Does anyone live in or know the Raleigh, NC area

[Juche]

I am wanting to move sometime next year, and my requirements for a new town are basically this:

A town that has a progressive atmosphere

Decent sized (at least 200k people)

Good science and biotechnology job opportunities

Many people in their 20s and 30s who are socially and politically progressive, intellectual, artistic and educated.

Good climate that is not too hot or cold (I thought of Austin but it was too hot. Duluth is too cold, etc).

Outdoor activities like hiking so a good quality and quantity of parks, lakes and forests

Affordable rent and living standards

An intellectual culture with a decent collection of museums, art, music, exhibits, campuses and libraries.



So I've been researching and the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill region seems like a good bet as it has all of those things. San Diego also seems like a good one too minus the affordable rent (Seattle too). Luckily I have a brother in San Diego, so that option is also open. But I'd say right now Raleigh sounds like a good place to look into more.

Anyone from the NC area? Can you fill me in on some things? For one, I got out of college in 2007 and will have had about 19 months work experience by the end of the year. Does anyone know if the biotech jobs in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area are extremely hard to get/competitive to break into, and/or if they all require graduate degrees and 5 years experience?

[Triana]

1. check your inbox/pm. n/t

[Juche]

3. Thanks

[OneGrassRoot]

2. Chapel Hill fits that description, IMHO.....

I've lived in the Raleigh area since 1991. Chapel Hill/Carrboro/Hillsborough are known to be a rather liberal mecca in the midst of a red sea.

:)

There are quite a few people on DU who live in this general area. I'm sure you'll get more specific feedback.

My experience is that there is a big difference between the Raleigh area and the Chapel Hill vicinity. I'd move to Chapel Hill if I could. ;) UNC is there, which is great.

[Juche]

4. Are there a good deal of young professionals in Chapel Hill

I thought Chapel Hill was more of a college town. I lived in Bloomington Indiana for almost 5 years and loved it, but I am almost 30 and feel too old to be around 18-22 year olds all the time. If possible I'd rather be surrounded by working, educated professionals in their 20s and 30s than college students. Nothing wrong with college students (I was one), but its not where I'm at in life anymore.

[OneGrassRoot]

5. My impression is that there is a wide age group in the general area...

the Chapel Hill vicinity, that is. UNC has a large medical center, so there are medical professionals. Of course, RTP (Research Triangle Park) isn't far away -- people community there from Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill -- and that's the big biotech/hi-tech business area for this region.

Hopefully Chapel Hill DUers will chime in with more specifics and their perspective. From the outside looking in, I like Chapel Hill a lot, and I'm not big on living in a purely academic environment. The museums and other cultural things offered there are outstanding, however.

It may be pricier than the Raleigh area; not sure about that.

[pennylane100]

6. My daughter went to chapel hill med school,

There is a place on Franklin St that makes the best calzones in the world. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name.