Thinking of switching to Region 5

[Max Wedge]

More specifically, NC. How is the riding weather in the winter months? I'm stuck in the perpetually economic depressed state of MI, but the wife and kiddies would like to move south.

Anybody looking to hire a 45 year old non-degreed catia automotive engineer firefighter EMT who would love to ride all day (or most of it) for a living?

[waz]

I live in the mountains near Asheville.  

The thing about winter weather here is, unlike the frozen north, it might get cold for a few days, it might even snow, but then warms up a couple of days later.  I grew up in Pennsylvania, and when it got cold in November, it stayed cold until April or May; not in Dixie (anymore).

There are plenty of days in the 50s or even low 60s during the bleakest of winter months, and I ride throughout the winter months.  

Not to turn this into a political thread, but its definitely getting warmer here; I used to cancel my motorcycle insurance in October or so, and it would snow a lot in Asheville.  Last winter we got less than an inch of snow, IIRC, and I love snow.

Oh well, its not all bad: we'll have oceanfront property once the ice caps melt!

[technut]

I live about 50 miles from charlotte and we ride for about 9 months out of a year. Today is supposed to approx. 70 degrees today, maybe even warmer this weekend.

[Trickyrick]

Company I work for is going to catia to design the next generation of ships for the Navy and are looking for people with experience.  But we are in South Mississippi (Pascagoula) and Louisana (New Orleans).  We have about 3 or 4 days a year below freezing but summers are in the mid to high 90's and 100% humidity.  And every once in a while a hurricane raises cane with us.

[jed]

Check out the Atlanta and Charlotte burbs too.  Atlanta is still going strong although the Ford plant did just close.  You could live in the Canton area and be 20 minutes from the mountains and 45 minutes from downtown ATL.  Right now it's about 55 degrees and foggy.  Summers are hot and winters are mild.  Any snow on the ground here closes schools and snarls traffic.  You could ride year round no problems.  Siemens and IBM have big operations on the north side of ATL.

Peachtree City which is on the south side of ATL has some big manufacturing centers like TDK, Cooper Lighting, and some others.  They've broken ground on a Kia plant in West Point which is a little south of here.  BMW has a plant in Spartenburg SC as well.  Yamaha has a plant here in town that does 4x4s and golf carts.  I don't think you'd have much trouble in this area if you were looking this far south of NC.

[Raptor]

I live in Johnson City, TN...nice town w/ first class Med Center and a university.  Winters are milder now than when I first moved here 11 yrs ago (abt 16 inches snow total for the year is probably average).  I can ride thru mid-Dec and start riding again in Feb.  And, throw in a few bonus riding days in January to boot.

Very close to many great motorcycle roads in TN, VA and NC.  Only problem riding thru the mountains in Dec, Jan and Feb is salt/sand on the roads...yuck!  

EDIT:  Check out Shady Valley and Blue Ridge Parkway...great rides!  

[jed]

JC, no kidding? My wife's father is from there and still lives there.  I haven't been up in a while but we go to Boone lake in the summers sometimes.

[farmer fred]

More specifically, NC. How is the riding weather in the winter months? I'm stuck in the perpetually economic depressed state of MI, but the wife and kiddies would like to move south.

Anybody looking to hire a 45 year old non-degreed catia automotive engineer firefighter EMT who would love to ride all day (or most of it) for a living?

No state income tax in Tennessee, and no annual property tax tagging a bike, although locally we just got an annual "wheel tax."

[Sickboy]

Asheville, NC here. I ride year 'round but it's hardcore in the winter. However, it's in the 60s this week, so no prob.

[tbzep]

No state income tax in Tennessee, and no annual property tax tagging a bike, although locally we just got an annual "wheel tax."

That's true but we suffer one of the higher sales tax rates in the nation, averaging around 9.75%.

[Raptor]

JC, no kidding? My wife's father is from there and still lives there.  I haven't been up in a while but we go to Boone lake in the summers sometimes.

Yep!  We live in JoCy.  I'm a born and raised Texan but gotta tell ya, I love East Tennessee.  And, we tell all our friends/family in Texas that the nicest thing abt East Tennessee is North Carolina!  

[farmer fred]

That's true but we suffer one of the higher sales tax rates in the nation, averaging around 9.75%.

But thanks to our fine congresspersons, we can deduct it from our federal taxes again this year.

[CafeTBird]

North Carolina is year around riding weather.  As has been said, a few cool days, but nothing like Michigan.  LOL - I lived in Wisco for 4 years, there is NOTHING hard core about the riding weather in NC....

