4 ms·

Durham is getting better in many ways, but it earned it's reputation for crime in some neighborhoods there. I never seriously considered living there for that r

Durham is getting better in many ways, but it earned it's reputation for crime in some neighborhoods there. I never seriously considered living there for that reason alone. It's weird how it gets lumped in with Raleigh for everything. I live in downtown Raleigh, and it is seriously one of the safest places I've ever experienced. Even though Seattle was mostly safe on paper, there were so many homeless people who would yell death threats at random people, assault people, and engage in straight up harassing behavior in public places like buses, I soon became uncomfortable walking alone even in the day time hours. I don't feel that way about Raleigh or Charlotte. The crime in Charlotte really didn't seem that bad to me. I lived in a affordable part of north Charlotte, but the worst things we had in 18 years were 2 car break-ins and someone stealing a grill from the backyard. A neighbor got burglarized when they were out of town once. I never experienced or even witnessed physical violence or threats, never knew a person who has been attacked or robbed with a weapon, though it happened especially to people dealing drugs or doing other illicit stuff. If you like CT that's great, but I definitely think Charlotte and Raleigh are nice places to live and are good alternatives to west coast cities for the cost. Sorry that your experience didn't match up to your high expectations.

BoorishBears 7y ago
Downtown Raleigh is also 1 square mile with barely anyone living in it... and the moment you leave it's just more suburban sprawl. I would never in a million years compare it to Seattle if I wanted "downtown living", they're not the same type of city. But I am glad to hear it at least has less crime. Charlotte on the other hand was one of the US's most deadly cities a couple of years back, and this year is one of the most violent in over a decade so it is really bad. - But yeah... I wouldn't say it's fair to write it off as a case of high expectations, every city is a balancing act. I've lived in cities that had comparable crime to Durham that did not leave me unhappy, the problem is enduring that crime should have some benefit, maybe there's great natural resources nearby, or salaries are very high and you can afford to live in a "good neighborhood" or some strong cultural richness. This area has none of that. If you're looking for a 1sq mile downtown, there are so many options, if you're looking for suburban sprawl as far as the eye can see, there's tons of options for that too. So I ask myself, why is this specific area of the country experiencing a massive influx of people along with matching insane real-estate hikes, and worsening traffic? What culture is there? What special entertainment? What natural attractions? And I come up empty. Durham especially just boggles the mind, it's growing like it has none of these glaring issues. At least other cities I lived in had "good" areas, this is like a warzone: https://i.imgur.com/dfEPqgi.png https://i.imgur.com/dfEPqgi.png Maybe you can argue Raleigh is inoffensive enough to get a pass, but it's not just Raleigh seeing all these people, Durham and Charlotte are too. My comment wasn't about how much I love CT, if I loved it so much I wouldn't have left. But its about what else is out there. Cities like Austin and Miami have a lot of the pains this area of the country has... but way more culture at least, more entertainment, more options for people who prefer living in a "real" downtown. Some actual justifications for the very real problems they have.

BoorishBears 7y ago

Downtown Raleigh is also 1 square mile with barely anyone living in it... and the moment you leave it's just more suburban sprawl. I would never in a million years compare it to Seattle if I wanted "downtown living", they're not the same type of city. But I am glad to hear it at least has less crime. Charlotte on the other hand was one of the US's most deadly cities a couple of years back, and this year is one of the most violent in over a decade so it is really bad. - But yeah... I wouldn't say it's fair to write it off as a case of high expectations, every city is a balancing act. I've lived in cities that had comparable crime to Durham that did not leave me unhappy, the problem is enduring that crime should have some benefit, maybe there's great natural resources nearby, or salaries are very high and you can afford to live in a "good neighborhood" or some strong cultural richness. This area has none of that. If you're looking for a 1sq mile downtown, there are so many options, if you're looking for suburban sprawl as far as the eye can see, there's tons of options for that too. So I ask myself, why is this specific area of the country experiencing a massive influx of people along with matching insane real-estate hikes, and worsening traffic? What culture is there? What special entertainment? What natural attractions? And I come up empty. Durham especially just boggles the mind, it's growing like it has none of these glaring issues. At least other cities I lived in had "good" areas, this is like a warzone: https://i.imgur.com/dfEPqgi.png https://i.imgur.com/dfEPqgi.png Maybe you can argue Raleigh is inoffensive enough to get a pass, but it's not just Raleigh seeing all these people, Durham and Charlotte are too. My comment wasn't about how much I love CT, if I loved it so much I wouldn't have left. But its about what else is out there. Cities like Austin and Miami have a lot of the pains this area of the country has... but way more culture at least, more entertainment, more options for people who prefer living in a "real" downtown. Some actual justifications for the very real problems they have.