Moving from NYC to Raleigh

Raleigh is no longer America’s best kept secret, and around 80 people a day are flocking here from all over the country (and world). One of the biggest groups of people moving here is coming from New York, which accounted for nearly 10% of the entire population growth of North Carolina in 2021. Which prompts the question: why? And what’s it like to move from NYC to Raleigh, NC?

The Weather
Honestly, this is one of the biggest reasons I left NYC. After 15 years, I NEEDED a shorter winter, BUT I still didn’t want to ditch my winter coats completely. Raleigh still has four seasons, but the two most extreme ones – summer and winter – are much shorter. Raleigh drops into the 20s and 30s during the winter, and it occasionally even snows. In fact, our first year here, we got a 6” snowstorm, and the entire city shut down. Really, almost everything shuts down at any sign of snow, and unlike NYC, you’re on your own for shoveling. But it usually melts the next day, and we only get about 4-5” of snow a year.

And much like New York City, Raleigh has a HOT and HUMID summer, but the worst of it only lasts for about two to three months, with July and August being the peak. And just think: here, you can go from your air conditioned house to your air conditioned car to your air conditioned destination – no hot, sticky subway stations in between! So if you’re moving from New York and still want 4 seasons – just truncated versions of them – Raleigh’s got you covered.

Food and Culture
This was a major concern for us when leaving New York City, but it’s another reason we picked Raleigh: it has a BOOMING food scene and a ton of museums, galleries, and live event spaces. I’ll make a whole separate video of my favorite places to eat in Raleigh (that might be a long one since there’s so many!), but suffice it to say that even this New York City foodie has been blown away by the great food all across the Triangle. Yes, I still haven’t found a true NY bagel, and your bodega bacon egg and cheese might have to be reserved for special visits back to the city, but I have found pizza that rivals the Big Apple… stay tuned for that video!

We’ve also discovered a huge local beer and cider scene across the over 40 breweries here, many that welcome your human and fur babies. And given the great weather I already talked about, you can enjoy the outdoor spaces at these breweries pretty much year round.

Culturally, there are so many things to do. Raleigh hosts “First Friday” on the… first Friday of every month, where multiple galleries downtown open their doors so you can meet the artists, see their work, and sip and stroll with some adult beverages. That reminds me, both Raleigh and Durham now have “Sip & Stroll” Districts that allow for open containers! You won’t find that in NYC!

If you’re in the mood for a Broadway show, check out the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC), which consistently ranks amongst the best theaters in the country and hosts all the major touring shows. Or if music is more your thing, there are tons of live music venues, from Red Hat and Coastal Credit Union Amphitheaters to PNC Arena. And every spring, Dorothea Dix Park is home to J. Cole’s 2-day Dreamville Festival, which last year featured Drake and Usher as its headliners.

So if you’re relocating from NYC to Raleigh, I promise you’ll still find great food and a ton of cultural offerings.

Access to the Outdoors
While NYC *IS* a concrete jungle, it does provide access to great parks, hiking trails just upstate, water all around, and multiple beaches. But you have all that here, too. It’s funny: every local we talked to b efore moving here had the same thing to say about why they love Raleigh: “we’re just 2 hours from the beach and 3 hours from the mountains.” I swear - it’s like you get a script when you’re new to Raleigh! And unlike New York City, where a trip to the beach requires a subway to a ferry to a train to a bus (or any combination thereof) – all while carrying your beach chair, towel, umbrella, and cooler – here you can simply hop into your car and off you go. Sure, some of y’all may have a car in New York City already, but you won’t be paying $ 700/month for parking in Raleigh, either – and the traffic is MUCH better!

If you’re more of a lake person, we’ve got a ton of those, too, including Jordan Lake and Falls Lake that are within a 20-minute drive of downtown Raleigh, or Lake Gaston, which is about an hour away on the Virginia border.

And if mountains are more your thing, we’re just 3 hours away from the insanely beautiful Appalachian Mountains and my favorite towns of Boone & Blowing Rock. I’ll admit I was super hesitant on our first trip to the mountains, unconvinced that the “gorgeous North Carolina mountains” we’d heard so much about were going to be anything more than some rolling hills, but I was totally wrong - they’re real, and they’re breathtaking.

