Is THIS Really The Best Place To Live In The Country??
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- čas přidán 12. 02. 2023
- Why does everyone say this small North Carolina town is so amazing? Let's find out.
With the cost of living so high in major US cities and crime numbers going up, Americans are looking for better, cheaper, safer places to live. And with this whole new work from home concept being a thing - the question of moving for many of us isn’t WHY NOT anymore. It’s WHERE.
I spend a lot of time talking about what’s wrong with the country and point out the many problems in many of our major cities. But let’s look at a place that seems to be doing everything right to see what we can learn.
You can look at different lists online and there’s going to be a wide variety of opinions on where the best place to live is. Some lists look at affordability, some look at crime. Some look at everything to try and create a list with some reliability.
For the past 5 years, the small town of Morrisville, North Carolina kept showing up on these lists. Sure, Morriville is a really safe place that’s new and where you wouldn’t EVER see a bum or a tent downtown, and where a murder happens once every 20 years. But to me, it was puzzling. Is this place THAT great? If so, what makes it so? So I went there to find out.
It was a very pleasant day for a drive. The skies were bright blue and it was a chilly 53 degrees in late February of 2022.
Could this place be that great
There’s nothing here.
The town of Morrisville has just about 33,000 now people within it’s oddly shaped borders. But there are families moving here every day. The town has doubled in population since 2007. As you can see on this chart, Morrisville only had 1,000 people in 1990. And look at the growth rate since.
Morrisville shares a border with many other desirable communities in the greater Raleigh metro area - places like Cary and Apex that ALSO come up on lists of amazing places to move to. This whole area here on the western side of Raleigh is growing fast because there’s lots of room. Tech companies are spilling in, and brand new schools are opening up. Because it’s new and modern and still UNRUINED by Americans, people find it to be a breath of fresh air.
Most of Morrisville, though, isn't very interesting. In fact, it’s not interesting at all. It’s mile after mile of jam packed housing developments and nice, neat windy roads. The neighborhoods are all very pleasant and clean. To be honest, I saw more people walking around Morrisville than I do in MOST places I visit. But it’s very vanilla. It’s all very sterile.
Is THIS what America wants? Perhaps. If you live in a state that’s trashed and overwhelmed with police sirens, this would seem very welcoming, I suppose. I mean MORRISVILLE is proud of Morrisville. There’s banners hanging up along the byways and throughways all over the place.
The average house here in Morrisville has gone up a lot - it’s all the way up to $470,000. Many of the homes we’ll see on the drive certainly aren’t very large, nor is there a lot of land. But since the average household income is well over $100,000, the cost of a home is fairly affordable for the people who live here.
Being at the center of a technology and academic crossroads means a diverse international community. About 25% of the people moving here came from other countries. It’s about 54% white, and 28% Asian. Half of the community is between 25 and 45 years old, and more than half of the households are married couples with kids.
There’s a technology center here, which is one main reason so many people want to live in Morrisville. Microsoft has a presence here as do Oracle, IBM and Cisco. There are also several biotechnology companies here as well. Look at the list of tech companies who make Morrisville their home. Remember there are only 33,000 people here.
Why is Morrisville ranked so highly? The school system is ranked 29th in the state - not eye opening, but very good. I’d be willing to bet the kids rarely sass their teachers, and I doubt there are armed security guards and metal detectors here.
Morrisville has been called the best place in the state, the best suburb in the state, the best suburb to raise a family in the state. The job growth here is 3% a year, and the future job growth is expected to be 45% over the next ten years. Less than 3% of the people who live here are unemployed.
#northcarolina #moving
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This channel is about America!
The best video on this topic!
Here's me entire North Carolina playlist: czcams.com/play/PLq-_cmf3H6ypqFmmckN4kY1VMZDi23IsR.html
I thought your name was Daniel, Nick.
Any thoughts on southeast Orlando's Eagles Nest neighborhood ?
I'm considering renting a room but you know, no car.
Hi my friend, could you have a look at email pls?
Hi Nick, love be the channel.
Mate, just a heads-up - there's some scammers here pretending to be you.
Greensville south Carolina.... IMO Better!!!!
@@jfkassnation5980 its probably him because he's pretty much full of it.
This is what those California neighborhoods looked like a generation ago.
💯
Totally true. Sacramento comes to mind.
Well, everything grows and then declines. It's a natural process.
California is a dump! It's a heretic breeding ground filled with lefties, crazies and narcissistic colored hair types that live in fantasy land!
If they keep electing democrats, this place will be just like places in California in the future.
Morrisville doesn't have a downtown. It's basically a cul de sac as a town
This is literally for a new young couple with kids and never have time for anything fun, only work and kids till they grow up.
@@whentheworldwasatwar8717 Then the kid turn to drugs because there's nothing fun to do and no place to gather and while being accountable for their actions in public.
@@bethrains3105 kids will play with other kids from the neighborhood, these homes are all close to schools, these kids are more connected than anyone, also, they play now with video games, indoors mostly, and teenagers gather in malls, neighborhoods and such. Downtown is for adults who wanna drink, eat and all that jazz.
@@bethrains3105 ahahah true
@@whentheworldwasatwar8717 Maybe for their first 12 years of living. That shit gets boring after a while, and with no infrastructure why not try meth!
To each his own - but the place looks like an HOA Hell to me.
Agreed!
I generally like HOA's: no one has cars up on blocks in their front yard and dogs running loose like wild animals.
@@jmwichert8842 no thugs and blacks either since they generally cant afford it
If Liberals move here they will turn it into hell
Lmao
The best place to live is where you can have a huge vegetable garden, fruit trees, a well, and the freedom to live. Other than that, the people you surround yourself with makes a huge difference.
You must be retired..
@@stevewalther2293 And? It's called self reliance.
This
this is so in Russia, as you described.
