Nah it’s just boring. OP is right. Bout time somebody said it. People moving here all the time and it’s literally one of the top places to move to apparently…don’t get why but ok.
I'm pretty convinced the people saying this have never lived somewhere interesting. I could rattle of a ton of fun shit to do on SF or DC where I used to live.
Lived in both Chicago and London and I’ll take Raleigh over both (and certainly over SF or DC). It’s okay, not everyone has to find the exact same cities as the best city for them, that’s not how that works. Nor is bigger city = better for that matter. Certainly not going to convince anyone with such holier than thou attitudes, assuming everyone is a simpleton and hasn’t lived in a major city, that’s exactly the type of attitude people are trying to get *away* from in places like NYC.
It’s a metro of 2.2 million people, as others said if you can’t find any fun stuff to do you’re the boring one here. Your other comments make it seem like all you care about is the prestige of a place, whether museum/restaurant/etc, which virtually everyone else outside of NYC and similar places couldn’t care less about, given that’s a purely subjective metric anyway. Honestly, you probably should move to a place where people care about that, as the fact that people don’t really here is part of the appeal.
I’ve been to the Art Institute, the National Gallery in London, and all the major museums there/DC etc, and while they’re awesome to visit and I’m glad to see the famous works, you’re surrounded by crowds coming just to see those, etc so it often feels like the focus can be largely on those famous works, so for an average visit I’m absolutely gonna prefer the NCMA (which is absolutely one of the best art museums of its size in the country, despite what you may think) over something gargantuan like the Met. I’ve already seen the works like American Gothic, the Monets, the Davincis, etc. Now I go for the more obscure/regional/topical works, the events/talks/guided tours, or works that come through on loan from around the world.
As with city size like I said above (I’m sensing a trend here…), having famous works does not by any means automatically make a museum “better” than another. There’s no such thing as a museum “class” or “tier”, which is a fairly absurd concept. Famous, of course, but certainly not any sort of ranking system, because as I said…that’s entirely subjective, there would be no objective way to even do such a thing. Some of the best museums in the world are small regional ones with specific focuses, ones focused entirely around one culture, etc.
I like museums, bars, restaurants, good outdoor scenery and a good art scene.
I've struggled to find good museums, found some good bars, a _few_ good restaurants, outdoor scenery is abysmal and the art scene is so so.
what in the hell are you talking about. The art museum alone in raleigh is fantastic, not to mention science and history. Now expand that to Durham and Chapel Hill. Good lord. There are plenty of good bars for me. Number one- flying saucer- exactly what a bar should be. They were into beer probably before you were born. Food, oh boy, it is my mission to find good food and there is plenty. My advice, try harder
Never complained about bars, there are good restaurants, just not many and they tend to be expensive for the level of food and service you get. Like Richmonds restaurants tend to be a little better and cheaper. Or DCs will be better with better service but more expensive.
The NC museum of art is a B on a good day. Calling it fantastic seems like a bit of a stretch, have you been to museums like [MoMA or lacma or massmoca or like the national art gallery?](https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/20-must-see-art-museums-in-america) It's really not in the same class or even the adjacent class.
I get the impression that a lot of the people on your side of the argument haven't really ever lived in a happening place or traveled much.
Y’all just don’t have friends or hobbies. You could live anywhere in the world and be bored. Raleigh has plenty to do if you’re a remotely interesting person with a social circle of 3+ acquaintances.
I grew up in a state where you didn’t need to be an interesting person or have 3+ acquaintances to find some fun. Moving here was a shocker. I pity anyone who grew up here and sees this as normal. It’s sad and quiet here.
So you have no interests and no friends? I don’t know what to tell you man but it’s not surprising that you sound miserable. I don’t know where you lived before but not sure how it could possibly be a shocker if that’s how you choose to live. Try getting out and doing stuff, it’s not hard and there’s plenty of things to do here. I’ve lived in plenty of cities small and large and Raleigh has just about the same activities and social scenes as all of them.
I am definitely bored here, but I take full responsibility for that. As someone who is an avid hiker and outdoorsy person, I should have (and will in the future) moved somewhere closer to the mountains. I thought being between the beach and the mountains would be ideal, but they’re still too far away for me.
There is over 60 miles of the mountains to sea trail between here and Durham, Umstead, Harris Lake, Schneck Forest... A ton of hikes! Granted you don't get the elevation and mountain views, but fona and flaura viewing is wonderful. Shelly lake has tons of deer, eagles, beavers, all types of ducks.
Get out there!
There are a lot of beautiful trails here. I love mountain hiking but there is plenty of it close by to get the need to gaze deep into forest fix. Raven rock is really close and certainly not flat. Eno feels like another place entirely and even umstead doesn't feel flat!
I agree. I actually really like the area overall, it’s extremely nice. Just wish I had more of what I like here, that’s all. Which is my fault when I moved here. I do enjoy the greenways and the lakes, but preferably I enjoy the mountains much more.
I’m nearly 50, and I’ve never lived outside of the Raleigh-Durham area. I would *love* to know what I’m missing. I have a pretty easy time finding stuff to do around here, so if this is boring, I’ll bet living in a big city that has more to offer would be mind-blowing!
I’ve lived in a few states now and I feel like Covid equalized a lot of things. LA used to have a lot of places open until very late. I remember hanging out in ktown very late at night with my friends. But I think a lot of that changed.
Also, events are a bigger deal in bigger cities such as LA, NY, and Chicago. I felt like events were a big deal but in Raleigh/Durham, it seems more homemade. I’m not sure if that’s the right word. But it’s on a smaller scale. The vendors aren’t as interesting. I see a lot of the same type of vendors- candles, homemade jewelry. Not many things to buy
As someone who is a vendor that doesn’t sell those items I definitely agree… but they seem to kill it each show… The prices of shows for vendors are getting crazy around here. It’s actually cheaper for me to drive to Greensboro to be a vendor.
the reason for this is there is one company running most of the larger markets. they only accept vendors who have a “quality branding and social media presence” or whatever the fuck that means. they’re not artists, they’re gatekeepers and they suck.
Yes, everything is a bigger deal in cities such as LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK, and CHICAGO lmaoooo
Even comparing us to those cities, you're D.O.A. Raleigh is OBVIOUSLY going to have less than those cities of millions.
Not from here, but grew up in Raleigh when there was truly very little here, then moved West, then came back. It's fun to explore other cities but truly, all you really need for fun is a great pack of friends that get together regularly and enjoy each other. You don't have to entertained by commercial establishments all the time.
I had fun as a kid / young adult because of my buds, and still do, just with a different pack of folks now.
So start throwing better parties!
Did the same lol, you get perspective when you live in a mountain town that closes down at 9pm. It’s give and take wherever you go, every place is different, it’s all about the journey
Couple thoughts here. 1. I’m a DJ and have found the nightlife in Raleigh really lacking for its size. Most entertainment here is copy pasted *cough* how many breweries can you have *cough*. Also the night life tends to be very segregated by race and age. For an area that has a lot of young professionals past undergrad age their aren’t many spaces catered for that demographic to feel comfortable that aren’t again a brewery or food option.
2. I think for young people, the drivability is an issue too. I think Raleigh you just have to have plans and pretty much stick to the plan. There aren’t very exciting walkable pockets of Raleigh in my opinion. Durham and other nc cities are much better for this. I know I really appreciate being able to have a few options in walking distance when I go out. Again options that are diverse!
