NGC Any NC people here? Looking for nice towns to relocate to.

[Dilliw]

Im guessing where you keep all the damn New Yorkers. :)

Long time joke for folks in the Raleigh Durham area: CARY or "Containment Area for Relocated Yankees."  If you move there I'm sure you'll get the T-shirt :)

[s1120]

Long time joke for folks in the Raleigh Durham area: CARY or "Containment Area for Relocated Yankees."  If you move there I'm sure you'll get the T-shirt :)

LOL  ya, I know im setting myself up...  but MAN it sure beets 6 months of winter!! 

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

LOL  ya, I know im setting myself up...  but MAN it sure beets 6 months of winter!!

if you move to eastern nc you will have zero months of winter...  daytime lows there are in the 50's even in January/Feb

[Dilliw]

LOL  ya, I know im setting myself up...  but MAN it sure beets 6 months of winter!!

Aiken, SC is full of part time Yankees.  They've driven up the prices a bit but there are plenty of 50's era houses in the 1,500-2,000 sq ft range because of the construction of the Savannah River Plant.  Lots of those houses have been turned into winter time cottages by people from NY, CT, and Mass.  We have a lot of French speaking Canadians as well.   

I enjoyed my two winters up your way but it always helped to know I was just on assignment.  Did a lot of skiing (including Plattekill) and tried snowmobiling.  I also did more drinking than ever in my life!  May was the toughest month for me; I would get a call from Kim while she was at the pool and I was still in my waterproof shoes and jacket.  Memorial to Labor Day was a treat however.

[s1120]

Aiken, SC is full of part time Yankees.  They've driven up the prices a bit but there are plenty of 50's era houses in the 1,500-2,000 sq ft range because of the construction of the Savannah River Plant.  Lots of those houses have been turned into winter time cottages by people from NY, CT, and Mass.  We have a lot of French speaking Canadians as well.   

I enjoyed my two winters up your way but it always helped to know I was just on assignment.  Did a lot of skiing (including Plattekill) and tried snowmobiling.  I also did more drinking than ever in my life!  May was the toughest month for me; I would get a call from Kim while she was at the pool and I was still in my waterproof shoes and jacket.  Memorial to Labor Day was a treat however.

Ya, and if you dont mind the taxes, and weather upstate NY is vary nice, and the people, and places are much more "southern" then people think when you say New Yorker. 

[s1120]

HaHa you'd be surprised! We get a lot of flooding here- a fair bit is flash flooding! Part of living in a deciduous rain forest on the banks of a river that flows south-north, we get more rain than Seattle and twice as much as London.

Looks like a good 4 hours to beach from there.  My step brother just moved to Anderson SC area last year.. Looks like not a terrible trip to there from your area. My wife talkes to someone from work that lives somewhere in that area also, and she says she loves it.

[ivantheterrible]

I'm in Hillsborough NC, about 15 miles from Durham NC and I really like it here. Small historic town. We're about 2.5 / 3.5 hours from the beach depending on which one you go to. The thing about going to the beach in season is the traffic can turn a relatively short drive into a slog. We're about the same distance from the mountains, maybe a little more, and that's pretty sweet as well. For me and my family, it's mountains in the summer and beach in the fall-winter. Don't really care about swimming that much so water temp isn't important to us.

[knockerjoe]

Like yourself a Newyawker, my first stop when I considered the Raleigh area was in Cary.
I found it too Suburban sprawl, like a new version of Levittown. Just a little outside of Cary
I found the Hillsborough/Carrboro/Chapel Hill area more to my liking with old charm and
lots of history, culture, and things to do. Excellent motorcycle backroads.
The upside to the Raleigh area is you have access to a International airport and excellent healthcare
with UNC and Duke. Downside is it’s still a bit of a hike to the beach or mountains but doable for a day trip.
I wish you luck in your search!

[AJ Huff]

I pressed my wife hard to find a job in coastal Carolina. Job in Beaufort was no good. Downside to the area I felt was being non military made us instant outsiders in addition to already being outsiders. Job in Shallotte didn't work out either but I was pretty sick of small town life that was probably a good thing. We vacationed in Wilmington area once and really liked it. Don't know if that means it's decent living there though. I was really hoping for Greenville NC but couldn't make it work. Hated Western NC, great place to visit, didn't want to live there.

Good luck!

-AJ

[bodine99]

Last fall wife and I did a recon around Kannapolis, Mooresville/Lake Norman & Lake Lure all really nice and some super motorbike riding roads

[s1120]

Last fall wife and I did a recon around Kannapolis, Mooresville/Lake Norman & Lake Lure all really nice and some super motorbike riding roads

Lake Norman looks huge!!  Ill have to look into around there.

