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Raleigh and the Triangle

texifornia

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texifornia

texifornia 57556

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I just got a new job, so I'll be moving from NYC to Raleigh, which I'm very stoked about, but I haven't been to North Carolina since I was looking at colleges 10 years ago. Where are the good places to live, what's fun to do, how is it down there?

Fwiw I'm 30 and single, so somewhere that isn't entirely either NC State students or married folks is the goal.

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Walden Ponderer

Walden Ponderer 12639

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2 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Mayberry is the obvious answer.

The town it was based on is pretty cool, but it's not really in the Triangle.

As for where to live, man, that is a totally "who are you" kind of question.

I am out in the sticks, as far west as you can go and still be Triangle, not Triad. Saxapahaw is what San Marcos would be if Peppers on the Falls still existed, but nothing else did.

Downtown Durham is the hip urban area most Austinites would be comfortable with, and it has the ballpark, among other great attractions.

I like visiting Raleigh for day trips, but I really wouldn't want to live there.

And if you prefer Round Rock to Austin (I don't, but to each their own) Cary is developing along those lines. That's where we go for the best Aldi in the area, and they have a Chuy's, so that's a plus.

Really, though, you can't go wrong, even if you decide to commute. Lots of folk live in Chapel Hill, work in RTP or Durham, or vice-versa. It's all good. And welcome to the neighborhood!

 

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texifornia

texifornia 57556

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4 minutes ago, Walden Ponderer said:

The town it was based on is pretty cool, but it's not really in the Triangle.

As for where to live, man, that is a totally "who are you" kind of question.

I am out in the sticks, as far west as you can go and still be Triangle, not Triad. Saxapahaw is what San Marcos would be if Peppers on the Falls still existed, but nothing else did.

Downtown Durham is the hip urban area most Austinites would be comfortable with, and it has the ballpark, among other great attractions.

I like visiting Raleigh for day trips, but I really wouldn't want to live there.

And if you prefer Round Rock to Austin (I don't, but to each their own) Cary is developing along those lines. That's where we go for the best Aldi in the area, and they have a Chuy's, so that's a plus.

Really, though, you can't go wrong, even if you decide to commute. Lots of folk live in Chapel Hill, work in RTP or Durham, or vice-versa. It's all good. And welcome to the neighborhood!

 

Thank you - this is crazy helpful! Super excited. Going to take a weekend trip down very soon to check out the neighborhoods before making a final choice. I'll probably end up somewhere in Raleigh proper - having never actually owned a car and taken 45 minute subway rides to work, starting out with a quick and air conditioned commute sounds nice.

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Walden Ponderer

Walden Ponderer 12639

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I don't know if you are into museums or historical sites, but you are moving into a gold mine on that front. Downtown Raleigh is chock full. And there are more PhD's per capita in the Triangle than anywhere else in the country, so even the low budget areas are still pretty sophisticated by comparison to the surrounding areas.

I would steer clear of the south and east sides of town; they tend to be a bit more strip mall oriented. But otherwise, depending on your budget, I don't think you can make a bad choice.

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conVINCEd

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5 hours ago, texifornia said:

I just got a new job, so I'll be moving from NYC to Raleigh, which I'm very stoked about, but I haven't been to North Carolina since I was looking at colleges 10 years ago. Where are the good places to live, what's fun to do, how is it down there?

Fwiw I'm 30 and single, so somewhere that isn't entirely either NC State students or married folks is the goal.

If you’re only 30, the upperclassmen and grad students should still be in play.

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texifornia

texifornia 57556

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2 minutes ago, Walden Ponderer said:

I don't know if you are into museums or historical sites, but you are moving into a gold mine on that front. Downtown Raleigh is chock full. And there are more PhD's per capita in the Triangle than anywhere else in the country, so even the low budget areas are still pretty sophisticated by comparison to the surrounding areas.

I would steer clear of the south and east sides of town; they tend to be a bit more strip mall oriented. But otherwise, depending on your budget, I don't think you can make a bad choice.

Awesome! I love local history - it'll be fun to explore a totally new area.

