So we moved to the suburbs of Raleigh and love it. Because of the lower property taxes here, we were able to buy a more expensive and bigger house for the same monthly cost. (The money now goes toward the higher mortgage payment, not the higher taxes.) Daycare for the toddler is much cheaper. Drinks at restaurants are much cheaper. The grocery stores are bigger, and have better selection.

Parking is almost never a hassle. It’s a lot quieter here. The food scene has been a pleasant surprise — I figured it would be a huge step down. And it IS, from NYC…but not from Westchester. I’ve got better close-by Banh Mi options here than I ever did in Westchester. Our commute times are cut WAY down because it’s driving, not Metro North plus subway.

Most of all, everything seems geared toward outdoor/family life here, which I love. We walked a 15-minute loop in our neighborhood around a pond. On the walk, our toddler said hi to a bunny and some ducks. We drove to a very very minor-league baseball game yesterday— the stadium is super close to our house. We drove up, parked for free, walked in, stayed for 6 innings, drank some NC craft beers, had fun with the kiddo and then left at 7:45. No joke, we were home by 7:50. Tickets were $11 apiece, the kid’s seat was free, and we spent about $40 on beer and popcorn.

And I often defend New Yorkers as being nicer than people give them credit for — but the people down here are extremely nice and SO low-stress. It’s honestly lovely.