[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by infinitekidM2C

There's only one Orange County and Mickey Mouse lives there...

Feel free to tell that to Paul Senior!




.

[infinitekidM2C]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

Feel free to tell that to Paul Senior!




.

You think i want to get into an argument with Paul Senior?

[RickFLM4]

Thread’s getting long so I only read about 1/2 the posts...

My wife in I live in a nice suburb west of West Palm and bought a condo in Asheville, NC. If you took a map and drew a big circle to connect those 2 places there are many good places to live including towns and small cities and FL, GA, SC, NC and TN. Ultimately depends on type of sales jobs interested in, what’s available work-wise and earnings / lifestyle goals. I prefer to avoid the bigger cities and their commutes.

[NEFARIOUS]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

I'm like 3 miles from the beach and in the 10 years I've lived here I have not been on the beach even once.

When I lived in Huntington Beach, it took me a year just to find the chance to go there, so I know how it is... I was a working stiff working a job that pays like a joke during the week, and driving Uber on the weekends and after hours just to have some spending money.

[FuriouslyFast]

I've been applying to jobs in ATL, Orlando area, South FL, Jacksonville FL area, Tampa, FL area, Nashville area, Raleigh area, Phoenix, AZ area & Dallas, TX area.

No solid leads yet. Either the usual shit jobs or wasting my time. Had a place in Tampa claim they wanted to meet me in person. Gave him a date and he has ghosted. SMH...

EDIT: I emailed him again & he replied. Unfortunately, he expected me to pay for all the travel. So he's just tire kicking, not seriously interested in me as a candidate. Pass.

[TheBreeze]

Originally Posted by MKSixer

I lived in Cary for 2 years and loved it. It's one of the places I'd like to retire to when I hang it up!

I still have lots of friends who live there and there is a great car scene and cigar scene.

Cheers-mk

I've been in Cary for the past 24 years. It's a great family-oriented community, great schools, everything geared towards family. That said, now that my kids are grown, it's too boring of a place to retire too, and winters are simply too cold for me (mind you, I absolutely DESPISE the winter season on just about every level imaginable). There's a lack of good restaurants close by, usually have to drive 30 minutes or so to find some culinary diversity. Most everything in the immediate Cary area are chains tailored towards families, just not my thing. If you're single, I'd say it's not the most exciting of places to be. No nightlife whatsoever in Cary, Raleigh/Chapel Hill/Durham all have more, but it's still not what I would call remotely vibrant. Given FuriouslyFast contributions to the dating thread, I'd go out on a limb and say he probably would find it pretty boring here . The entire area has grown leaps and bounds, so traffic and general crowding is getting much worse than it used it to be. You'll want to pick someplace to live that has easy access to your work location. I live 12 miles/15 minutes from work but I have an ideal commute route. Others are not so lucky. Mind you, it's nothing like other metro areas, but still much worse than it was when I first moved here, and it's been getting exponentially worse in the most recent years.

The area is pretty centrally located, so getting to beaches or "mountains" is generally within 3 hours. The ocean water is very warm in the summer which is really nice, and there's some very chill beach communities all along the coast. Summer rentals on the coast are very expensive, so if you're after a summer beach vacation (early June through early Sept), driving to Florida is a WAY better bang for the buck. The "mountains" are nice as well, but being that I grew up in CA, it's kinda funny to me to call them mountains. I prefer the areas around Asheville if I get a hankering for some mountain time. Lake Lure is very nice, as is Chimney Rock. Dupont State Park is worth a day hike, lots of waterfalls, very pretty. Most folks in this area go to the Boone area since it's closer, but I find it pretty boring as far as mountains go. Another HUGE plus for me is that I'm only 70 miles from VIR, and 150 miles from CMP, so track weekends are a pretty easy endeavor.

Socially, it's a mixed bag. I have close friends here, but also plenty of people I simply have no use for (especially as I've gotten older/wiser). Lots of holier-than-thou self-righteous types who look down their nose on others. Education snobbery is ridiculous, everyone in competition for bragging rights about where their kids are going to school. Venture outside the metro areas and it's rednecks are us. Overt racism/xenophobia/homophobia/anyonenotlikemephobia is everywhere, and over the past 3 years, much more in your face. Completely idiotic big-brother blue laws as well - the state makes a fortune on their legalized liquor monopoly, with selection of spirits limited to just the usual suspects (and over-priced as well). Case in point, a bottle of Titos is half the cost in FL.