Raleigh is also home to a 180-plus mile network of greenway trails for biking, hiking, or just strolling. And Dorothea Dix Park is a beautiful 300-acre park right next to downtown that has walking paths, a dog park, and the Big Field (think the Great Lawn but with about 1/100th the number of people). We’re in Dix Park multiple times a week with our labradoodle Boomer, and it’s one of his favorite places in Raleigh.

The Trees!
And while we’re on the subject of outdoors, no video about moving to the Triangle would be complete without talking about the Trees, trees, trees. One of the first things we noticed when we visited the Triangle was the incredible greenery, and it’s something that every single person who visits comments on. It’s such a beautifully lush city, and unlike anything I’ve seen in the rest of the country. Raleigh is called the City of Oaks for a reason, and it lives up to its name. Come spring and summer, when the crepe myrtles blow up in reds and purples and whites, and the hydrangeas start blooming all across the city, there really isn’t a prettier place to be.

Cost of Living
If you’re looking to leave New York City, I’m guessing a big reason has to do with the cost of living. Raleigh is a much cheaper city to live in, with everything from groceries to housing to food prices being MUCH lower than in New York. The median single-family home in Raleigh as of July 2023 was about $450,000 and just over 2,200 square feet, which blows every New Yorker’s mind. Of course, prices will vary depending on how close you are to downtown, but even luxury 2-bedroom rentals *with washer and dryer in-unit* in the most desirable areas only hover around $2,500/month. One thing that surprised me when moving here was that eating out and drinks are still pretty expensive in Raleigh, but you can expect prices to be about 20-30% less than in Manhattan. And with full-sized grocery stores here where you don’t run the risk of getting run over by a motorized scooter (I’m talking about you, Fairway UWS), you’ll find yourself cooking more at home and ordering less from Seamless – so even more savings!

Speaking of saving money, I have to mention taxes. The first year I did my taxes in North Carolina, I asked my accountant to tell me what I would’ve owed if I’d still lived in New York City, and it was almost DOUBLE.

I know that’s an exhaustive list, but if you’re still curious about what it’s like to move from New York City to Raleigh, I’ve got more:

• The people here are incredibly friendly, so don’t be surprised when they make eye contact, say hello, or want to stop and chat. They’re not looking for anything from you - they’re just friendly!
• Y’all is a real thing, and everyone says it. Try as you might to avoid it, you’ll be saying it in no time, too!
• People don’t honk here unless it’s a true emergency, so if the incessant horns in the city have you about ready to pull your hair out, you’ll love the peace and quiet here.
• This one is random, but North Carolina doesn’t allow happy hours, but they do allow all-day drink specials. Also, liquor stores are state-run and closed on Sundays, but you can buy beer and wine in the grocery store.
• This area is home to tons of colleges and universities from NC State to UNC Chapel Hill to Duke, and four local cities just ranked in the Top 10 most educated cities in America: Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary & Raleigh. So there’s no shortage of top-tier talent coming out of the Triangle, and education is super important to those in this area.
• And finally, sports - but let’s be honest, I don’t really know anything about sports, so I’m probably not the best person to talk on this topic. We only have one professional NHL team, the Carolina Hurricanes, so college sports reign supreme – so be prepared to pick your team once you get here.

Of course nothing will ever be the same as New York City, but if you’re reading this blog, it’s likely because you’re looking for a change of pace and scenery. Sure, you won’t be able to find food at 2am or spot celebrities on the subway or get the best lox at Zabar’s; but you will enjoy a beautiful, cheaper city that’s’ still packed full of culture, well-educated people, access to the great outdoors, much more temperate weather, and an ease that you just can’t find in New York City. And guess what? New York City will always be there to visit when you absolutely need that Levain cookie. But moving to Raleigh, North Carolina has been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.

If you’ve moved to the Triangle from New York City, I’d love to hear about your experience. Leave a comment below about how the move has been for you and maybe what’s surprised you the most or what you love the most about living here.

And if you’re looking to move to Raleigh – be it from New York City or anywhere else – I’d love to talk to you. Yes, this blog was long, but there’s still so many other things I could go on about. You can leave me a comment or contact me directly.