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Onboard 2.0

Onboard 2.0 9083

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7 hours ago, texifornia said:

Awesome! I love local history - it'll be fun to explore a totally new area.

You're in the bread basket of American history. Carolina, and Va. (a short 3 hour drive are both chock full of it.). And one of the best beaches in the country (Outer Banks) is only a 3 hour drive as well.  

Careful what local college basketball team you call your favorite though....

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texifornia

texifornia 57556

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1 hour ago, SydneyCarton said:

I’d also like to say this thread title sounds like a wonderful coming of Age style piece of pornography. 

A picaresque tale of Sussex boy Raleigh Claiborne-Darby's rollicking romps in Jazz Age Harlems's most libidinous dance clubs.

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Walden Ponderer

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3 hours ago, staboner said:

i noted the last time i was there that they don't have billboards on the sides of their highways. 

at least none that i could see. 

and it was very nice honestly. thats all i got

I'll admit they are harder to see because of all the trees, but there are billboards aplenty. Head out towards some of the more rural areas between here and the coast and you'll even get to see some billboards promoting a return to segregation. It's a very diverse state, with very diverse advertising.

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Walden Ponderer

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By the way, to keep this thread in line with the forum:

1) The Eddy - pub in Saxapahaw. My favorite joint in the Triangle. Up high on a hill overlooking the Haw river, great food, brew pub downstairs, and a joint next door billed as "the nation's only 5-star convenience store." It's not like Bucee's, though. More like Wheatsville.

2) Poole's Diner - not sure they'll survive COVID. Raleigh's answer to Threadgill's.

3) Fiesta Grill - important note NOT "La Fiesta" which is a local chain that will make you hate the very name "Tex-Mex" in a non-Texas setting. The real Fiesta is a hole in the wall on 54 just west of Carrboro. Other than their strange use of white cheese for queso, they are legit, especially the mariscos.

4) Monuts - Durham donut shop that doesn't really have an equivalent anywhere else.

5) Guglhupf - German bakery/cafe in Durham. Sandwich heaven, but they've got a lot of other stuff, too. I could pretty much live on their Reubens, so I don't stray far on their menu.

6) Mama Dip's - Chapel Hill. There's southern food out there that's just as good, but the atmosphere, history, and people here are hard to top.

There's about a bajillion places I'm not remembering at the moment. You never need to eat at a chain unless you just really, really want to. We hit up Texas Roadhouse last fall because we were nostalgic for chicken fried steak, for example. But for genuine foodie experiences, your possibilities are unlimited.

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South Austin

South Austin 52765

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I grew up on the North Carolina coast for about half of my childhood, and was there when I graduated high school.  I started my first two years of college at North Carolina State before transferring to UT to finish up my undergrad and then get my law degree.  I hadn't been back until Spring of 2017 when I had a work trip for a client based in Wake Forest, a smallish bedroom community north of Raleigh. 

On the drive from RDU to Wake Forest I was remarking at the obvious growth in the area since I left in 1994, some of it looking very Plano-ish.  But I still think it's one of the better areas of the U.S. to work and raise a family, and if for some reason I had to leave Texas, this part of North Carolina would be on the short list.   

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Dangit

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Here's my take. I lived in Raleigh, worked in Durham back in 2007/2008 (so take it for what it's worth). 

I moved to RDU single and was told by the younger folks I interviewed with that Raleigh was the best option to live for a young professional. Chapel Hill was very much a college town, more so than Raleigh. Durham was not where you wanted to live. So I chose Raleigh. 

Re: Durham - It's come a LONG way over the last 10 years. Lots of good dining options and a safer place to live than when I was out that way. The downtown was not where you'd want to be after dark back in '08 but has much more nightlife and less crime now. If I was to move back I'd give Durham a hard look. 

Raleigh - While I liked living there okay, coming from Austin it left a lot to be desired as a fairly young, single person. I lived inside the loop and got the feel that Raleigh hangs out with Raleigh. Lots of kids grew up there, went away for college and came home to all hang out together, marry one another and stay close knit. Nothing against that except being an outsider, I definitely felt that way. As you get outside the loop, my guess is that this would be less so. 

