[E92inNC]

Some of you may remember I started a thread last month that I’m looking to move out of AZ in the spring and many suggested I visit Raleigh NC. Well I spent the weekend there and loved it. It felt like a big town or small city in the woods, like they cut down the trees where they needed to build roads/homes/business/etc but left nature alone. Everywhere I drove the were trees going through the different colors of fall, and having lived in the desert since the 90s it was a breath of fresh air. Really the only negative thing that I’d need to adjust to is they don’t seem to like street lights there, even on the highways. I spent most of my time on the west side of Raleigh and in Cary/Morrisville and at night I’m driving around in darkness. Didn’t really like the northern area that much, too business-y.

I’m going to spend three more days in one more place just so for comparison. Here’s what I’m looking for-

-Must be a coastal state, prefer inland but less than two hours to the coast so I can spend a weekend there whenever the mood strikes. Seafood is my favorite and I need plenty of bodies of water to fish on foot or kayak, mostly I go after largemouths but would like to expand the list once I get to fish on a regular basis, fly and saltwater
-Looking of population/size similar to Raleigh. Medium sized town to small city, I’m wanting to live in the suburbs and would only drive into the city if my work is there or occasionally for recreation. Raleigh was small enough that the longest commute I had there was maybe 20 minutes, even the 8AM Monday drive wasn’t no where near as bad as it is here
-Looking for the landscape to be more natural than man made, if any of you have been to AZ, I’d prefer more Flagstaff and less downtown Phoenix, but at most I’m willing to put up with one month of light snow. I like cold but no shoveling snow or needing AWD
-reasonable cost of living, I’m looking to rent for a year to get to know the area before buying a small starter house. For example, a 1300 sq ft house 2 car garage where I am is going around 350-400k in this inflated market. To me reasonable for that kind of a house is around 200k.
-Other info: purple politically, slight left or right doesn’t matter. Trying to avoid natural disasters, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes. Must have decent infrastructure/roads, water/sewage, high speed internet.

Some have suggested the PNW and Tampa. Any suggestions on where I should visit and reasons? I think Raleigh is going to be hard to beat but want to see another area before committing to living there for the next 5-10 years.

[cmyx6go]

How can you do coastal and avoid hurricanes? A friend of mine lives in Tega Cay SC, a quick ride from Raleigh. He has a great house and has a river or large stream maybe lake access in his back yard with a dock for his boat so that covers fishing. But still a bit of a trek to the ocean.

What about Charleston SC? Haven’t been there in years but I hear good things from people that live there.

EDIT: Quick ride from Charlotte. Must be the wine talking.

[spazzyfry123]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

How can you do coastal and avoid hurricanes? A friend of mine lives in Tega Cay SC, a quick ride from Raleigh. He has a great house and has a river or large stream maybe lake access in his back yard with a dock for his boat so that covers fishing. But still a bit of a trek to the ocean.

What about Charleston SC? Haven’t been there in years but I hear good things from people that live there.

If you're after Charleston, Mt. Pleasant is apparently all the rage.

[spazzyfry123]

Originally Posted by E92inPHX

Some of you may remember I started a thread last month that I’m looking to move out of AZ in the spring and many suggested I visit Raleigh NC. Well I spent the weekend there and loved it. It felt like a big town or small city in the woods, like they cut down the trees where they needed to build roads/homes/business/etc but left nature alone. Everywhere I drove the were trees going through the different colors of fall, and having lived in the desert since the 90s it was a breath of fresh air. Really the only negative thing that I’d need to adjust to is they don’t seem to like street lights there, even on the highways. I spent most of my time on the west side of Raleigh and in Cary/Morrisville and at night I’m driving around in darkness. Didn’t really like the northern area that much, too business-y.

