Finding Our Humble Abode

The hardest part about deciding to move out of state is finding a place to hang your hat.

Sure, there’s that whole employment issue, but with the cost of living so low, a minimum wage job could pay the rent. Finding a place to rent is where the problem lies.

Chuck and I are still deciding where in North Carolina we want to move. Raleigh was at the top of our list until the school district imposed a hiring freeze. It would be the best place to find a minimum wage gig, but with no chances of even finding work as a substitute teacher, what’s the point?

The plus side of Raleigh is that I know people in the area who can tell us what areas are great and which are the ghetto. My friend Jess in Durham ended up in a nasty apartment complex and ended up calling the police on multiple occasions, three of those times was because her place was broken into.

We haven’t done much legwork for Winston-Salem, but with Chuck’s cousin living in the area and her husband being a local cop, finding a good place to live will be pretty easy. Jobs are an issue since the unemployment rate hovers around 10 percent, whereas in Raleigh and Asheville it’s a couple points lower.

Asheville was one of our favorite towns, but it’s also the one we spend the least amount of time in. We also don’t know anyone that lives in the area. While we plan to visit again in June for an extended weekend, there isn’t much we can go on when it comes to finding a safe place to call home.

Apartment listings on websites don’t exactly have an “Avoid places that will require me to have the cops on speed dial” option. Apartments may also look great on paper and then a quick search for reviews leads you to some disappointing information.

Take The Meadows for example. Sure it’s pretty and reasonably priced. A quick Google search leads me to this awesome review.

Now, most of the reviews on this site are a few years old and you can’t take everything you read on the internet as fact so where does that leave Chuck and me when we try to find a place to live?

I guess we’ll just have to wing it and hope for the best.

The Risk Takers

My former co-worker, Vicki, amazes me.

She left us last year to head down to New Orleans to bartend at a dive she used to work at in college. In the month or so she was there, she banked enough money to spend a month traveling Asia. Camera in hand, she took amazing photos and experienced amazing things. She did it again not too long ago, visiting other parts of Asia, India and the Middle East. She’s settled down and applying to grad school for photography.

My cousin’s friend, Vanessa, and her boyfriend moved to San Diego a few years ago. Itching to come back to Long Island they packed whatever they could carry in a backpack, hopped on their bicycles and are in the process of cycling cross country back to New York. Believe it or not, there’s an entire community of people that do this.

Another Vanessa I know is leaving dirty Jersey for the nicer climate of Florida. No real job prospects on the horizon, but she and her man have a date set and they’re heading south. She’s already begun selling her belongings.

My friend from college, Jenn, who has always been a free spirit, told me that she and her girlfriend just bought an SUV and plan on buying a pop-up camper. They are taking that SUV and pop-up on an extended road trip to California.

When I wondered, via Facebook, if I should pick up and move to Asheville to live in one of those mobile homes I saw for $50,000, Jenn was my biggest supporter (via Facebook. Savanna and Katie also encouraged the move via email) noting her intent to live in a camper attached to her car for an extended period of time.

Four beds, 3 baths and a fireplace on an acre of property for $50K? Not bad for "trailer" living.

I’ve always admired people who were able to leave everything behind to do something risky that made them happy. Raised by a financially conservative mother, my first question is, “How will they pay their bills?”

Ultimately, that is the question that keeps me from doing anything risky. Sure, packing my bags and moving to North Carolina would make me happy, but how will I pay my car insurance?

Or, my car payment?

Or, my student loans?

Or, my credit card bill?

Or, the rent?

People tell me that I’d figure it out. I see them make their lives work with less. I’m financially responsible enough to make sure the bills are paid, so I guess I would figure it out.

Bolstered by my friends’ courage, I’m slowly putting my fears aside and giving serious thought to banking as much money as I can, renting a truck and just figuring it out.

Even if I have to live in a trailer.

Two Years Later

Two years ago today, it was a Monday and I walked proudly into the Herald offices. It was my first day at my first real job in journalism. This was everything that I had worked so hard for. Almost two years after graduation I was finally stepping foot into my career.

Despite the ranting, raving, complaining and crying I do on a regular basis, my job has been good to me. I write at least 12 articles a month and contribute to many more that don’t include a byline. In two years, my writing has come a long way and I think I’m pretty damn good. My editor and copyeditor make me look pretty awesome so thanks are in order for them.

Not a fan of Justin Bieber, but it was pretty cool to interview the hottest teen idol in the world right now.

My job does provide me with a paycheck that does pay the bills and allows me to put a little away for a future away from Long Island. In today’s economy and in this industry, it is nice to feel some job security. Yesterday, though, was a hard day to see the bright side of this place.