Charlotte has an excellent economy - it would be a great place to relocate and find work.  Raleigh Durham has a good enonomy too, but it is kinda flat there, and a far piece from the hills.....

[jed]

Yep!  We live in JoCy.  I'm a born and raised Texan but gotta tell ya, I love East Tennessee.  And, we tell all our friends/family in Texas that the nicest thing abt East Tennessee is North Carolina!  

Know any of the Jones clan by any chance?  That would be one half of my in laws.  The ones that used to be with the paper that is.

[Max Wedge]

Asheville, NC here. I ride year 'round but it's hardcore in the winter. However, it's in the 60s this week, so no prob.

Isn't Asheville also known as Mayberry RFD? I would love to live there. My sister went through there this year ( http://lifeandpiffle.blogspot.com/ ) and it is her dream place to live.  Riding year round, especially compared to Mi where I ride if its over 38 degrees, sounds like a slice of heaven. Hmmm..

How many engineering type jobs in the area? At this point I wouldn't hate getting out of automotive.

[White Lightning]

East TN & NC have excellent roads.  Fortunately I don't live to far (4-5 hrs) but I would gladly move there if that's where the money was calling.  Sadly though that would be here in Northern Alabama, but life is good & I have my fun and we can ride year round here, next week mid 60's to 70.  Going to NC to buy a dirt bike tommorrow, I wish I could fit three bikes in my truck (Yamaha wr400f, honda crf50 & the VFR), I would swing by the gap.

[TRaGiK]

I live in central NC (45 minutes from Raleigh) and the weather is pretty good in the winter. The highs during the winter are usually in the upper 40's to 50's. Even in the middle of February, it isn't uncommon to see temps in the 60's for one or two days.

The bad thing is, it's hot and humid in the Summer. Like, upper 90's at times, with what feels like 110 percent freaking humidity.

Unfortunately (for me), about 99 percent of the good roads are in the western part of the state. There's only a handful of curvy roads in the rest of the state.

[zero]

Isn't Asheville also known as Mayberry RFD? I would love to live there. My sister went through there this year ( http://lifeandpiffle.blogspot.com/ ) and it is her dream place to live.  Riding year round, especially compared to Mi where I ride if its over 38 degrees, sounds like a slice of heaven. Hmmm..

How many engineering type jobs in the area? At this point I wouldn't hate getting out of automotive.

Mt. Airy is Mayberry. But Asheville is great. It has great food, great riding, and good skiing in the winter. But anywhere close to western NC is a good place to choose. As for the weather, it's supposed to be @ 70 where I'm at today.

[Raptor]

Know any of the Jones clan by any chance?  That would be one half of my in laws.  The ones that used to be with the paper that is.

Oddly enough, I was in the "first class medical facility" w/ John.  My wife did some jobs for Janet.  

[jed]

Oddly enough, I was in the "first class medical facility" w/ John.  My wife did some jobs for Janet.  

Small world!  Cotty (Johnny's brother) is my father in law.  I've always liked Johnny.  He's my wife's favorite from that side of the family.

[Sickboy]

Well...I thought everyone here was related.  

[MK96xj]

Asheville was a little secret until recently. The house developments and traffic is growing out of control. The county commisioners do not seem to know what they are getting themselves into.

I moved/relocated here three years ago and the growth has been crazy. I am part of a group that is currently fighting the county to stop the building and to preserve the natural beauty of this area. I as well as others have moved here from places that have gone through this kind of growth and it runs the area into the ground. (use to live in NJ, need i say more) Everything you hear about this area is the great roads, scenery and weather. well that will all change if the county does not start thinking. BTW: i was not the one responsible for the paint balling of the billboards for those new developments although i laughed my ass off when i saw it on the news.

(off my soap box)
The area is nice and i ride year round. if it does snow nobody leaves the house anyway and this custom I have happily adopted. the schools are some of the best in the state and it is a great place to raise kids. It reminds me more of life when i was a kid.

Mike

[tbzep]

Mt. Airy is Mayberry. But Asheville is great. It has great food, great riding, and good skiing in the winter. But anywhere close to western NC is a good place to choose. As for the weather, it's supposed to be @ 70 where I'm at today.

