Relocate Triangle - An Insider's Guide About Moving To The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Area

Green Tip of the Week - 11/28

Start a compost in your backyard or on your rooftop. By composting organic materials instead of discarding them you are reducing the formulation of methane and leachate in landfills. By using compost you are reducing the need for fertilizers and pesticides that are not by any means environmentally-friendly. Compost soil retains moisture more than regular soil so less water is needed for plants to flourish.

For more information, visit: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/composting/benefits.htm

Thanksgiving in the Triangle

It’s turkey time, as they like to say about Thanksgiving, and while many people visit their families and relatives elsewhere, some like to stay around here to enjoy the holiday, and of course some are coming here with relatives as well. If this is your first time celebrating Thanksgiving in the Triangle, for whatever reason, here are some tips on how to have a pleasant time on Nov. 27.

Fun for the Family with Turkey Trots

Starting at 8 a.m. in two locations in Wake County, families can have fun running in what are familiarly known as “turkey trots,” with registration fees going to benefit worthy charities. The Ridgewood Turkey Trot benefits the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and includes an 8K race, a one-mile fun run and a kids’ dash. Parking is available at Meredith College. The Gobbler’s Run in Wake Forest at 325 S. Wingate St. is a 5K run with proceeds going to the Boys and Girls Club of Wake Forest. Strollers and dogs are welcome.

Traveling Through the Airport

If you are flying to and from the Triangle, the Raleigh-Durham International Airport has a handy list of recommendations about what to do in preparation for arriving at the terminals and what to expect when you get there. The main things to remember are that Terminals A and C are now Terminals 1 and 2, respectively, and Terminal 2 has had a major redesign that includes main new eating and shopping options. The airport also recommends that all travelers arrive at least 90 minutes prior to departure due to a heavy amount of traffic – an estimated 280,000 travelers are expected to pass through RDU during the holiday weekend.

Drive Safely, Says N.C. Highway Patrol

If you are going out and about on state roads, be aware that the N.C. Highway Patrol plans to aggressively enforce speeding laws during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. While that might deter aggressive drivers, the rest of us will have the good news that most road construction projects will be suspended as well, which should make most commutes easier. But a word of warning: If last year was any indication, traffic will be particularly heavy on Interstate 40 Tuesday afternoon and evening, not Wednesday, as more people are taking that day off as well, so be prepared. Sunday driving can be busy as well in the same period, so drive cautiously then too.

Give Thanks to Others Who Need It

According to this story, the Raleigh Rescue Mission is suffering from shortages of food and clothing due to increased demand. Donations are much appreciated. To help out, please visit here.

Whatever you end up doing, have a happy, safe and comfortable Thanksgiving. We will tell you about more activities in the Triangle here as the holiday season progresses.

Green Tip of the Week - 11/21

At the movies

Share your popcorn when you’re at the movies instead of buying multiple cartons or bags. You’ll save money and packaging. Americans today consume seventeen billion quarts of popcorn each year (54 quarts per person), 30 percent of which are eaten at movie theaters, sporting events, entertainment arenas, amusement parks, and other recreational centers. If half the people shared their popcorn, we could save the paper packaging for more than 2.5 billion quart-size servings.

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Green Tip of the Week - 11/14

Keep your microwave clean and you'll be able to maximize its energy. This means less electricity used, less money spent, and less time cooking. Microwaves are between 3.5 and 4.8 times more energy efficient than traditional electric ovens. If it costs ten cents to cook one item in a microwave, it would cost forty-eight cents to cook the same item in a standard oven. If everyone in North America cooked exclusively with a microwave for a year, we'd save as much energy as the entire continent of Africa consumes during that same time.

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The Latest New Businesses Coming Here

Despite the current sluggish economy, there are businesses coming to the Triangle and looking to expand their operations, even at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Delta Airlines is adding non-stop flights from the terminal to Paris starting June 2, 2009, ooo la la! And there are several other major names coming as well to the area, including the following.

Raleigh Gets a New Car Line

Thompson Cadillac Pontiac GMC of Raleigh has added another brand to its car lineup: Buick. Specifically, the auto dealership on Wake Forest Road has acquired the Buick franchise previously owned by the Southern States dealership across the street. Southern States continues to sell several other car brands on Wake Forest Road.

