4 ms·

I'm now working for a San Jose startup from North Carolina ... and not from RTP, but from a much less tech-focused area. My wife's family lives here and that's

by nwatson 13y ago

I'm now working for a San Jose startup from North Carolina ... and not from RTP, but from a much less tech-focused area. My wife's family lives here and that's great for our daughter. Our house here costs 20% what an equivalent house would have in San Mateo, my bay area home from 1995 to 2013. This place has a nice downtown, a pretty diverse population (a lot of medical research and university action). The food's pretty good and somewhat varied (no Shalimar Pakistani unfortunately, I miss my Saag Gosht). I miss the bay area but can now get back at least every two months or so to see old friends. If you can swing it, give it a try.

bartonfink 13y ago
Winston Salem, per chance?
- nwatson 13y ago
  Yep! Do you have experience with the town?
  - bartonfink 13y ago
    Went to Wake Forest from 2001-2005 and stuck around until my wife graduated from Salem College. I can't say I share your enthusiasm (I live in Denver now and couldn't be happier), but I am glad that you enjoy the place! Please feel free to hit me up with any ?'s you may have - I spent close to 8 years there in various phases of life.
    - deleted 13y ago
      [deleted]
  - robterrell 13y ago
    As someone who escaped a tech job in Winston-Salem in the 90's, and now lives in Marin county, I'm curious about how things have improved. What VCs are making life better for startups? Or is it just a cheaper spot with decent internet?
  - jacoblyles 13y ago
    Wake Forest class of 2005 here, now working in the Valley. I can't help but be jealous of my college friends when I go back home and see their humane cost of living. Everybody I know in NC owns a home that would cost seven figures in Mountain View, CA. Everybody I know in California rents and lives dorm-style with roommates. Making a Silicon Valley salary remotely in Winston-Salem would let you live like a king. Besides, the Carolina skies are just breathtaking, and not available at any price. I recently visited Winston with my California native girlfriend, and we were both charmed by the beauty and open space of Carolina.
    - nwatson 13y ago
      I also think North Carolina is beautiful. A drive through the countryside on a two-lane road is amazing. The epitome of evil here is to not mow your lawn or keep up your landscaping or to not apply that coat of paint, so everyone's place looks great. And the city of Winston Salem itself has improved in the last fifteen years tremendously from what I've heard. Many old-timers shun downtown for what it used to be, but 4th Street is busy every single night of the week. And for good work/hangout places, Camino Bakery is awesome, and Krankies Coffee beats any coffee shop in SF Bay Area hands down for atmosphere -- and coffee. SF would go nuts if the place were transplanted into The Mission. But on my first visit to the San Jose area in six months I was struck by how beautiful the place I left really is, too. In NC the trees are a bit suffocating. I like seeing the hills around the bay. And the NC trees are all the exact same shade of green during the summer. The hike I took at Purissima along Skyline Blvd was beautiful. And even the crowded housing everywhere has its charm. We made our choice and moved on to NC, but I'm real glad to be working for a bay area company again.
malandrew 13y ago
When you head to Raleigh, be sure to stop by Royal India on Capital Blvd. It's Indian, not Pakistani, but they excellent dishes including a saag gosht.
- nwatson 13y ago
  I'll try that!
- garysweaver 13y ago
  I think Raleigh is the best bang for the buck for tech, food, drink, and residence anywhere in the U.S. Downtown Raleigh has art festivals, music festivals (Hopscotch, Wide Open Bluegrass), Red Hat amphitheater, and Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts (including Meymandi Concert Hall, Fletcher Opera Theater, Kennedy Theater, Memorial Auditorium), etc. There are a lot of great restaurants within walking distance of some nice/fun bars. You don't even have to walk or ride; they have a Trolley you can ride for free (or rent!), a Trolley Pub (bike bar), rickshaws, etc. There are clubs (various kinds and each age groups), but that's not as much my scene anymore. They are to a saturation point with microbrewing companies in the area, they have so many: http://www.ncbeer.org/brewery-map/ http://www.ncbeer.org/brewery-map/ And that's not all of Raleigh, e.g. North Hills has been having great free outdoor concerts with a few great bars (and a great grocery store if you want to be cheap) right next to it, which has been our fav recently. It is basically everything you love about a "small town" (great people, community, lower cost of living) in a well-educated and resourced area (NCSU, UNC-CH, Duke Univ. and too many tech companies to mention) with plenty of great places to eat and things to do. But, Durham has DPAC, lots of great restaurants, a good startup scene, including areas devoted to startups like the Underground in the American Tobacco District next to DPAC and the Durham Bulls ballpark (where they do concerts, too.), etc. And for the best hole-in-the-wall places to eat, you just have to ask around enough, like anywhere else. It might be a hot pot Chinese place in some random Morrisville strip mall, etc.
  - malandrew 13y ago
    Used to live there. Now live in SF. Could never live in Raleigh again and I only go to visit family. It's entirely too car focused and the tech community is trivial in size compared to SF. The only active meetup group I came across while visiting recently with solid engineers was the Ruby Brigade. However with Relevance in Durham, I imagine there is a solid Clojure community in the area as well. If you don't mind cars, the quality of live if pretty great, however it kills me that it is just far enough from the mountains and the beaches for either to be convenient. Freshwater lakes aren't too far, but too much of those nearby are in the watershed supplying water to the area so recreational usage is highly restricted.
LogicX 13y ago
Come say hi over in Myrtle Beach, SC: WhyNotTheBeach.com

by nwatson 13y ago

bartonfink 13y ago

Winston Salem, per chance?

