how is it to live in
what is the lifestyle like
what iis there to do
what is the desi population like, are they snooty?
i loveeeee Raleigh
anything else i should know
please don’t move my thread
Depends on where you are moving from and your lifestyle and interests.
Suburbia to suburbia and smaller desi community move will like it, others may not as much.
Re: North Carolina
around Raleigh, thats all i know haha
i should really look up thr geography of NC
ive never fit in with desis dont tell me its gonna happen again 
Re: North Carolina
I am in Raleigh too, the whole RTP area is amazing.
Good schools, lots of work opportunities as so many companies are moving to this area, clean neighborhoods being on a christian belt. A very good strength of muslims and desi ppl too if you go to specific areas.
The geography is amazing as lots of greenery around, sunny most of the year.
The overall atmosphere is chill and very friendly. Summers are totally fun as we go out for free musical evenings, concerts, different cultural bazars and the beaches are near by especially outer banks which is simply gorgeous. I some times feel like I am in Islamabad though because of the calm and serenity over here 
p.s. still nothing beats new york 
Re: North Carolina
i’ve spent 5 years of my life in a city i HATE and an environment i never adapted to. a lot of it has to do with how busy i was and how much of an effort i didnt put in, but this time i want to be proactive
Raleigh is absolutely beautiful…and much better than a crazy busy, congested city!
and good to know the beaches are nearby!!
oooh. how expensive is it??
Re: North Carolina
Well I spent 9 years in NYC and I loved and hated every single moment of it 
guess being a new yorker is a state of mind so I am unable to shake that away lol
I have only new york to compare to so it’s faaaaaaaaaaaar much cheaper then new york, the real estate, taxes, gas prices, grocery prices everything is like 1/2 what I was paying in new york but then I was living in manhattan also which is a totally different world.
Re: North Carolina
thank you. i may ask you some more questions later on.
Good universities but not quite the calibre of what you will find in NYC, Boston, Chicago, LA, SF, Philly, DC etc. The greenery, bazaars, clean places. Not really much different than what you will see in the nicer burbs of large cities. Cultural diversity is limited, and same goes for local options for dining and entertainment.
Cost of living is low indeed, and the hassle factor is low, commute wise, but then again if you are working in an industrial park in the burbs and live in the burbs of a major city, you will feel no difference.
My sister lived in NC for a number of years and visited me kinda surprised saying that I did not realize Chicago had such places. People think of major cities and compare their total urban and downtown experience to a suburban experience of a smaller city, versus comparing it to the burbs of the city. So when you see the good burbsof DC, Dallas, Chicago, SF, Philly etc… Then you have a better gauge. As I said, the key is lifestyle. For many that lifestyle is okay or more than okay.
RTP is one of the better smaller metropolitan areas in the country though. Has some pros and has most of the cons of any small city.
Re: North Carolina
OP, I hear there are cats and dogs in NC.
Re: North Carolina
Wow we have also been thinking about moving to NC in a few years after my husband is done with his fellowship in NY. North Carolina seems like a nice place to live and houses are very cheap. it’s on the list of our future potential places along with Florida, Arizona and Texas.
As far as desis, i am sure there are going to be enough desis in a major city like Raleigh or Charlotte. if they are snooty or not, that depends on person to person really. lifestlye in general must be laid back i am assuming, I am from NY so everything is more laid back than here.
Re: North Carolina
The weather at east coast is itself a big factor to move out to another region, what will dining and entertainment options do if you don’t even feel like getting out of your house half of the year. Add to that expenses for severe weather (including preparation and events like Sandy), energy costs, expenses related to health issues related to the weather. I know so many people who were living in suburbs and commuting to cities for work. 3-4 hrs commute daily (taking in factor rush hours) will kill it for me at least. You can’t expect the person to be able to do much else even on weekends as mostly they just want to stay in doors travelling to the city the whole week.
Again it depends on personal preferences whether you want quality of life or higher income or career opportunities or being near to city life etc. Also depends on what stage of life you are. When I was single and had a very active social life living in a city made more sense to me being able to hang out with friends after work and enjoy to the max what city has to offer.
For us NC made sense as it’s kind of low key having a sense of community so great place to raise a family. Then it has some very good Islamic schools that not only offer Islamic education but provide a range of youth activities. Nothing is more then 30 min drive away. The real estate prices are so low that I can buy 3 houses for how much I paid for my apartment in NYC. The RTP area is also couple of hour drives away from the tri-state area so we are still near to the metropolitan cities (By plane it’s 50 min to NYC). So we just hop on the plane when ever we are missing the big city.
Re: North Carolina
It is entirely possible to have most of the benefits of a smaller city in a larger city, …essentially lower cost of living, and commute time… and offer more while avoiding the negatives associated with a big city. Many people live in a suburb and work in that or another suburb, and dont need go downtown everyday, but have that option available at any given time..for entertainment as well as career options. Many live close enough to downtown that its really not a hassle, and those who commute may choose to do things around their home and communities on weekends or go to more urban areas when they want.
larger cities have the upper hand in a number of areas, and lag in other areas, cost, commute, crime. Some smaller cities have the upper hand in these areas but then lag in culture, cuisine, careers
The large cities are large because enough people find enough attractive about the cities that they want to be around them than not be around them. just like enough people find RTP attractive enough to make it a fast growing place. (there are people btw who would consider raleigh too much of a hassle and expensive and would want to live in rockingham :D… it never ends)
Its not a universal ‘you’ so it may very well apply to someone who is either not used to the weather or chooses not to go out. because unusually extreme weather aside, cities dont shut down.
depends on the individual, some may stay local, some may venture downtown. In the better areas what the local community areas have to offer can compare and surpass what the smaller cities offer.
It varies highly on what someone considers quality of life. the items you listed are not mutually exclusive or mutually inclusive.
These are all valid reasons..lower cost of living, less commute. others I suppose could be in other large metropolitan areas as well
It really is not the same as being right there, I mean I understand that its not like you are 4 hours flight away, but it is not the same. For some it may be just fine. For others that may be too much of a hassle.
In the end its a needs/wants balance with pros/cons of any place and it will vary from person to person. If it did not either everyone would be running to live in fargo, North Dakota … or everyone running to live in LA. 
North Carolina
Love NC.. Amazing schools, desi food, amazing Muslim community. Was in Cary. I’ve heard that it’s even better now! The desis there are of a more educated as well as desis in other cities. Property prices are low, and they’re many new neighborhoods still being developed with nice new homes. Lots of active Islamic youth… Yasmin Mogahed lives in Raleigh and has lots of halaqah sessions. Her husband and her are doing lots of dawah work.
However, I still like California slightly more as it is probably more “fun”.youll not get the big city experience in NC.
Re: North Carolina
California is best … but its expensive . Plus where ever you go in America its kinda same . Means its not like Pindi and Peshawar cultural difference .
Re: North Carolina
Texas ftw
Re: North Carolina
i would love to visit texas. heard amazing things about it. a cousin mentioned that they are building a huge islamic centre or developing an area designated to islamic studies etc. sounded really good
Re: North Carolina
It sounds like an American Pindh.