8 ms·

I've lived in several of these cities briefly (Seattle, Austin), and a long-term (Raleigh, NYC). If you can put up with the car culture - which you have to if

by m0th87 12y ago

I've lived in several of these cities briefly (Seattle, Austin), and a long-term (Raleigh, NYC). If you can put up with the car culture - which you have to if you want to live outside of NYC or Chicago - Raleigh is a great city. Very low cost of living, a burgeoning downtown night-life and cultural scene, and very warm, likable people. Austin has a much better downtown, but I'd be concerned about traffic moving there, which is not a problem (yet) for Raleigh.

cjslep 12y ago
Raleigh's location also opens up a lot of roadtrip options, too: It is just several hours from the nation's capital, the outer bank islands, the Appalachian Mountains, and "big city" events at Charlotte and/or Atlanta. When going to the mountains or beaches, there are the options of exploring something more commercialized (Boone, Wrightsville Beach) or more rural (Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Maggie Valley, etc).
- chucksmash 12y ago
  Atlanta is only 50 road miles closer to Raleigh than New York City.
  - sb8244 12y ago
    Maybe it's just how I read this sentence, but I think "Raleigh is 50 road miles closer to Atlanta than it is to NYC" cleared things up for me. Regardless, that's a really interesting fun fact I learned today.
    - eitally 12y ago
      That doesn't mean 50 minutes closer, though. To get to NYC you have to drive up I95 through such fun spots as the whole DC metro.
    - madcaptenor 12y ago
      I'm surprised to see this as well. Alternatively: by road, Raleigh is equidistant from Philadelphia and Atlanta.
tootie 12y ago
I love how "put up with car culture" is a thing for our generation. Previous generation it would be "put up with not being able to drive". I'm fighting a losing battle against life in the suburbs but my one hope is that by the time I give in, I can commute in a self-driving car.
- johnward 12y ago
  That's only a thing for people who live in NYC, Chicago, and maybe the Bay. The rest of us still need cars. I live pretty far away but my commute to Pittsburgh is ~2 hours each way.
  - cozzyd 12y ago
    And Boston, Philly, and most of the rest of the world :)
    - wcummings 12y ago
      and DC.
  - philwelch 12y ago
    I'm semi-carfree in Seattle. Most actual cities can support a carfree lifestyle, but I guess that's a bit of a tautology.
  - cml 12y ago
    I am also semi car-free in Seattle and can attest to a very satisfying quality of life. I moved here last year. If anyone is toying with moving here and has questions: chris.laidlaw@socrata.com. (We're hiring!)
  - akgerber 12y ago
    There are plenty of parts of Pittsburgh where a car is a 'want', not a 'need.' Especially in the era of improving bike infrastructure and internet taxis.
- cylinder 12y ago
jghn 12y ago
"outside of NYC or Chicago" I've been carless in Boston (technically cambridge and somerville) for 15 years now and it's not at all been an issue. I'm not some wackadoo outlier either, I know tons of people like myself.
- wcummings 12y ago
  I live in Somerville and work in Cambridge, no car, commute on the bus and otherwise get around exclusively w/ public transit. Parent is not alone. Having to own a car is a deal-breaker.
jsonne 12y ago
Piling on, I live in Denver and maybe drive once a week tops. Even then, it's usually to get up to the mountains for skiing/hiking. (A huge consideration if you're considering where to live.)
- MadManE 12y ago
  I wouldn't tout Denver's public transit system as an upside of living here. It's just marginally better than the awful road system, so it gets the benefit of looking better by comparison.
  - mawburn 12y ago
    >It's just marginally better than the awful road system I go to CO for vacation semi-regularly, what am I missing as a tourist? Because I actually praise the roads in CO and their road crews frequently. From what I've seen, they are several magnitudes better compared to most other places that I've been to or lived in... and I'm from a military brat family and a road tripper.
    - MadManE 12y ago
      Anywhere you go as a tourist, you're not getting the rush-hour experience. While this is significant, the worst thing about the Denver road system is the unwillingness to plan. There are essentially only two (!) real roadways: I-70 and I-25. If you're willing to pay the few hundred $/mo, you can also drive on 470 to bypass the traffic. Once you get away from these two (three), it's a mire of unconnected and unplanned roads. On top of this - especially highlighted by the snow this past weekend - there is no regular maintenance of the roads other than 25 and 70. At the end of January I was in a car accident and am waiting for repairs, so I've gotten a glimpse of the public transportation system also. What used to take me ~20 mins to drive now takes over an hour, and unless your complete list of destinations is along the I-25 corridor, that's pretty typical. Now, maybe I just have a sour taste for CO. I am definitely looking to GTFO - that's why I was looking in this thread in the first place - but this has been my experience with the city/state for the last ~5 years. Take it how you will.