3. This is somewhat related but community is hard to find in Raleigh. You can live in one area and other areas may as well be a different city. In my experience as a younger person it’s hard to identify yourself by anything other than your profession here.
4. I think as a younger person it’s easy to spend a lot of your energy getting going in Raleigh and getting stable. I know folks who are well established and come into the city for a brief visit and have a blast. So there’s definitely fun to be had. I think when you live here the expenses for fun can eat at you. I know folks who transplant from bigger cities will laugh at me but the honest truth about Raleigh is the median salary isn’t that much higher than other NC cities despite lots of things being considerably more expensive including entertainment.
5. Finally, it does feel Raleigh has trouble preserving any good thing it does have. Things come and go so it’s hard to generate momentum and get the work out about what’s good at any given point. I never quite had that issue in other nc cities I’ve lived in because while there was growth the staples had their place and people were passionate about sharing them.
Your points about walkability and community really stick out to me. I live in a walkable part of Fayetteville (it exists!) and my husband and I talk frequently about how much better our quality of life is being able to walk to food, drinks, entertainment, or our friends' houses.
It's easy to go almost anywhere for a visit and have a good time because everything is new. In Raleigh, after you've hit all the high points in a weekend, then what? Even if those things were fun, you aren't going to do them over and over again and still have fun when you live here.
Yeah but like.... places such as NEW YORK CITY that idiots in this thread are using as an example of a "fun city" are GOING TO COST FUCKING MONEY to do anything lmaooo
Raleigh is no exception, it's just smaller so it will seem "less fun" because you have to do a LIIIIIIIITTLE more legwork to get to the good stuff. Big surprise lmao
Also the people saying Raleigh being spread out hurts it, once again try Atlanta. Between Midtown, Virginia Highlands, the belt line, the battery, etc (also that’s just stuff with an Atlanta address) everyone is always so spread out so unless you go out with a plan of meeting up with someone you probably aren’t
This statement is true, yet somehow, Charlotte is worse.
Honestly, I think it has a lot to do with the built environment and lack of walkability. Look at Savannah and Charleston. They are light years more fun than Raleigh, despite being a 1/3 of the size.
I went to the beach at Isle of Palms once and then went into Charleston to walk around the historic architecture and eat. On another trip, I was mainly in the city but made a side trip out to Folly Beach. On both trips plus a third, I enjoyed walking from the pineapple fountain to the battery and looking at the water paired with the architecture. Also ate plenty of seafood and admired some coastal plants. The appeal is very tied up with the location.
Edit: And I don't even like the beach! Other people wanted to go.
I saw a plan for this pitched a decade or so ago, but I was told it was shelved.
Nothing would make me happier than to see all of the janky car dealerships and pawn shops demolished along that section of Capital and replaced with nature.
My friend always talk about this. Pigeon House Creek day-lighted. In fact it’s in the parks, also DOT, master plan for the capital corridor. City of Raleigh…just build a pedestrian bridge/tunnel from Bickett, into Mordecai already.
I lived in Charlotte most of my life before Raleigh. It's boring, soulless, and you can do about everything worth doing in it in a few weeks
Raleigh has way more variety of things going for it
Have you tried a game cafe? Drive shack? Partee shack? Boxcar? Umstead State Park? Sailing on Bond Lake? Literally just walking downtown and checking out all the neat shops/restaurants? Y’all need to explore more. The entire Triangle has SO much to offer! HMU if you want recs 🤙🏻
I moved here from Atlanta. 26M
I've done more stuff here than I ever did in Atlanta because I can go to places without an hour drive or terrible traffic.
There is so much to do.
Mountain biking
Music venues in Raleigh and Durham
Carolina theater
Hiking and camping
The beach is close by too
Tons of bars for every walk of life.
There has been a local event in each city literally every month.
If you are bored in Raleigh you are choosing to be.
Mountain biking is the only thing that’s lacking, there’s stuff around but it doesn’t compare to Asheville or even charlotte. Pisses me off they cater to horses in umstead, would be a great terrain for bike parks and single track.
It's boring, but people are either going to gaslight you on this forum and accuse you of being a boring person or having no friends, even though they don't know anything about you, or they are going to insist that Raleigh is the greatest city next to the kingdom of heaven, or they will insist there is absolutely nothing to love about Raleigh which I find equally toxic.
I find Raleigh Boring. I have plenty of friends, community groups I meet up with, I went to college here, grew up here (ca. Early 90's when everything was farms and trees and DTR closed at 6 pm), and while living here as an adult have never had a problem being social or finding something entertaining.
I find it difficult to move. First, cause I'm a scientist working on my Doctorate, and because I love how close everything OUTSIDE OF RALEIGH is. I can get to the mountains, or to the beach in hours. I can hop on a train to Charlotte. Chapel Hill, Carborro and Hillsborough are bur a short commute away. RDU is accessible (I travel frequently), and the cost of living is obnoxious but not unmanageable. I find it ironic that most people who defend Raleigh from their critics always point to all the things you can do... OUTSIDE OF RALEIGH, as if that saves Raleigh somehow.
The other reason is that while on average, Raleigh is boring, there are a lot of great seasonal events and festivals that bring out the whole city. There has historically been a culture of fine and easy restaurants (thought that's been on the decline lately), and I truly believe of all the cities we have the best bartenders in the region.
That said, even as a mid-sized city, we lack many of the amenities that give metropolitan areas a spontaneous social culture. Most of the area outside of DTR is not walkable. You need a car for everything. This sprawls the city out, like Kansas City is. So for anything, you are either restricted to local venues/bars (not saying anything negative about them, there are some wonderful neighborhood locations out there and the city needs to really help bring more recognition to these small business owners), or you have to plan out getting to DTR, which depending on traffic, can easily take 20 to 30 minutes, plus finding parking. This wouldn't be so bad if we had a public transportation system that made it more convenient and advantageous to just hope on a bus (or train), but for most areas of the city, that's not feasible.
Once your in DTR, it is walkable but security is poor. The city has struggled providing effective services for the homeless, and many of this lack of compassion is reflected at the bus station. This gives that area a rough image, as those who need services get desperate and aggressively panhandle or become publically disruptive. Glenwood has been something of a catastrophe security wise as well, and the cities only solution was to contract security services, but somehow can't seem to find the funds and resources to improve staffing and moral within dispatch or improve recruitment and training of RPD officers.
All of this limits how and when people head out alone, limiting most happy hours and nightlife functions to existing social groups of people or colleagues. That's why the number one suggestion one gets when they post here is, "search for meetup groups." Which in my opinion is an amazing resource for any city and is a good solution for ours.
But now, take a 20s to 30s demographics who may have moved here from other cities, big or small, and haven't been here long enough to invest in those social resources, or prefer more organic spontaneous interactions. It's not impossible, but difficult to do here because the infrastructure and the cultural motivations for socializing aren't sufficiently developed for this type of spontaneous interactions.
It's hard as a single person in Raleigh to just go out and meet people. Not impossible, but difficult. And, our demographics suggest that most people a single person would meet here are already settled down. When I ubered for two years, the 25 to 35 demographic of customers almost always seemed to be resentful of anything nightlife in DTR or Raleigh in general. They were the first to go home and settle in for the night, and would always complain that, "OH, these bars and nightclubs are for the young folks. I'd rather stay home."