@@stevewalther2293 You must live in a concrete jungle
It's so weird watching this as a Europeans. You mentioned you see more people walking there than in most places but to me it looks practically deserted. There are more parked cars in sight than people! When I had a chance to visit the US earlier this year I noticed that the normal neighborhood streets are so devoid of life and if there is any it is often shady people. While if this type of development were in Europe you would have children playing outside or cycling to their friends/sports practice; people walking dogs; people tending to their gardens or just relaxing outside. Is everyone just locked inside and afraid of others?
No, it’s just they are busy working none of these people living in those houses are on welfare. Way more republicans live here than Democrats do.
Ever notice though people have there lawns / yards wide open. In Europe people would have more hedges in the yard close to the roads. Giving them more privacy to go outside and relax. It’s a little too fish bowl for me here in the U.S … Meaning you would be on display and have no privacy when you go out your front door. Maybe that’s why people don’t live in there front lawns like back in Europe. I spent 20 years in both Europe and America and prefer in Europe that people tend to tailor make their lawns / yards for them. And don’t have H.O.A’s telling them what they can and can’t do. Or Karen’s reporting them if they don’t do something to their yard the Karen doesn’t appreciate.
There's not much meaningful public space like town centers, sidewalk cafes, corner stores, etc. It's just houses and parking lots. Why do you think Americans start screaming at the first hint of gas prices rising? You basically can't participate in society without gasoline in this country. We are basically enslaved to our cars and energy prices.
@@sjasonwang7384 Sort of. There are some decent hangouts around there where people do gather. Great BBQ places in NC.
I'm a boomer, growing up you'd see kids riding bikes,playing ball now most kids stay in & are addicted to their cell phones. I see kids walking home from the bus stop w/ their faces buried in their phones. Heck I like the internet too but in moderation. Folks driving their cars,take a good look @ them, looking @ their phones & texting while driving. When I go out to eat I take my phone w/ me but its rude to be looking @ it instead of carrying on a conversation.
Tons of smaller towns without suburbs or very few and people are out and about, less cars, etc. Especially if its not been screwed by a large corporation (walmart fucked over my hometown)
Honestly places like Morrisville exist in any metro area someone goes to, it just looks like your typical upper middle class suburban neighborhood.
That's true, it does have that look, just standard upper middle class with lots of newish homes.
Agree...which is...yawn...boring...
It's great if you just wanna raise kids, have a dog and go to Applebee's after work on Fridays. For everyone else though.. yeah, meh.
I live right next door to this bland suburban town. It is mostly filled with Indian Tech workers and is unlike the other suburbs of Raleigh due to its unique demographics.
20 years ago it was filled with beautiful forests and now it is mostly treeless tract home neighborhoods. They cut millions of trees down and replaced them with small lot subdivisions of identical homes. Another bad thing about it is the constant plane noise from RDU Airport.
Was there an event that made people want to move to that town?
@@btetschner Originally people did not want to move there because of the plane noise but then Cary filled up and RTC added 50,000 jobs. So the beautiful forest was felled for tract homes, tens of thousands of tract homes.
@@brucerobertson3197 Bummer, now it will look just like any other business district.
That is unfortunate, I hate when people destroy entire areas because of business tackiness.
Thank you for explaining that to me, I appreciate it.
@ Bruce: that's what I said: "bland".
I’m sure they’ll start suing the airport soon.
When you need "affordable housing" for teachers and first responders, you have a problem already.
Point made. Addressing that and the diversity it brings is better than not though. ? Rare place where its growing and salaries don't have a range depending on the positions. Maybe addressing it ahead of the huge growth spurts will lead to some positives across the board. No offense meant. Our teachers are grossly underpaid no doubt.
@@barbaratatton8047they work 200 days a year and the public school system is a joke. Even in the suburbs here in northern Virginia where I live. And the median income is stronger than Morrisville
@@lancebornmann1160 yes they do work 200 days, but I’ve never met a teacher that does an 8 hour day and doesn’t take work home with them grading and preparing. I feel it’s the importance of the job that makes them deserving of higher pay. Indeed says Morrisville teachers average $16.05. Why carry the serious responsibility of teaching a child when you can work at Lowe’s, Chick-fil-A or Costco for the same pay? Firefighters and police fall into a category I learned a long time ago. They get paid well not for “what they do, but what they may have to do.” That “have to do” part, is losing their life for a stranger. Rushing into a fire, running to gunshots. I have no problem with the software developers getting paid well, but compensate those that are teaching future generations and keeping us safe. Middle class professionals shouldn’t need “affordable housing.”
If healthcare costs an arm and a leg then why do you need an EMT and / or paramedic to help you?
If someone thinks that teachers work only 200 days a year, then they’ve never known a teacher.
Those streets definitely need more trees. Trees are taken down to speed construction but not replaced because of the cost. But the real cost is that an otherwise perfect neighborhood looks dismal and naked without trees.
That's happening here in Fayetteville, Arkansas. I live in a modest neighborhood, nothing fancy, but the cost of rent is just too much for most people. At least, about 5 years ago, we had big trees everywhere, now there is a hotel and lots of McMansions being built. They destroyed every tree they could find to hurry up and build, build, build.The beauty of the horse and cattle farms in neighboring small towns are replaced with houses and more houses. It looks like suburban pollution.
The trees are young, that’s all. When I moved to my subdivision 20 years ago, it looked barren. Little greenery and trees. Now we have beautiful mature trees. Give it time
Old pine forest. The land is probably so acidic nothing will grow.
Let alone, they borrowed money from the GOVERNMENT.
@@laurabadger9113
You know I'm starting to funny it funny, we're following awfully close CHYYNA's footstep in housing sale. A ponzi scheme....
If I had $500,000 I definitely would not buy a house here, I want land, with a view, and character, not to reach out and touch my neighbors shingles.
Isn’t it awesome that in America there is so much to choose from?