It started with sitting in 45 minutes of traffic to move five miles. Sure, there was a massive accident, but it didn’t help my sanity as I inched along the Sunrise Highway service road. Two years of traffic is starting to take its toll on my mental stability. I considered pulling over just to have a good cry.

I had two stories to write, only one of which I was mildly interested in. But, after writing a story about an animal control officer getting arrested for animal cruelty, I had to force myself to get through my lame story on beach erosion. With 99 percent of my stories being on topics that I don’t have any interest in, it’s getting harder and harder to push myself to write a good story. I always do though, since my name and reputation are literally on the (by)line.

I found it extra hard to push through because earlier in the day my good friend from college informed me that she and her boyfriend are taking their savings and picking up and moving down to Florida. Without a job lined up, like Tommy and Gina they’re going down with a prayer and a dream. “Should we just do that?” I asked myself. “Should we just go?”

A tweet from my friend Lauren answered my thoughts. She sent me a link to this Wall Street Journal article: The Next Best Career Move: Actually Moving

Wow. Thanks, WSJ.

The rest of the day was spent pondering if Chuck and I should pack our bags and hightail it out of New York. The WSJ article confirmed my beliefs that we would be better off if we moved down south with our savings and a dream. Easier said than done when you have minimal savings and every other article you read is about North Carolina’s 11 percent unemployment rate.

The mountain town of Asheville is the next area to be bombarded with resumes from Chuck and me.

Another blow was reading about the hiring freeze in the Wake County School District. This was great news after spending an hour printing out cover letters to accompany the 12 resumes that Chuck was planning on sending to various schools in the district.

So, what do we do?

Stick to our original plan on having a loose deadline of January 2011 to move?

Or, push up our deadline to August, save as much money as we can and just go?

Or, give up and take my mom’s offer of renovating the upstairs living room into an apartment?

I think some serious conversations need to be had between Chuck and me. The game is changing and we might have to change our strategy.

When you’re in North Carolina….

Check out these restaurants*:

The Irregardless Cafe

901 West Morgan St., Raleigh 919-833-8898

This was the only mom-n-pop places Chuck and I ate in Raleigh. We weren’t in town for too long and we were very excited for breakfast at Bob Evans. Irregardless is a great little place with amazing food. The night we went there was a live guitar and fiddle player, jamming away while we ate by candlelight. Even at dinner time, there were many places to sit, so I wouldn’t expect a wait.

The Irregardless Cafe in Raleigh

The wine and beer list is quite extensive for such a tiny place, and if you’re a fan of Riesling, have a glass from local Shelton Vineyard. Offered in all but one of the restaurants we ate at, I brought a bottle home that I can’t wait to drink on Christmas Eve.

We shared bruschetta as an appetizer, which was delicious, but it’s not a size meant for sharing. Chuck had the seafood fra diavolo while I had a “small plate” of spinach and ricotta ravioli. The small plates that they offer are great because it allows you to eat desert. The key-lime pie is light and sweet, but if you’re a chocolate fanatic, I suggest to chocolate peanut butter crunch cake.

Their tea offerings are just as extensive as their wine and beer.

The café is just outside downtown Raleigh and parking is a bit difficult. It is on a one-way street so if you miss a spot on the street you may have to park on a somewhat questionable side street. Drive a little further down and you find yourself in front of a minimum-security prison. It is a busy area though, with lots of people walking around NC State U, which is along the main road. There was some construction, which will hopefully be gone by the time you go. Also, this cafe, like a lot of other places in Raleigh, closes between lunch and dinner, but if you can hold out until 5:30, I recommend it.

The Old 4^th Street Filling Station

871 W. Fourth Street, Winston Salem 336-724-7600

If Chuck and I don’t move to Winston Salem, we’ll have to make monthly trips to eat here at this converted gas station. On the coldest night of our trip we ate in a heated covered patio. My legs were a bit chilly, but otherwise it was the most perfect night.

I can’t even describe how amazing the food is. We shared the southern staple of fried green tomatoes as an appetizer and like at Irregardless, this portion is made for one, which is fine because it’s so good, I don’t want to share next time.

Their most popular dish is shrimp and grits, another southern staple, and it was probably one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. Chuck had chicken stuffed with spinach and brie, which I recommend trying if you’re not a seafood fan. It was also amazing.

Their menu comes with wine pairings so if you have a designated driver, indulge a little.

I was so full all I had was a cup of tea for dessert.