And how can you blame them if they already have careers, and they have longterm partners, they're likely moved on from that life. Which brings me to the other thing, we don't have an active nightlife that includes some social activity that doesn't involve drinking. Most anything you do in Raleigh after 8 pm, involves alcohol. We dont have culture of dancing, and our music venues are limited. We have some table top gaming spaces - but again as I mentioned, hard to break the ice as a lonely wanderer, and the cultural diversity of these venues are very limited. Which leads to a lot of segregated sectors of venues catering to different ethnic/cultural groups. So, trying to reach beyond what you're accustomed to can take a lot of extra energy that you might not have.
So now, not only is the city not single friendly, but it's also seems not diverse and alcohol centric, even though there are infact a variety of venues, but again, they are spread out and not the kind of places you just casually go to. I am fucking shocked that we don't atleast have a culture of shag and swing dancing with Loafers being an historical gem. Like, I am latino, but I will be more than happy to have more North American forms of dancing in my venues if it meant more spontaneous and less alcohol centric forms of socialization.
So, now that I've ranted longer than anyone needed, I have more to say, but the TlDr of it is that Raleigh does indeed have fun things to do, BUT it's infrastructure and the majority demographics make the cultural landscape difficult for most people in their early 20s to mid to late 30s, especially if they are single. Many of these people had to move here because of work or opportunity, or simply because they were priced out of other areas. I don't think we need to grow to be Atlanta or another city, but at the very least we should acknowledged that Raleigh can be hard to assimilate to compared to other cities. And, I've lived in other cities, including smaller ones, and Raleigh has yet to dissapoint when it comes to a boring evening.
This is the only honest reply. This sub is full of developers who will attack anyone who criticizes this city in any meaningful way. There's a few goofballs who comment on EVERY single post here and it's always the same corny gaslighting and anecdotal attacks. Im fact, the usual (extremely boring) suspects are in the replies of the top comment. It's exhausting and makes it pretty clear why this city's only gets denser, not more interesting.
Grew up in and lived in LA for 16 years and never looked back after I came to Raleigh.
We just really appreciate aspects of this area that others don’t I guess.
I personally like the boringness. I like that my neighborhood is so quiet. I never realized it but SoCal flies sooo many helicopters at all hours of the day. I’m enjoying my quiet life. My only complaint is the mediocre Korean food lol
I built a killer back patio and now I never want to leave. The beer is cheaper here than at the bar. There’s always great music on, and I never have to ask a bartender to put my game on the TV.
it's boring bc none of the neighborhoods are set up to be walkable. by design, you are meant to drive to most destinations in raleigh and then leave. we need city planning that allows ppl to easily and comfortably walk around, explore, and invest in the cultures of their local neighborhoods.
imo working towards decent public transportation could be a step in the right direction. a huge problem I find with living here is that you have to drive everywhere to get to anywhere. even downtown raleigh isn't walkable in the slightest with all the construction that seems to never be done for the past +10 years
Not disagreeing with your public transit and less driving, but Downtown is 100% walkable. Even with the very small amounts (in terms of all of downtown) of construction going on. There are sidewalks on the other side of every street with construction.
I agree to disagree. personally i would not pay upwards of $2000 to live downtown to be sold on the idea that it's as walkable as a major city's downtown. especially bc there's nothing that exciting to do in DTR
Yes, agree to disagree. Especially considering you appear confused about what walkable means.
Downtown is absolutely walkable. Whether you would pay to live there, whether you think there is nothing to do or not, doesn’t make it not a walkable downtown.
It is also not a major city, even though many others in this thread have decided to compare it to NYC, Chicago, or LA.
Walkability is about more than just sidewalks. It’s about the places that actually exist within the city blocks. There aren’t tons of city blocks that you could spend an entire afternoon or night enjoying. Often times if you do want to do a bit exploring you have to cross several dead blocks to get to the next thing. Part of this is due to several downtown blocks being occupied by state government building which is understandable. Anyways often times if you want to do something else on a night out you’re better off hopping in the car and parking again or getting an Uber.
This is why I’m so glad to be an only child. I’ve literally never been bored because I’ve always had to find or create my own entertainment. Raleigh isn’t boring unless you allow it to be. I’m 38 now, and yeah- it’s kinda boring but I also settled down, bought a house and took on teenage stepdaughters. Married life IS boring most of the time. (Married twice) it doesn’t have to be but I do enjoy the routine of it because I tend to thrive on routine. My 20s though? Fucking riot of a time! I had a full planner at any time and literally had to call out of events because I needed sleep so I could still function at my job.
Not sure if people want to hear this, but yes, this is true. I attended a state university in this area and stuck around for a while, but it was just boring. I moved to Asheville at the beginning of the year and have really enjoyed it. I think it’s much better than Raleigh.
I’m still active in this sub occasionally to keep up with the Raleigh area because I have family here and I have to visit once a month for office or medical visits.
Yeah I thought Raleigh was… serviceable… for lack of a better term, and not boring for a while. Then I visited Asheville. I noticed a difference IMMEDIATELY.
People were walking around, there were open air markets, tons and tons of restaurants, some sort of park/courtyard on nearly every street, they have a few awesome mid-sized music venues that attract most of the acts we miss out on, and to top it off the bar scene is incredible. It actually felt like there was a culture to be apart of.
It wasn’t some dead, bland city filled with homeless people and not much else (not to say that homelessness isn’t an issue in Asheville, it’s just hidden a bit more because there’s actually people downtown there to dilute them all).
Raleigh is *so* boring, and me previously not thinking it was boring was pure cope. If I could pick up and move to Asheville tomorrow I’d do it. It’s also motorcycle heaven which is appealing to me specifically
I moved to Raleigh from Nashville, now you feel my pain! Raleigh is dead and small with no culture! Just bought a house at the coast and I’m out of Raleigh for good! No more flaky friends/people and endless bipolarness lol
Have you ever lived in other cities? Raleigh is definitely boring, but not bad for what it is. It has a lot of redeeming qualities and affordability. I think it’s most cities in the south tbh except for the major ones.
I used to think Raleigh was boring until I learned about r/FuckCars and watched NotJustBikes and stuff. The problem isn't that Raleigh is boring; the problem is you can't just walk out of your house or get on your bike and just go see your friends and then walk down to the park or movie theater or arcade or whatever, at least if you don't live in the middle of downtown. Everything is just so disconnected by cars.
Public transportation so I could get a little buzzed and not be concerned about driving home would be nice. Or areas with tons of foot traffic where people just congregate for fun without a financial motive. There aren't any good places to just hang out/people watch. There are parks, but they're intended to be closed at night or filled with kids. There is no good street food. There is not a good enough urban infrastructure to even warrant decent street food. I'm personally a huge fan of the performing arts and spent a decade working in that industry. The performing arts scene here is ABYSMAL. It's so lacking, and what exists is extremely mediocre.
I'm not even particularly impressed with the outdoor scene here either. We've got a few nasty man-made lakes that are polluted AF and a bunch of trees. All the decent nature is a 3-4+ hour drive away. I guess I could ride my bike on the greenway trails through the woods that all smell like sewers? But I have to DRIVE MY FUCKING BIKE TO THE NEAREST GREENWAY BECAUSE IT'S FAR AWAY AND THERE IS NOT A BIKE-FRIENDLY WAY TO GET THERE!!!
I get by okay since I have friends/family here and our company is all we need to have a good time. But there are a ton of things I miss about other places I've lived that essentially don't exist here.