Wry true but then your goin to be in either a very expensive place or a lower income more crime filled area. Cant really get the whole package all the time
@@RichL4899 Yes, hard to get the whole package, weather, jobs, safety, privacy , quietness and whatever your priorities are for comfortable living
@@zoeazsss5035 yup
@@zoeazsss5035 Try Coats, NC
Wake forest also
A town with no CENTER, no parks, no Heart.. is not truly a town. It seems to me that these private developers are ONLY interested in THEIR own bottom line. Parks and gathering areas don't give them any pay offs... and yet these centers are what make a community livable.
We in the U.S. are VICTIMS of our highway system. Europe is WALKABLE, Americans are screwed. : (
Then live in Europe.
This is how I felt when I owned a place in Roseville CA. Sure, the municipalities were great, no homeless, and safe. But, there was nothing to do and everyone bitched about everything.
@@thespringfieldianAmericans have enough space to pack up and move somewhere else when things aren't going well. Not enough creating.
@@thespringfieldian that's because your car-centric urban design is retarded. And some american boomers have the adacity to call that "freedom" lol
@@thespringfieldian I don't like big, noisy, dirty cities or sterile suburbs. Resort areas and college towns are the only alternatives I know of. Both have transient populations, but that can be an advantage (things get nice and peaceful when the college kids/snowbirds leave town, but there's still plenty to do).
My Aunt, now my 1st cousin has an acreage near Roseville-Davis, nice rural place.
A quote attributed to Tennessee Williams goes something like, "The U.S. has only three distinctive cities - San Francisco, New York, and New Orleans. The rest is Cleveland.
Personally, I’ll take quiet seemingly sterile suburbia any day over crowded and noisy cities.
The only thing is that these houses are too close together.
Space is therapeutic to me, but I know a lot of folks like it noisy and crowded.
To each there own.
It’s a big country and folk’s should be able to live the way they want.
The suburbs are great as long as you have good neighbors who don’t mind your business.
I’m a DIYer and I work on my cars and equipment in my driveway and some people don’t like that and that’s when I get angry.
I have NO use for neighborhoods with covenants limiting what you can do on your own property or in your own garage.
As long as you keep your place up, people should mind their P’s and q’s.
@@thespringfieldian I do realize of course that there are reasons economically and otherwise that do limit some folk’s ability to choose where they live.
I was simply generalizing.
I also realize that housing costs are nuts and that’s a barrier to a lot of folks.
We’re all affected.
I bought my house over 20 years ago and there’s NO way I could by even buy my own house today.
@@firebanner6424 I do understand that.
I’m concerned my own children won’t be able to either.
We’re in strange times for sure.
@Nick Johnson your energy and enthusiasm is much appreciated…much love and thanks for talking your time and educating with some great humor along with.
Safe, secure....and yes, sterile as you point out.
The preoccupation with crime in the States is silly. In most places if you keep your vehicle locked, free of stuff, your doors and bikes locked you have nothing to worry about.
Vehicles dominate your time. Some schools have 100+ vehicles waiting for their kids each day. Yes, I know your kids are out in the yard every day but most are on their devices.
Give me an older suburb where I can walk to get a coffee, eat at a neighborhood restaurant or walk on sidewalks. Many new suburbs in the States do not have sidewalks.
The argument over newer vs older housing is debatable too. Many suburbs are beige and the homes look the same whether you are in Cary, NC, Homdel, NJ, or Vineland, UT.
Give me a place where I have options to get around and have a true sense of place.
It’s interesting how design impacts quality of life. The last place I lived at was designed to be walkable. I was able to walk to many amenities: restaurants, doctor, dentist, grocery store, etc. Another design feature included a small neighborhood park and outdoor cafe. I quickly made many acquaintances, friends, and even met my spouse there. That place was in stark contrast to my last home where I didn’t even know any neighbors.
I don’t like to leave the house and super shy outside of my home. I lived in a walkable place for 28 years not knowing a soul in my apartment building. Not everyone wants to be social and have a social life.
@@33Jenesis That's a fair statement. No offence to anything you've stated about yourself but most do. We can't satisfy everyone. But we do need to design for the majority.
I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I grew up in the suburbs. Very very vanilla. I'm now in my 40s living in a very walkable neighborhood in Edmonton. I've got my local pub 2 blocks away, grocery, day care, schools all within walking distance. And against N. America's most preserved river valley. I'm a mountain biker so love getting out my front door and onto single track within minutes.
Good for you. 🙄
That’s the one thing that’s missing- a scenic trail.
Thanks for showing the brighter side of Merica and I concur with the analysis… is this really how people want to live? Suburban development like this sucks.
There is no there there
well put. It could be anywhere.
I don't think this "sucks". We need to explore new options and mending broken systems. We need to be active where ever we are towards making our voices heard and retaining a system of checks and balances. We need compromises and some tough to swallow solutions that can be implemented for everyone. People will be a solution for these challenges regardless of where they live. All these divides are being fed. We need to bridge them and hopefully with some peaceful actions. It's sad that a situation has to become catastrophic before people learn to work together and be accountable with their efforts.
That's not all that is not there, which is actually what makes it a good place to live.
My ideal home would be a large manor house sitting in the middle of a bunch of acreage. The subdivision is the best that I've managed to get.
I live in San Francisco-CA where TENS-of-THOUSANDS of people would trade places with the folks who live in Morrisville-NC. In SF-CA, currently/presently, talk about NO THERE... HERE. This place is FILTHY, dangerous, full of homeless bums/addicts/crazies, in need of police because they are disrespected or have been defunded, high crime, HIGH rents/mortgages for places that are too-small/too-old/too-expensive, tent clutters everywhere, shop lifters ignored (unless they're stealing OVER $1,000). I'd LOVE to live there, and hopefully I can soon. At least in this country we have CHOICES, so say what you want about "Merica."
Once the guy started talking about getting money from the government for affordable housing, I could see the whole decline and fall of Morrisville over the next 50 years pop up.
Correct. Affordable housing means certain people will trash an entire neighborhood, cuz they don't respect the areas. It leads to so many problems.
This is true unfortunately. Once they mention affordable housing, It's time to move.
And it is our tax monies paying that bill. Nice.
