Dueling Carolinas: What Our Members Have to Say

I brought this up a while back, any one looking in the Carolinas has to google Coal Ash Ponds.

JD - how can I read your original post? I just googled it and it just talked about spills and Duke Energy.

I basically agree with the comments broad comments reflected above by Ron and Rita, but one in particular sort of blew me away -- Rita's thought about BAD traffic around Raleigh. Before returning to the Triangle area (that's around RTP), we lived in Northern Virginia for 7 years commuting into Manassas and to inside the beltline. Now THAT is traffic! Nothing in the Triangle area compares. Those who come here and stay mostly in the northern Raleigh area and then make broad statements about traffic or anything else, really should get away and spend more time around the other fringes. Living in North Raleigh is much different than South Raleigh or Apex or Chapel Hill or out east. Traffic at rush hours, sure. But forget any comparisons to DC or Atlanta or LA or even Charlotte. And if you are retired, you mostly get to pick when you want to be on the road.

I like the suggestions about renting and getting to know the place before committing to purchasing a home. In addition to these suggestions, my wife and I created a pros and cons list on a legal pad and continuously updated it before making a decision. Years ago we lived in Florida and could not stand the heat and humidity. Plus it was so far from family in the north-east. We started vacationing at the Delaware Beach area and fell in love with it. Yes, summer traffic is a headache (on the weekends). And restaurants are jammed in the summer months. The closest airports are over an hour away. But we wanted to be close to the beach, have a temperate climate and be withing driving distance to family. Delaware is more tax friendly than the state I currently reside in. The temperatures in the Delaware shore area is about ten degrees warmer on average than where I currently live. Instead of having another home in say Florida for the cold months, we will probably rent and use those months to explore other parts of the country where the weather is warmer. This avoids being a slave to another house.

Dian google 60 minutes they did a 20 minute segment about coal ash ponds

Rich Beaudry - As I commuted from NYC to NJ EVERYDAY for 25 years, I think I have a VERY GOOD PERSPECTIVE of traffic and commuting. Given that I found Wake Forest, Raleigh Cary area way too congested, overhyped, too many Northerners “me-too” oriented. I found the perfect ideal place for now. It’s beaucolic. I love it. However, I choose to keep it a best kept secret should I spoil it for myself.

Rita, then why make the post? Don't others deserve to know where "Heaven" is?

Rita,. I certainly won't dispute YOUR definition of traffic congestion. But when was the last time in the RTP area you were stuck for hours in a line of traffic that wouldn't move? Regardless, I'm glad you found the right place for you.

We moved Roberta's comment asking for input from those who have relocated to Fairhope, AL, to a different Blog article for further discussion about this interesting community:
10 Prettiest Retirement Towns

RichPB ,
I choose to have no traffic congestion in my retirement life after NYC. I found Raleigh, RTP and Charlotte including outlying areas such as Wake Forest, Weddington etc to be undesirable to me. I found my place for now and I’m very happy,.

I commuted a couple hours each day in DC traffic for over twenty years and four years in Chicago traffic. So... lack of traffic, is paramount to a proper retirement town for me. But traffic is getting worse in smaller towns as people buy more cars. We like the idea of North Carolina, but much of North Carolina seems to suffer from sprawl and a lack of public transit. Charlotte, the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area, and Asheville, all seem to experience a good deal of gridlock. There is also lots of beach gridlock during the summer. Yes, as a retiree, we can adjust some of our activities to avoid rush hour; but rush hour becomes nebulous in areas where there are many retirees. Here in Florida, there is an additional "rush hour" that starts at about 10 in the morning and goes to about 2:00, consisting of seniors on errands. Add in workers on a lunch hour and it's almost like my old commute.

As more retirees flock to the same locales that are not walkable, of course a car is a
necessity, but what happens when you can no longer or do not wish to drive? There needs to be a balance. I live in Washington, DC proper and not in the suburbs--I did live in Virginia for my first 18 years and traffic was two hours at times each way and very nerve wracking. That being said, I also realize that what I consider a traffic jam may in reality be a mere inconvenience in some parts of the country and no where near as arduous as it is here.. As a future retiree, I will seek places that are appealing, but not where everyone else is going.

Jennifer is right, traffic is a concern when selecting a retirement town, but many of the cities discussed in North and South Carolina have good public transportation if you don't want to drive, and many are bike friendly. North and South Carolina have a lot to offer with college towns, mountains, and beaches so you will have traffic. There are also some small, pretty and walkable towns located in these states.

A New Community? My sister loves the beach and this came up on her radar recently. It looks like a new community: http://www.theseabrook.com/ The Seabrook - a CCRC on Hilton Head Island. Just thought I'd share the link, in case anyone is keeping track.

Jemmie, Could you name some examples of towns with good public transit? We will be looking in NC and it seems that beyond living in the central part of town, which is always expensive, there is a lack of transit and a lot of traffic.