I’m going to spend three more days in one more place just so for comparison. Here’s what I’m looking for-

-Must be a coastal state, prefer inland but less than two hours to the coast so I can spend a weekend there whenever the mood strikes. Seafood is my favorite and I need plenty of bodies of water to fish on foot or kayak, mostly I go after largemouths but would like to expand the list once I get to fish on a regular basis, fly and saltwater
-Looking of population/size similar to Raleigh. Medium sized town to small city, I’m wanting to live in the suburbs and would only drive into the city if my work is there or occasionally for recreation. Raleigh was small enough that the longest commute I had there was maybe 20 minutes, even the 8AM Monday drive wasn’t no where near as bad as it is here
-Looking for the landscape to be more natural than man made, if any of you have been to AZ, I’d prefer more Flagstaff and less downtown Phoenix, but at most I’m willing to put up with one month of light snow. I like cold but no shoveling snow or needing AWD
-reasonable cost of living, I’m looking to rent for a year to get to know the area before buying a small starter house. For example, a 1300 sq ft house 2 car garage where I am is going around 350-400k in this inflated market. To me reasonable for that kind of a house is around 200k.
-Other info: purple politically, slight left or right doesn’t matter. Trying to avoid natural disasters, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes. Must have decent infrastructure/roads, water/sewage, high speed internet.

Some have suggested the PNW and Tampa. Any suggestions on where I should visit and reasons? I think Raleigh is going to be hard to beat but want to see another area before committing to living there for the next 5-10 years.

I said it in your other thread. Check out Tallahassee. It checks like every box.

[E92inNC]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

How can you do coastal and avoid hurricanes? A friend of mine lives in Tega Cay SC, a quick ride from Raleigh. He has a great house and has a river or large stream maybe lake access in his back yard with a dock for his boat so that covers fishing. But still a bit of a trek to the ocean.

What about Charleston SC? Haven’t been there in years but I hear good things from people that live there.

One of the reasons I chose Raleigh was because it’s far enough inland that it hasn’t had any cases of strong hurricanes. If I move to NC I’m certainly going to visiting the neighboring states during my initial year so I’ll visit Charleston eventually. Unlikely to move there though as the hurricane threat is higher there since it’s at the coast.

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

I said it in your other thread. Check out Tallahassee. It checks like every box.

Tallahassee was initially on my prospective list but someone mentioned it was like an island and you’d have to drive two hours to get to anywhere else. But what part of it would you suggest I stay if I go?

[Mein11]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

How can you do coastal and avoid hurricanes? A friend of mine lives in Tega Cay SC, a quick ride from Raleigh. He has a great house and has a river or large stream maybe lake access in his back yard with a dock for his boat so that covers fishing. But still a bit of a trek to the ocean.

What about Charleston SC? Haven’t been there in years but I hear good things from people that live there.

I've been fortunate enough to live in Raleigh, NC (6yr) and Charleston, SC (3yr now) and I'll say....., it's really hard to pick out of love for both. Grew up in Metro-Detroit for 23 years first, so my opinion is non-biased.

Raleigh is more in-land and the Triangle area was awesome. Between UNC, Duke, SC State, there are a lot of college-ish areas that tend to have some really good food spots, and night life (if you're into that). A lot more small BBQ golden ticket places with bomb ass food. The other great thing was the mountains weren't far, and neither was the ocean, so some weekends would go to the beach and surf (or attempt) and drive home. Wilmington was a bit of a hike, but not terrible as a person from MI. Blue Ridge Parkway wasn't far, which is a slow drive, but leads to so many gap roads and others that you could get lost on and end up at some shanty restaurant in the mountains.

Charleston. Close to the ocean, Mt. Pleasant, West Ashley, Daniel Island, etc. are all within a reasonable driving distance, the area just feels much smaller. I play tennis or golf mostly within a 30 minute drive from the northern Ladson area. There are a lot of...., go to..., places to eat and drink. Downtown, Shem Creek, and some coastal / beach bars, and the finding of new places kind of stops (to an extent). The BBQ here is so-so, the only place I religiously visit is Lewis BBQ downtown, the rest are okay at best. The weather here is preferred over NC as there are no "ice" storms in the midst of fall / winter changeover (roads glazing, random snows that shut the state down).


I'm rambling at this point, but it would be hard to choose one over the other, they both have great pros and "slight" cons. Hurricanes are not avoidable at either, the closer you live to the coast, the more prone you are to having a bad time. I've been fine through all living "in-land", getting a truck was a big benefit being able to drive through flooded areas.