Socialism is theft
@tior arian.🤣😂👍
Love your vids, can't wait to watch this one. Thanks for another..
I would love to be able to afford Morrisville one day. It looks very clean! :) Shout out to that community for being proactive and keeping the place in a positive way. Much respect. :)
We'll see what it looks like in 20 years. Hopefully, they'll keep it clean and beautiful, like when it was new.
Great questions and interview Nick. You are top notch.
Looks like a great place to live. Although no jobs online for me at this time.
Nick, this was a great video! They just keep getting better; more informative, timely and useful.
Great video Nick it's good to hear about a new up and coming town or city being created hopefully Morrisville north Carolina stays nice and doesn't become corrupt. It looks like a pretty town. The interview was nice as well.
Ditto 😊
The US has so much undeveloped land and natural beauty, you can keep carving out new cities while fleeing cities falling apart. Carving out a new city from whole cloth is much easier than maintaining and rebuilding existing cities. This is particularly the case in the US (in which the government incentives new construction and makes renovation difficult to finance or get approval for).
Around the world, the civilizations with limited resources have had to figure out how to rebuild and maintain their cities. This results in greater social cohesion, cultural depth, tradition and festival life for the community. Its hard to develop any of this when people just move around as they do in the US.
This is one of the major differences between the US and other nations.
You think cutting down what remains of nature instead of fixing existing cities makes sense? This is the kind of ignorance destroying the planet.
Best explanation yet. This country is so big land wise, which is why things haven’t been developed in ways that mimic other countries.
55% of the population consisting of Indians does not make this an international city. Sounds like many took advantage of the E1B Visa and don’t ever plan to go back to India.
Yup…selling out the damn country…ask the Indians in India how they really feel about America and Americans….smh
Nobody cares we made a utopia in dixieland
Nick brother this video does hit me in the feelings hard. I did intern with one of those tech companies and I am very thankful for that opportunity. The people were wondeful. Yes, many of the people were from Inda it's true and I sure did learn a lot from them too. I so badly wanted to move that tech area after graduating university where a lot of my friends had moved to 10 years ago. So much effort, so much time spent and so many interviews later it just wasn't in the cards for me. I ended up okay quite literally on the other side of the world, but it sure does sting seeing this as one of the best places to live in the whole USA -- why I certainly do agree! Maybe in another life I really am there, a proud Morrisvillean... What a dream. Thanks for the great video brother!
Ok Jonathan
@@NickJohnsonA proud Morrisvillean
I thoroughly appreciate you educating and enlightening me...like a road trip without having to sleep in the motel or car at night!
Looks like from 1980 to 2010 this place really received a ton of people fleeing the cities ! Looks like it's continuing to this day too! Tells you a lot about the state of todays cities doesn't it? 🙄
I think right now cities, towns like this are gonna show up, like in the middle of the nothing but maybe this place looks empty but it's cool, it looks very brand new, clean, modern and calm, I hope this is gonna be like that for more time. This is what California use to be few decades ago, sad but true, but this place it's actually very intresting, I must read more about this place. As always thank you for the video Nick
I live in Europe but I lived in the US back in the day, looks like it has changed. In the US their Achilles heel is depending on cars for everything. For considerable distances. The issue of energy (shortage) will come up. In Europe (not countryside of course) pedestrians everywhere shopping, hanging out, or walking to the doctor's office or wherever. I cycle to work. I have everything in walking distance. Or bike (don't have a car). So different. When they won't be able to drive for multiple reasons, I wonder what's going to happen... They based their town planning a certain way, it seems they don't anticipate the end of gasoline... I'm concerned because I have family there... Thanks Nick for the tour!
Ok. Nicole!
The end of gasoline? Only if the Communist Democrats have their way
There’s nothing wrong with boring…you can always go to fun, exciting places for the day, but come back to boring ……
. . . Boring, Oregon? 😁
What if you don't drive?
@@daveassanowicz186 Gasp! Then you're Un-American!
@@daveassanowicz186 they tell you to move to another country
If you drive
Great video Nick. It is interesting to see how other countries dealt with the pandemic. In Australia, most of the offices in the capital cities are empty, with people continuing to work from home. Other industry however is still booming with new houses and developments pressing forward, and there is a supply chain issue affecting such. A sense of community has also grown during the pandemic, with people generally becoming more empathetic and understanding as we're all in this together.
❤️ 🇦🇺 ❤️
all in this prison together
"All in this Communist country together"....speak for yourself. I'm not "with" anyone who says anything about doing it all "together"
I love how the major knock is how boring this place is. That's the point! Boring is tranquil. Boring is predictable. Boring is safe. Boring means stability. Boring means focus doesn't go to fighting crime, handling the homeless, or worrying what is going to happen to your kid on the way home from school.
Boring also means ppl are working.
@@thespringfieldian and you go ahead and enjoy.
@@thespringfieldian The white elephant in the room is that tons of the "nice" cities in other countries benefit from historic inertia of their preexisting demographic.
Most other places on the globe used up their land, and have little choice but to build efficient, long term, self sustaining cities. So why are we surprised that the United States does this ad nauseum?
American cities for the most part are xpat cookie cutters due in part to policy yes - because the historic Americans policy strength has been to attract migration to its shores at mass scale - and they have massive swaths of land. In short, the cost benefit sponges out that - whether preferable or not - its easier to put up a cookie cutter city once a generation, and abandon the old one then it is to actually maintain. Why? Land availibility.
@@thespringfieldian I'd say the WW2 comparison is pretty damn dramatic lmao 😹
@@chrisjas3129 slaves to their masters (the new car and huge mortgage)
It looks exactly like Clayton. It's sad to see that just a few developers are building everything in such uniformity. That's the criticism about these places. However, these towns are developed with recreational needs taken into consideration. Nice system of parks and bike paths.
I used to work in Morrisville, NC once or twice a month for over 3 years in the late 1990s in a technology job. In 2001, I was asked by the company, who was closing their NYC and Atlanta offices to move down there. While Ioved 💕 nearby Chapel Hill, I could not imagine my life there as a young person. Not regretting my decision but it's amazing to see how much it has grown.