Cost of living is probably on the high side for the south, in fact it may be among the highest COL in the South. A nice house in Cary will set you back 500k, renting a nice apartment probably 1400 or so for a 1BR in a nice area. There are cheaper options, just depends on what you consider a nice place to live. Car insurance isn't too bad, property taxes vary greatly depending on where you live (<1%-3%). State income taxes is fixed at 7%, sales taxes around the same. Gas prices are pretty reasonable. Work-wise, the job market is pretty healthy. It's a "right-to-work" state, so there are virtually no worker protections in place whatsoever, you can get fired by an employer for any reason and you're basically on your own.

That all said, I acknowledge no place is perfect. All pluses and minuses considered, I am grateful to have lived in Cary and raised my family here, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great place to raise a family. It's greatness lies in the fact it is so conducive to family life balance, that it's very clean and safe, has many great neighborhoods, and that the schools are great. The social aspects you can work around, just like most other places.

Now that we're in our 50s and empty nesters nearing retirement, this area doesn't really offer what we're looking for. We're both beach bums at heart, so being on a warm coast is important. We're very active and social, so having fun adult things (eg. a good music scene) to do is also important. We're foodies, so having a good diverse culinary scene is also important. My preferred place to move to in the US would be Naples, FL., but my wife doesn't want to move to FL, so we'll likely retire to Pawley's Island SC area and winter in Latin America somewhere close to the equator (eg. Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico).

Any more questions on the Raleigh area, let me know.

[TheBreeze]

Originally Posted by floridaorange

Austin, Nasvhille, Orlando.

I really like these cities. If it means anything, my best friend is leaving his beloved Nashville for Orlando. Granted he has family in Orlando... but this city is growing and there are lots of cool places to live/work here. Just bring your patience, our main highway is under major construction.

I can tolerate some serious heat without too much issue, but Orlando in the summer is literally like cooking yourself from the inside. This is one of the very few places in the US that coupled with the insane humidity, would be too hot for me. There's so much concrete/asphalt, that the heat just radiates from underneath and cooks you from the bottom up. Aside from that, it's really nice ;-)

[MKSixer]

Originally Posted by TheBreeze

I've been in Cary for the past 24 years. It's a great family-oriented community, great schools, everything geared towards family. That said, now that my kids are grown, it's too boring of a place to retire too, and winters are simply too cold for me (mind you, I absolutely DESPISE the winter season on just about every level imaginable). There's a lack of good restaurants close by, usually have to drive 30 minutes or so to find some culinary diversity. Most everything in the immediate Cary area are chains tailored towards families, just not my thing. If you're single, I'd say it's not the most exciting of places to be. No nightlife whatsoever in Cary, Raleigh/Chapel Hill/Durham all have more, but it's still not what I would call remotely vibrant. Given FuriouslyFast contributions to the dating thread, I'd go out on a limb and say he probably would find it pretty boring here . The entire area has grown leaps and bounds, so traffic and general crowding is getting much worse than it used it to be. You'll want to pick someplace to live that has easy access to your work location. I live 12 miles/15 minutes from work but I have an ideal commute route. Others are not so lucky. Mind you, it's nothing like other metro areas, but still much worse than it was when I first moved here, and it's been getting exponentially worse in the most recent years.

The area is pretty centrally located, so getting to beaches or "mountains" is generally within 3 hours. The ocean water is very warm in the summer which is really nice, and there's some very chill beach communities all along the coast. Summer rentals on the coast are very expensive, so if you're after a summer beach vacation (early June through early Sept), driving to Florida is a WAY better bang for the buck. The "mountains" are nice as well, but being that I grew up in CA, it's kinda funny to me to call them mountains. I prefer the areas around Asheville if I get a hankering for some mountain time. Lake Lure is very nice, as is Chimney Rock. Dupont State Park is worth a day hike, lots of waterfalls, very pretty. Most folks in this area go to the Boone area since it's closer, but I find it pretty boring as far as mountains go. Another HUGE plus for me is that I'm only 70 miles from VIR, and 150 miles from CMP, so track weekends are a pretty easy endeavor.

Socially, it's a mixed bag. I have close friends here, but also plenty of people I simply have no use for (especially as I've gotten older/wiser). Lots of holier-than-thou self-righteous types who look down their nose on others. Education snobbery is ridiculous, everyone in competition for bragging rights about where their kids are going to school. Venture outside the metro areas and it's rednecks are us. Overt racism/xenophobia/homophobia/anyonenotlikemephobia is everywhere, and over the past 3 years, much more in your face. Completely idiotic big-brother blue laws as well - the state makes a fortune on their legalized liquor monopoly, with selection of spirits limited to just the usual suspects (and over-priced as well). Case in point, a bottle of Titos is half the cost in FL.