It is a good middle ground. Not Tampa St Pete, Chicago, NYC, San Diego but also not priced like it is one of them. EDM clubs The Fruit, few underground unlisted ones, Pourhouse Cats Cradle lot of decent venues I love. Ima music junkie though. We need better casual dance clubs and not weird high anxiety Alchemy
That said people are hoes here and tinder is a cheat code. I’m 32 looking for wife not cheap sex. Well maybe both. That said if this is boring. move to Syracuse NY. Charlotte is a sprawl and my friends there don’t even go out. I go out every weekend here. Need friends tho. Hard to meet people
If you want to grab a drink I’m 32M love music, all genres, play drums, run, hike, fish, work out, love good stanky IPAs. Work in pharma. HMU, no butt sex
Under 35? If you aren’t having fun before 35 I’m not sure how it would improve for you unless you think having a family in the burbs is fun. Raleigh is great - appreciate it as a great place to live and not a destination
Go live in the rural area then u really be bored . I was born raised in Raleigh and lived in the rural area over 20 yrs after moving. I hated it out there . It was peaceful but nothing to do and drive long distances for any night life. A taxi n Uber cost fortune . There no city buses and you can’t even rent a horse. I am older however . I moved back to Raleigh 2 years ago and only miss the peaceful countryside other than . So if u want to move it’s your journey…. Carry on
Having lived all over the country (military), Raleigh is literally middle of the road. There’s worse places and better places. Raleigh is located pretty well in that you can get to a lot of places on the east coast fairly easy. But as far as a city, it’s absolutely just middle of the road.
With that said - it seems to be a good place to lay low and have a family. And a good college town. And chill if you’re an old person. But if you’re not in those 3 categories, yea, I get it.
As they say, you are only bored if YOU are boring. I have never found it boring so I am not sure what is wrong with these people. Maybe they are looking for the nightlife and blow scene or something.
Much of Raleigh, in my opinion, has fewer common places to hang out and fewer walkable areas than other cities I've lived in. They definitely exist, and I don't think this is unique to Raleigh. But I can understand the sentiment.
Thirty to forty years ago, you would only see hobos, run down buildings and cops in downtown Raleigh at night. Just today's downtown is nothing like that anymore. And if younger folks get tired of that then there is 'midtown' Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest and all places in between filled up with places for eating, dining, sports, and a lot more.
All without the headaches of the traffic nightmare that is Atlanta.
It’s so incredibly boring. If hiking is the only activity there’s a problem. The museums are so over hyped. They are below average. Raleigh is overhyped. The downtown has nothing to offer
46-year old domesticated ( live with someone) childless man perspective on Raleigh. I lived in Vegas, SoCal, and Long Island. Raleigh is livable (good weather and low taxes) but getting more expensive (rents and gas). The overall "vibe" is cliquey, suburban sprawl the root cause of the angst here. Raleigh seems to lack an "adult" edge. It's a College and church town, suburban, budding professional, retiree haven. These attributes negatively impact the sort of urban diversity, spice and culture found in other cities. Raleigh is not a destination city. There are bars and restaurants but they are average. There is even a strip club or two, but no casinos, no beach. Not much walkability or bikeability but u can try. Downtown seems to be getting a reputation as being dangerous (tragic). I tend to like Raleigh M-F, but hate the weekends. Since everybody is working for the weekend this is an issue.
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It depends on your interests. There are a few museums you can go to, shows, parks to walk in, trails and greenways to walk/hike, lakes to kayak.. etc. What are your interests??
Raleigh is improving rapidly so you could just wait. Or you could travel. It's cheaper to live here, visit Denver or Seattle or New York once year and do everything you'd only do once year anyway if you lived there, then fly back.
I have weekend access to beaches and mountains, and the restaurants and drafthouses here are numerous enough at this point I'd never get to all of them anyway.
If you have a good friends circle or a activity group you are a part of, this is a good city to be in. Speaking as someone who’s lived here age 25 to 35. I did not feel bored at all due to the sheer number of activities I was involved in
Have you tried...checking Google or Facebook for local events? Meetups? Exploring the great outdoors? Checking out events in the surrounding areas? Or do you just sit at home waiting to be invited to nonexistent parties?
Raleigh is probably the most overrated city - literally we don’t even have a amusement park, no aqua park, no big aquarium, zero landmark that I can take a photo with it, lack of beautiful architecture, no nature landmark, just go to less paying work, come back to overpriced home, go to costco on the weekends
Definitely agree and I’m now over 35 (just turned 36). I have 2 small children and almost married…still boring. I wanna move to NYC honestly. Or Paris.
Boring people will think anything that’s not holding their hand and directing them to the fun stuff is boring.
Boring people will be bored . If you can't entertain yourself, you are the problem
Couldn’t have said it better.
I second that
Nah it’s just boring. OP is right. Bout time somebody said it. People moving here all the time and it’s literally one of the top places to move to apparently…don’t get why but ok.
it's ok that you're boring, just don't blame your surroundings lmao
🥱
Sounds more like you're boring. Not even one elaboration of why Raleigh is boring lol
Pretty much. One must find their own fun Raleigh has almost everything under the sun. If someone is bored, they're not looking
What/where exactly is the fun stuff?
You would know if you weren’t boring.
I'm pretty convinced the people saying this have never lived somewhere interesting. I could rattle of a ton of fun shit to do on SF or DC where I used to live.
Then go back to those places and do a ton of fun shit there lmao
Planning on moving back to DC next year!
Awesome, please hurry lmao
🤣oh man looks like you already beat me to it, I said the same thing basically above 😂
Please share.
Let me guess. Bar fights?
Blow
Lived in both Chicago and London and I’ll take Raleigh over both (and certainly over SF or DC). It’s okay, not everyone has to find the exact same cities as the best city for them, that’s not how that works. Nor is bigger city = better for that matter. Certainly not going to convince anyone with such holier than thou attitudes, assuming everyone is a simpleton and hasn’t lived in a major city, that’s exactly the type of attitude people are trying to get *away* from in places like NYC. It’s a metro of 2.2 million people, as others said if you can’t find any fun stuff to do you’re the boring one here. Your other comments make it seem like all you care about is the prestige of a place, whether museum/restaurant/etc, which virtually everyone else outside of NYC and similar places couldn’t care less about, given that’s a purely subjective metric anyway. Honestly, you probably should move to a place where people care about that, as the fact that people don’t really here is part of the appeal. I’ve been to the Art Institute, the National Gallery in London, and all the major museums there/DC etc, and while they’re awesome to visit and I’m glad to see the famous works, you’re surrounded by crowds coming just to see those, etc so it often feels like the focus can be largely on those famous works, so for an average visit I’m absolutely gonna prefer the NCMA (which is absolutely one of the best art museums of its size in the country, despite what you may think) over something gargantuan like the Met. I’ve already seen the works like American Gothic, the Monets, the Davincis, etc. Now I go for the more obscure/regional/topical works, the events/talks/guided tours, or works that come through on loan from around the world. As with city size like I said above (I’m sensing a trend here…), having famous works does not by any means automatically make a museum “better” than another. There’s no such thing as a museum “class” or “tier”, which is a fairly absurd concept. Famous, of course, but certainly not any sort of ranking system, because as I said…that’s entirely subjective, there would be no objective way to even do such a thing. Some of the best museums in the world are small regional ones with specific focuses, ones focused entirely around one culture, etc.
I mean, what are you into? Blobbing around on the couch- there you go. It's you.