You had more points of interest, and I'll say from buying a house, $125k got a nice 3br 2b in Knightsdale NC (outside Raleigh), the same footprint was $225k in Ladson area, SC. Property taxes have been fairly similar, both in HOA communities.

[E92inNC]

Originally Posted by Mein11

I've been fortunate enough to live in Raleigh, NC (6yr) and Charleston, SC (3yr now) and I'll say....., it's really hard to pick out of love for both. Grew up in Metro-Detroit for 23 years first, so my opinion is non-biased.

Raleigh is more in-land and the Triangle area was awesome. Between UNC, Duke, SC State, there are a lot of college-ish areas that tend to have some really good food spots, and night life (if you're into that). A lot more small BBQ golden ticket places with bomb ass food. The other great thing was the mountains weren't far, and neither was the ocean, so some weekends would go to the beach and surf (or attempt) and drive home. Wilmington was a bit of a hike, but not terrible as a person from MI. Blue Ridge Parkway wasn't far, which is a slow drive, but leads to so many gap roads and others that you could get lost on and end up at some shanty restaurant in the mountains.

Charleston. Close to the ocean, Mt. Pleasant, West Ashley, Daniel Island, etc. are all within a reasonable driving distance, the area just feels much smaller. I play tennis or golf mostly within a 30 minute drive from the northern Ladson area. There are a lot of...., go to..., places to eat and drink. Downtown, Shem Creek, and some coastal / beach bars, and the finding of new places kind of stops (to an extent). The BBQ here is so-so, the only place I religiously visit is Lewis BBQ downtown, the rest are okay at best. The weather here is preferred over NC as there are no "ice" storms in the midst of fall / winter changeover (roads glazing, random snows that shut the state down).


I'm rambling at this point, but it would be hard to choose one over the other, they both have great pros and "slight" cons. Hurricanes are not avoidable at either, the closer you live to the coast, the more prone you are to having a bad time. I've been fine through all living "in-land", getting a truck was a big benefit being able to drive through flooded areas.


You had more points of interest, and I'll say from buying a house, $125k got a nice 3br 2b in Knightsdale NC (outside Raleigh), the same footprint was $225k in Ladson area, SC. Property taxes have been fairly similar, both in HOA communities.

By all means, ramble on. It’s great getting thoughts from someone currently or most recently living there. While I like both I’d take the woods over the beach as I’m planning on getting an Outback or 4 Runner so I can sleep inside when I go fishing/camping whereas I see the beach is somewhere to just chill and relax for the day and get some fresher seafood caught that day. I’m leaning towards a more northern state bc I prefer cooler weather nowadays. Over the weekend it was around 60 during midday and high 40s when I was out around 7/8Pm and I thought it was fantastic.

[spazzyfry123]

Originally Posted by E92inPHX

Tallahassee was initially on my prospective list but someone mentioned it was like an island and you’d have to drive two hours to get to anywhere else. But what part of it would you suggest I stay if I go?

I can probably guarantee that was me as I reference that often. 3ish hours to Jacksonville. 4ish to Tampa. 2 to Dothan. 1.5 to Panama City.

I actually like that aspect. I live in East Tallahassee surrounded by horse farms and my commute to anywhere is a mature oak canopy road. Traffic doesn’t exist. Ocean in 30-45 minutes. Excellent beach in a bit over an hour. Wildlife everywhere with plenty of fishing and kayaking and boating. Over 700 miles of trails to explore. Can get to to the near town of Thomasville in 30 minutes.

I come from Atlanta, so the pace is welcomed. Absolutely love the South Georgia plantations. Some of the best drives around. Anything you’d need and then some, and head to the west side of town for some life with the colleges.

My only gripe is climate. If I could pick up everything about this place and drop it somewhere a bit cooler, it would be perfect. The summers are just brutal with the humidity. All other seasons are nice.

Probably the only county that voted blue, but plenty of red. Infrastructure is phenomenal.