Cost of living is probably on the high side for the south, in fact it may be among the highest COL in the South. A nice house in Cary will set you back 500k, renting a nice apartment probably 1400 or so for a 1BR in a nice area. There are cheaper options, just depends on what you consider a nice place to live. Car insurance isn't too bad, property taxes vary greatly depending on where you live (<1%-3%). State income taxes is fixed at 7%, sales taxes around the same. Gas prices are pretty reasonable. Work-wise, the job market is pretty healthy. It's a "right-to-work" state, so there are virtually no worker protections in place whatsoever, you can get fired by an employer for any reason and you're basically on your own.

That all said, I acknowledge no place is perfect. All pluses and minuses considered, I am grateful to have lived in Cary and raised my family here, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great place to raise a family. It's greatness lies in the fact it is so conducive to family life balance, that it's very clean and safe, has many great neighborhoods, and that the schools are great. The social aspects you can work around, just like most other places.

Now that we're in our 50s and empty nesters nearing retirement, this area doesn't really offer what we're looking for. We're both beach bums at heart, so being on a warm coast is important. We're very active and social, so having fun adult things (eg. a good music scene) to do is also important. We're foodies, so having a good diverse culinary scene is also important. My preferred place to move to in the US would be Naples, FL., but my wife doesn't want to move to FL, so we'll likely retire to Pawley's Island SC area and winter in Latin America somewhere close to the equator (eg. Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico).

Any more questions on the Raleigh area, let me know.

I agree with everything here and I would only add, relative to your supposition on night life, that it is about who you know and what events are going on.

If one wants to go out 3 or 4 nights per week, the Triangle isn't the place for you if you are a regular of the NYC scene or that is your point of reference. There are lots of young professionals that work in the Triangle and if you are in with the right crowd, there are ALWAYS parties going on. I was married when I lived there and didn't partake of the party offerings I had there but a single man in my position, at the time, would have had his dance card completely filled.

Stellar post, The_Breeze and great detail. Thanks!!

[TheBreeze]

Originally Posted by MKSixer

I agree with everything here and I would only add, relative to your supposition on night life, that it is about who you know and what events are going on.

If one wants to go out 3 or 4 nights per week, the Triangle isn't the place for you if you are a regular of the NYC scene or that is your point of reference. There are lots of young professionals that work in the Triangle and if you are in with the right crowd, there are ALWAYS parties going on. I was married when I lived there and didn't partake of the party offerings I had there but a single man in my position, at the time, would have had his dance card completely filled.

Stellar post, The_Breeze and great detail. Thanks!!

To be fair, we've been married for 32 years now, which does cover the entire time we've been in NC. We've always been active in the social scene and agree that it's like most places in terms of who you know influences your entertainment options. Sure you can find nightlife if you look hard enough, but it's just that the general vibe here is geared towards families, so it's not really the "organic" nightlife scene we find in other places we visit. Granted I've never tried dating here, but I do work in bleeding edge tech and will offer that we generally have a pretty hard time keeping the young people we hire out of college - they work here a year or 2 then get bored/frustrated and move to livelier places with better prospects. Obviously not everyone has the same experience, but playing the averages, I would say this just isn't a hotbed for singles, it's more of a hotbed for minivans, soccer moms, and golf. Granted there are a lot of hot soccer moms, but coming here for them just wouldn't be right

[bucketfoot]

Originally Posted by FuriouslyFast

I've been applying to jobs in ATL, Orlando area, South FL, Jacksonville FL area, Tampa, FL area, Nashville area, Raleigh area, Phoenix, AZ area & Dallas, TX area.

No solid leads yet. Either the usual shit jobs or wasting my time. Had a place in Tampa claim they wanted to meet me in person. Gave him a date and he has ghosted. SMH...

Spent 3+ years in Phoenix and couldn't get out of there fast enough. It's been over 30 years and I have not once considered even visiting that place again (closest I've been was a trip to the Grand Canyon)!

[damnitBobby]

Originally Posted by bucketfoot

Spent 3+ years in Phoenix and couldn't get out of there fast enough. It's been over 30 years and I have not once considered even visiting that place again (closest I've been was a trip to the Grand Canyon)!

Curious what you disliked so much about Phoenix. I’ve never been.

[Dog Face Pony Soldier]

Originally Posted by Now_Rudi

It just occurred to me.....I don't know where I'm gonna go.....when the volcano blows.

I'm constantly amazed by those whom profess to believe Global Warming will cause increased hurricanes and sea level rise; yet consider moving to Florida.

[Dog Face Pony Soldier]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Sadly the only place I've spent any time. The city and LI. Would like to spend some time upstate, but want to get to Maine first.

