Moving To North Carolina

Good luck, Joe.  I moved 2 years ago from Rockland county NY to the Wilmington area - love it.  I now have a climate controlled room over the garage instead of a hot in the summer, cold in the winter garage that the trains shared with a snowblower.

I moved form NJ to eastern NC some 30 years ago now.....never looked back!....you will love it!....look me up when you get to NC .....I'm a couple hours from Durham.....just got my train room built and I'm a little under 4 years from retiring....I'm ready to wear out some locomotives!

There is an active TCA chapter in NC with an upcoming show in early December. There is already a club in the area. The Nuese River Valley Train club.

I left Jersey in1990 for Tennessee. Best move ever. 

Moved up here to the western NC mountains in 2004 from New Orleans and they will bury me here!

Our end of the state has some of the best year-round weather in the country if you like and appreciate the 4 seasons. Winters are not bad with some light snow because we're in the South, but it's the summers that really stand out. The higher elevation gives us considerably lower temperatures most of the time.  It get bloody hot in the NC lowlands...

Moving to NC?  What exit?   

Joe,

Welcome to NC! I'm sure there you will enjoy it here. There are a number of three railers here in the Triad (Greensboro, High Point and Winston Salem). No club as such but a good number of home layouts. I hope to meet you some time at one of the upcoming TCA meets.

Dave

Jealous, very jealous......

Almost moved south from Long Island before we started a family. Looked in NC, SC, VA, Ga. All beautiful

Good luck with the move.

Hope you are happy there.......I ran screaming from NC in 2003.....very happy now.  Need why off forum......

There's a  steady flow coming in, something like a 180/day.  I'm confident your days here will be pleasant enough. Eventually though NC will become like the places you've all fled.   

Good luck in your new home , and with your future layout. We looked in NC and Tennessee, in fact my daughter lives in Tennessee. We decided against it for the same reasons, there's a mad rush going on of people swarming these areas. Nashville Tennessee and surrounding areas has 200 people per day moving in. Many areas in NC and SC are being packed in the same way. So very shortly it will be the same as up here in NJ and NY. In fact my daughter is moving back because she can't deal with it anymore. 

Alex 

I have been in NC, east Raleigh area for 3 months now. Moved from RR rich western Pa. to a RR desert. Not much action unless you drive west for NS or east for CSX. Not sure how much traffic.  All I have is a small carpet layout to enjoy. The rest in storage. The weather  and roads are nice, the people are nice, they drive like fanatics(including my son), but a lack of hobby shops  and shows. I would really appreciate any info on the TCA show. I know there is one in Nov. by the Neuse Valley club. RR reading material is non-existent in stores. I wish I was closer to Spencer and Roanoke, I could live there. No basement in these stupid tract homes and I live in the room over the garage.  Life goes on.

Alex M posted:

Good luck in your new home , and with your future layout. We looked in NC and Tennessee, in fact my daughter lives in Tennessee. We decided against it for the same reasons, there's a mad rush going on of people swarming these areas. Nashville Tennessee and surrounding areas has 200 people per day moving in. Many areas in NC and SC are being packed in the same way. So very shortly it will be the same as up here in NJ and NY. In fact my daughter is moving back because she can't deal with it anymore. 

Alex 

One of our concerns when we were in Georgia, just north of Atlanta. The area was booming in the early 90's. The traffic was worse than the LIE at rush hour. The roads couldn't handle the volume.

Still nicer than NY at the time. Ultimately a place down south for the winter and keep a smaller place in NY may be our final stops. 
OOH- That means TWO layouts too!

Bob

jim pastorius posted:

I have been in NC, east Raleigh area for 3 months now. Moved from RR rich western Pa. to a RR desert. Not much action unless you drive west for NS or east for CSX. Not sure how much traffic.  All I have is a small carpet layout to enjoy. The rest in storage. The weather  and roads are nice, the people are nice, they drive like fanatics(including my son), but a lack of hobby shops  and shows. I would really appreciate any info on the TCA show. I know there is one in Nov. by the Neuse Valley club. RR reading material is non-existent in stores. I wish I was closer to Spencer and Roanoke, I could live there. No basement in these stupid tract homes and I live in the room over the garage.  Life goes on.

