantastic!

 

[Diabolicdesire]

We have lived in Knighdale, NC for 3 years now. We are about 15 min from downtown Raleigh. My Child attends an inter-city magnet school which is in a horrible area but offers such great academics and electives that it's worth the commute time to send her there. Of course this was not mandatory, we signed up and had to be selected from a lottery to get in. Our local public schools were not impressive to me at all. We moved here from SC and when my daughter started elementary school here she was way ahead of the rest of her class. In fact she sailed through her last two years of elementary school.

I really love living in the Raleigh area. It has everything you want in a "big city" but you can live in the suburbs and feel small towny. I feel safe letting my kid play outside. We do have a downtown area which in comparison to most is teeny tiny but it offers a lot. There are "bad" areas but most do not compare to many of the "bad areas" I grew up seeing in South Florida.

It's been extremely hot here !!! I grew up in S. FL and I would say the summer here is hotter !! The good thing is the seasons do actually change here It can get pretty cold too but only will snow a handful of times. It's enough to enjoy it, not enough to get sick of it

We are 2-3 hours from the beaches depending on where you go. Just went to the Outter Banks this summer for the first time and I loved it !!!! About 3 hours from the mountains which are my favorite. Getting ready to plan a camping trip that way

Anything else you wanna know just ask !

 

[stichy]

omg! I am in Fuquay!

How exactly is that pronounced. The way it sounds in my head is not nice.

 

[Priorityonecb]

Originally Posted by Madison'smommy
omg! I am in Fuquay!

How exactly is that pronounced. The way it sounds in my head is not nice.

Fuquay is pronounced Few-Kway. Said quickly! I love their Kohl's with Chick-Fila right next door!

 

[Madison'smommy]

Originally Posted by Madison'smommy
omg! I am in Fuquay!

How exactly is that pronounced. The way it sounds in my head is not nice.

Fuquay is pronounced Few-Kway. Said quickly! I love their Kohl's with Chick-Fila right next door!

Yup! Just like this! and Yup, we go to both, Kohls and Chick fil a

 

[sjms71]

Originally Posted by Madison'smommy
omg! I am in Fuquay!

How exactly is that pronounced. The way it sounds in my head is not nice.

Fuquay is pronounced Few-Kway. Said quickly! I love their Kohl's with Chick-Fila right next door!

I just was at that kohls. Yeah exactly why we live in holly springs. Dh didn't want a Fuquay-varina mailing address LOL

 

[erin1715]

I've been stalking this thread. My husband and I are from NY (about 4 hours from NYC) and are considering a move south. He would be seeking a Phys Ed teaching position (as well as coaching football, wrestling) and I would plan to work from home. Can anyone tell me what the salary of a teacher and/or coach is in NC? We would love to live outside of Raleigh (Durham, Chapel Hill, Wake). I don't want to live in a big city, but I don't think my husband would mind the commute if he had to work in Raleigh.

I always thought I would never, ever move from this area because our family is here and I grew up here, but NYS is going down fast. There aren't many incentives around here to want to stay, besides family of course.

 

[sjms71]

I've been stalking this thread. My husband and I are from NY (about 4 hours from NYC) and are considering a move south. He would be seeking a Phys Ed teaching position (as well as coaching football, wrestling) and I would plan to work from home. Can anyone tell me what the salary of a teacher and/or coach is in NC? We would love to live outside of Raleigh (Durham, Chapel Hill, Wake). I don't want to live in a big city, but I don't think my husband would mind the commute if he had to work in Raleigh.

I always thought I would never, ever move from this area because our family is here and I grew up here, but NYS is going down fast. There aren't many incentives around here to want to stay, besides family of course.

For Raleigh area (Wake Co.) you can go to wcpss.net and look at the salary schedule.

 

[erin1715]

For Raleigh area (Wake Co.) you can go to wcpss.net and look at the salary schedule.

Thank you!

 

[sjms71]

Thank you!

You're welcome, good luck let me know if I can help you with anything else. Also, in Wake Co. you have a choice of traditional schedule or year round. We are on the year round schedule and love it however, it's not for everyone.

 

[erin1715]

You're welcome, good luck let me know if I can help you with anything else. Also, in Wake Co. you have a choice of traditional schedule or year round. We are on the year round schedule and love it however, it's not for everyone.

We most likely won't be looking to relocate until Spring/Summer of 2011. My husband will be searching for jobs in our area as well as outside the area to maximize his opportunity of finding a job. The area surrounding Raleigh sounds like a wonderful area with a lot to do (college games, etc). So, we will see what happens.

 

[eeyoremommy]

We used to live in Willow Spring (Wake County side) just outside of Fuquay when DH was stationed at Ft. Bragg. At one point, I was driving to Research Triangle Park to work in a lab. When I got pregnant with DS, I went back to teaching and taught in Johnston County. I worked part time in Wake County Schools for a little bit before the lab. I much prefered Johnston County Schools. If we had stayed, I likely would have sent DS to the elementary near where I taught, not the one in Wake Co. I was in the McGee's Crossroads and West Johnson area. The only thing I would say is that the taxes in NC are very high. They are on par with New Jersey, which is much higher than the other southern states. We loved our neighbors there. It was a nice area.