nwatson 13y ago
Yep! Do you have experience with the town?
- bartonfink 13y ago
  Went to Wake Forest from 2001-2005 and stuck around until my wife graduated from Salem College. I can't say I share your enthusiasm (I live in Denver now and couldn't be happier), but I am glad that you enjoy the place! Please feel free to hit me up with any ?'s you may have - I spent close to 8 years there in various phases of life.
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
- robterrell 13y ago
  As someone who escaped a tech job in Winston-Salem in the 90's, and now lives in Marin county, I'm curious about how things have improved. What VCs are making life better for startups? Or is it just a cheaper spot with decent internet?
- jacoblyles 13y ago
  Wake Forest class of 2005 here, now working in the Valley. I can't help but be jealous of my college friends when I go back home and see their humane cost of living. Everybody I know in NC owns a home that would cost seven figures in Mountain View, CA. Everybody I know in California rents and lives dorm-style with roommates. Making a Silicon Valley salary remotely in Winston-Salem would let you live like a king. Besides, the Carolina skies are just breathtaking, and not available at any price. I recently visited Winston with my California native girlfriend, and we were both charmed by the beauty and open space of Carolina.
  - nwatson 13y ago
    I also think North Carolina is beautiful. A drive through the countryside on a two-lane road is amazing. The epitome of evil here is to not mow your lawn or keep up your landscaping or to not apply that coat of paint, so everyone's place looks great. And the city of Winston Salem itself has improved in the last fifteen years tremendously from what I've heard. Many old-timers shun downtown for what it used to be, but 4th Street is busy every single night of the week. And for good work/hangout places, Camino Bakery is awesome, and Krankies Coffee beats any coffee shop in SF Bay Area hands down for atmosphere -- and coffee. SF would go nuts if the place were transplanted into The Mission. But on my first visit to the San Jose area in six months I was struck by how beautiful the place I left really is, too. In NC the trees are a bit suffocating. I like seeing the hills around the bay. And the NC trees are all the exact same shade of green during the summer. The hike I took at Purissima along Skyline Blvd was beautiful. And even the crowded housing everywhere has its charm. We made our choice and moved on to NC, but I'm real glad to be working for a bay area company again.

malandrew 13y ago

When you head to Raleigh, be sure to stop by Royal India on Capital Blvd. It's Indian, not Pakistani, but they excellent dishes including a saag gosht.

nwatson 13y ago
I'll try that!
garysweaver 13y ago
I think Raleigh is the best bang for the buck for tech, food, drink, and residence anywhere in the U.S. Downtown Raleigh has art festivals, music festivals (Hopscotch, Wide Open Bluegrass), Red Hat amphitheater, and Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts (including Meymandi Concert Hall, Fletcher Opera Theater, Kennedy Theater, Memorial Auditorium), etc. There are a lot of great restaurants within walking distance of some nice/fun bars. You don't even have to walk or ride; they have a Trolley you can ride for free (or rent!), a Trolley Pub (bike bar), rickshaws, etc. There are clubs (various kinds and each age groups), but that's not as much my scene anymore. They are to a saturation point with microbrewing companies in the area, they have so many: http://www.ncbeer.org/brewery-map/ http://www.ncbeer.org/brewery-map/ And that's not all of Raleigh, e.g. North Hills has been having great free outdoor concerts with a few great bars (and a great grocery store if you want to be cheap) right next to it, which has been our fav recently. It is basically everything you love about a "small town" (great people, community, lower cost of living) in a well-educated and resourced area (NCSU, UNC-CH, Duke Univ. and too many tech companies to mention) with plenty of great places to eat and things to do. But, Durham has DPAC, lots of great restaurants, a good startup scene, including areas devoted to startups like the Underground in the American Tobacco District next to DPAC and the Durham Bulls ballpark (where they do concerts, too.), etc. And for the best hole-in-the-wall places to eat, you just have to ask around enough, like anywhere else. It might be a hot pot Chinese place in some random Morrisville strip mall, etc.
- malandrew 13y ago
  Used to live there. Now live in SF. Could never live in Raleigh again and I only go to visit family. It's entirely too car focused and the tech community is trivial in size compared to SF. The only active meetup group I came across while visiting recently with solid engineers was the Ruby Brigade. However with Relevance in Durham, I imagine there is a solid Clojure community in the area as well. If you don't mind cars, the quality of live if pretty great, however it kills me that it is just far enough from the mountains and the beaches for either to be convenient. Freshwater lakes aren't too far, but too much of those nearby are in the watershed supplying water to the area so recreational usage is highly restricted.

LogicX 13y ago

Come say hi over in Myrtle Beach, SC: WhyNotTheBeach.com