A similar development happened two weeks ago in Durham. Charlotte car mogul Rick Hendrick purchased the dealership rights for the University GM Superstore on Chapel Hill Boulevard and merged its operation with his Chevrolet dealership on South Roxboro Street. It is now called Hendrick Durham Auto Mall. With the market for GM cars getting tighter, expect to see more consolidations like this while the auto giant tries to stay afloat.

Walgreens Coming to Chapel Hill – Twice

Walgreens, the nation’s second largest drugstore chain, plans to add two new locations in Chapel Hill, the first time they have stores in the city. The downtown Chapel Hill location is to open in early 2010. The company has signed a lease for 10,400 square feet on Franklin Street, in the former Gap and Carolina Theater buildings.

At the same time, another store should be open at the corner of Franklin Street and Estes Drive on the eastern end of town. Walgreens will offer a pharmacy, grocery items and one-hour photo service at both locations.

The Bull City Greets a Few Newcomers As Well

In Durham in recent months, the big news has been the opening of its first hhGregg store, a family-owned and operated appliance and electronics retailer in the Midwest and Southeast. The business has 106 stores in nine states including North Carolina. Also of note is that Jenny Craig has opened a new weight-loss program center at 8128 Renaissance Parkway. This joins other Jenny Craig locations in the Triangle in Raleigh and Cary.

That’s the latest right now, but expect more updates soon. No matter how poorly the economy fares nationally, businesses still want to set up shop here in the growing and appealing Triangle area.

The Current Economy in the Triangle

It is a legitimate question to ask nowadays about any community – “How are you faring economically?” A fair and honest answer regarding the Triangle would be, “Better than most in the country, and though we are hurting some too here, we should get out of it.” Here are the good and the bad in the Triangle’s current situation, as we see it.

The Good Signs

Unlike most areas, the Triangle is not heavily weighted toward any one industry, so factory closings generally do not have the same impact here they do in other North Carolina towns. The ones that do dominate the area – healthcare, technology, education and government – are generally not as predisposed towards having massive layoffs either, so that makes the Triangle a fairly stable area in terms of employment, and major companies notice that.

For example, when pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline decided to downsize its operations in America recently, it chose to close its Philadelphia base while keeping open its Research Triangle Park headquarters.

Also, there have been several projects that have opened recently that are designed to provide solid economic boosts to the area, such as the new Terminal 2 at Raleigh-Durham International Airport and the Raleigh Convention Center. These will attract business travelers and potential newcomers to the area as well as benefit the local economy.

The Bad Signs

Alas, try as hard as it might, the Triangle is not immune to the outside world. This article noted that Nortel Networks might announce a slashing of between 3,000 and 5,000 jobs when it reports quarterly earnings on Nov. 10. It currently has 32,000 employees, including some 2,000 people in Research Triangle Park. There is no word on where the layoffs may occur – if they do.

Our real estate market has cooled off somewhat as well, though because we did not go to the insane lengths seen in California and Florida, we are not suffering as many adverse setbacks. There is a glut of houses on the market, and it is more difficult now than two years ago to sell your residence. However, housing values remain relatively high, and people continue to relocate here due to its high reputation. As with stocks, hold out for the long term, and you should find your investment here will survive any down cycles we sustain.

The Future

Despite some setbacks, we still remain a top area in innumerable surveys where people want to work, learn and live. The Triangle remains the envy of other regions, and don’t just take our word on it. As Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale commented in this recent story, he backed a project creating a technology park in his area of Tennessee “so that our children and grandchildren aren’t running off to the Research Triangle.” He most likely is not the only public official who feels that way about our area.

Green Tip of the Week - 11/7

Foundation
Opt for foundation in a simple recyclable (or reusable) glass container over one sold in a non-recyclable plastic tube or bottle. The manufacturing energy saved by avoiding the plastic container could run the light bulb in your makeup mirror for more than seven hours. If one in twenty women chose glass over plastic packaging for her next foundation purchase, the energy conserved could fill a twenty-gallon gas tank once a week for twenty-four years.

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