While the people we met everywhere were incredibly nice, when we told our waitress that we were on vacation, she sent out another waitress who gave us a great list of places to visit. And as a true example of southern hospitality, she wrote it all down. I don’t think she realizes how much of an impact her simple gesture had on us New Yorkers.

This is also on the slight outskirts of downtown Winston Salem and parking in their lot is limited. Expect to park on the street, but you don’t have to feed the meters after 6pm. Chuck’s cousin Dawn was surprised we found the place since it’s such a local haunt that most visitors don’t know where it is.

The Village Tavern

2000 Griffith Road,
Winston-Salem 336-760-8686

This restaurant shared the parking lot with our hotel, but we didn’t think to give it a try until Dawn suggested it. Since we could stumble back to our rooms we indulged in the alcohol a bit – me with two glasses of my signature Shelton Riesling and Chuck with the specialty margaritas.

Grab a house or speciality margarita at the Village Tavern.

This was one busy place, but we didn’t wait longer than 20 minutes for a table. We started with a plate of Buffalo wings and were glad we did because they were probably the best wings I’ve ever had. They even beat my beloved Trish’s. Unless you plan on eating wings as a dinner, share this app since the wings are big enough to fill you before your entrée even arrives.

I had the shrimp, spinach and risotto and I was incredibly sad our hotel didn’t have a refrigerator and microwave because I had to leave half the plate there. I highly recommend it, especially if you’re a fan of all three major ingredients. Chuck had the brick over pizza. He said it was good, but he wasn’t overly impressed.

Dessert, a white chocolate peanut butter cheesecake (I think) was to go because we were too full to eat it there. This gigantic piece of cake was amazing and definitely suggest you try it, even if it’s to go.

Centrally located by the Hanes Mall, this eatery is easy to get to with ample parking. Check their Web site for locations throughout the south.

The Midtown Café Dessertery

51 S. Stratford Road, Winston-Salem (336) 724-9800

Chuck and I met Dawn and Matt for breakfast at this cute little café. While this place was fantastic, there was nothing overly impressive about the breakfast I had. It was great, don’t get me wrong, but nothing that really stands out. I would definitely go there again if just for a good meal and nice casual atmosphere.

Early Girl Eatery

8 Wall Street, Asheville (828) 259-9292

Chuck and I didn’t know what to expect when we got to Asheville. We had been using a mix of guide books and the internet to help us find places to eat, but there wasn’t anything that stood out in the books we had at the hotel and we didn’t really find any kind of reviews online.

Organic food is a staple at Early Girl Eatery in Asheville

We were exploring downtown Asheville on foot when we decided we were hungry. Unsure of where to eat I turned to a couple walking their dogs and asked if they were from the area. They weren’t, but heard from a friend that Early Girl Eatery was really good. It was two blocks away from where we were, so we thanked them and off we went.

It’s everything I’d expect from a causual southern café in terms of décor, but it was a true example of what Asheville is all about. The café specializes in organic ingredients and food grown with sustainable farming methods.

You can get breakfast all day, but at 8pm I opted for a burger with goat cheese (I added that, it came with American) and caramelized onions. Chuck got a chicken, goat cheese and bacon sandwich, which I had been eyeing before my decision to go with the burger. Both were fantastic.

Prior to that we had some more fried green tomatoes with goat cheese, grits and balsamic vinegar. While it was in fact delicious it didn’t beat the 4^th Street Filling Station.

Here is were I got a taste from the local Biltmore vineyard. I got myself a glass of white zinfandel. While the menu had an extensive list of local micro-brews, I was a little disappointed that at a café touting the use of locally grown food, this white zin was the only local NC wine. I’m assuming this is because all but a few were made with sustainable production methods.

The Green Sage

5 Broadway Street, Asheville (828) 252-4451

Imagine an organic Starbucks and you have the Sage Green Coffeehouse. I’d pop in to have the breakfast burrito again, which included eggs, tofu sausage, guacamole, tomatoes and cheese and to wash it down with some strawberry lemonade, but I wouldn’t expect to go in a lot.

Chuck wasn’t impressed with his fancy coffee drink, which he said was coffee with crushed ice and wasn’t a fan of his cheesecake.

It’s a nice place to sit and blog on your laptop with a cup of tea, but like Starbucks, it seems a little overpriced for something you can make in your kitchen.

*Please note that I’m not a professional critic, so I’m just tellin’ it like I see it.

North Carolina or Bust

The purpose of heading down to North Carolina instead of sunny Orlando for our first major vacation was to find out if it was a place that Chuck and I could find ourselves living. I had never set foot in the state and Chuck had been to Asheville once on a school trip. I had big dreams and fantasies about how amazing it would be to live there and I wanted to make sure I was right.