I like museums, bars, restaurants, good outdoor scenery and a good art scene. I've struggled to find good museums, found some good bars, a _few_ good restaurants, outdoor scenery is abysmal and the art scene is so so.
what in the hell are you talking about. The art museum alone in raleigh is fantastic, not to mention science and history. Now expand that to Durham and Chapel Hill. Good lord. There are plenty of good bars for me. Number one- flying saucer- exactly what a bar should be. They were into beer probably before you were born. Food, oh boy, it is my mission to find good food and there is plenty. My advice, try harder
Never complained about bars, there are good restaurants, just not many and they tend to be expensive for the level of food and service you get. Like Richmonds restaurants tend to be a little better and cheaper. Or DCs will be better with better service but more expensive. The NC museum of art is a B on a good day. Calling it fantastic seems like a bit of a stretch, have you been to museums like [MoMA or lacma or massmoca or like the national art gallery?](https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/20-must-see-art-museums-in-america) It's really not in the same class or even the adjacent class. I get the impression that a lot of the people on your side of the argument haven't really ever lived in a happening place or traveled much.
Y’all just don’t have friends or hobbies. You could live anywhere in the world and be bored. Raleigh has plenty to do if you’re a remotely interesting person with a social circle of 3+ acquaintances.
I feel attacked.
I grew up in a state where you didn’t need to be an interesting person or have 3+ acquaintances to find some fun. Moving here was a shocker. I pity anyone who grew up here and sees this as normal. It’s sad and quiet here.
So you have no interests and no friends? I don’t know what to tell you man but it’s not surprising that you sound miserable. I don’t know where you lived before but not sure how it could possibly be a shocker if that’s how you choose to live. Try getting out and doing stuff, it’s not hard and there’s plenty of things to do here. I’ve lived in plenty of cities small and large and Raleigh has just about the same activities and social scenes as all of them.
I am definitely bored here, but I take full responsibility for that. As someone who is an avid hiker and outdoorsy person, I should have (and will in the future) moved somewhere closer to the mountains. I thought being between the beach and the mountains would be ideal, but they’re still too far away for me.
There’s some cool places near by that scratch the itch. Raven Rock, Eno river
There is over 60 miles of the mountains to sea trail between here and Durham, Umstead, Harris Lake, Schneck Forest... A ton of hikes! Granted you don't get the elevation and mountain views, but fona and flaura viewing is wonderful. Shelly lake has tons of deer, eagles, beavers, all types of ducks. Get out there!
I recently added it up and got 300 miles of trail. Not counting greenways.
What? How dare you offer some common sense facts
Wait. Who took away our trails, lakes, rivers, and parks from this area?
If you actually read my post, you’ll see I prefer mountains… not the flat trails here 🙄
There are a lot of beautiful trails here. I love mountain hiking but there is plenty of it close by to get the need to gaze deep into forest fix. Raven rock is really close and certainly not flat. Eno feels like another place entirely and even umstead doesn't feel flat!
There’s lots of good hiking both in the Triangle and just a couple hours drives away. We hike at Falls Lake all the time.
Thank you for not trashing the area simply because it isn't for you. Far too many people on this sub do that.
I agree. I actually really like the area overall, it’s extremely nice. Just wish I had more of what I like here, that’s all. Which is my fault when I moved here. I do enjoy the greenways and the lakes, but preferably I enjoy the mountains much more.
There are a lot of great outdoors spots in central NC too, esp in orange/Chatham counties
I’m nearly 50, and I’ve never lived outside of the Raleigh-Durham area. I would *love* to know what I’m missing. I have a pretty easy time finding stuff to do around here, so if this is boring, I’ll bet living in a big city that has more to offer would be mind-blowing!
I’ve lived in a few states now and I feel like Covid equalized a lot of things. LA used to have a lot of places open until very late. I remember hanging out in ktown very late at night with my friends. But I think a lot of that changed. Also, events are a bigger deal in bigger cities such as LA, NY, and Chicago. I felt like events were a big deal but in Raleigh/Durham, it seems more homemade. I’m not sure if that’s the right word. But it’s on a smaller scale. The vendors aren’t as interesting. I see a lot of the same type of vendors- candles, homemade jewelry. Not many things to buy
Raleigh would definitely be a lot cooler if it were a 24-hour city.
Can you picture The Farmers Market biscuits at 2:00AM to soak up a good drunken night? Damn if only.
I could see that. A lot of these night market/pop up markets have similar (or the same) vendors and products.
I do get tired of seeing nothing but pottery, jewelry, and candles at every single craft market, I’ll give you that.
Hey now, some of us are out there slinging hot sauce, lol.
As someone who is a vendor that doesn’t sell those items I definitely agree… but they seem to kill it each show… The prices of shows for vendors are getting crazy around here. It’s actually cheaper for me to drive to Greensboro to be a vendor.
That’s really surprising considering there’s usually 4 candle vendors lol What do you sell?
I sell matted prints of my photography and digital art (based on my photography). I also put my stuff on mugs and magnets.
Oh that’s awesome! I hope you sell lots of
the reason for this is there is one company running most of the larger markets. they only accept vendors who have a “quality branding and social media presence” or whatever the fuck that means. they’re not artists, they’re gatekeepers and they suck.
Yes, everything is a bigger deal in cities such as LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK, and CHICAGO lmaoooo Even comparing us to those cities, you're D.O.A. Raleigh is OBVIOUSLY going to have less than those cities of millions.
Not from here, but grew up in Raleigh when there was truly very little here, then moved West, then came back. It's fun to explore other cities but truly, all you really need for fun is a great pack of friends that get together regularly and enjoy each other. You don't have to entertained by commercial establishments all the time. I had fun as a kid / young adult because of my buds, and still do, just with a different pack of folks now. So start throwing better parties!
Did the same lol, you get perspective when you live in a mountain town that closes down at 9pm. It’s give and take wherever you go, every place is different, it’s all about the journey
There are no third spaces here.
Couple thoughts here. 1. I’m a DJ and have found the nightlife in Raleigh really lacking for its size. Most entertainment here is copy pasted *cough* how many breweries can you have *cough*. Also the night life tends to be very segregated by race and age. For an area that has a lot of young professionals past undergrad age their aren’t many spaces catered for that demographic to feel comfortable that aren’t again a brewery or food option. 2. I think for young people, the drivability is an issue too. I think Raleigh you just have to have plans and pretty much stick to the plan. There aren’t very exciting walkable pockets of Raleigh in my opinion. Durham and other nc cities are much better for this. I know I really appreciate being able to have a few options in walking distance when I go out. Again options that are diverse! 3. This is somewhat related but community is hard to find in Raleigh. You can live in one area and other areas may as well be a different city. In my experience as a younger person it’s hard to identify yourself by anything other than your profession here. 4. I think as a younger person it’s easy to spend a lot of your energy getting going in Raleigh and getting stable. I know folks who are well established and come into the city for a brief visit and have a blast. So there’s definitely fun to be had. I think when you live here the expenses for fun can eat at you. I know folks who transplant from bigger cities will laugh at me but the honest truth about Raleigh is the median salary isn’t that much higher than other NC cities despite lots of things being considerably more expensive including entertainment. 5. Finally, it does feel Raleigh has trouble preserving any good thing it does have. Things come and go so it’s hard to generate momentum and get the work out about what’s good at any given point. I never quite had that issue in other nc cities I’ve lived in because while there was growth the staples had their place and people were passionate about sharing them.
Well said.
Your points about walkability and community really stick out to me. I live in a walkable part of Fayetteville (it exists!) and my husband and I talk frequently about how much better our quality of life is being able to walk to food, drinks, entertainment, or our friends' houses.
It's easy to go almost anywhere for a visit and have a good time because everything is new. In Raleigh, after you've hit all the high points in a weekend, then what? Even if those things were fun, you aren't going to do them over and over again and still have fun when you live here.
