Quite an improvement, it seems.
Regards, Ivan
Posted on 04/01/2005 7:34:43 AM PST by Bogey78O
My employer is about to make an offer for a job position in or around Forest City, NC.
I'm not familiar in the least with North Carolina and I am wondering how the area is. I have about a month to accept it and report in some time after that. Since it would be an even change in job title there's no financial incentive in the least for me to change but my fiance and I do want to move out east, hopefully to a small town or somewhere not congested.
Also, how's the political and tax structure? In Louisiana we have a state income and sales tax. With the sales tax making about every city have a 8.5-9% sales tax. What about construction laws? Do they allow a person to build a house with minimal contracting?
I moved to NC from NY 9 years ago. It would take an act of God to get me to move back.
I will gladly ping the NC list.
I can't address your questions because I'm unfamiliar with Forest City. It's on the other side of the state from me.
Quite an improvement, it seems.
Regards, Ivan
There ain't much in Forest City. NC is really nice because you are close to mountains and the beach. Taxes are pretty stout. There aren't any major weather issues there. Virginia and NC are probably the perfect two states as far as living quality. NC has much better beaches though.
If you don;t want to move, I'd be happy to fill the job. ;)
I notice you're from LA - not Lost Angles, is that right?
Come on up and try us out. If you're disappointed, it's your own fault - it would mean you'd have to have more Yankee blood in you than Southron...;-)
Life is like Mayberry and everybody is Aunt Bea........
If you have a chance to visit Forest City before deciding, go to Paddy Doolin's Irish Pub on historic Main Street. Tell the owner, Dennis Sommers, that I sent you. He is a gentleman and will tell you much about the people from thereabouts, though Dennis is, of course, 100% Irish and a writer and poet to boot.
Congressman Billybob
Latest column, "The Fatal Attraction of the Inside Straight"
Western North Carolina is beautiful. You will be surrounded by hippies though. Forest City is in the Asheville sphere, and you won't find a more hippie city anywhere. I go up there for amusement on occasion. Hippies can be fun if you don't take them too seriously and if they don't take themselves too seriously.
I have lived in NC all my life and would recommend moving here to ANY fellow Southerner! (sorry, we have enough Yankees!) :)
Seriously, it is a really great place to live. You can get to the beach and the mountains in a few hours from almost anywhere in the state. Taxes aren't too bad here, though they are too high (but, I think ALL taxes are too high). Weather is pretty mild, with winters getting a few snowstorms each year and summers getting up into the 90's for the most part. Mountains are a little cooler and beachers are a little warmer, but over 100' days are pretty rare and below 0 days are even more rare.
Most of the state is still relatively rural, with large cities being pretty close to each other. Great sports atmosphere, if you like that. Matter of fact, there is NO BETTER PLACE for sports than NC. For the most part, the state is conservative, though we DO have a lot of older, "Roosevelt" dems in the state who vote for the dem regardless. About the only bad thing I can tell you about the state is the NCGOP is a joke. Good 'ol boy network is alive and well here. Politicians, regarless of affiliation, go to Raleigh and immediately go into CYA mode, with their relection being their ONLY priority. Fortunately, even the dems are more conservative than most yankee republicans, aside form taxes and a few moral issues. You can still find schools that allow prayer and there are more than enough churches to join.
I have lived in Georgia (Savannah) and, though I loved it there, I have always found NC to be the garden spot of the South. Of course, I am biased, but you asked!
We moved down here 1-1-00, economic refugees from the Commonweatlth of Virginia. Even during hard times, in the aftermath of the internet bubble collapse, I've been able to find work.
The government is corrupt, riddled with democrats, alas. At this point, the home schooling environment is good. Our denomination (www.everynation.org) has a number of churches in the Tarheel state, including mine, King's Park International Church (www.kpic.org).
Personally, I love being able to ride my bicycle twelve months a year, with an occasional week off for inclement weather. There are a number of active cycling clubs, and organized rides. I'm hoping to "go the distance" on the Tarwheel Century this May 7 -- last year, I ran out of time after completing only 88 miles, which is still a landmark for someone who is overweight and over fifty!
I plan on visiting for a weekend if they make a formal offer.
I lived half my life south of I-10...The only yankees I had seen were playing baseball.
http://www.city-data.com/city/Forest-City-North-Carolina.html
Great, great Christmas show/lights/pageant!
If you want a small town, near a few big cities, this is a good place; close to Asheville, Greenville, Gastonia, Charlotte; near interstates to the mountains and beaches.
Outlets, outlets, outlets.
'About the only bad thing I can tell you about the state is the NCGOP is a joke'
I take it you haven't seen the LAGOP? Hehe. ;)
Living conditions are great here. I would never want to return to California to live. Taxes are no worse here than anywhere else. Sales tax is 7% outside the big population counties. Income tax is reasonable as well.
Currently, a person can contract to build his/her own home, but there is a movement to stop that by the greedy builders in the area. Land is getting harder to find, and there is a
sudden uptick in land prices as availablility becomes more scarce.
Weatherwise, I prefer the seasons here, probably much more moderate than you have in Louisiana, but perhaps 3" of snow in the winter. Enough for some fun and no school or work for a day or two. Spring and Autumn are fabulous. Summer
gets warm and humid, but nowhere near as humid as some other places.
Overall, I would have a difficult time finding a better place to live within the costs here.
Downside: public schools suck, as in most other states.
Upside: High tech communication industries, biotech industries, outstanding colleges and universities, and resident college tuition among the lowest in the nation.
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