As a lifelong Metro-NY'er who's been traveling up to ME around every ~6 weeks; I'm struck by how nice and easy it is to travel around the state (and NH). I don't think I've ever seen traffic up there!

[bucketfoot]

Originally Posted by damnitBobby

Curious what you disliked so much about Phoenix. I’ve never been.

It's hot, ugly, everything is beige, the major activity is going to air conditioned malls. It is a completely uninhabitable place that has no business being a city.

You go from your air conditioned home to your air conditioned car (which mine was not when I was there!) to your air conditioned place of work (or school in the case of when I was there). Also, you had better have towels to cover your steering wheel and seats.

I like the outdoors and there is just too much of the year that you cannot spend any reasonable amount of time outside. I have friends that love it there... of course they grew up in the desert in CA and their brains were already fried before ever arriving in Phoenix.

I tried playing golf on a muni course one time. I went to take a small divot in the middle of the dang fairway and almost bent my club shaft the ground was so hard.

Very simply it is not a place the humans should inhabit!

[RickFLM4]

I’ve been to Phoenix numerous times for business and concur it is very beige. Also pretty dusty with seemingly more strip malls than Miami. I like Scottsdale better - nicer with more green. Not sure I’d want to live in Phoenix, but can’t say I hated it either.

[floridaorange]

Originally Posted by TheBreeze

I can tolerate some serious heat without too much issue, but Orlando in the summer is literally like cooking yourself from the inside. This is one of the very few places in the US that coupled with the insane humidity, would be too hot for me. There's so much concrete/asphalt, that the heat just radiates from underneath and cooks you from the bottom up. Aside from that, it's really nice ;-)

Originally Posted by TheBreeze

I can tolerate some serious heat without too much issue, but Orlando in the summer is literally like cooking yourself from the inside. This is one of the very few places in the US that coupled with the insane humidity, would be too hot for me. There's so much concrete/asphalt, that the heat just radiates from underneath and cooks you from the bottom up. Aside from that, it's really nice ;-)

Well you don't stick around for it - you head north or west

[ASAP]

Don't move to Miami... rude / fake people, tons of traffic, insane drivers, very high cost of living... also doesn't really feel like the US.

[FuriouslyFast]

Originally Posted by TheBreeze

I've been in Cary for the past 24 years. It's a great family-oriented community, great schools, everything geared towards family. That said, now that my kids are grown, it's too boring of a place to retire too, and winters are simply too cold for me (mind you, I absolutely DESPISE the winter season on just about every level imaginable). There's a lack of good restaurants close by, usually have to drive 30 minutes or so to find some culinary diversity. Most everything in the immediate Cary area are chains tailored towards families, just not my thing. If you're single, I'd say it's not the most exciting of places to be. No nightlife whatsoever in Cary, Raleigh/Chapel Hill/Durham all have more, but it's still not what I would call remotely vibrant. Given FuriouslyFast contributions to the dating thread, I'd go out on a limb and say he probably would find it pretty boring here . The entire area has grown leaps and bounds, so traffic and general crowding is getting much worse than it used it to be. You'll want to pick someplace to live that has easy access to your work location. I live 12 miles/15 minutes from work but I have an ideal commute route. Others are not so lucky. Mind you, it's nothing like other metro areas, but still much worse than it was when I first moved here, and it's been getting exponentially worse in the most recent years.

The area is pretty centrally located, so getting to beaches or "mountains" is generally within 3 hours. The ocean water is very warm in the summer which is really nice, and there's some very chill beach communities all along the coast. Summer rentals on the coast are very expensive, so if you're after a summer beach vacation (early June through early Sept), driving to Florida is a WAY better bang for the buck. The "mountains" are nice as well, but being that I grew up in CA, it's kinda funny to me to call them mountains. I prefer the areas around Asheville if I get a hankering for some mountain time. Lake Lure is very nice, as is Chimney Rock. Dupont State Park is worth a day hike, lots of waterfalls, very pretty. Most folks in this area go to the Boone area since it's closer, but I find it pretty boring as far as mountains go. Another HUGE plus for me is that I'm only 70 miles from VIR, and 150 miles from CMP, so track weekends are a pretty easy endeavor.

Socially, it's a mixed bag. I have close friends here, but also plenty of people I simply have no use for (especially as I've gotten older/wiser). Lots of holier-than-thou self-righteous types who look down their nose on others. Education snobbery is ridiculous, everyone in competition for bragging rights about where their kids are going to school. Venture outside the metro areas and it's rednecks are us. Overt racism/xenophobia/homophobia/anyonenotlikemephobia is everywhere, and over the past 3 years, much more in your face. Completely idiotic big-brother blue laws as well - the state makes a fortune on their legalized liquor monopoly, with selection of spirits limited to just the usual suspects (and over-priced as well). Case in point, a bottle of Titos is half the cost in FL.