As others have mentioned with Cary, Apex, others, there are a lot of very large bedroom communities that are great for raising a family. You're not there yet so may not be your ideal situation unless you just really want a good size house, quiet neighborhood. 

Chapel Hill - Very much a college town (a beautiful one). But Carrboro is essentially connected to CH and it's the closest thing to an Austin/78704 vibe. This would also get a hard look from me if I were to move back. 

My dining options may mostly be outdated but I concur with the lack of passable Tex-Mex. I'll 2nd Poole's as a great place in downtown Raleigh. Nicer, trendier than Threadgill's. 

Location of the area is awesome as it's an easy drive to the beach and the mountains and a fairly easy drive to a lot of other good long weekend trips in the SE. 

 

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texifornia

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6 hours ago, Dangit said:

Here's my take. I lived in Raleigh, worked in Durham back in 2007/2008 (so take it for what it's worth). 

I moved to RDU single and was told by the younger folks I interviewed with that Raleigh was the best option to live for a young professional. Chapel Hill was very much a college town, more so than Raleigh. Durham was not where you wanted to live. So I chose Raleigh. 

Re: Durham - It's come a LONG way over the last 10 years. Lots of good dining options and a safer place to live than when I was out that way. The downtown was not where you'd want to be after dark back in '08 but has much more nightlife and less crime now. If I was to move back I'd give Durham a hard look. 

Raleigh - While I liked living there okay, coming from Austin it left a lot to be desired as a fairly young, single person. I lived inside the loop and got the feel that Raleigh hangs out with Raleigh. Lots of kids grew up there, went away for college and came home to all hang out together, marry one another and stay close knit. Nothing against that except being an outsider, I definitely felt that way. As you get outside the loop, my guess is that this would be less so. 

As others have mentioned with Cary, Apex, others, there are a lot of very large bedroom communities that are great for raising a family. You're not there yet so may not be your ideal situation unless you just really want a good size house, quiet neighborhood. 

Chapel Hill - Very much a college town (a beautiful one). But Carrboro is essentially connected to CH and it's the closest thing to an Austin/78704 vibe. This would also get a hard look from me if I were to move back. 

My dining options may mostly be outdated but I concur with the lack of passable Tex-Mex. I'll 2nd Poole's as a great place in downtown Raleigh. Nicer, trendier than Threadgill's. 

Location of the area is awesome as it's an easy drive to the beach and the mountains and a fairly easy drive to a lot of other good long weekend trips in the SE. 

 

It's hard to emphasize as someone that has spent days agonizing how best to get from NYC to the Shore/Hamptons/MA Islands or the Catskills/Adirondacks, how nice it will be to have a car and just bounce out to the Outer Banks or the Appalachians on a dime.

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Onboard 2.0

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8 minutes ago, texifornia said:

It's hard to emphasize as someone that has spent days agonizing how best to get from NYC to the Shore/Hamptons/MA Islands or the Catskills/Adirondacks, how nice it will be to have a car and just bounce out to the Outer Banks or the Appalachians on a dime.

And you don't have to listen to that accent anymore....

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RPM

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On 8/12/2020 at 2:29 AM, cafe society said:

You're about to enter a fabulous part of your life in a fabulous place.  Take a deep breath and dive in.

I do have to admit the amount of beautiful women with ridiculously sexy accents is quite abundant. 

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texifornia

texifornia 57556

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One quite nerdy addendum to this whole thing, does anyone know any good books either about North Carolina and the Carolinas or by Carolinian authors?

One of the fun parts about living in New York is the sheer quantity of great literature and history set here (I just finished Brooklyn: The Once and Future City, which is a marvelous local history, and the Great Gatsby and Rules of Civility make me happy every time I read them), and it'd be fun to dig through the equivalent.

My family on one side is from Mississippi, so I've covered most of the great authors of the greater South - Faulkner (a whole lot, he's my favorite author), O'Conner, (Wise Blood, loved it), Warren (All the King's Men, a bit ambivalent though the quality of the writing is obviously second to none), Morrison (happy I covered a different kind of Southern experience there but God was Sula a slog to get through) - but none as it happens were from the Carolinas.

