Hey guys/gals, I live in Austin, TX now and love it here. In about 2 years when my girl finishes up her graduate degree we're looking to move closer to her family in Wilmington. I'm trying to find out what the different big cities in NC are like. I work for Broadwing, a big telecom/data services company, and figure I'll probably need to look in Raleigh or Charlotte for work. She does social work, so her options are pretty wide open. What are they like? Any insight from people who know or have lived in Austin would be great. I love Austin for the hill country, people, and the plain cool factor. Austin is a lot like Boulder, just younger, if you know the type of place I'm talking about. My family lives in VA and everywhere in VA is old folksville it seems like, except up around DC where I've lived, but hated. North VA/DC feels just like Dallas to me, stuck up.

It's hard to explain what I'm looking for, but if you've lived or spent time in Austin you'll know what I'm talking about.

Thanks for any insight anyone can shed, trying to get some ideas now.

 

I am from dallas, tx and I am stuck near raleigh and it blows here!!!

 

aren't you in fayetteville though??? you can hardly compare that area to raleigh...

 

na goldsboro...but i go to raleigh every week. Nothing compared to AUstin...and dallas were i am from. But it is a nice quiet town with a few colleges to party at

 

yeah...no way you can compare raleigh to austin or dallas. raleigh is small in city terms...like 280,000 people. we have our big city type stuff, but things are very spread out.

 

I can live without it being real big, as long as it's growing, and it has some character. My girl's family lives in Wilmington and I was surprised how much I liked that area. It's small, but it has a lot of character. Richmond, VA where my parents live, for example, has no character. There is growth, so lots of cool new places at least now, but it has no character. It's a hard thing to put my finger on as to what that means exactly, but it's just more a feeling than any one thing.

Thanks for the input guys. I have pleanty of time to visit them all in the future, I just wanted to get some ideas from my fellow 350z'rs while it's still a ways off.

 

I can live without it being real big, as long as it's growing, and it has some character. My girl's family lives in Wilmington and I was surprised how much I liked that area. It's small, but it has a lot of character. Richmond, VA where my parents live, for example, has no character. There is growth, so lots of cool new places at least now, but it has no character. It's a hard thing to put my finger on as to what that means exactly, but it's just more a feeling than any one thing.

Thanks for the input guys. I have plenty of time to visit them all in the future, I just wanted to get some ideas from my fellow 350z'rs while it's still a ways off.

 

We have great Z car Clubs..does that count?

I came from the DC area, and have lived in a few others larger cities. I like the Raleigh area, mainly because they have about 80-90% of the really big city stuff, but about 10% of the hassles.

You get good shows and Concerts, Nightlife isn't great but as grown about 400% just in the last 2 years.

And you have both Beaches and Moutains within a couple of hours either way.

-Marty

 

yeah i agree, beaches and mountains a couple of hours away. night life here is growing a little more especially Glenwood south area in Downtown. if your a sports fan, the heart of ACC is here; Duke, NC State, UNC. Technology wise, we have Research Triangle Park right here too. Might be good for your field, although job market probably sucks right now, as it does everywhere. Big City small package. Charlotte's got us beat though population wise.


Jon

 

If you liked Wilmington, there's a HUGE club void there since the Cape Fear Z Club petered-out

I haven't lived anywhere outside of NC, so I can't help compare, just to say that as with anywhere, there are good places, and there are bad places in each area. I'm in New Bern (about 1-1/2 hrs north of Wilmington) and I equate it to St.Pete FLA - quickly becoming a coastal retirement area for many northerners (which I don't have a problem with, but lots of country clubs, boat clubs, and hunting clubs).

I'll second jnifong's coment about sports though... ACC country, which now includes Miami, VA Tech with more to come... Pro sports? Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, and a new NBA team coming back to Charlotte.

Maybe by the time you move, we'll have all the new highway's built... naaaah, probably not

-Stacy

 

DUDE! What am I thinking?!

I forgot to mention Virginia International Raceway less than two hours from Raleigh, Carolina Motorsports Park less than 4 hours away, and Roebling Road less than 6 hours away!

Oh yeah... (maybe I shouldn't say this)... but if you like NASCAR, you will be in pure-T Heaven

-Stacy

 

dont forget rockingham

 

i live in wilmington I love it here im from tampa and tampa jsut seemed to fast wilmington is more my speed it has the best of both worlds almost like ayounger tampa.

As far as work Verizon just opened a center here that has 1500 employees send them your app maybe that willl tie in to what your looking for.

If your interested I am trying to get a Z meet going once a month and looking to host someone on my website www.10secondz.com every month with pictures and an article.
I also sell performance parts.

sales@10secondz.com let me know if you have any questions.

 

Hey I grew up in Wilmington. Plenty of character there. I live in Charlotte now. Lot's to do all year around. Football season's started back up "GO PANTHERS!!!" LOL. Soon the Bobcats will be running the courts. then as someone stated there's always NASCAR- LOL. Just Kidding. There's always lots of shows going on here if you're interested in theatre. We've got SPRINT and ALLTEL Callcenters as well as one for ONSTAR. If you want to know more let me know. I've lived here since '85 so I can probably tell you anything you want to know. Raleigh...eh...

 

I was stationed several places while I was in the army. Ft. Belvoir VA, Ft. Polk La, Ft. Hood Tx, and out of country. I used to live 30 min away from Charlotte. It is pretty hip and living just a little ways away life gets real small. I kind of like living small and travel a little to get big though. I live between Hickory and Asheville now. NOt bad but Tiny and stagnated. Charlotte would be my call.

 

Does anyone know of any body and paint places in or around wilmington that can do my veilside kit
Highly recommended only please.