As to recommend… it’s a small town. West will get you college life. East and north will give you farm. South will give you some Florida Man. Central is politics and hipsters. Take your pick!

[Tommy-G]

So here’s the thing about hurricanes, you generally have a week or more to prepare or evacuate. Unlike tornados where you have little to no warning.

How about Savannah Georgia or Charleston SC? Similar vibes, great foodie areas and younger scene.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

How can you do coastal and avoid hurricanes? A friend of mine lives in Tega Cay SC, a quick ride from Raleigh. He has a great house and has a river or large stream maybe lake access in his back yard with a dock for his boat so that covers fishing. But still a bit of a trek to the ocean.

My DW and I bought our wooded 5-acre SC retirement lot on a motorboat lake about 45 minutes downstream of Tega Cay off of I-77. Definitely a recreational area, with no well-paying jobs. Perfect for retiring or WFH though, with gigabit fiber at the curb. The SC Midlands are far enough away from the coast where hurricanes aren't an issue, and the lot that we bought has a spot that's 50 feet above the lake so non-biblical flooding isn't a concern.

Everyone looks at Raleigh/Durham, but how about the Queen City? Charlotte has some large corporation HQ offices, a major airport, great fishing a few miles north at Lake Norman (NASCAR country), and Cam Newton back under center with the Panthers. Plus, it has a nice Cabelas store just south of the city in Rock Hill, SC. I've only passed through Charlotte and used it as an overnight hotel stop, which is why I'm asking why it hasn't been suggested yet other than a slightly longer drive to the beach at Wilmington, NC or Myrtle Beach, SC.

I flew out/into Myrtle Beach back in June, when we went down for our property closing. I've heard from many people that it is an up-and-coming place. We didn't look around beyond the airport and a major shopping mall, as neither of us are beach people. I crossed it off of our retirement destination list purely because it is in the Pee Dee basin, prone to flooding and hurricanes just like Charleston, Savannah, and the rest of the coastal SC/GA Low Country region.....

[cmyx6go]

Ob boy. I screwed up. Tega Cay is a short trip from Charlotte, not Raleigh. Don’t know what I was thinking. Carry on.

[Wakka]

Tampa is pretty similar size to Raleigh. Everything is pretty much new in the downtown, and lots of planned growth to come. The airport is one of the best in the USA hands down.

Hasn't been direct hit by a hurricane in over 100 years I believe at this point as well. Also some amazing fishing. If you like Raleigh I think it'd be a crime not to check out Tampa.

Other option is maybe… Austin? Might be too far from big water for you though.

[chassis]

Asheville or Chattanooga

Quasi coastal- near enough to the ocean and Gulf. Nature/trees/mountains. Medium sized cities with all the infrastructure you need. Growing.

Avoid PNW because of cost, and in my opinion the weather is crummy. Trust me, I know what crummy weather is having lived quite some time in Michigan.

Avoid Tampa because of heat, humidity and hurricanes. You specifically listed hurricanes as an “avoid”.

[Mein11]

Originally Posted by E92inPHX

By all means, ramble on. It’s great getting thoughts from someone currently or most recently living there. While I like both I’d take the woods over the beach as I’m planning on getting an Outback or 4 Runner so I can sleep inside when I go fishing/camping whereas I see the beach is somewhere to just chill and relax for the day and get some fresher seafood caught that day. I’m leaning towards a more northern state bc I prefer cooler weather nowadays. Over the weekend it was around 60 during midday and high 40s when I was out around 7/8Pm and I thought it was fantastic.

Outdoors wise, I there's a much greater area to explore in NC, especially around Blue Ridge mountains. Down here in Charleston area Francis Marian national park is near, has some great trails, areas to kayak, camping, fishing, etc. I'm sure there are other areas, but that's pretty much where I go for that stuff and a little hunting.

For what you're looking for, honestly I think the Raleigh area is a better option, and I really do miss it. Better mix of outdoors, get all the seasons, but winter doesn't gloom for too long. Charleston is a different way of living, slower paced, a lot of tourists in certain areas, can be quite busy especially on weekends.