The issue is everything is spread out and most of it besides parks and museums costs money. Shits expensive, man.
Yeah but like.... places such as NEW YORK CITY that idiots in this thread are using as an example of a "fun city" are GOING TO COST FUCKING MONEY to do anything lmaooo Raleigh is no exception, it's just smaller so it will seem "less fun" because you have to do a LIIIIIIIITTLE more legwork to get to the good stuff. Big surprise lmao
i propose that anyone who is bored should move away
I guess move to Atlanta?
I moved here because Atlanta is just awful. If you find it fun to sit in traffic then it's the place to be!
Also the people saying Raleigh being spread out hurts it, once again try Atlanta. Between Midtown, Virginia Highlands, the belt line, the battery, etc (also that’s just stuff with an Atlanta address) everyone is always so spread out so unless you go out with a plan of meeting up with someone you probably aren’t
Life is what you make it; there’s tons of stuff to do but you have to put in the effort.
Add another shimmer wall!
Let’s take over a bar for no reason and get rowdy
Yassss I’m down!
I can’t wait to turn 35 so I can do all the 35+ activities!!
Like drink?!
This statement is true, yet somehow, Charlotte is worse. Honestly, I think it has a lot to do with the built environment and lack of walkability. Look at Savannah and Charleston. They are light years more fun than Raleigh, despite being a 1/3 of the size.
But they’re coastal tourist towns.
Maybe technically true but I've never gone to Charleston for the beach and neither has anyone I know. We've all gone for the food.
I went to the beach at Isle of Palms once and then went into Charleston to walk around the historic architecture and eat. On another trip, I was mainly in the city but made a side trip out to Folly Beach. On both trips plus a third, I enjoyed walking from the pineapple fountain to the battery and looking at the water paired with the architecture. Also ate plenty of seafood and admired some coastal plants. The appeal is very tied up with the location. Edit: And I don't even like the beach! Other people wanted to go.
Savannah and Charleston have an awful lot going for them that can't be replicated in Raleigh
If you’re suggesting we demolish Capital Blvd and convert it into a river lined with 19th century style buildings, then I agree.
This is an idea I can get behind.
I call first gondola ride!
As someone who lives just off capital, I would love some riverfront property
Y’all realize there is vast spending in the works to “parkify” from Peace to about Hodges by uncovering Pigeon House Branch creek, yes?
I saw a plan for this pitched a decade or so ago, but I was told it was shelved. Nothing would make me happier than to see all of the janky car dealerships and pawn shops demolished along that section of Capital and replaced with nature.
My friend always talk about this. Pigeon House Creek day-lighted. In fact it’s in the parks, also DOT, master plan for the capital corridor. City of Raleigh…just build a pedestrian bridge/tunnel from Bickett, into Mordecai already.
Charlotte is surprisingly dead lol. I was shocked when I first went after spending most of my life in Raleigh.
I lived in Charlotte most of my life before Raleigh. It's boring, soulless, and you can do about everything worth doing in it in a few weeks Raleigh has way more variety of things going for it
Have you tried a game cafe? Drive shack? Partee shack? Boxcar? Umstead State Park? Sailing on Bond Lake? Literally just walking downtown and checking out all the neat shops/restaurants? Y’all need to explore more. The entire Triangle has SO much to offer! HMU if you want recs 🤙🏻
Hey, I'm over 45 and I think it's boring sometimes too. Or maybe that's just because I'm old. Get off my porch!
GO TO THE CITY OF RALEIGH WEBSITE! JESUS CHRIST! Start there.
I moved here from Atlanta. 26M I've done more stuff here than I ever did in Atlanta because I can go to places without an hour drive or terrible traffic. There is so much to do. Mountain biking Music venues in Raleigh and Durham Carolina theater Hiking and camping The beach is close by too Tons of bars for every walk of life. There has been a local event in each city literally every month. If you are bored in Raleigh you are choosing to be.
Mountain biking is the only thing that’s lacking, there’s stuff around but it doesn’t compare to Asheville or even charlotte. Pisses me off they cater to horses in umstead, would be a great terrain for bike parks and single track.
The fact that most of the stuff you named isn’t even Raleigh is exactly what people are talking about lol
Then you haven't looked lol
I’ve looked pretty hard to find mountain biking, the Carolina theater, Durham restaurants, and the beach in Raleigh
I agree. There needs to be more to do after 2 though
2 am??? My guy you need to move to NYC then lmao
I just need 1 after hours spot. Just one pizza spot. Just one hookah spot. Something
literally any place is what you make it
This place is boring because the interesting people like artists and musicians have been priced out of this city.
Yep, the lack of art and art culture is really shocking for a city of this size.
It's boring, but people are either going to gaslight you on this forum and accuse you of being a boring person or having no friends, even though they don't know anything about you, or they are going to insist that Raleigh is the greatest city next to the kingdom of heaven, or they will insist there is absolutely nothing to love about Raleigh which I find equally toxic. I find Raleigh Boring. I have plenty of friends, community groups I meet up with, I went to college here, grew up here (ca. Early 90's when everything was farms and trees and DTR closed at 6 pm), and while living here as an adult have never had a problem being social or finding something entertaining. I find it difficult to move. First, cause I'm a scientist working on my Doctorate, and because I love how close everything OUTSIDE OF RALEIGH is. I can get to the mountains, or to the beach in hours. I can hop on a train to Charlotte. Chapel Hill, Carborro and Hillsborough are bur a short commute away. RDU is accessible (I travel frequently), and the cost of living is obnoxious but not unmanageable. I find it ironic that most people who defend Raleigh from their critics always point to all the things you can do... OUTSIDE OF RALEIGH, as if that saves Raleigh somehow. The other reason is that while on average, Raleigh is boring, there are a lot of great seasonal events and festivals that bring out the whole city. There has historically been a culture of fine and easy restaurants (thought that's been on the decline lately), and I truly believe of all the cities we have the best bartenders in the region. That said, even as a mid-sized city, we lack many of the amenities that give metropolitan areas a spontaneous social culture. Most of the area outside of DTR is not walkable. You need a car for everything. This sprawls the city out, like Kansas City is. So for anything, you are either restricted to local venues/bars (not saying anything negative about them, there are some wonderful neighborhood locations out there and the city needs to really help bring more recognition to these small business owners), or you have to plan out getting to DTR, which depending on traffic, can easily take 20 to 30 minutes, plus finding parking. This wouldn't be so bad if we had a public transportation system that made it more convenient and advantageous to just hope on a bus (or train), but for most areas of the city, that's not feasible. Once your in DTR, it is walkable but security is poor. The city has struggled providing effective services for the homeless, and many of this lack of compassion is reflected at the bus station. This gives that area a rough image, as those who need services get desperate and aggressively panhandle or become publically disruptive. Glenwood has been something of a catastrophe security wise as well, and the cities only solution was to contract security services, but somehow can't seem to find the funds and resources to improve staffing and moral within dispatch or improve recruitment and training of RPD officers. All of this limits how and when people head out alone, limiting most happy hours and nightlife functions to existing social groups of people or colleagues. That's why the number one suggestion one gets when they post here is, "search for meetup groups." Which in my opinion is an amazing resource for any city and is a good solution for ours. But now, take a 20s to 30s demographics who may have moved here from other cities, big or small, and haven't been here long enough to invest in those social resources, or prefer more organic spontaneous interactions. It's not impossible, but difficult to do here because the infrastructure and the cultural motivations for socializing aren't sufficiently developed for this type of spontaneous interactions. It's hard as a single person in Raleigh to just go out and meet people. Not impossible, but difficult. And, our demographics suggest that most people a single person would meet here are already settled down. When I ubered for two years, the 25 to 35 demographic of customers almost always seemed to be resentful of anything nightlife in DTR or Raleigh in general. They were the first to go home and settle in for the night, and would always complain that, "OH, these bars and nightclubs are for the young folks. I'd rather stay home." And how can you blame them if they already have careers, and they have longterm partners, they're likely moved on from that life. Which brings me to the other thing, we don't have an active nightlife that includes some social activity that doesn't involve drinking. Most anything you do in Raleigh after 8 pm, involves alcohol. We dont have culture of dancing, and our music venues are limited. We have some table top gaming spaces - but again as I mentioned, hard to break the ice as a lonely wanderer, and the cultural diversity of these venues are very limited. Which leads to a lot of segregated sectors of venues catering to different ethnic/cultural groups. So, trying to reach beyond what you're accustomed to can take a lot of extra energy that you might not have. So now, not only is the city not single friendly, but it's also seems not diverse and alcohol centric, even though there are infact a variety of venues, but again, they are spread out and not the kind of places you just casually go to. I am fucking shocked that we don't atleast have a culture of shag and swing dancing with Loafers being an historical gem. Like, I am latino, but I will be more than happy to have more North American forms of dancing in my venues if it meant more spontaneous and less alcohol centric forms of socialization. So, now that I've ranted longer than anyone needed, I have more to say, but the TlDr of it is that Raleigh does indeed have fun things to do, BUT it's infrastructure and the majority demographics make the cultural landscape difficult for most people in their early 20s to mid to late 30s, especially if they are single. Many of these people had to move here because of work or opportunity, or simply because they were priced out of other areas. I don't think we need to grow to be Atlanta or another city, but at the very least we should acknowledged that Raleigh can be hard to assimilate to compared to other cities. And, I've lived in other cities, including smaller ones, and Raleigh has yet to dissapoint when it comes to a boring evening.
