I maybe moving to NC or SC for a semi retirement ( sold my Co. in Los Angeles), and was wondering how it is in Raleigh or Charlston. Are the high patrol really though on speeding ? Were is the best place to leave with a familly and close to race tracks ? thx for the help Benny
Raleigh/Cary/Morrisville is a great place to live (moved here last September) and is about an hour and 15 minutes from VIR (www.VIRCLUB.com)
I have not been pulled over in years and I go about the average on the roads. So no I do not think the HP is any worse here than anywhere else. Like Owen said, RDU (Raleigh-Durham-University area.) is a fantastic place to live. But if want real beauty and fun roads, check out Asheville and Blowing Rock areas!!! I have it good as I live in BOTH! WooHoo!!!!
The Lake Norman area just north of Charlotte is really a nice place to live i think,theres the lake of course with lots of activities, nice neighborhoods,great shopping areas, its just a short commute to Charlotte (15-20 miles),lot of ''car people'' and of course Mooresville,''Race City'' the center of Nascar Racing.Many retired and semi-retired people here in my area,give it a look see. Bill CH
Tomorrow, I will be driving down to my new home in SC and I can't wait. As far as I'm concerned, just about anywhere in the Carolinas would be great to live in. I picked South Carolina for a number of reasons but I could be quite happy and comfortable in either state. Bob Z.
Don't forget about the High Rock raceway that's being built currently. It's between Charlotte and Greensboro. http://www.racehighrock.com/
Funny you mention that, as I am seriously considering a permanent move to HHI. I already have a villa down there, now I am just deciding if it is the right spot for me to permanently move, vocationally too. I love the area and is very car-rich with enthusiasts and collectors. Beautiful weather year-round mostly too. Finding an acceptable job is the trick however. Good luck with your endeavours too. Josh
Charleston is a fun city, I grew up there and I'm moving back there now, however I wouldn't say it is the best place to raise a family. My vote would be for Cary, NC in terms of raising a family. Excellent schools, a very safe community, and consistently rated as one of the top places to live in the entire country. I'm young and I find Cary a little boring, so I'm heading back to Charleston to have fun for a few years before I have a family of my own. I think at that point, I may find myself back in the Cary area.
Thx for all the great feedback. Moving from los angeles to NC is a very scary though, but I'm really looking forward to do a move. Road racing is a must in my life so VIR and that new track add a lot to the value. Sorry for asking, but the image we have of NC is "red necks". do you feel the south is now part of the rest of the world, in that sence. Thx'benny
I'm college-age right now, so for me a permanent move down there would be out of the question (not many things for a young person to do). As for raising a family/retirement, I think it's perfect. Pristine beaches, upscale dining/living, and not touristy to the point of being overrun with the "tourist types". And to boot, you're 20 minutes off of I-95 for a nice little jaunt down to southern Florida if need be. I think it definately gets overshadowed by Myrtle Beach when talking about SC beach towns (which is perfectly fine by me ), and i'm suprised not too many people I talk to know about it. I know i've been trying to convince my parents to retire there in the next few years. Good luck with the (potential) relocation.
It depends on where you go, of course, but I feel that's everywhere. CA has it's fair-share of "red-necks" (ever been to Bakersfield??). Just kidding of course. I think it depends on your state of mind. I personally love southern California. From LA you can go south to OC/San Diego or North to San Luis Obispo/Monterrey/SF-Napa. Not bad if you ask me. Urbanity is my thing, though, so I think the move would be tough. You definately have a tough descision to make, weigh your options carefully. Lots of things both places offer that the other doesn't. Somebody just please tell me how to get out of Philly!!!
Nomad, funny you said that, i was just racing at Buttonwillow next to bakersfield ! LOL Fontana is not better either !!! Benny
I moved here from Philly thirty years ago and I'm not sorry. I've been very happy with this place. the academic and cultural offerings are good and the food is terrific. the best part is the weather. The hell with PA winters...