Hey nick.i love your video,and the job you doring.i allways looking forward to next video from you,and you are pleasent to listen to.greeting from denmark
I suspect that fast food joints are zoned out - which is like the town where I grew up - not a single McDonald's or Burger King. And if you want to raise good kids, that is exactly the kind of environment that is best for them.
I think the people up north forget the Carolinas are in hurricane zone..the trees provide a natural buffer..keep cutting down trees ..when and yes when the hurricane comes the houses will flood and be blown away .. overdevelopment is not good in the south
Bingo
I thought this as well.
This town is 150 miles inland. LOL...
This area is far enough inland where the hurricanes are not a problem-other than rain.I live further East where the hurricanes can be a problem.
@@chillwill5080 just wait until the big one hits...
There are tons of towns and cities like this in Massachusetts, except with a lot more character.
@@thespringfieldian Agreed
And they will stay that way due to the city density which other people advocate.
This looks like a new subdivision. It takes a while for trees to grow & make it look more established.
Good to read this 😊
Nick, please keep doing your good job!👍
To this councilman, the 'poor folk' who need affordable housing options are first responders and teachers lmfao!
His positive approach and constant reassurance of Nick, is sort of scary. I could see embezzlement or a scandal coming out of this area one day.
lol, do you know what the median prices are in morrisville? It is very expensive even for tech workers. If you're a teach or govt employee you will be living in a tent.
All American city with 55% Indians
I smell curry 😂
Lmao right?
Which one
Fascinating as usual Nick. I had friends in Rolesville and it was, and probably is, booming too. NC has a lot going for it though winter can be 'interesting'. Everything is there - mountains not far away and the coast close (in US terms) too plus there is a strong feeling of belonging absent now from many places ...
Rolesville!
I'm new to your channel ....I really enjoy your videos . Thanks .
Hi! Glad you're enjoying everything so far!
I imagine traffic could become a challenge when the tech business gets back to the office. Looks like a bedroom community like the old Simi valley.
Where are the services? Grocery stores? Retail? And, who will work in those stores when they do come in? Where will those people live?
Great interview with Steve!
You got some of the best vids on youtube man keep it up. Learning a lot
Hey Rich
Yes. That is exactly the type of place I like, if I can't have a place on many acres of land. A large manor home sitting in the middle of many acres of land is my ideal. If I can't have that, then I'll settle for a smaller home on several acres of land or a home in a subdivision with a large lot (which is what I currently have).
This is basically a clean sheet city built from vacant land. Go forward 30-50 years and see how it is then. I hope they continue to thrive.
Thank you Nick for showing us.
Have to say, i don't know how to feel about this place. It certainly has its pros, yet it kind of reminds me of that gray town Squidward from SpongeBob lived in. 😄
Thanks Nick, you really bring a lot of the Nation to our front doors.
I'd like to see you visit other cities around the world and see what makes livable cities livable. I think it would help you see how other nations create stable, affordable, convenient cities. No place is perfect, but some places have things much more figured out.
The Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland geographically, but not linguistically) have some of the best cities in the world.
American car dependent urban planning is awful. Glad it's starting to gain a lot of attention. I can't drive because I have epilepsy and it fucking sucks. Makes it where you HAVE to depend on other ppl. I'm 24 yet I still have to depend on people to go places the majority of the time. I have an electric bike which helps but it's really dangerous to ride due to very little biking infrastructure. There's a small part of town that is fairly bike able, the rest is a death trap. Ppl forget how much of a privilege it is being able to drive in the US and don't realize how life ruining it can be to not be able to drive.
I grew up in a small rural town too and I basically became a NEET due to not being able to drive. Couldn't get a job, couldn't get rides because busy parents, the closest job I could get was an hour walk away on a freeway and the rest 2 hours or more (also on a freeway). It sucked so much. It was especially annoying knowing that in most developed cities outside of the US, I could live a pretty normal life.
@@McFwoupson sounds like you need to move to another country then or move closer to where jobs are it's not rocket science...
@@McFwoupson go live in a group home
@ShortDickingIt ah yes because moving to another country is such an easy thing to do. I have a job btw. Most walkable places in the US are not cheap and I live in a duplex with roommates.
55% of the community being from India... which means H1B visas competing with U.S. workers for top paying technology jobs... is a good thing? I don't think so.
That is an old narrative that devalues U.S. workers. Those jobs should be strictly for U.S. workers, especially the technology jobs.
Why do you think these large tech companies base their offices in the middle of nowhere? So they can try to hire cheaper H1B workers from India by saying they can't fill those positions with locals. But guess what?! We live in a remote first environment now and there are plenty of remote U.S. workers eager to fill these positions. Time to stop selling out U.S workers.
It's globalism and modern colonialism - get other countries to educate their people for cheap, then steal them from there for printed $$$.
It’s beautiful I love the beige on the buildings very clean
Thanks Nick and Steve 🙏
A few points/observations -
(1) Office space - looks like to me IT atleast would go/remain remote because it’s feasible. Other pros- lesser commute, lesser emissions, lesser traffic, more time saving. SanFrancisco is renting empty offices to other businesses like labs, some for housing etc
(2) We need to also think affordable housing in terms of impact to environment besides ofcourse the cost.
Since Cost aspect was discussed and unfortunately I did not understand much from what was said in terms of plan to ensure more people can afford housing now that mortgage rates have climbed up also; but we need to make sure as and if/when big companies come in- should that lead us to go all out and build mansions. Seems like the same story repeats where affordable housing is just a fraction of the total housing - just for namesake for lack of better word. Could we think of restriction codes in building houses that favor cost and lesser carbon footprint.
(3) I see houses expanding upto the boundaries of the plot; I think environment and public health benefits from smaller houses with more open space on the plot.