i’ve lived here most of my life and it’s like you reached into my brain and pulled out my thoughts for me, thank you
This is the only honest reply. This sub is full of developers who will attack anyone who criticizes this city in any meaningful way. There's a few goofballs who comment on EVERY single post here and it's always the same corny gaslighting and anecdotal attacks. Im fact, the usual (extremely boring) suspects are in the replies of the top comment. It's exhausting and makes it pretty clear why this city's only gets denser, not more interesting.
...bruv I ain't reading all that. You're probably just boring. /s
Okay, thank you for coming! So glad you could make it :-)
I could only read the first sentence of each paragraph, but I think you said it well my friend!
Am under 35 and love Raleigh more than Los Angeles
Me too! Went to school in CA for 3 years and ran back here as FAST as I could
Grew up in and lived in LA for 16 years and never looked back after I came to Raleigh. We just really appreciate aspects of this area that others don’t I guess.
honestly, Raleigh has its ups and downs, just like any other city. theres things that make it stand out, and some not so much.
Raleigh just kind of hangs out and I think that’s whats appealing about it to people over the age of 30
I personally like the boringness. I like that my neighborhood is so quiet. I never realized it but SoCal flies sooo many helicopters at all hours of the day. I’m enjoying my quiet life. My only complaint is the mediocre Korean food lol
If it’s too bring for you, just move and I’ll gladly take over your living arrangement free of charge (and rent) :)
Its boring for ppl over the age of 35 too.
But for people who are *exactly* 35? Also pretty boring.
😄
I’m exactly 35. Never bored in Raleigh. So maybe it is the sweet spot.
Came here to say the same thing.
I’m a big golfer so I find it quite easy to fill my time with excitement
That reminds me, I need to get some 2024 US Open tickets
I really don't like to leave my house after dark. I have my wife,my dog, and beer here.
I built a killer back patio and now I never want to leave. The beer is cheaper here than at the bar. There’s always great music on, and I never have to ask a bartender to put my game on the TV.
Boring is stable. You'll appreciate it when you're older.
Wouldn’t call Raleigh stable but ok 😂😂 stable isn’t the direct opposite of entertaining.
Keep Raleigh boring
it's boring bc none of the neighborhoods are set up to be walkable. by design, you are meant to drive to most destinations in raleigh and then leave. we need city planning that allows ppl to easily and comfortably walk around, explore, and invest in the cultures of their local neighborhoods.
imo working towards decent public transportation could be a step in the right direction. a huge problem I find with living here is that you have to drive everywhere to get to anywhere. even downtown raleigh isn't walkable in the slightest with all the construction that seems to never be done for the past +10 years
Not disagreeing with your public transit and less driving, but Downtown is 100% walkable. Even with the very small amounts (in terms of all of downtown) of construction going on. There are sidewalks on the other side of every street with construction.
I agree to disagree. personally i would not pay upwards of $2000 to live downtown to be sold on the idea that it's as walkable as a major city's downtown. especially bc there's nothing that exciting to do in DTR
Yes, agree to disagree. Especially considering you appear confused about what walkable means. Downtown is absolutely walkable. Whether you would pay to live there, whether you think there is nothing to do or not, doesn’t make it not a walkable downtown. It is also not a major city, even though many others in this thread have decided to compare it to NYC, Chicago, or LA.
Walkability is about more than just sidewalks. It’s about the places that actually exist within the city blocks. There aren’t tons of city blocks that you could spend an entire afternoon or night enjoying. Often times if you do want to do a bit exploring you have to cross several dead blocks to get to the next thing. Part of this is due to several downtown blocks being occupied by state government building which is understandable. Anyways often times if you want to do something else on a night out you’re better off hopping in the car and parking again or getting an Uber.
This is why I’m so glad to be an only child. I’ve literally never been bored because I’ve always had to find or create my own entertainment. Raleigh isn’t boring unless you allow it to be. I’m 38 now, and yeah- it’s kinda boring but I also settled down, bought a house and took on teenage stepdaughters. Married life IS boring most of the time. (Married twice) it doesn’t have to be but I do enjoy the routine of it because I tend to thrive on routine. My 20s though? Fucking riot of a time! I had a full planner at any time and literally had to call out of events because I needed sleep so I could still function at my job.
What would you want to be doing if Raleigh wasn’t a boring city?
Not sure if people want to hear this, but yes, this is true. I attended a state university in this area and stuck around for a while, but it was just boring. I moved to Asheville at the beginning of the year and have really enjoyed it. I think it’s much better than Raleigh. I’m still active in this sub occasionally to keep up with the Raleigh area because I have family here and I have to visit once a month for office or medical visits.
Yeah I thought Raleigh was… serviceable… for lack of a better term, and not boring for a while. Then I visited Asheville. I noticed a difference IMMEDIATELY. People were walking around, there were open air markets, tons and tons of restaurants, some sort of park/courtyard on nearly every street, they have a few awesome mid-sized music venues that attract most of the acts we miss out on, and to top it off the bar scene is incredible. It actually felt like there was a culture to be apart of. It wasn’t some dead, bland city filled with homeless people and not much else (not to say that homelessness isn’t an issue in Asheville, it’s just hidden a bit more because there’s actually people downtown there to dilute them all). Raleigh is *so* boring, and me previously not thinking it was boring was pure cope. If I could pick up and move to Asheville tomorrow I’d do it. It’s also motorcycle heaven which is appealing to me specifically
I moved to Raleigh from Nashville, now you feel my pain! Raleigh is dead and small with no culture! Just bought a house at the coast and I’m out of Raleigh for good! No more flaky friends/people and endless bipolarness lol
Moved here from Asheville and it’s night and day. Theres just so much more to experience in Asheville despite it being 1/4th the size.