VIR 1:15 from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill North Carolina Motor Speedway (Rockingham) 2:00 from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill High Rock 2:00 from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Lowes Motor Speedway (Charlotte) 2:45 from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Carolina Motorsports Park 3:30 from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Summit Point 4:30 from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Roebling Road 5:00 from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Road Atlanta 5:30 from Raleigh/Durham/ Chapel Hill New Jersey Motorsports Park 8:00 from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Daytona International Speedway 9:00 from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Mid Ohio Sports Car Course 10:30 from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Lime Rock Park 11:00 from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Moroso Motorsports Park 12:00 from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Sebring International Raceway 12:00 from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Watkins Glen International 14:00 from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Yep, you could say we're centrally located!
Thanks for that, Nomad. A lot of what you say is spot-on. HHI seems to go under the radar by most except those "in the know". Fine by me, too. More island for me. I just got a place in Sea Pines because my Grandparents have had a place there for the last 25 years and I love it. I'm only 26 myself so I can fully appreciate the likelihood of being in the minority of age demographics, however that's not always a bad thing. A lot of my friends anyway, particularly down there, are twice my age and older. Frankly sometimes, I relate to the older generation better for whatever reasons. Most of the older friends I have are car guys too, one with a collection of 40+ pieces [and he's not the only one] so there's plenty there if you know where to find it. I'll manage. Going down there to spruce up the place later in May, but hopefully if my plans align properly, the permanent move will happen this summer. Thanks for the encouragement. Josh
Peter thx for the great info on the tracks. What about Ferrari service around triad, I'm sure there is good places to take care of my 360 F1 ? Thx Benny
-Apex Vintage, Raleigh, NC http://www.apexvintage.com/ -Sport Auto, Greensboro, NC http://www.sportauto.cc/ -Foreign Cars Italia, Greensboro, NC http://www.foreigncarsitalia.com/ -Foreign Cars Italia, Charlotte, NC -European Road & Racing, Charleston, SC http://www.europeanroadandracing.com/ And there are some other independents that others can mention. Ferrari of Atlanta is also semi-close depending on where you live.
Hey! Don't sell everybody on that area - I'm hoping to move there sometime this year & don't want it to get TOO darned crowded. Seem to have found a couple possible properties, now I just need to find a job that will pay the bills...
You can work at Tweetsie Railroad. They're always looking for Cowboys and Indians. I think StangeLove works there part-time!!!
realride, While not a Ferrari owner I can give you some thoughts about NC and SC. I'm a Charlestonian, and as far as restaurants and shopping it is hard to beat. One of the top shopping destinations in the U.S. The beaches, Sullivan's Island, Isle of Palms, Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island are fantastic places to live. I'm not a golfer, but great choices there too. I like Beaufort, SC and Hilton Head too but HHI is more for older people(don't know your age). They also have the Hilton Head Concours d'Elegance every November which is first class all the way. Beaufort is a pretty town. I also own a house in Hendersonville, NC which is 20 miles south of Asheville. Western North Carolina is gorgeous and you are only 2.5 hours or less from Road Atlanta. There are lots of great towns in WNC. Highlands, Cashiers, Saluda, Brevard, Sylva, etc. Champion Hills is a Tom Fazio course in Hendrsonville.(Fazio lives there also.) beautiful course. Asheville is great too. Surrounded by mountains. We haven's spent as much time there, except to go to Biltmore House. Knoxville, TN is only 1.5 hrs away too. If your up there you gotta do the Tail of the Dragon. We did it in the Caddy SRX and it was a hoot. My wife and I chose Hendersonville because it is 3:15 from Charleston. If you chose either place you are not too far from the beaches or the mountains. I'd stay clear of Myrtle Beach, SC. Doesn't do a thing for me. Litchfield and Debourdieu just below Myrtle are decent though and you are 70 minutes from Charleston. Another more long shot would be Aiken, SC near Augusta. A lot of people are getting tired of HHI and moving there.
Ya know, I did. I'm kind of tied down here (University of Delaware.....very good school nowadays) and have a good gpa (maintaining above a 3.0 while having the time of my life), so going down there now doesn't really do me any good. grad school/law school though, that's a different story. As much of a southern california guy as I am, any suggestions??
My sister went to USC Law School, but a lot of people are staying in Chas. and going to the Charleston School of Law which opened a few years ago.
