research triangle area of NC

[Farrar]

It's great that the rail passed. I feel like inner Durham traffic isn't so bad. Even out by South Point isn't horrible. But Raleigh traffic has steadily gotten worse. I had an epic North Raleigh to East Raleigh bus trip as a kid and I can't even begin to imagine what that looks like now. And some of the worst traffic is in places that I swear didn't even exist a decade ago.

[lauranc]

Yes.   I'm over in Raleigh twice a week--- not pleasant at all.  Gimme some public transport-- fast! Seriously.  It's grown steadily worse since we moved to NC over 11 yrs ago.

 

 

[Katy]

Thank you for understanding. At times, I wonder if it is just me that dislikes Orlando? 

 

So you would say the RDC area is nicer than Orlando? Prettier? How about traffic? I very hate the traffic here, which is SO much worse than northern Palm Beach County. 

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No, you're not the only one.  Everyone I know who's ever lived in Orlando hated Orlando.

[ktgrok]

No, you're not the only one.  Everyone I know who's ever lived in Orlando hated Orlando.

 

Except my husband and my sister.  Hence me being here. Bleh. 

[purplejackmama]

No, you're not the only one. Everyone I know who's ever lived in Orlando hated Orlando.

Yep. Agreed. Well my family that lives in Windermere seem happier than the others. But still. Orlando. Blah.

[raptor_dad]

I've done the DC to Durham run in four hours. But yes, it was in the middle of the night. (ETA: I routinely do it in well under 5 though... it's longer to Raleigh than to Durham so anyone judging from there, you do have to knock off 20-30 minutes.)

 

 

I think of Durham to Tysons Corner as being 4 1/2 hrs. I did that commute weekly for a number of years in the 90's and early 00s. My standard routine would be to get up at 4:30 on Monday, grab sausage biscuits and cheerwine at the northernmost Bojangles in South Hill VA and roll in to work around 9:00am. The reverse commute on Friday nights was a little more variable but rarely over 5hrs.

[Farrar]

I think of Durham to Tysons Corner as being 4 1/2 hrs. I did that commute weekly for a number of years in the 90's and early 00s. My standard routine would be to get up at 4:30 on Monday, grab sausage biscuits and cheerwine at the northernmost Bojangles in South Hill VA and roll in to work around 9:00am. The reverse commute on Friday nights was a little more variable but rarely over 5hrs.

 

Ugh. Tysons. Tysons adds 20 minutes though. I swear I have gotten door to door inner city DC to downtown Durham in 4 on the nose. Only under optimal conditions. Whatever they're doing to 85 right now is far from optimal for sure.

 

Mmm... Bojanges. Katie, if you move to NC, there's Boj fries. Even as a native, I cannot recommend that Cheerwine though.

[Brenda in FL]

Thank you for the reality check! What about the downtown areas? How do they compare to say, orlando? Or another FL city I guess...I'm from the Palm Beach area originally. 

 

Raleigh downtown is pretty small.  Smaller than downtown Orlando and Jacksonville.  (Although compared to Jax of 30 years ago maybe comparable).  But downtown Raleigh is rather pretty and growing.  Charlotte is actually a much larger downtown area.

[Brenda in FL]

I think you should go up for a weekend trip and see how it feels.  I bet it's a lot like any Florida city - drive 20 minutes out in the country and you're surrounded by the deep south, but in town I bet it's a bit more like Gainesville, with all those colleges.

 

I wonder if your DH feels like things just got settled at his new job and he's afraid to shake things up?

 

 

No, it's really not like Gainesville.  Gainesville really is a college town.  Durham and Raleigh are not.  I haven't spent enough time in Chapel Hill to compare though. 

[Brenda in FL]

Thank you for understanding. At times, I wonder if it is just me that dislikes Orlando? 

 

So you would say the RDC area is nicer than Orlando? Prettier? How about traffic? I very hate the traffic here, which is SO much worse than northern Palm Beach County. 

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Definitely prettier than Orlando!  Traffic depends on where you live.  Right now (2016) traffic is not as bad as Orlando.  But give it time and it will be.  When we moved here six years ago, we used to laugh at people who complained about rush hour.  Now they are starting to have something to complain about.