I've been to Mayberry.  I went home with a college friend to Mt. Airy about 20 years ago.  IIRC, there was a sign for Mayberry on the outskirts of Mt. Airy.  There is a real Mt. Pilot, but it's an interesting mountain, not a town.  I remember it having an interesting shape because of some hard cap rock at the top.  Think how buttes and mesas look.  We drove to one of the tobacco manufacturing cities.  I don't remember if it was Winston Salem or Raleigh.  The fresh tobacco made the city smell clean...drowning out the usual vehicular emissions and other polluting smells.  We drove a lot of graveled back roads in NC and VA with little patches of tobacco strewn all along them that would be awesome bike roads if they are now paved.   I'd love to go back to the area and see how accurately I remember it after 20 years.  

[farmer fred]

I moved/relocated here three years ago and the growth has been crazy. I am part of a group that is currently fighting the county to stop the building and to preserve the natural beauty of this area. I as well as others have moved here from places that have gone through this kind of growth and it runs the area into the ground. (use to live in NJ, need i say more)

We have seen the problem, and it is us.

[jahoobob]

Check out the Atlanta and Charlotte burbs too.  Atlanta is still going strong although the Ford plant did just close.  You could live in the Canton area and be 20 minutes from the mountains and 45 minutes from downtown ATL.  Right now it's about 55 degrees and foggy.  Summers are hot and winters are mild.  Any snow on the ground here closes schools and snarls traffic.  You could ride year round no problems.  Siemens and IBM have big operations on the north side of ATL.

Peachtree City which is on the south side of ATL has some big manufacturing centers like TDK, Cooper Lighting, and some others.  They've broken ground on a Kia plant in West Point which is a little south of here.  BMW has a plant in Spartenburg SC as well.  Yamaha has a plant here in town that does 4x4s and golf carts.  I don't think you'd have much trouble in this area if you were looking this far south of NC.

It is golf cars.  A golf cart is something you but your bag on and pull behind you.  My daughter works at Yamaha and corrects me on this whenever I slip up.  She corrects anyone who uses cart.
That area is very good though.  Far enough out of ATL but still close enough.  

[1moreroad]

I live in the mountains near Asheville.  

How is employment?  What is the sales tax in the area?  Property tax?  Median home price?  Anyone know anything about UNC-Asheville?  Are there good restaurants, coffee shops, etc. within walking distance of the campus?  Is there stuff to do on the weekends (bands, shows, etc.) in town?  Lots of kids' activities?  Is it easy to fly out of the area or are there just a few flights a day to Charlotte and nothing else?

As far as population growth, I completely understand.  Saw the bumper sticker this week, "Welcome to California.  NOW GO HOME!"  In just a decade I've seen the populated area both grow AND get denser.  There is a little road that wasn't terrible for riding.  I went out there about once a month a few years ago.  I kid you not, every month there was another row of houses out into the wilderness.  Did you know Los Angeles isn't considered to be sprawl anymore?  Population density is too high!

TIA for the info.

[tbzep]

How is employment?  What is the sales tax in the area?  Property tax?  Median home price?  Anyone know anything about UNC-Asheville?  Are there good restaurants, coffee shops, etc. within walking distance of the campus?  Is there stuff to do on the weekends (bands, shows, etc.) in town?  Lots of kids' activities?  Is it easy to fly out of the area or are there just a few flights a day to Charlotte and nothing else?

It's the COC's job to answer these kinds of questions.  Mix their hard numbers with the answers you get from the folks on this board and you'll have a solid chunk of data to help you out.  http://www.ashevillechamber.org/

[jed]

It is golf cars.  A golf cart is something you but your bag on and pull behind you.  My daughter works at Yamaha and corrects me on this whenever I slip up.  She corrects anyone who uses cart.
That area is very good though.  Far enough out of ATL but still close enough.  

Doh!  I stand corrected!!!  

My sister lives in Buckhead and we go up there a bunch just for lunch and to let the kids all play together.  I used to live near Piedmont Park but don't think I could do that again.  It's nice to be 40 minutes from Buckhead but 10 minutes from the middle of nowhere.

[zero]

I've been to Mayberry.  I went home with a college friend to Mt. Airy about 20 years ago.  IIRC, there was a sign for Mayberry on the outskirts of Mt. Airy.  There is a real Mt. Pilot, but it's an interesting mountain, not a town.  I remember it having an interesting shape because of some hard cap rock at the top.  Think how buttes and mesas look.  We drove to one of the tobacco manufacturing cities.  I don't remember if it was Winston Salem or Raleigh.  The fresh tobacco made the city smell clean...drowning out the usual vehicular emissions and other polluting smells.  We drove a lot of graveled back roads in NC and VA with little patches of tobacco strewn all along them that would be awesome bike roads if they are now paved.   I'd love to go back to the area and see how accurately I remember it after 20 years.  

