Moving to Raleigh

Sweet. I guess I need to go read more of the middle pages of the "Great Gun Thread" or guns according to Paleo.

fishdude wrote:

Sweet. I guess I need to go read more of the middle pages of the "Great Gun Thread" or guns according to Paleo.

Not a problem.

I am actually seriously looking at the FN TSR right now. I am used to the 70 operation anyway and I hear absolutely nothing but effusive praise for that gun.

Anyone know where I might be able to find a suitably squalid bachelor pad near the triangle?

You best start your search right away with a "squalid bachelor pad / gas station" combo as your goal!

I have a bachelor friend living at "The Enclave at Crossroads". Gated apartment complex, close to US1/440 and the Crossroads mall. It's not squalid though.

Our old duplex is probably still available. I think it counts as squalid.

Oh definitely.

Townhouse next door is vacant.

Just got my offer and it doesn't include a relo so I have to work it all out on my own. I could really use some help figuring it out.

RedJen wrote:

Townhouse next door is vacant.

That's where I keep my meth lab. SO BACK OFF!

Paleocon wrote:

Just got my offer and it doesn't include a relo so I have to work it all out on my own. I could really use some help figuring it out.

Are they putting you up when you first get here or do you need a place from the very start?

Yellek wrote:
Paleocon wrote:

Just got my offer and it doesn't include a relo so I have to work it all out on my own. I could really use some help figuring it out.

Are they putting you up when you first get here or do you need a place from the very start?

No relo. I have to do it all on my own. My first day is 4/8 though, so I was thinking I might show up early and try to scout out a place to live.

As a general consideration, apartments right in/by RTP proper tend to cost $100-300 more per month and there is almost nothing going on there outside of normal workdays/work hours. (In fact many places in RTP are closed on evenings and weekends.) You'd need to travel out to Cary or Raleigh for some culture or, if you want serious hipster-worthy culture, Durham/Chapel Hill. Using Gmaps (search for apartments) and Renter's Voice I'm seeing loads of good candidates if you want a place in one of those areas.

As far as rough areas go, unless you're /really/ looking for squalid (yes, even by Baltimore standards) stay out of the southeast quadrant within 2 miles or so of downtown Durham. Straight south is okay, but the further you go toward east the greater the concentration of halfway houses, projects, derelicts, pawn shops, check cashing places, etc. The general feel is similar to what you'll have in rough areas of other developed cities. There are other smaller areas like that in Durham and Raleigh, but not nearly as notable.

Almost 2 decades ago my wife (then fiancee) and I stayed in Woodway Apartments, which has now adopted a hoidy-toity name but is still reasonably priced and well reviewed. You can probably find better in terms of location, but that's the only place I have any direct experience with.

LouZiffer wrote:

As a general consideration, apartments right in/by RTP proper tend to cost $100-300 more per month and there is almost nothing going on there outside of normal workdays/work hours. (In fact many places in RTP are closed on evenings and weekends.) You'd need to travel out to Cary or Raleigh for some culture or, if you want serious hipster-worthy culture, Durham/Chapel Hill. Using Gmaps (search for apartments) and Renter's Voice I'm seeing loads of good candidates if you want a place in one of those areas.

As far as rough areas go, unless you're /really/ looking for squalid (yes, even by Baltimore standards) stay out of the southeast quadrant within 2 miles or so of downtown Durham. Straight south is okay, but the further you go toward east the greater the concentration of halfway houses, projects, derelicts, pawn shops, check cashing places, etc. The general feel is similar to what you'll have in rough areas of other developed cities. There are other smaller areas like that in Durham and Raleigh, but not nearly as notable.

Almost 2 decades ago my wife (then fiancee) and I stayed in Woodway Apartments, which has now adopted a hoidy-toity name but is still reasonably priced and well reviewed. You can probably find better in terms of location, but that's the only place I have any direct experience with.

Wow. Rental rates are VERY reasonable.

Get far enough away from DC/MD/Northern Virginia and it's amazing how affordable real estate in general becomes.

Oh, and congratulations!

ringsnort wrote:

Get far enough away from DC/MD/Northern Virginia and it's amazing how affordable real estate in general becomes.

Oh, and congratulations!

Looks like I can get a 2300 square foot townhouse in briar creek for about $1000/month. That's insane.

Wow.

Congrats, Paleo! My brother just moved down to the Durham area earlier this year to run the Triangle Land Conservancy and I have taken a few trips down to check it out. Seems like a great area.

I've got tentative plans to head the ChiliBrew festival in Cary on April 6 - http://www.chilibrew.com/ . If you're down early for your job that may be a fun opportunity for a GWJ S&T

Bullion Cube wrote:

Congrats, Paleo! My brother just moved down to the Durham area earlier this year to run the Triangle Land Conservancy and I have taken a few trips down to check it out. Seems like a great area.

I've got tentative plans to head the ChiliBrew festival in Cary on April 6 - http://www.chilibrew.com/ . If you're down early for your job that may be a fun opportunity for a GWJ S&T

I think that might be doable. I will have to see since I might be booked finding a place to live.

Edwin wrote:

Padmapper for finding a place. UPack for moving.