 

I love palm trees against a blue sky - but now I also love the autumn colors against the blue skies, and all the shades of green when the trees start budding in the spring.  There are flowering trees and azaleas in the spring, but I thought there would be more flowers (like in the Atlanta area).

 

And you do get cultural events in Durham (DPAC gets the broadway runs) and Raleigh like you would in Orlando.  We have professional hockey, but no basketball team.

 

DH is from Orlando - I am so glad that we never had to live there.  I hated the traffic too. 

 

[SarahW]

Thank you for understanding. At times, I wonder if it is just me that dislikes Orlando? 

 

So you would say the RDC area is nicer than Orlando? Prettier? How about traffic? I very hate the traffic here, which is SO much worse than northern Palm Beach County. 

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I meant the people are nicer.  :o

 

There's some nice people in PBC, sure. But...  I was also more on the southern side of PBC. Maybe that side has more mean people. 

 

I found traffic patterns in PBC to be just odd. Maybe because so much of the population is retired and don't work? Orlando traffic was annoying. RDC can be congested. But at least the congestion moves and has an understandable pattern, unlike Atlanta.

 

As for pretty - There's Duke Botanical Gardens.  :001_tt1:

 

I've floated the idea of moving to Durham a few times myself, so I'm pretty in favor of it. But especially for people in Orlando!  :D

[ktgrok]

Ugh. Tysons. Tysons adds 20 minutes though. I swear I have gotten door to door inner city DC to downtown Durham in 4 on the nose. Only under optimal conditions. Whatever they're doing to 85 right now is far from optimal for sure.

 

Mmm... Bojanges. Katie, if you move to NC, there's Boj fries. Even as a native, I cannot recommend that Cheerwine though.

 

LOL, we have a  Bojangles here now, in Altamonte Springs, by I-4. I've only had it once. I was pregnant, and it was super tasty,but I had horrid swelling from all the sodium. I love salt, and it was nearly too salty for me. I've avoided it since. And red dye makes me puke, so no cheer wine :)

Edited November 17, 2016 by ktgrok

[ktgrok]

I meant the people are nicer.  :o

 

There's some nice people in PBC, sure. But...  I was also more on the southern side of PBC. Maybe that side has more mean people. 

 

I found traffic patterns in PBC to be just odd. Maybe because so much of the population is retired and don't work? Orlando traffic was annoying. RDC can be congested. But at least the congestion moves and has an understandable pattern, unlike Atlanta.

 

As for pretty - There's Duke Botanical Gardens.  :001_tt1:

 

I've floated the idea of moving to Durham a few times myself, so I'm pretty in favor of it. But especially for people in Orlando!  :D

 

Oh, yes, Southern PBC had worse traffic than my area, by far. I was in the area where it cleared up. And the turnpike was almost always clear. 

 

Funny, I used to complain about snowbirds, and how slow they drove. Then I moved here. I'd take some super safe, slow driving snowbirds anyday day over the terrifying nightmare of Orlando drivers. I am not lying, my husband, raised here, didn't even know that you weren't supposed to change lanes in an intersection! Because EVERYONE does it. No blinkers. We are one of the cities with the highest traffic accidents, and highest pedestrian fatalities in the country. 

 

Since moving here I've been rear ended twice, and my husband once. Only one of those three had car insurance. Two of the three times our cars were totaled. 

 

I HATE this city. 

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[YaelAldrich]

 Even as a native, I cannot recommend that Cheerwine though.

 

I will forgive you this sin because I know you are a good person way down deep inside.  Just don't tell me you don't love Moon Pies.   :drool:

 

(I can't even eat those anymore; not kosher.)

[Farrar]

I will forgive you this sin because I know you are a good person way down deep inside.  Just don't tell me you don't love Moon Pies.   :drool:

 

(I can't even eat those anymore; not kosher.)

 

I loooooove Moon Pies.

 

And moon cakes. But that's a China thing.

[DawnM]

I will forgive you this sin because I know you are a good person way down deep inside.  Just don't tell me you don't love Moon Pies.   :drool:

 

(I can't even eat those anymore; not kosher.)

 

 

You mean those nasty marshmallow things with pseudo graham cracker stuff?

 

:leaving:

 

Moon cakes are good, I can get those at the Asian market.

[Farrar]

Moon pies taste like childhood.

[DawnM]

Moon pies taste like childhood.

 

I didn't grow up with them, so that may be it.