I'm considering relocating from Southern California and I'm considering Raleigh, NC as a destination. I've never been there but I'm hoping it meets my criteria for a great place to live. I was hoping that some of you could advise on a few things:

1) Are there any nearby tracks?
2) How's the weather?
3) How is the insect situation?
4) I'm a mechanical Engineer....any idea how the job situation is?
5) Home prices......What can I get for $400,000-$500,000? How are property taxes?
6) Driving roads....are there good roads for weekend drives? How's the cop situation?
7) How are the schools?
8) How's the night life? Restaurants? Weekend activities for families?

I was born and raised in Buffalo, NY and have been in SoCal for the last 9 years. The housing prices are through the roof here and I was considering cashing out. I'd also like to find a better place to raise my son and someplace with less traffic. Thanks in advance!

Jake

 

Hi JakeMate,
I'm not an authority on Raleigh, But I did work there for several months, and stayed at a Holiday Inn Express:

1) Lowes motor speedway.. but you can't get in there.. There's a track in Kershaw, SC, about 2 hours away.
2) Cold in the winter.
3) No worse than anywhere else around the southeast.
4) There are several engineering firms in the area. I work for O'Neal Inc. www.onealinc.com
5) A mansion
6) Head for the mountains. Western NC has really, really good twisties..
7) Ahh, uhhh, skul?
8) Nightlife? Good restaurants, the beach is 2 or 3 hours away..

Some of the local members of m2c2 (Mini Motoring Club of the Carolinas) should be able to help you better..

 

Jake,

I live in Raleigh...what a fun city!

to answer your questions:

1) What trainman said!
2) Weather hmmm...it is cold in the winter and on occassion we do get snow, and we also as you can see get remnants of hurricanes and on the off-chance and actual hurricane. I was here when the eye of Fran came over Raleigh.
3) Insects....how well do you like mosquitos, especially if you live around water! We also have a spider cricket...I'm 6', and those things jump as high as me!
4) I dunno about the job, I'm a secretary, but you can always check out www.trianglehelpwanted.com. Although I do work for Martin Marietta so there may be a job for you here. Our website is www.martinmarietta.com.
5) See trainmans' response!
6) Best roads are around the Blue Ridge Parkway, but right now they are having a problem with flooding and mudslides, thanks to Frances and Ivan! Evil, wicked hurricanes. cops are cops where ever you go. Out of state tags is a guaranteed ticket though if you are flooring it.
7) Dude, I can't remember last time I went to school and I have no kids, so I can't help you out here.
8) Nightlife is okay, depending on what you like to do. For me there isn't much, but that's because of what I like to do. Restaraunts are fairly good. If you love steak, I highly recommend the Angus Barn. Five star place and very good food.

Okay, that's about what I think that i may know! Hope this helps you out!!!

Michelle

 

Michelle:

I noticed the Terminal Choice sticker. I'm very much into the underground industrial scene here in LA. My band opened for Hocico about two years ago. I frequent this club: http://www.dasbunker.org/

Sounds like there's not much of a scene there?

Thanks for the response,
Jake

 

Wow, I never would have expected that response, which is why I didn't say anything about the goth nights! Rock on!!! I love Hocico!!!!! We have Goth nights every Monday and Thursday at Legends here in Raleigh. There are also a few nights that pop up here on the weekends. I do spin every now and then as well! Check out www.raleighunderground.com. Yes my picture is there! =) I have my Terminal Choice shirt on. This is the link to our goth night. Just to give you fair warning, our Goth night is held at the local gay bar, but you get a wide variety of people in there, and the bartender Darrell, let's just say he's one of the best bartenders!

We are having a huge festival on October 23. We have Razed in Black headlining our event! It's called the Eccentrik Festival! I'm volunteering with a friend and we will be working the doors...it'll be great. www.eccentrikfestival.com for all the information!

That is so awesome that you opened for Hocico though! I'm trying to get more people here into the German side of music...there isnt much, but I'm working on it!

Welcome to NC if you decide to come down this way!

Michelle

 

Cool....I'll check out those sites from home because they're being blocked here at work. BTW....as you know, our scene is tolerant of just about anyone's beliefs or sexual orientation so I'm not bothered by it. Das Bunker used to be in a Lesbian bar in Long Beach a few years ago. The bar tenders were women than could kick my ***.

I'm definitely more into the harsh-electro, power noise side of things and not so much the Goth scene, but they cross over so much....whatever. As you said, the German music is awesome although Hocico is from Mexico City. We actual opening for them in Tijuana. What a friggin' experience. It was awesome hanging out with them. My bandmate is also from Mexico City so he went and stayed with Eric and Racso from Hocico for a vacation. They're buds now. We haven't played in two years but we went out on a high note (better to burn up than fade away).

 

Awesome! That's so cool that you guys opened for Hocico. You may want to listen to Amduscia. I beleive that they are another hispanic industrial band. They were signed to the Out of Line Record label!

Yup, we accept generally anyone! If you ever need to order music, you can order from Musik Hut here in Fayetteville. Bob, who is also another MINI driver owns the store and specializes in Goth/Industrial/Metal/Punk music. He's a great guy and yes, Bob, I'm giving you free advertisement!

I did forget to mention that there are other Goth Nights around NC as well, not just here in Raleigh. I know that there is Purgatory in Charlotte, Carpe Nocturn in Jacksonville and there is another one in Asheville. We are hoping to get a very big crowd for the Eccentrik Festival. Oh and most clubs are on a membership type deal. To me, Legends is worth the membership. I go more than just on Goth nights...I have a really good friend there that bartends on Wednesdays as well!

Occassionally we get some good bands in here too. The Faint is playing next month, October 18 and Skinny Puppy, which I'm hoping to go see is playing in Charlotte on Halloween. I am looking forward to RiB next month though. My friend and I are volunteering so we don't have to pay for a ticket. Not bad shifts...4-8 and I get to RiB for free!

Michelle