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Dangit

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Fiction focused vs. history of the state/area but - "Cold Mountain" by Charles Frazier, "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens (been #1 Best seller for the better part of the last year), I found an author John Hart that's written some good mystery novels based in NC (setting is outside of Charlotte) - "Down River", "Redemption Road", "King of Lies." 

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texifornia

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Thank you so much @South Austin and @Dangit. 

@Walden Ponderer, I ended up on the NW side of downtown Raleigh, near that homey Person St. shopping/dining strip. Glenwood South and that zone was so college and immediately post-college I decided I needed some distance from it. The Eddy in Saxpahaw looks amazing - my brother and I are planning on some trips to the Appalachians and that seems like the ideal jumping off point.

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Dangit

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On 8/15/2020 at 11:38 AM, Walden Ponderer said:

You do if you live in Cary. (as mentioned, Certified Area for Relocated Yankees).

I heard it as Containment Area for Relocated Yankees. Also, some said it was Can’t Afford Raleigh Yet. 

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Kyrie Eleison

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I grew up on the North Carolina coast for about half of my childhood, and was there when I graduated high school.  I started my first two years of college at North Carolina State before transferring to UT to finish up my undergrad and then get my law degree.  I hadn't been back until Spring of 2017 when I had a work trip for a client based in Wake Forest, a smallish bedroom community north of Raleigh. 
On the drive from RDU to Wake Forest I was remarking at the obvious growth in the area since I left in 1994, some of it looking very Plano-ish.  But I still think it's one of the better areas of the U.S. to work and raise a family, and if for some reason I had to leave Texas, this part of North Carolina would be on the short list.   

lived in Durham from 93-96 while in grad school at Duke. absolutely loved it then and last time i returned i damn near didn’t recognize the area for its improvements.

it was great 25 years ago and exponentially better now. i pine for the area, pardon the pun.
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Celery Man

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I'll be joining you, or at least moving to the area. Will be working a ways out of town (to the north and a bit east of Raleigh), we're starting a family and ready to do that whole thing so definitely looking more in the suburby areas. I think Wake Forest is likely the leader in the club house at the moment, though I'm curious if any of the other areas more on the north side of either Raleigh or Durham we should be paying more attention to.

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Mack Tripper

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By the way, to keep this thread in line with the forum:
1) The Eddy - pub in Saxapahaw. My favorite joint in the Triangle. Up high on a hill overlooking the Haw river, great food, brew pub downstairs, and a joint next door billed as "the nation's only 5-star convenience store." It's not like Bucee's, though. More like Wheatsville.
2) Poole's Diner - not sure they'll survive COVID. Raleigh's answer to Threadgill's.
3) Fiesta Grill - important note NOT "La Fiesta" which is a local chain that will make you hate the very name "Tex-Mex" in a non-Texas setting. The real Fiesta is a hole in the wall on 54 just west of Carrboro. Other than their strange use of white cheese for queso, they are legit, especially the mariscos.
4) Monuts - Durham donut shop that doesn't really have an equivalent anywhere else.
5) Guglhupf - German bakery/cafe in Durham. Sandwich heaven, but they've got a lot of other stuff, too. I could pretty much live on their Reubens, so I don't stray far on their menu.
6) Mama Dip's - Chapel Hill. There's southern food out there that's just as good, but the atmosphere, history, and people here are hard to top.
There's about a bajillion places I'm not remembering at the moment. You never need to eat at a chain unless you just really, really want to. We hit up Texas Roadhouse last fall because we were nostalgic for chicken fried steak, for example. But for genuine foodie experiences, your possibilities are unlimited.

Dude, comparing Poole’s to Threadgill’s is like comparing Franklin to Dickey’s. Probably one of my top 5-10 meals ever was at Poole’s.

I’ve been a few times for work, and after asking people for recs the number one place, by far, that people mentioned was going to Merritt’s in Chapel Hill for a BLT. Admittedly I was fairly skeptical about seeking about a place for a BLT. How good can a BLT be? Answer: go to Merritt’s for a BLT. I think they make their own bread, Mayo, and maybe even the bacon. Whatever they do, it slams and goes hard.
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