They have a Mayberry days every year in Mt. Airy. Never been but my mom loves it. There is a town called Pilot Mountain and thats where they got Mt. Pilot from along with the actual Pilot Mtn. that does look kinda odd. BTW, you were in Winston-Salem, home of RJ reynolds tobacco.

[MK96xj]

How is employment?  What is the sales tax in the area?  Property tax?  Median home price?  Anyone know anything about UNC-Asheville?  Are there good restaurants, coffee shops, etc. within walking distance of the campus?  Is there stuff to do on the weekends (bands, shows, etc.) in town?  Lots of kids' activities?  Is it easy to fly out of the area or are there just a few flights a day to Charlotte and nothing else?

TIA for the info.
[/quote]

I can not answer for employment but the sales tax is about 7% in the area and the tax is on everything you purchase. The property tax is very low, at least compared to where i came from. on a 250K house you are looking at about 1.1K/yr. That is outside city limits as within the city gets a city tax as well.
Housing price vary on your location. In and around Asheville you are looking at high 100's up to several million with the higher end being dominent unless a shack will work for you. Just outside of the ASheville area 200-250 will get a really nice house.
IT is a realy far walk to downtown from UNC-A. downtown has plenty of nice resturants and coffee shops, bands and so on. The Orange Peel has some big name bands playing and the Civic center for the larger Billy Joel types. Plenty for the kids too.

YOu can fly into Asheville Regional Airport. AVL about 20mins from downtown.

[Max Wedge]

It's the COC's job to answer these kinds of questions.  Mix their hard numbers with the answers you get from the folks on this board and you'll have a solid chunk of data to help you out.  http://www.ashevillechamber.org/

Thanks for the link, that will save me and all of you some time.  

[CRAMMER]

I just recently moved to Charlotte from right outside of the Pittsburgh several months ago and if you have the opportunity, the desire, the ambition and the ability to move here; I say "do it" and you won't regret it.  

[basco]

More specifically, NC. How is the riding weather in the winter months? I'm stuck in the perpetually economic depressed state of MI, but the wife and kiddies would like to move south.

Anybody looking to hire a 45 year old non-degreed catia automotive engineer firefighter EMT who would love to ride all day (or most of it) for a living?

At least I envy you. Your wife wants to move south. I hate this region, its all based on a losing economic american auto market. And my wife wants to stay here. She is a teacher and has tenure. Every ten years Michigan turns to shit. And MI has very little to offer as far as roads. Good luck!

[Max Wedge]

At least I envy you. Your wife wants to move south. I hate this region, its all based on a losing economic american auto market. And my wife wants to stay here. She is a teacher and has tenure. Every ten years Michigan turns to shit. And MI has very little to offer as far as roads. Good luck!

I like Mi, I'm just tired of waiting for things to improve, and they seem to go the other way. My wife has always wanted to go south, but I was the one who was resistant, but I've about had it with the auto industry.

What part of the enchanted mitten are you from?

[CafeTBird]

Asheville was a little secret until recently. The house developments and traffic is growing out of control. The county commisioners do not seem to know what they are getting themselves into.

I moved/relocated here three years ago and the growth has been crazy. I am part of a group that is currently fighting the county to stop the building and to preserve the natural beauty of this area.
Mike

Yeah, a well kept secret until, like 20 years ago!  Face it, Mike - you are part of the problem.  ;-)  Now that you are THERE, it is time to control the growth, right?!?!   Growth in the Asheville area is inevitible.  Florida-New Yorkers(aka "Halfbacks") have been invading the area from Asheville west since I was a kid.  The best unspoiled areas in NC these days are north of Boone.  If you want to get away from the sprawl, go there - Sparta, Jefferson, maybe Wilkesboro.  Unfortunately, jobs are scarce there, unless you telecomute!

As for Engineering jobs, good luck!  I posted for a Quality Engineer recently, and must have gotten 100 resumes from Michigan.  Your best bet would be to try the area around Greenville, SC for that.  Another option is that Indian wil be opening a new motorcycle factory this summer in Kings Mountain, NC....

Charlotte area where I am in not bad.  Lots of culture and growth.  Most of the jobs are in the banking and finance industry though (it is the second largest financial center in the US now...)