Cost of living is probably on the high side for the south, in fact it may be among the highest COL in the South. A nice house in Cary will set you back 500k, renting a nice apartment probably 1400 or so for a 1BR in a nice area. There are cheaper options, just depends on what you consider a nice place to live. Car insurance isn't too bad, property taxes vary greatly depending on where you live (<1%-3%). State income taxes is fixed at 7%, sales taxes around the same. Gas prices are pretty reasonable. Work-wise, the job market is pretty healthy. It's a "right-to-work" state, so there are virtually no worker protections in place whatsoever, you can get fired by an employer for any reason and you're basically on your own.

That all said, I acknowledge no place is perfect. All pluses and minuses considered, I am grateful to have lived in Cary and raised my family here, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great place to raise a family. It's greatness lies in the fact it is so conducive to family life balance, that it's very clean and safe, has many great neighborhoods, and that the schools are great. The social aspects you can work around, just like most other places.

Now that we're in our 50s and empty nesters nearing retirement, this area doesn't really offer what we're looking for. We're both beach bums at heart, so being on a warm coast is important. We're very active and social, so having fun adult things (eg. a good music scene) to do is also important. We're foodies, so having a good diverse culinary scene is also important. My preferred place to move to in the US would be Naples, FL., but my wife doesn't want to move to FL, so we'll likely retire to Pawley's Island SC area and winter in Latin America somewhere close to the equator (eg. Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico).

Any more questions on the Raleigh area, let me know.

So same bs as here for COL. I"m not going back to apt life no matter where I go. I'll rent another house with a garage or bust. I'm not party guy so don't need clubs or 500 bars, but I still want fun stuff to do like comedy shows, concerts, wineries, etc.

[Conissah]

Originally Posted by FuriouslyFast

So same bs as here for COL. I"m not going back to apt life no matter where I go. I'll rent another house with a garage or bust. I'm not party guy so don't need clubs or 500 bars, but I still want fun stuff to do like comedy shows, concerts, wineries, etc.

I'm telling you, look at the (NC) Charlotte / Huntersville / Davidson / Concord area for jobs. It's a big area with lots of stuff to do, but drive 20 minutes out of the city and you're in the boonies with your own place. I have my eyes on a house out in Denver NC, 3 acres of land, no neighbors, and only 25 minutes from my work. Plus tons of car stuff to go to.

EDIT: Also, tons of great roads at the NC/TN border, which are less than a 3 hour drive. Tail of the dragon / deals gap is a huge attraction, little switz, pretty much any roads over there. Asheville is awesome, and is ~2 hours from me, just for reference b/c it has been mentioned a lot here. I take day trips up there quite often for the beer, hiking, and food.

[TheBreeze]

Originally Posted by floridaorange

Well you don't stick around for it - you head north or west

I used to really LOVE the FL gulf coast in the summer, we went every summer for at least 2 weeks, 10 years in a row. Last time we were there was 2 summers ago in late June-early July, spent 2 weeks in Marco Island. Red tide was getting bad, especially towards the end of our visit. We rented a boat for about half the time we were there, and there were days out on the gulf that we'd be hacking our brains out. That red tide shit is seriously TOXIC! Dead fish everywhere, Tiger Beach reeked of dead sea life. It's such a beautiful area too, Keywadin and Caldesi are my favorite beaches in the continental US. What's been happening there is tragic. FL has completely dropped the ball getting it under control in the time since, and we won't be spending any more of our vacation $$ there until they get their heads out of their asses and do something truly meaningful about it.

[grocerylist]

Originally Posted by bucketfoot

It's hot, ugly, everything is beige, the major activity is going to air conditioned malls. It is a completely uninhabitable place that has no business being a city.

You go from your air conditioned home to your air conditioned car (which mine was not when I was there!) to your air conditioned place of work (or school in the case of when I was there). Also, you had better have towels to cover your steering wheel and seats.

I like the outdoors and there is just too much of the year that you cannot spend any reasonable amount of time outside. I have friends that love it there... of course they grew up in the desert in CA and their brains were already fried before ever arriving in Phoenix.

I tried playing golf on a muni course one time. I went to take a small divot in the middle of the dang fairway and almost bent my club shaft the ground was so hard.

Very simply it is not a place the humans should inhabit!

You just described half of the South.

[floridaorange]

I mean we leave the state during July and some in Aug.