[Rough Edge racing]

I grew up in NJ near NYC, many years ago I moved to the Finger Lakes area of NY state....I have found native Southerners to be quite hospitable...Well, once they get tired of the Damn Yankee jokes. I would move south in a NY minute but my wife won't leave her family here.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

Lake Norman looks huge!!  Ill have to look into around there.

The traffic between there and the beach will turn that trip into a 3+hour affair just FYI

[Dilliw]

I grew up in NJ near NYC, many years ago I moved to the Finger Lakes area of NY state....I have found native Southerners to be quite hospitable...Well, once they get tired of the Damn Yankee jokes. I would move south in a NY minute but my wife won't leave her family here.

But the jokes are SO much fun :)

Lake Norman is a zoo both on the water and off.  Lake Wylie is a tad better. 

Lake Wateree is in the middle of nowhere but the way the area between Columbia and Charlotte is sprawling I think a wise investment.  The Camden side give you more services but further from Charlotte/Columbia.  The Ridgeway side if you don't mind driving to anything and everything.

[s1120]

I grew up in NJ near NYC, many years ago I moved to the Finger Lakes area of NY state....I have found native Southerners to be quite hospitable...Well, once they get tired of the Damn Yankee jokes. I would move south in a NY minute but my wife won't leave her family here.

Yes. We have taken a lot of car trips from NY down to VA, NC, SC, and Fl, and its noticeable that once you get past about Richmond VA the people get so much nicer....  Ive really found that as long as your kind, polite, and treat people well, most people are the same. 

[Rough Edge racing]

Yes. We have taken a lot of car trips from NY down to VA, NC, SC, and Fl, and its noticeable that once you get past about Richmond VA the people get so much nicer....  Ive really found that as long as your kind, polite, and treat people well, most people are the same.

  When  in the military, later 1960's, I got along best with guys from the South despite being from New Jersey.
  My wife and I took Amtrak from Rochester NY to Arizona to visit my father. On the return trip we noticed the passengers got crabbier as we came back east.
  I have to say that people in NY state are quite nice..And not as fat as down South...

[s1120]

 
  I have to say that people in NY state are quite nice..And not as fat as down South...

LOL  I guess I will fit in then!!! 

[MedicAndy]

I have been living in Willow Spring now since 1985, which is located at the most southern part of Wake County. Willow Spring is located about 15 miles south of Raleigh and about ten minutes from Hwy 40. It takes me about 15 - 20 minutes to drive to downtown Raleigh, and about the same time to get to downtown Cary. The area out here is still mostly country living with lots of forest and farm land, but it's building up very fast. It is exactly 116 miles from my home to the fishing pier at Wrightsville Beach, so it is about an easy two hour drive.

You may also want to check out the towns of Fuquay, Holly Springs, and Apex, which were all smaller towns not too long ago, but they are now more like suburbs of Cary. I like living within Wake County, due to the good schools, work, hospitals, parks, lakes, things to do....., but it is getting expensive to buy a home out here too. I think that the average new home out here were I'm living at starts around $280k to $300k, which is still cheap when looking at Wake County overall. Willow Spring is located outside of any surrounding city limits, and my 2020 property tax value of my home increased by $40k during the last four years ......

I would not like living too close to places like Wilmington, Atlantic Beach or any other towns right at the ocean, mostly due to the summer tourist season...... Those towns and cities are packet during the summer.  I would also stay away from the towns located between the beaches and Wake / Johnston County. Not all, but some of those towns are pretty run down and not the safest places to call home.

[nc43bsa]

I would also stay away from the towns located between the beaches and Wake / Johnson County.

C'mon, you've lived in Willow Spring long enough to know that it's Johnston County.   

[Indypikes]

Wife and I are starting a "5 year plan" to relocate from upstate NY, down to eastern NC. The cold winters, and sky high cost of living in NY is just getting old!!  Looking for eastern NC. Wife wants to be within 1-1.5 hours from the beach. We dont want to be too close because of hurricanes. Small town life with some room is what we like... save the cities for the young crowd..

So just wondering if any of you all might know the area? Point out some places where we can start our search.

Paul, take a look at Camden, SC. Might be what you are looking for.

Scott

[guzzitime]

I live in New Bern NC which seems to be a mecca for Ny retirees There are many many good small towns to choose from, all with reasons to live there.. My suggestion is to come down for a month, rent a place to stay and roam the area to find your niche. Unfortunately, hurricanes are a fact of life in the area and nowhere is immune from them. From Elizabeth City to Wilmington and inland as far as Raleigh is prime retiree country. Just take your pick.