[MK96xj]

Yeah, a well kept secret until, like 20 years ago!  Face it, Mike - you are part of the problem.  ;-)  Now that you are THERE, it is time to control the growth, right?!?!   Growth in the Asheville area is inevitible.  People from New York (via Florida) have been invading the area from Asheville west since I was a kid.  The best unspoiled areas in NC these days are north of Boone.  If you want to get away from the sprawl, go there - Sparta, Jefferson, maybe Wilkesboro.  Unfortunately, jobs are scarce there, unless you telecomute!

As for Engineering jobs, good luck!  I posted for a Quality Engineer recently, and must have gotten 100 resumes from Michigan.  Your best bet would be to try the area around Greenville, SC for that.  Another option is that Indian wil be opening a new motorcycle factory this summer in Kings Mountain, NC....

Charlotte area where I am in not bad.  Lots of culture and growth.  Most of the jobs are in the banking and finance industry though (it is the second largest financial center in the US now...)

I agree i maybe part of the problem and growth is inevitable HOWEVER, there is a difference between just slapping building on every piece of open space and building smart. I for many reasons purchased a house that was not a new development and there are plenty of existing houses on the market. There is no or few need to crowd an area with new build of moderate price housing. There is a reason people come to this area and the reason tourism is high. It is not to come see new houses.

It is not the point that now i am here it is time to control. I am not the only one that feels this way. There are original locals as well as imports like myself. May of us have come from areas that have seen large growth and what it does to once beautiful area's. You can't stop it but you can be smart about it.

Cafe TBird, i guess you are from Charlotte originally?? If so then you are aware how your area has changed. You must like traffic. I would think that locals would be accepting of an import that is interested in preserving the local area even though i maybe an oxymoron.

BTW: one of these days i going to make to Max's and we can have this banter over a beer.

[CafeTBird]

Cafe TBird, i guess you are from Charlotte originally?? If so then you are aware how your area has changed. You must like traffic. I would think that locals would be accepting of an import that is interested in preserving the local area even though i maybe an oxymoron.

BTW: one of these days i going to make to Max's and we can have this banter over a beer.

No, MK - I am originally from Raleigh, and the eastern part of the state.  I then spent 6 years living in the mountains (Sylva and Arden/Fletcher), another 4 or 5 in South Carolina (Greenville and Columbia), and another 10 living up north in Ohio and Wisconsin, and then came back.  I also have land and a cabin up between Boone and Wilkesboro (God's country these days).

People are going to keep multiplying - the population is going to keep growing, and no one wants to live in Jersey anymore   .  Everyone is seeking their utopia.... and they are going to go where their definition lies, if they can afford to.  Asheville is a lost cause - too popular to be "controlled", IMHO.  Same for the Southwest, Florida, and Branson Missouri  

I think the best solutions to sprawl and congestion is alternative transportation.  Of course, GM screwed most of that up for us in the 20's and 30's.  I am hopeful the light rail system here is successful in the near future.

Traffic in Charlotte?  Not much where I live.  I live 7 miles from work and get there every day in 10 minutes.  There are a few congested areas here where all the dumb people have to live  , like Lake Norman and Concord, but there are also plenty of non-congested regions too.  Actually, I think traffic and roads in Charlotte are MUCH better than when I was a kid.  You used to have little choice besides South Blvd and Independence....

[bpg]

dang - was gonna post the same kinda thing as the thread starter when I stumbled in here (brushing self off)..

I just picked up a PA teacher's Certificate (Biology/Sciences, 7-12) and am looking to move to that region...  Urban amenities are nice, but I have to agree with what I've read about Asheville being in danger of being ruined (sigh)...  Personally, I grew up in the middle of nowhere, so being away from suburbs/yuppies/obnoxious McMansions is actually a plus that I've grown to enjoy (especially after living in said environ) ...  

In my case, it'd be nice to stumble onto a nice rural/small town area that's not TERRIBLY far from a decent-sized city.. - Any suggestions are welcome!!!

[MK96xj]

BPG,

You can still do that here. I wish they would. The Asheville and directly connected areas are the ones of concern. (Arden, Fletcher, Asheville) if you go 15-20min in any direction, preferably north or west, you are in very rural areas. These are where i escape to.
I hate to paint such a grim picture because it is still MUCH better then many areas.

[chaserkeywest]

Was in Ashville again this summer, 4 years ago it was on my short list for "next"
Now I have to say "Not"

Ashville is great but I'm running from the Florida Keys where we have turned from a wonderful place to live {30 yrs ago} to an over built, very expensive, pig pen.

Ashville looks like its on the road to being "Sun Valley" East!

WE do kill the things we love.

There are alot of really nice areas outside of Ashville a few miles.

Sparta looks great..unless you have to work!