 

[erin1715]

We used to live in Willow Spring (Wake County side) just outside of Fuquay when DH was stationed at Ft. Bragg. At one point, I was driving to Research Triangle Park to work in a lab. When I got pregnant with DS, I went back to teaching and taught in Johnston County. I worked part time in Wake County Schools for a little bit before the lab. I much prefered Johnston County Schools. If we had stayed, I likely would have sent DS to the elementary near where I taught, not the one in Wake Co. I was in the McGee's Crossroads and West Johnson area. The only thing I would say is that the taxes in NC are very high. They are on par with New Jersey, which is much higher than the other southern states. We loved our neighbors there. It was a nice area.

Really? I'm really surprised by the bolded part. I just looked up the total tax burden by state and NC is in the middle of the list, whereas NY and New Jersey are more towards the top. One of the reasons we would look to move south is for lower cost of living.

 

[shaylahc1]

I have lived in NC for almost 12 years (8 years in Cary/Apex, and the last 4 in Charlotte). Here is my opinion:

Cary/Apex/Raleigh---closer to the universities and seems to have more professional types. The school system (Wake County) is ok but there is (and has been for a while) a lot of redistricting. That means kids get shuffled around often from school to school. I think there is some effort to try and minimize that. A lot of the schools are year round, too. The pros of Raleigh/Cary area are: less crime (compared to Charlotte), it's very clean, and there are many parks and natural areas. It really is a lovely area to live, although more expensive than Charlotte. The cons are that cost of living and housing is more expensive than Charlotte, and there really isn't much in the way of culture or nightlife.

Charlotte---not as close to the big universities. Most people who can afford it do not send their kids to public school if they live in Mecklenburg county. Private schools are VERY expensive here, and very popular. I live in Union County, which is just south of Charlotte proper, and the schools here are pretty decent. Union County is semi-rural, though, it takes about 10 minutes to get to the beltline from our house. Pros: low cost of housing & living, all the benefits of living in a big city (more culture/sporting events & nightlife, major international airport), proximity to the mountains, good shopping. Cons: Crime is a much bigger problem here, and the schools can be hit or miss depending on where you live. There are also fewer parks and green areas, and most are not as nice or new as what you'd find in the Raleigh area.

My DH telecommutes and we could have chosen to live anywhere in the US. We chose NC. I LOVE the climate here, the proximity to the mountains and the beach, and the overall friendliness of the people who live here. NC is a great place to live and raise a family.

 

[erin1715]

I'm a little nervous hearing about the school systems. We cannot afford to send our kids (when we have some) to private school. Where we live now there is only 1 private catholic school in the area and I think the public schools are so much better here. We are really fortunate to have good public schools.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

wow what a lot of people in my area! We live just north of Raleigh in Wake Forest. A good sized town that's really great - we love it.

uncspin - I grew up in the North Hills area and went to Brooks Elementary!

OK back to the post! I love NC - we lived in CT for 10 years and liked it but burr those winters were cold! Hated the heating bills and all of the associated costs. I do think NC is cheaper.

One thing to watch out for down here are Home Owner Associations (HOAs) - we didn't have one in CT and it's been an adjustment. Our fees aren't high and we do have a community pool (worth it's weight in gold down here I tell you!) but the rules are a pain.

We homeschool but the other posters are right - currently the whole school districting system etc is in the middle of a big change - glad I'm not part of it.

 

[Swimnoid]

We live in the Piedmont area, about 3 hours from the beach and a couple of hours from the mountains. We moved from the Pittsburgh area 25 years ago and love it. We loved Pgh too and miss some of the things that go with living in a big city. We actually live in the country near very near a small town but work in a larger city (Winston-Salem). I love the small town we live near and they way everyone grew up together and knows everyone. My hairdresser keeps me up to date on all the town gossip. Winston-Salem is a good area to live in. The cost of living is pretty good. The weather is generally pretty good although very hot and humid in the summer. The winters are pretty mild although it can get cold and when it snows everything STOPS! From the Piedmont area you can get to any part of the state easily and quickly to visit all the state has to offer.

My work sends me all over the state and really all of the areas mentioned are great!

 

[erin1715]

It's so refreshing to hear that the majority of people (at least Dis'ers) love the state of NC! In NY, I can't say that many people enjoy living here. The politics are so ridiculous, taxes are getting out of control, and NYC just cause our taxes to rise. People who don't live in NYC wish that they would just branch off and become their own state. If I didn't have family here, I would leave ASAP and never look back.

 

[sjms71]

Really? I'm really surprised by the bolded part. I just looked up the total tax burden by state and NC is in the middle of the list, whereas NY and New Jersey are more towards the top. One of the reasons we would look to move south is for lower cost of living.

Well, I'm from NJ and we lived in Hunterdon Co. (central west NJ) my taxes for a 2500sq ft house were, 10 years ago were 10K. I live in Wake Co. (Holly Springs) 2500sq ft house and my taxes are $1800. Sales tax is high here, plus you pay a car tax.

 

[erin1715]

Well, I'm from NJ and we lived in Hunterdon Co. (central west NJ) my taxes for a 2500sq ft house were, 10 years ago were 10K. I live in Wake Co. (Holly Springs) 2500sq ft house and my taxes are $1800. So, not the same at all.

Wow! That's incentive enough to move!