Paleocon wrote:
ringsnort wrote:

Get far enough away from DC/MD/Northern Virginia and it's amazing how affordable real estate in general becomes.

Oh, and congratulations!

Looks like I can get a 2300 square foot townhouse in briar creek for about $1000/month. That's insane.

Wow.

From the NYC real estate market: I hate you.

Tanglebones wrote:
Paleocon wrote:
ringsnort wrote:

Get far enough away from DC/MD/Northern Virginia and it's amazing how affordable real estate in general becomes.

Oh, and congratulations!

Looks like I can get a 2300 square foot townhouse in briar creek for about $1000/month. That's insane.

Wow.

From the NYC real estate market: I hate you.

Feeling you here in the DC area as well. Is this really how the rest of the country lives?

Paleocon wrote:
Tanglebones wrote:
Paleocon wrote:
ringsnort wrote:

Get far enough away from DC/MD/Northern Virginia and it's amazing how affordable real estate in general becomes.

Oh, and congratulations!

Looks like I can get a 2300 square foot townhouse in briar creek for about $1000/month. That's insane.

Wow.

From the NYC real estate market: I hate you.

Feeling you here in the DC area as well. Is this really how the rest of the country lives?

I remember renting a 3BR apartment in Indiana for $495 a month back in college, so.. yeah.

Paleocon wrote:

Feeling you here in the DC area as well. Is this really how the rest of the country lives?

I believe you call it "flyover country".

Welcome Paleo! We moved down here from Baltimore (also used to live in Columbia) 5 years ago. We love it here and there are a bunch of GWJers in the area. April 15 is a good night to meet some (http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/114555).

PM me if you need anything. I can also give you the contact info of our real estate agent. Tell her you need a place big enough to host a con.

Paleocon wrote:
Tanglebones wrote:
Paleocon wrote:
ringsnort wrote:

Get far enough away from DC/MD/Northern Virginia and it's amazing how affordable real estate in general becomes.

Oh, and congratulations!

Looks like I can get a 2300 square foot townhouse in briar creek for about $1000/month. That's insane.

Wow.

From the NYC real estate market: I hate you.

Feeling you here in the DC area as well. Is this really how the rest of the country lives?

Boston and San Francisco share your pain.

Sway wrote:

Welcome Paleo! We moved down here from Baltimore (also used to live in Columbia) 5 years ago. We love it here and there are a bunch of GWJers in the area. April 15 is a good night to meet some (http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/114555).

PM me if you need anything. I can also give you the contact info of our real estate agent. Tell her you need a place big enough to host a con.

Probably can't do much on weekends for the forseeable future. I will be taking the Megabus back to DC on weekends to be with the wife as much as I can.

Paleocon wrote:

Probably can't do much on weekends for the forseeable future. I will be taking the Megabus back to DC on weekends to be with the wife as much as I can.

Perfect. April 15 is Monday night!

Sway wrote:
Paleocon wrote:

Probably can't do much on weekends for the forseeable future. I will be taking the Megabus back to DC on weekends to be with the wife as much as I can.

Perfect. April 15 is Monday night!

That might work.

S0LIDARITY wrote:
Paleocon wrote:
Tanglebones wrote:
Paleocon wrote:
ringsnort wrote:

Get far enough away from DC/MD/Northern Virginia and it's amazing how affordable real estate in general becomes.

Oh, and congratulations!

Looks like I can get a 2300 square foot townhouse in briar creek for about $1000/month. That's insane.

Wow.

From the NYC real estate market: I hate you.

Feeling you here in the DC area as well. Is this really how the rest of the country lives?

Boston and San Francisco share your pain.

Yeah, I have an apartment in Bethesda, MD that is $2500/mo. I'm heading down to Pensacola FL in July and just about burst out laughing when I found out what the rent is down there. For $1600/mo I can get super-nice house in a private neighbourhood, with a full-sized heated swimming pool. For what I'm actually looking for, I'll probably only be shelling out $800-1000/mo. That's crazy.

Coldstream wrote:
S0LIDARITY wrote:
Paleocon wrote:
Tanglebones wrote:
Paleocon wrote:
ringsnort wrote:

Get far enough away from DC/MD/Northern Virginia and it's amazing how affordable real estate in general becomes.

Oh, and congratulations!

Looks like I can get a 2300 square foot townhouse in briar creek for about $1000/month. That's insane.

Wow.

From the NYC real estate market: I hate you.

Feeling you here in the DC area as well. Is this really how the rest of the country lives?

Boston and San Francisco share your pain.

Yeah, I have an apartment in Bethesda, MD that is $2500/mo. I'm heading down to Pensacola FL in July and just about burst out laughing when I found out what the rent is down there. For $1600/mo I can get super-nice house in a private neighbourhood, with a full-sized heated swimming pool. For what I'm actually looking for, I'll probably only be shelling out $800-1000/mo. That's crazy.

It is beyond stupid out this way. My mom has a one bedroom rental property in the distressed part of Columbia (lots of sec 8) that she rents out for $1800/month and it has never been vacant in 20 years.

I'm looking at luxury apartments with health club memberships and tennis courts in Cary or Briar Creek for $750 on leases less than a full year.

It is like an alternate real estate universe or something.