Irregardless Cafe in Raleigh is a great place to eat despite lack of parking an a nearby prison.

After six days in four cities and 36 hours of collective driving, Chuck and I decided that we want North Carolina to be our home. Now we just have to decide where exactly.

We decided on Cary/Raleigh, Winston-Salem and Asheville. Charlotte didn’t impress us.

We found that southern hospitality goes a long way in making you feel relaxed on your vacation. Even driving during rush hour in an area we weren’t familiar with wasn’t nearly as stress inducing. If you linger at a light a little too long or accidentally cut someone off (like I did) no one lays a firm hand on their horn to let you know how pissed they are.

Everyone we met – from cashiers to waiters – were incredibly nice. One waitress in Winston-Salem took the time to write down all the great places she told us to visit. People in New York may be nice enough to tell you where the hot spots are, but I can’t imagine anyone would take the time to write it down on a card. And if you think she was just looking for a good tip, I should mention that she wasn’t our actual waitress so the tip wasn’t even going her way.

Each place has its upsides and downsides.

Cary/Raleigh

Cary is a nice area near lots of shopping. Places like Target and Home Depot are nearby so if I need some milk, or a bottle of wine, I’m not too far from anything. Despite being developed it still has a rural feel. Both areas have done well during the recession and are on an upswing as they have always been ahead of the game in terms of industry.

Raleigh is full of historic homes, some of which are for sale

A lot of construction leads me to believe there is some urban revitalization, which is positive. There are about five major universities in the area plus NHL hockey team, the Carolina Hurricanes. Raleigh/Durham airport has a Southwest hub, which would make coming home cheap and easy.

Nearby is Durham and Chapel Hill, which give us more options as far as jobs are concerned.

The minimum-security prison on the outskirts of downtown Raleigh is a little bit concerning. There isn’t much in the area near it aside from a really great café and some apartment buildings that Chuck and I wouldn’t be living in anyway, but I’m not sure how I feel about it.

While there is a lot of construction there also seemed to be many vacant storefronts, which is to be expected during the recession. A little research would be needed to find out what the status of these storefronts is. Downtown has an urban feel to it, but I wasn’t overly impressed with what I saw.

Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem seemed well-kept and developed. A major mall is in the area along with a nice downtown. We were 3 for 3 with the amazing restaurants that we dined in the two days we were there (check out my reviews here). Like Cary, Winston-Salem has urban and rural living so Chuck and I could live on the outskirts of town, but still be 10 minutes away from anything we might need.

The bungalow of tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds, Reynolda House, is now a museum and art gallery.

Chuck’s cousin, Dawn, and husband, Matt, live in the area so we would have a built in support system, which is a plus when moving to an area you are unfamiliar with.

Winston-Salem is part of the “triangle” that includes High Point and Greensboro, which also gives us more options as far as employment opportunities.

While the area is developed, Winton-Salem is a two-industry town with tobacco and furniture leading the charge. Both industries are on a downswing as people quit smoking and furniture being outsourced to China. Matt admitted that W-S has been trying to bring in more industry, but it has been a slow process.

Asheville

Asheville was the most visually pleasing of all the areas we saw. Nestled right against the Blue Ridge Mountains this small town had a great feel to it. An incredibly artsy and progressive town signs in storefront windows urged shoppers to buy local. Many restaurants and cafes use organic or sustainable cooking and many people walk to where they need to go.

Asheville, a progressive mountain town, has an amazing business district.

A gay bar on Broadway and a “tobacco” shop leads me to believe the area is incredibly open-minded, in a state that is traditionally less so. The town seemed full of imports, with few being Asheville natives.

Unlike Raleigh or Winton-Salem, Asheville has no large towns nearby that could offer additional employment unless I wanted to work on a cow farm. The cost of living is slightly more expensive and while the people were nice, I got this feeling that the town was full of people that would burn you at the stake for using a plastic water bottle or driving a large SUV.

If Asheville had the opportunities that the other two areas have it would be the clear winner, but I’m concerned with the lack of industry. It’s also incredibly rural, which is something that appeals to Chuck, but not me. I don’t like feeling trapped between cow pastures and mountains.

I’m also unsure how to tackle the idea of moving.

Do we apply for jobs in all three areas that we like to broaden our chances of finding employment (Chuck’s idea) or, do we focus our efforts on one area (my idea). We don’t plan on permanently settling anywhere until we have children old enough to attend school, so the option to move from one area to another is there.

I guess we’ll have to work those details out, but for now, I’m excited that sometime next year, I hope to call North Carolina my home.