Northern wise, I'll always love Michigan, but I'm not a fan of winter except for hunting. Commuting is a pain in the ass, too dreary, and winter/cloudy days stretch far too long through the year. That goes for my time living in OH as well (well, it was OH so that sucks in general).

[Tommy-G]

Originally Posted by Wakka

Tampa is pretty similar size to Raleigh. Everything is pretty much new in the downtown, and lots of planned growth to come. The airport is one of the best in the USA hands down.

Hasn't been direct hit by a hurricane in over 100 years I believe at this point as well. Also some amazing fishing. If you like Raleigh I think it'd be a crime not to check out Tampa.

Other option is maybe… Austin? Might be too far from big water for you though.

Tampa is BLOWING UP! How are you neighbor? I'm just over the Skyway in Bradenton.

[DenverSteve]

My suggestion would be to determine the general area you want to be in and rent for a year while traveling around monthly or on weekends to narrow in your final destination. No amount of internet rabble input can help you decide what is best for you.

[Oldgixxer]

Please don't check out Hilton Head Island/Bluffton SC...way too many people moving here,we have enough out-of-towners already

[Finn Germai-Yaz]

Costa Rica or Phuket, Thailand.

[E92inNC]

Originally Posted by Wakka

Tampa is pretty similar size to Raleigh. Everything is pretty much new in the downtown, and lots of planned growth to come. The airport is one of the best in the USA hands down.

Hasn't been direct hit by a hurricane in over 100 years I believe at this point as well. Also some amazing fishing. If you like Raleigh I think it'd be a crime not to check out Tampa.

Other option is maybe… Austin? Might be too far from big water for you though.

Right now I’m leaning towards Tampa honestly. When I first began searching for places to visit a few months ago the west side of FL was on my list because it seems that the hurricanes generally come in from the Carribeans and head northward on the east side of the state so at least the western side isn’t as bad.

Originally Posted by DenverSteve

My suggestion would be to determine the general area you want to be in and rent for a year while traveling around monthly or on weekends to narrow in your final destination. No amount of internet rabble input can help you decide what is best for you.

Yep, that’s exactly my plan. I’m going to sign a year lease and visit the surrounding area and neighboring states on the weekends. If I don’t like any of those areas enough to see myself living there for the next 5-10 years I’d move somewhere else and repeat. With NC I can get to VA and SC.

[Tyga11]

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

I can probably guarantee that was me as I reference that often. 3ish hours to Jacksonville. 4ish to Tampa. 2 to Dothan. 1.5 to Panama City.

I actually like that aspect. I live in East Tallahassee surrounded by horse farms and my commute to anywhere is a mature oak canopy road. Traffic doesn’t exist. Ocean in 30-45 minutes. Excellent beach in a bit over an hour. Wildlife everywhere with plenty of fishing and kayaking and boating. Over 700 miles of trails to explore. Can get to to the near town of Thomasville in 30 minutes.

I come from Atlanta, so the pace is welcomed. Absolutely love the South Georgia plantations. Some of the best drives around. Anything you’d need and then some, and head to the west side of town for some life with the colleges.

My only gripe is climate. If I could pick up everything about this place and drop it somewhere a bit cooler, it would be perfect. The summers are just brutal with the humidity. All other seasons are nice.

Probably the only county that voted blue, but plenty of red. Infrastructure is phenomenal.

As to recommend… it’s a small town. West will get you college life. East and north will give you farm. South will give you some Florida Man. Central is politics and hipsters. Take your pick!

Tallahassee is a really cool city. I never knew North Florida was hilly like that until I drove thru it. You don't even feel like you're in FL up there. I wouldn't mind living there

[spazzyfry123]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

Tallahassee is a really cool city. I never knew North Florida was hilly like that until I drove thru it. You don't even feel like you're in FL up there. I wouldn't mind living there

It ain’t so bad. Great for mountain bikers believe it or not.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by nawfoo

Costa Rica or Phuket, Thailand.

Now *there's* a place that I could retire to. Please send my last pay check and forward all of my mail to Phuket, please!!!!!