(4) In my opinion, religious places are limited when we talk about bringing best of the cultural and family values together to form one happy community. Rather focusing on a value and promoting it is a better approach. Example establishing green initiative based public initiatives, training and institutions. Would like to mention LIFE initiative by Indian PM Modi. The idea is good but it hasn’t gained much needed momentum and volume of change. Economic growth that is in-line with sustainability needs lifestyle change in my opinion.
There's always a huge difference between what a young single person with no family of their own sees versus what a father or mother sees in a situation such as this. You say it's boring. I'm guessing you have no children. You want excitement, action, or who knows what. A family of your own provides all the excitement and action you need, and then some. Once you move past the single life, you really don't need to be entertained outside the 4 walls of your own home. Priorities change. It's not about bars, entertainment districts, etc. Those things are no longer even on the radar.
Have fun spending 10 hours a day driving your kids to all the random clubs and events they need to go to to live a fulfilling life and have a decent chance at college admissions. Not to mention keeping them locked in a box held prisoner by you until they turn 16 where elsewhere in the world, kids can be safely sent out to run errands, get groceries for you, go to their own sports team meetings, etc and learn some healthy independence.
So shortsighted, only thinking of yourself and what makes you personally comfortable.
You're right, it's not only about bars and entertainment districts, it's so much more. At least that much we can agree on.
@@Is_it_rwanda I raised my kids already…and yes I drove them to activities until they were 16 and got their own cars. But because we’re not morons, we figured out how to carpool with many other families over the years. Then they had the positive life experience of working a job to save their own money to buy their own cars…teaching them about money management. In the meantime, they got to interact with nature every day, kayaking in the river (no problem when you have truck to transport a kayak), hunting (that comes in handy when you want to eat), fishing (also handy when you want to eat), mowing and maintaining land (something only royalty and the upper class were allowed to do in other countries in history)and understanding nature by actually living in it and observing it, as opposed to someone else telling you about it. Then they got to learn skills like carpentry and electric by watching and helping us parents maintain our home…more life skills. Walking around on concrete all day and living like a lab rat in a stack-n-pack apartment, corralled by the government like human cattle is not our thing. But you go ahead and go for it. Oh and by the way, college isn’t even necessary if you don’t want to attend. Many people make their own way as entrepreneurs. When you learn life skills growing up, it’s easy…you have plenty of customers because most people have no clue how to do even the most basic things.
"But because we’re not morons, we figured out how to carpool with many other families over the years."
Be honest and just say that your wife did it.
@@Is_it_rwanda I am the wife.
I have radically different values than someone like Steve Rao.
One's state, the community, and my network are what I value.
I want my efforts to contribute to all of those and in return I will have a great state, a REAL hometown, and the people I want to be around.
That was uplifting! Yes, tired of the depressing pits in the USA. Show more like this.
Would like to see a drive through on Cary and Apex!
Funny but true. A friend of mine told me that Cary stands for:
Containment
Area for
Relocated
Yankees
😂
Yet there are people who are against this type of development. I call them urbanist
@@Homeinmygardenwithmydog This is true, it is a sarcastic/derogatory statement from the "natives" in the area. Lived in Cary for 10 years. Almost all of my neighbors had relocated from the northeast.
It is Amish destroying the nation...
@@Homeinmygardenwithmydog first hearing this. Cary
Another great episode Nick🤩
North Carolina is sprawl hell, especially Charlotte. As someone who moved here from the NE rust belt, I would trade the boomtown economy here for the character and substance of the NE any day. Planning to move soon, actually. Too many people, everything is crowded, everything is expensive and everything is the same ugly 5 over 1 and chain restaurant/hotel/store sprawl. Absolutely no soul or character to it, and since everyone is a transplant, there's not even a sense of any local personality to the place.
In 20 years it's probably gonna be overcrowded and have problems like other areas.
Appreciate your video’s Nick
If you have children you generally want vanilla. Country homes are great too but come with their own risks and inconveniences. Just depends on the family. You can always take a vacation somewhere interesting if you like.
LMAO "Vanilla"... code word for our heritage. :)
No... YOU want vanilla. But its not a good place for kids..
"Vanilla" means that THAT IS where people of color WANT to live. What middle-class Blacks (for instance) first choose to live in a middle-or-lower-class neighborhood. If they're not wealthy enough to live in WEALTHY Black neighborhoods (and there are several), then if middle-class/plus-minus is all they can afford, they choose WHITE neighborhoods/cities.
@@SouLoveReal So please explain the trend of gentrification in some major cities; like downtown Houston and the East side of Austin, TX.
Your children will grow up with narrow minds and few interests
Cities/regions go through cycles. You can see it in the old world, but cities grow, peak, stagnate, decline, bottom out, and eventually grow again. The whole cycle plays out over 200 to 300 years. North America still has areas of the country who are still less than 100 years settled so Americans think some areas "just grow". The growth is eventually taken for granted, people pass bad policies and slowly local governments make doing business and quality living more difficult. Then something happens outside that region's control, that is the "last straw" and an exodus plays out over 20-30 years. Millions of Americans moved west during the 70s - 2010s. I think San Fransisco, LA, Seattle, Portland and other costal cities hit a peak before the pandemic. These places have taken their growth for granted and have established a lot of really bad policies. The pandemic, lawlessness, and climate change, have become the final straw/excuse for companies and individuals to get out. Now these locations have these headwinds outside their control and I don't see them shifting anytime soon. The same thing happened with the industrial cities of the North. Massive growth post Civil War, bad policies, high crime, and high taxes were established during the 60s - 70s. Then trade deals like NAFTA were signed during the 80s and 90s and it became an economic downward spiral that only bottomed out in the 2000s - 2010s. Now those industrial cities/states have spent the last 20 years undoing bad policies, enforcing laws, and working to lower taxes to become attractive to businesses and individuals again. Now they are starting to grow again due to affordability, climate change, and de-globlization trends outside of their control. The South hit a peak before the civil war based off agriculture using slave labor. The Civil war dramatically impacted the economic prospects and millions of freed slaves and white people moved North to industrial cities for jobs. The South spent 50-60 years struggling to completely rebuild their economic model and eventually turned the corner in the 40s-50s. They have been growing ever since. You can see some cities like Atlanta and others starting to take this growth for granted. Eventually the cycle will repeat. Live where you want to live, but be aware of macro trends when you sign a 30 year loan.