We seriously looked into moving to western NC. For a motorcycle rider this is paradise along with its scenic beauty. Having to care for aging parents along with all our friends and family kept us here.

If you want basements look to the west. Many homes are built on the side of hills/mountains have walk in basements. No more carrying stuff down stairs. Just walk down a gradual hill into your basements.

For more info contact forum member CSam. I am sure he can find your dream home.

Pete

 For a motorcycle rider this is paradise along with its scenic beauty

My job took me to NC in 2000. It's a motorcycle paradise almost. When I retired in 2014 I couldn't move back to OH fast enough. Not sorry I left NC .  I hope it works out for you.

joe

Good luck on your release from the Peoples Republic of New Jersey.  I hope to follow within 3 years, sooner if the latest merger follows true to form, ie nothing will change, nothing will happen etc etc. oh by the way......  We will miss NYC and the action associated with the city, we won't miss the taxes, traffic, endless regulations and restrictions.  

Traffic, really?  We lived in NJ our whole lives.

Heat, been there, done that.

Real estate taxes - 25% of what we are paying now.

Snow?  What snow?

Hurricanes?  What hurricanes

Real reason-  See picture.  Our one and only grandchild.

My wife and I are talking about the Smoky Mountains.  Either side would be nice.   Tennessee or North Carolina.  I will not stay a Mass-hole when I retire.  So I feel your pain living in NJ and glad you are escaping.

So what's the scope for basements in the South?  Have them don't have them.  

Gary-

One of our new neighbors has a walkout basement.  Property slopes away from the rear of the house.

We have a standup crawl space that will be semi finished after we move in.

CSXJOE posted:

Traffic, really?  We lived in NJ our whole lives.

Driven both for years. I'd call it a tie as NC has a booming population and roads design for half the traffic of 1990.

Heat, been there, done that.

HEAT and brutal HUMIDITY in NC. 

Real estate taxes - 25% of what we are paying now.

I have a few real horror stories about fees and taxes in NC. Never lived in NJ....but friends there like it....so a draw??? Hit me offline for what happen. 

Snow?  What snow?

Worse snow storm of my life, in fact all top 5 were in NC.....not just huge snow amount....but almost ZERO removal equipment. They'd tell us you are on your own. Here in WV I have 6 plows in my neighborhood. 

Hurricanes?  What hurricanes

Hurricane Danny and Hugo cost me about $7,000 each loss of hobby items and hobby related magazines. DO NOT THINK IT DOES NOT HAPPEN IN NC

Real reason-  See picture.  Our one and only grandchild.

Can't blame that....we live within 3 hours of our kids and grandkids.....as they all fled NC after we did!!!!

Good luck...enjoy...label me escaped!!

Welcome to central North Carolina! Please consider yourself invited to visit us in Raleigh. You are always welcome to operate here on the Duckunder Terminal Railway. I am easy to find coming into Raleigh from Durham.

I suggest contacting George Lasley for the lowdown on all local shows and clubs (glasley@bellsouth.net). I am the Secretary of the Southeastern TCA and can help you get on our email list, too. We have 3 or 4 shows a year.

Give me a call when you get ready at 919.349.6566 or email me at will@allenheuer.com. 

CSXJOE posted:

Traffic, really?  We lived in NJ our whole lives.

Heat, been there, done that.

Real estate taxes - 25% of what we are paying now.

Snow?  What snow?

Hurricanes?  What hurricanes

Real reason-  See picture.  Our one and only grandchild.

 

 

 

AND THERE IS NO BETTER REASON FOR MOVING BACK.

We left NY to move near our daughter in NC, jobs folded kids moved back to PA. missed our Grand kids, here we are in PA. But NC was a good place to be, nice people, fair taxes compared to NY. Enough room to breath.

But its all about family and especially grand kids. Wish you all the best of good health and much happiness in your new home.

Franky-Ogee

That is great news Joe! Hope to see your new layout room soon.

Are you moving close to the Lionel facility there?

Welcome to NC. I made almost same move 13 plus years ago. From Jackson NJ (nextdoor to Lakewood) to Raleigh NC. We do have a couple of train shops locally. And as Sheldon Cooper says one can not move to a twon without a train store.