Raleigh, North Carolina

Everybody knows about the tech scene in the Research Triangle (Raleigh is one of the three in the triangle) but what most are surprised by is that when you fly into Raleigh it is hard to even see the city through the dense trees that line the streets. This makes the city spectacularly green and beautiful and creates a smaller-town feeling as a result of how each block is protected by the massive oaks. It also gives the city a suburban feel, and so particularly family-friendly. They also provide homes, yards, walks, and parks with lots of shade during the hotter months of summer.

The toughest thing for Raleigh is the fact that there are such popular cities nearby. Durham and Chapel Hill, the other two cities in the Research Triangle are better places for the younger professionals looking for more active social scenes and a greater diversity of activities and culture. It means that Raleigh can feel transient as people slide through on their way to these other cities.

Newcomers and old-timers consistently talk about the “Southern Warmth” of Raleigh. By this they mean how kind and relaxed everyone is here rather than a remark on the southern heat. Expect conversations with strangers at stores, persistent greetings on the streets and neighbor offers of support. Living in Raleigh is more about the greenery and access to the outdoors than a hardcore downtown nightlife but know that Raleigh is fighting hard to build up a social and cultural alternative to Durham and Chapel Hill and they’re getting there.

Great foodie options are here with BBQ an obvious part of the scene but fancier fare is also available. Downtown has a growing arts scene and plenty of craft breweries, bars, farmer’s markets and community events should that be your vibe. Getting back to that outdoor scene, Raleigh has 180 miles of Greenway Trails for everyone to walk, ride or hike and it has amazing parks, both downtown and in most of the neighborhoods so everyone can throw a frisbee, or baseball or just run around with the doggos.

If you want to see what happens in Raleigh check out the calendar of events.

Raleigh is ranked the 4th most educated city in the country, not surprising given it is surrounded by great universities, and this drives both tons of professional residents as well as an exploding entrepreneurial scene. Tech is at the center of the business boom here but there are also plenty of homegrown startups including clothing labels, craft breweries, creative restaurants and artists setting up in the downtown art galleries.
The Research Triangle Park drives much of the area’s economy, which makes sense given it is one of the great tech research parks in the world, and employers there include: IBM, Cisco, GlaxoSmithKline, Nortel, Sony and Lenovo, among dozens and dozens of others. The drive to RTP from Raleigh is just ~20 minutes so while traffic can be bad in the area it’s pretty mild compared to other bigger cities.