👍 Bingo
Nice...
Excelente comentário!
That is very interesting. I like the bike lanes and sidewalks. That is the first thing I generally notice in cities and towns. However, I don’t think this would be a good place for me. I wish this much effort could go into revitalizing more historical cities that are on the downside. Politics is probably the reason that doesn’t happen. That Raleigh/Durham area is pretty nice though. Can’t deny that!
Yes, it would be nice if the politicians in the big cities cared about the high crime rates and other social problems, and did something about them. I think they like the corruption, though.
Agree strongly with this
Beautiful area, great interview.
I am a native of Raleigh. Housing prices and rents are high. Plan on spending $500k for a home and $1500-2000mo for an apartment in Raleigh or it's suburbs.
Good Morning Nick from Colorado 💜🤗
OMG, my step-brother and his wife moved there, I was there for Xmas 2020-21and thought it was an interesting place, surprised it has an H-Mart, and the townhouse they had was the least townhouse-looking "Attached" home with only the garages in-between being attached. I was shocked to see that it is so popular, but since it is right between Raleigh and Durham, where they both work at University hospitals, so I get why it is growing. I did see the tech company area while driving there from VA.... and the art museum as well as the "green city" initiative with the bike causeway were kinda cool, but there is no "old southern" charm to it that I like in other older towns in the Carolinas.
What's H Mart
@@NickJohnson H-Mart is a Korean grocery store franchise. It’s a really great grocery store- also usually indicates a strong Asian American population in the community and brings with it solid bakeries, food courts, cafes, etc. My wife and I went from Maryland that has several H-Marts vs Arizona that has only one. God bless that one. Living in a community that has an H-Mart is a must have for us now.
Hey Nick, great video, Cheers mate, Regards, Simon 😊👍
This is very interesting when you get an actual civic leader to have a conversation with you. This should serve as a microcosm example for many other places which may or may not have good leadership.
A politician and salesman 🤷♂️, not to be trusted. 😏
It still looks like those mall strip nightmare housing projects that popped up everywhere around Chicago when I was young.
I was born in Oak Park, IL, and I grew up in Elmhurst, IL.
Those had an entirely different feel because they developed organically around towns outside of Chicago, and they had railroad stations that took most of the men to their jobs in the city.
The houses were a wide variety of styles, and it seemed like you could go from anywhere to anywhere by cutting down streets, walking along railroads, cutting through parks, or whatever.
Housing developments usually had traffic directed through them to highways, where there were no sidewalks, and a kid would have a long way to walk along the highway to get to a strip mall or a mall with a theater. They didn't really have downtowns. Elmhurst had a main downtown, and something like secondary downtowns, like a corner with a gas station, convenience store, soda shop, barber, and a few other shops, a few blocks away from the main downtown.
Right now, I'm in a coffee shop, nestled on a corner with a few other shops, like a toy store, a French bakery, a Pizza and Italian restaurant, and two candy shops in Wauwatosa, WI, which is not unlike Elmhurst in most ways, but there is no rail line to downtown Milwaukee.
I mean this sort of place has the right suburban feel, but places like that seem a little off to me.
It would be great if they had a tiny house community great informative video Nick 😊
Thanks for sharing, greetings from Kenya 🇰🇪
Ok! ❤️❤️
Jobs and housing rarely line up perfectly. There will always be misalignment where people poke out of the edges.
looks like a suburban hell full of tech drones working for tech companies. Curious about the locals, how they feel about the property taxes and home prices going through the roof. Is it even a "city" with center of town, or just a sub urban sprawl.
What do you like about cities?
Vermin?
Drugs?
Violent crime and prostitution?
Roaches?
Disease?
People not giving a shit about anything?
Not for nothing, but that seems pretty Hell-ish to me.
Just sayin’.
@@Homeinmygardenwithmydog You've never been to small towns in Midwest/South/Appalachian mountains have you? Meth, meth supplies and any meth related product you need.
@@caesarsalad1170 that’s everywhere. Seriously. I live in Nevada. It is EVERYWHERE. Believe me, I know.
What I would want is some land. A little bit of buffer zone between neighbors and some rain. Nevada doesn’t get much of that.
Just found your channel. I love your content. A new subscriber.
Yay! ❤️❤️
I loved Apex NC when I visited for business, lovely town.
No busses, public transportation apparently. That's when ALL cities seem to go downhill.
How does public transportation make cities worse? Not everybody has a license.
Thats america
Biggest shit hole in the world
Not just bikes
I wonder why we always focus on "affordable housing." Why can't we have a model community where you must work and earn a good living to live in a community.
If people would mow their own lawns, clean their own homes, serve themselves in restaurants, collect their own trash, and do all sorts of services in private industry and local government, that might be possible.
this is called gated community, and it doesn't care where it is situated, you can have it set up in 3rd world country for cheap labour, inside it will be western and lavish, outside it will be alien.
Because Chili's and GameStop don't pay $100K a year.
I just moved to Morrisville. Definitely a different change of pace, and quickly building up Housing/Apartment developments. Its best to have your own business or multiple streams of income to live up here comfortably.
I will move there
Oh let me guess... you happen to have an advisor that can scam... I mean help us make a lot of money
@@blimages2 its Peaceful and a good environment to raise a family.
@@sashaa6175 👍
@@Bcurrie89 thanks
Depends on the person. I like that previous video where Nick stopped by this sleepy town and listening to the patrons in the cafe (isn't that being nose lol) while he drove around, and they were talking about farming etc. I liked that one. Sleepy, quiet, isolated. Plus the assemblyman say "we play cricket here". Whut?