[ivantheterrible]

I live in New Bern NC which seems to be a mecca for Ny retirees There are many many good small towns to choose from, all with reasons to live there.. My suggestion is to come down for a month, rent a place to stay and roam the area to find your niche. Unfortunately, hurricanes are a fact of life in the area and nowhere is immune from them. From Elizabeth City to Wilmington and inland as far as Raleigh is prime retiree country. Just take your pick.

This is a good point....Hurricanes affect the whole state. Some parts more than others of course but I was without power for 2 weeks during hurricane Fran in 96. I lived in Pittsboro at the time. Hurricane Hugo in 88 plowed through Charlotte, which is well inland. the mountains get heavy rains and landslides from the gulf storms. Not saying inland has it as bad as the coast but hurricanes can be a pita regardless where you live in NC

[cliffrod]

with the traveling I've done, I've spent approx half my life in my native born central VT and most of the rest in the southeastern USA.  Most of that southern living was here in Spartanburg, SC.  On the map, it's where I-26 and I-85 intersect.  2 1/2 hrs to Charleston/coast, 2 1/2 hrs to ATL, 2 1/2 hrs to Knoxville, 1 hr to Asheville and 1 hr to Charlotte- all via 100% interstate driving.  Myrtle Beach is not a direct highway route yet, but that's always being discussed.  We're here & in SC on purpose.  We met, lived in and liked TN a lot, but it takes the coastal option off the day trip list.

Hurricanes usually aren't devastating here.  No evacuations this far inland, at least to date.  Tornados aren't either.  It has gotten much more crowded around here in recent years, but still is manageable.    There's other reasons we like here vs other areas. Enough hills and curves without being stuck between ridges & hollows.  No interest in living below the Fall Line where it's all flat and straight.  I lived in Asheville for a while.  Not for me. Greenville SC is the hipster spot to be around the upstate- not for us either.   Living somewhere for at least a week or two before buying/moving there is always money well spent and often an eye-opener.

[s1120]

Ya, our plan once this - thing ends... and I care for my MIL that is in her final stages of Alzheimers, so when she goes on to a better place, we plan to head down and hit up some different aeras, and spend a few weeks down there.

[saxontaylor]

Tremendous variety of places here on the Carolinas that would be great to retire to. Often comes down to are you a mountain person or a beach person?
How important are good restaurants & quality groceries? Hard to find those in a small town.
Traffic & population here is much more than you would thing (i think NC ranks tenth on population).
If you want to meet the locals get a personal plate (tag is what they're called here) something like "danorth1" ...that would get some attention.
Enjoy your search!

[cliffrod]

Ya, our plan once this - thing ends... and I care for my MIL that is in her final stages of Alzheimers, so when she goes on to a better place, we plan to head down and hit up some different aeras, and spend a few weeks down there.

I understand completely and hope it goes as well as possible.  We're a decade into ever-increasing eldercarin' so my mother and her 90 yo brother can live "independently" together next door instead of a nursing home.  Moved him in with her after dad died of cancer during the VA "2 wks" stuff..   Except now uncle is in the hospital with pneumonia for the past 2 wks.  still - negative.   

It's a primary reason we moved back & stayed here in the first place, but it can be a long slog sometimes.

[s1120]

I understand completely and hope it goes as well as possible.  We're a decade into ever-increasing eldercarin' so my mother and her 90 yo brother can live "independently" together next door instead of a nursing home.  Moved him in with her after dad died of cancer during the VA "2 wks" stuff..   Except now uncle is in the hospital with pneumonia for the past 2 wks.  still - negative.   

It's a primary reason we moved back & stayed here in the first place, but it can be a long slog sometimes.

Your not kidding!!I quit my job 2 1/2 years ago to take care of her. Drs said she had 6 months becouse of other health issues...  Well we are still here. SOme days are longer then others thats for sure!!  We have crossed our line of "well we are not doing that...  we will have to find her a place that can care for her.." many times over!!!  But we do what we can.  All depends how fast the Alzhimers progresses along with the other issues.. Frankly she was always vary independent, and would be horrorafided to see how she is now..

[MedicAndy]

C'mon, you've lived in Willow Spring long enough to know that it's Johnston County.   

You would think......

[AJ Huff]

When I lived in SC 20 years ago Keowee was THE place to retire to. Maybe not true anymore?

-AJ

[bratman2]

I would second New Bern. Very nice town.