I've been hearing good things about this place, and synchronicity seems to be just about throwing me there. Can anyone tell me about it?
Chapel Hill is nice... "cozy" is the best word I can think of to describe it. It's a very liberal area. It doesn't have a Wal-Mart (yet, they're trying to come to Carrboro). For a small town, there's an aweful lot to do there (good clubs/bars/shops and lots of events. The Eno river is close by, it's beautiful. The Duke gardens are close by, they're beautiful. I live close by, and I'm beautiful.
How are rents? Is it affordable? I'm a vendor. I found the webpage for the farm market; are there flea market venues around at all? Boo to the Wal-Mart. Why doesn't Wal-Mart start taking up abandonded buildings in cities, like here in Rochester, where they're actually wanted and needed, instead of destroying the local economy of small towns? Grrrr...!
Rents in Chapel-Hill goes many ways... I'd look for a house outside the city were it me (Carrboro side of chapel hill), but then again, driving is getting expensive too, and chapel hill/durham/raleigh/cary all have bus systems that can get you pretty much where you need to go for way cheaper (we're not cool enough to metro). Chapel Hill is a cool area, but for selling to as many people as possible, it might be a good idea to look real hard for something on the Chapel Hill/Carrboro/Morrisville area. That will put you closer to Cary, which granted, sucks (Cary is affectionately referred to as: Containment Area for Relocated Yankees); but it also puts you closer to Raleigh, which is where the Farmers Market is. The Farmers Market isn't very craft oriented though... it's all food (unless they changed it?? might have, I haven't been there in forever although I drive past it all the time. It's in the NC State area) so unless you're doing organics and stuff, the Flea Market at the Fairgrounds (every Sat/Sun in Raleigh) is where an awful lot of people go to find cool stuff. It's huge. There's also the Flea Market Mall in Raleigh, and another smaller flea market off of Rock Quarry Road that I don't know the name of. The consignment shops do a booming business as well. There are some really good ones around the colleges (especially on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill and Hillsboro Street in Raleigh). I'm not familiar with Flea Markets in Durham, but some people here at the office told me there's a good one called Starlight off of Geer St. I haven't been, so I don't know how good it is.
The farm market website I found was for a farm market in Carrboro, and according to the website, accepted crafters. I believe there was even a crafter's fair day. I'll look into the others you mentioned though. Thanks for your help. I'm looking at taking a part-time job until my business grows strong enough to support itself. I imagine if I land in Chapel Hill, I'll be competing with students and unless I get down there fast, everything will be taken by them. I'd be happy with anything flexible, waitressing or barista work preferred. Where are the best places to look for work in the Triangle area?
If you'd be happy working as a waitress/barista/bar tender... you'll have absolutely no problem finding a job in the area. None. Don't even worry about it at all. RTP (Research Triangle Park) will provide. If you haven't been down here before, it's a wierd area. UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke, and NC State form a triangle, Chapel Hill and Durham about ten minutes from each other, and Raleigh about 30 minutes from both. Smack in the middle of them is RTP, which is basically the east coast's version of Silicone Valley. The resteraunt industry loves RTP, and somehow, Starbucks hasn't caught on yet, so there are some kick ass coffee shops in Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill. In fact (and I'm very proud of my city for this), the Starbucks on the NC State campus had to close recently... the mom and pop shop drove them out of business. A hookah bar opened in their place
I will be there with no car. My goal is looking like Chapel Hill itself, but i'm aware that i'll be competing with students from all the colleges there. It's my hope I can work part-time and let my business grow to cover the rest of my expenses. I'm willing to start out renting a room, or with roommates. Hell, if i can find a place to pitch a tent, or get away with living in a van, i can start there. What is the cost of living like there? Can I earn enough to at least get some roots put down and let my business grow? I've been moving around a lot, in areas with few or no jobs, or else ridiculously high cost of living. I want to settle long enough to grow a little, and eventually make a space for my children to join me. The kids are homeschooled. Homeschool laws seem better than NY's so far, but then, most states' are. I need information on the homeschool community there, is it all anti-evolution Jesus people, or are there some normal ones I can let my kids hang with?
It's probably going to be about $300/month, whether you find a room or super cheap apartment. Try finding something in Carrboro.... it might be cheaper, plus there's a good chance that every kid in that city is homeschooled... haha... they're definitely "hip". The only city more hip than Carrboro, in NC, is Asheville. I'm not familiar with homeschool law here at all. I remember an ex of mine having a really difficult time getting into college because she was homeschooled, but I don't know if that was because of law or because her parents didn't do something right (wouldn't surprise me). btw, have you looked into any of the communes? There are several around Carrboro, although they aren't the easiest places to find information on. Some of the cohousing places could probably be of more help http://www.coho-nc.org/pacifica/links/index.php
Chapel Hill/Carrboro is where we are looking for a house. We love it over there. We are over in Raleigh right now, just got down here. If we had an extra room, I'd rent one out to you, but we are in a small place ourselves. Raleigh isn't so bad, just a little too built up for us. As far as work goes, do you have a high school diploma? If so, then I wouldn't worry about the job market. If you don't mind talking on the phone, the news and observer is looking for a customer service rep and it pays between 10-12.50/hour. I'm not sure of your background, but I don't have a college degree yet either and I am pretty positive I'll find something that will pay decent. check out www.triangejobs.com. and also try monster and career builder. Or you might want to figure out a company or industry that you'd like to get in to and look on their website and contact them to see if they have any openings. there are a lot of cute little places down here who might need an artist/crafter such as your self. And if bartending or waitressing is what you are looking for (I understand flexible schedule and cash in your pocket) then you have come to the right place, because I honestly believe that you can't go one block around here without running into a restaurant. At least that is how it is over here in Raleigh, I'm not sure about Chapel Hill. Good luck!