😊
I dream of living in the woods, no town comes close to its beauty, peacefulness and freedom
Great interview and I could totally see getting a home out there for my wife and I.
It’s all Indians in Morrisville.
I believe the perfect neighbourhood has a natural feature.
Eg, a forest, lake, view..
There's either ghetto or over priced neighborhoods now. Nothing in between
Sadly, this is true. And I want to live in a vibrant, urban, walkable neighborhood which, sadly, seems only available overseas (I live in Taipei, very safe- could walk home 1 AM, no problem).
How do you keep a city clean, crime free and livable? Most people do not want to hear the truth. However, the best way to keep negative unwanted issues out of your city is to have a city where the population is highly educated, the residents are high income, and home prices high enough to keep out the undesirables. Uneducated people tend to be unemployed or work low income jobs, creating poverty. Poverty creates crime, trash, lack of services, and an overall less desirable place to live. Many people who grew up in undesirable neighborhoods get an education and then move to a desirable area as I have done.
But what do we do about the current drug addicts and homeless? Even worse, sections of cities that are basically owned by gangs, they facilitate the problem massively selling drugs to other parts and driving crime/addiction/homelessness up. Honestly, we really need to go full fucking out on gangs, there's way too many and the police now have to pussy foot around them for fear of getting legally fucked. Its insanity.
@@caesarsalad1170 You are always going to have drug addict, gangs, homeless, etc. That you cannot cure. You can issue the death penalty to drug dealers but even that won't stop it entirely. There is always a certain percentage of people who will fall in that group. Strong laws and enforcement of those laws helps. When you go soft you have a California situation. Having money is the only way to insulate yourself from that environment, security, gated communities and being able to CCW. Unfortunately, that is America today.
I'm sure lot of Republican will tell you degrees are worthless and be a plumber
Reality is that high income suburbs also attract various people (high income does not equal decent people). What they have in common is that they barely know each other. People don't talk to each other much. You don't really know what happens behind closed doors, but you can see what happens on the streets.
In the years that I lived in such a neighborhood I've seen some remarkable things. We had two neighbors who looked for trouble about public parking spaces. One of them had a habit of speeding through the street. In another street the residents had hemp plants in their house. One day the police showed up and raided the house. What I've also noticed is that drugs are being bought everywhere. Furthermore many people in those high income neighborhoods are stressed and drive like maniacs (probably because of their busy lives). Of course burglars like high income neighborhoods. They break into houses and cars. As time goes by neighborhoods need maintenance, but municipalities don't like spending money on maintenance, so the public space deteriorates. All in all those suburbs are not perfect either.
It’s such a trip to see this as I’m moving to the Charlotte area and looking to find a 2br condo. There are three on the market now for under $240k. The minute something goes on it’s in contract within a week.
I’m going to look at Concord as well. To those who say it’s unaffordable I get it but there are things there for under 250k if you can do a condo.
Email me I can help you! NickJohnsonNC18@gmail
There really all over the US needs to be studio and one bedroom housing that are in the $700 a month range so service industry, new workforce workers and seniors can afford a home. That sadly still prices out many seniors. It would help if there were looser laws about housemates. Here in Texas most places require both housemates to earn 3 times the entire rent! If you make too much, you don't qualify for low cost housing, and Social Security will dock your checks if you make enough to make rent with a side job in many markets. It needs to stop.
What part of texas?
In one town that I lived in there's rental townhomes (1 level ) for seniors. It's inexpensive for them and those old ladies love it. They go together to the Senior Center for activities! It's great because their families seem too busy to travel to go see them.
@@NickJohnson I am in Austin, Texas.
Studio units are absolute sh1t mate - basically another fancy title for dog boxes. Might be OK for students and transitional, but long term forget it!
Studios are wonderful compared to renting a room in someone's home. Lots of space so your stuff isn't in storage, no roommates, and most places come with a pool, weight room and activities and a space you can rent out if you want to have a party. Neighbors so you can make friends if you want, and not have to walk far. In many ways, much nicer than where I am now. I loved studios before I got married, and they are nicer, now. Most like a decent hotel with an actual kitchen.
I would actually be glad to live there especially if I work online full time, which I do. The only thing that seems to be missing is a downtown area with shops, restaurants and bars.
This guy is hemming and hawing a sign of a real liar. As California learned, being left encourages high taxes and big social programs. This is the last town I’d be settling down!
Beautiful video 😍 will think 🤔🧐 of buying a home here 🤠
One last note is that one really good idea that this guest came up with is the idea of grassroots and independents building good things from scratch as opposed to a National level political party. The smaller organizations will be more effective in the long term I feel.
I would have to disagree about cities. They are the bane of society. Especially if you live in rural wherever. Always, always, always the city people come to a nice quiet area. Why? Because it's open, quiet and safe. Then they come out and make it the opposite. They make it crowded, noisy and eventually unsafe. Humans will never learn. They take and take and take. Never asking how they need to change their own lives to live in the are they just took over. Like a virus. City people never come in and see how things work, why they work. They come in and immediately NEED conveniences. Need infrastructure that immediately changes the area and defeats the purpose of moving to an open, uncongested area. Stupidity. Sheer ignorance and selfishness.
I DEMAND a Starbucks in your cornfield!
Right on.
Especially shit stains like walmart that ruin businesses in small towns, but hey, they can work at walmart for $12/hr instead after their grocery store that cant compete goes under! Progress!
good job Nick ..I get lot of information..from you..
I live within a few miles of a t trader Joe's, Aldi, sprouts, in n out burger and every big box store on the planet. Great thrift stores, a wonderful edgy dive bar scene.. ok it's crazy hot here ( Coachella valley ) in the summer, but a great place to live.
Bermuda grass and paving. There was once a thriving forest there.
I hate when politicians and salesmen end a statement with “right” not as a question but assumed concurrence. 😡😏🤷♂️
I do admit that there are still many good people who are also affluent. The only problem is that the bad ones ruin it for the good ones sadly.
In the meantime, stay safe out there, Nick and crew. :)