by m0th87 12y ago

cjslep 12y ago

Raleigh's location also opens up a lot of roadtrip options, too: It is just several hours from the nation's capital, the outer bank islands, the Appalachian Mountains, and "big city" events at Charlotte and/or Atlanta. When going to the mountains or beaches, there are the options of exploring something more commercialized (Boone, Wrightsville Beach) or more rural (Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Maggie Valley, etc).

chucksmash 12y ago
Atlanta is only 50 road miles closer to Raleigh than New York City.
- sb8244 12y ago
  Maybe it's just how I read this sentence, but I think "Raleigh is 50 road miles closer to Atlanta than it is to NYC" cleared things up for me. Regardless, that's a really interesting fun fact I learned today.
  - eitally 12y ago
    That doesn't mean 50 minutes closer, though. To get to NYC you have to drive up I95 through such fun spots as the whole DC metro.
  - madcaptenor 12y ago
    I'm surprised to see this as well. Alternatively: by road, Raleigh is equidistant from Philadelphia and Atlanta.

tootie 12y ago

I love how "put up with car culture" is a thing for our generation. Previous generation it would be "put up with not being able to drive". I'm fighting a losing battle against life in the suburbs but my one hope is that by the time I give in, I can commute in a self-driving car.

johnward 12y ago
That's only a thing for people who live in NYC, Chicago, and maybe the Bay. The rest of us still need cars. I live pretty far away but my commute to Pittsburgh is ~2 hours each way.
- cozzyd 12y ago
  And Boston, Philly, and most of the rest of the world :)
  - wcummings 12y ago
    and DC.
- philwelch 12y ago
  I'm semi-carfree in Seattle. Most actual cities can support a carfree lifestyle, but I guess that's a bit of a tautology.
- cml 12y ago
  I am also semi car-free in Seattle and can attest to a very satisfying quality of life. I moved here last year. If anyone is toying with moving here and has questions: chris.laidlaw@socrata.com. (We're hiring!)
- akgerber 12y ago
  There are plenty of parts of Pittsburgh where a car is a 'want', not a 'need.' Especially in the era of improving bike infrastructure and internet taxis.
cylinder 12y ago

jghn 12y ago

"outside of NYC or Chicago" I've been carless in Boston (technically cambridge and somerville) for 15 years now and it's not at all been an issue. I'm not some wackadoo outlier either, I know tons of people like myself.

wcummings 12y ago
I live in Somerville and work in Cambridge, no car, commute on the bus and otherwise get around exclusively w/ public transit. Parent is not alone. Having to own a car is a deal-breaker.

jsonne 12y ago

Piling on, I live in Denver and maybe drive once a week tops. Even then, it's usually to get up to the mountains for skiing/hiking. (A huge consideration if you're considering where to live.)

MadManE 12y ago
I wouldn't tout Denver's public transit system as an upside of living here. It's just marginally better than the awful road system, so it gets the benefit of looking better by comparison.
- mawburn 12y ago
  >It's just marginally better than the awful road system I go to CO for vacation semi-regularly, what am I missing as a tourist? Because I actually praise the roads in CO and their road crews frequently. From what I've seen, they are several magnitudes better compared to most other places that I've been to or lived in... and I'm from a military brat family and a road tripper.
  - MadManE 12y ago
    Anywhere you go as a tourist, you're not getting the rush-hour experience. While this is significant, the worst thing about the Denver road system is the unwillingness to plan. There are essentially only two (!) real roadways: I-70 and I-25. If you're willing to pay the few hundred $/mo, you can also drive on 470 to bypass the traffic. Once you get away from these two (three), it's a mire of unconnected and unplanned roads. On top of this - especially highlighted by the snow this past weekend - there is no regular maintenance of the roads other than 25 and 70. At the end of January I was in a car accident and am waiting for repairs, so I've gotten a glimpse of the public transportation system also. What used to take me ~20 mins to drive now takes over an hour, and unless your complete list of destinations is along the I-25 corridor, that's pretty typical. Now, maybe I just have a sour taste for CO. I am definitely looking to GTFO - that's why I was looking in this thread in the first place - but this has been my experience with the city/state for the last ~5 years. Take it how you will.