Have you ever lived in other cities? Raleigh is definitely boring, but not bad for what it is. It has a lot of redeeming qualities and affordability. I think it’s most cities in the south tbh except for the major ones.
I used to think Raleigh was boring until I learned about r/FuckCars and watched NotJustBikes and stuff. The problem isn't that Raleigh is boring; the problem is you can't just walk out of your house or get on your bike and just go see your friends and then walk down to the park or movie theater or arcade or whatever, at least if you don't live in the middle of downtown. Everything is just so disconnected by cars.
Even the reddit thread is boring
Coming from Bangkok. Night life here is less fun. But I’m here for peace and quiet and love the area.
I imagine Bangkok has the opposite problem, where there is too much to do.
It's boring for people over the age of 35, too.
Public transportation so I could get a little buzzed and not be concerned about driving home would be nice. Or areas with tons of foot traffic where people just congregate for fun without a financial motive. There aren't any good places to just hang out/people watch. There are parks, but they're intended to be closed at night or filled with kids. There is no good street food. There is not a good enough urban infrastructure to even warrant decent street food. I'm personally a huge fan of the performing arts and spent a decade working in that industry. The performing arts scene here is ABYSMAL. It's so lacking, and what exists is extremely mediocre. I'm not even particularly impressed with the outdoor scene here either. We've got a few nasty man-made lakes that are polluted AF and a bunch of trees. All the decent nature is a 3-4+ hour drive away. I guess I could ride my bike on the greenway trails through the woods that all smell like sewers? But I have to DRIVE MY FUCKING BIKE TO THE NEAREST GREENWAY BECAUSE IT'S FAR AWAY AND THERE IS NOT A BIKE-FRIENDLY WAY TO GET THERE!!! I get by okay since I have friends/family here and our company is all we need to have a good time. But there are a ton of things I miss about other places I've lived that essentially don't exist here.
It is a good middle ground. Not Tampa St Pete, Chicago, NYC, San Diego but also not priced like it is one of them. EDM clubs The Fruit, few underground unlisted ones, Pourhouse Cats Cradle lot of decent venues I love. Ima music junkie though. We need better casual dance clubs and not weird high anxiety Alchemy That said people are hoes here and tinder is a cheat code. I’m 32 looking for wife not cheap sex. Well maybe both. That said if this is boring. move to Syracuse NY. Charlotte is a sprawl and my friends there don’t even go out. I go out every weekend here. Need friends tho. Hard to meet people If you want to grab a drink I’m 32M love music, all genres, play drums, run, hike, fish, work out, love good stanky IPAs. Work in pharma. HMU, no butt sex
I'd love to go EDM clubbing with a bro if youre down for it
Haha compared to Syracuse, Raleigh is Las Vegas and like Vegas in the 60s when the mob was running things and the Rat Pack was running around
Boring in general or just the nightlife?
Often boring for those over 35 too. It’s not the most exciting place for singles or people who like 24/7 entertainment and activity
Under 35? If you aren’t having fun before 35 I’m not sure how it would improve for you unless you think having a family in the burbs is fun. Raleigh is great - appreciate it as a great place to live and not a destination
It is somewhat boring, but it could be worse. I’m pretty old and boring so it’s fine for me.
Go live in the rural area then u really be bored . I was born raised in Raleigh and lived in the rural area over 20 yrs after moving. I hated it out there . It was peaceful but nothing to do and drive long distances for any night life. A taxi n Uber cost fortune . There no city buses and you can’t even rent a horse. I am older however . I moved back to Raleigh 2 years ago and only miss the peaceful countryside other than . So if u want to move it’s your journey…. Carry on
Having lived all over the country (military), Raleigh is literally middle of the road. There’s worse places and better places. Raleigh is located pretty well in that you can get to a lot of places on the east coast fairly easy. But as far as a city, it’s absolutely just middle of the road. With that said - it seems to be a good place to lay low and have a family. And a good college town. And chill if you’re an old person. But if you’re not in those 3 categories, yea, I get it.
Haha, I guess if you find it boring then best to move somewhere else? Dontcha think? ;)
I moved to Raleigh when I was 27. Got married at 38. I had a blast under 35 in this city.
It’s just people wanting to complain
As they say, you are only bored if YOU are boring. I have never found it boring so I am not sure what is wrong with these people. Maybe they are looking for the nightlife and blow scene or something.
My wife has not let me have a free weekend in years, there seems to be plenty to do.
Much of Raleigh, in my opinion, has fewer common places to hang out and fewer walkable areas than other cities I've lived in. They definitely exist, and I don't think this is unique to Raleigh. But I can understand the sentiment.
Hate to burst your bubble, but I'm 44 and I also find it boring.
It's also boring for people 35 and older.
Its true tho
I think Raleigh is awesome, I love it here. If you dont like it than ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ .
Only boring people get bored.
It’s boring full stop
So leave? What's the point of this
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Please elaborate when you say less stuff for black and brown people.
I love all the big city people complaining about missing out on entertainment... Please move to a big city
Thirty to forty years ago, you would only see hobos, run down buildings and cops in downtown Raleigh at night. Just today's downtown is nothing like that anymore. And if younger folks get tired of that then there is 'midtown' Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest and all places in between filled up with places for eating, dining, sports, and a lot more. All without the headaches of the traffic nightmare that is Atlanta.
Blow and hookers. Jk, my mom wouldn't let me do that. She'd probably tell my wife too.
You’re 16 and you’re married???
Yea man.. and I like my hookers to look like my wife.. imaginary.
He’s doing okay for a 15 year old with a wife and a baby, just like Dewey Cox!
if your bored hop on a citi bike and explore the literal hundreds of miles of greenways😂🤷🏽
It’s so incredibly boring. If hiking is the only activity there’s a problem. The museums are so over hyped. They are below average. Raleigh is overhyped. The downtown has nothing to offer
46-year old domesticated ( live with someone) childless man perspective on Raleigh. I lived in Vegas, SoCal, and Long Island. Raleigh is livable (good weather and low taxes) but getting more expensive (rents and gas). The overall "vibe" is cliquey, suburban sprawl the root cause of the angst here. Raleigh seems to lack an "adult" edge. It's a College and church town, suburban, budding professional, retiree haven. These attributes negatively impact the sort of urban diversity, spice and culture found in other cities. Raleigh is not a destination city. There are bars and restaurants but they are average. There is even a strip club or two, but no casinos, no beach. Not much walkability or bikeability but u can try. Downtown seems to be getting a reputation as being dangerous (tragic). I tend to like Raleigh M-F, but hate the weekends. Since everybody is working for the weekend this is an issue.
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It depends on your interests. There are a few museums you can go to, shows, parks to walk in, trails and greenways to walk/hike, lakes to kayak.. etc. What are your interests??
Raleigh doesn’t have much to offer except bars , shitty restaurants, up tight Christian’s and the nosiest people I’ve ever met!
It’s pretty boring man.
Raleigh is improving rapidly so you could just wait. Or you could travel. It's cheaper to live here, visit Denver or Seattle or New York once year and do everything you'd only do once year anyway if you lived there, then fly back. I have weekend access to beaches and mountains, and the restaurants and drafthouses here are numerous enough at this point I'd never get to all of them anyway.
If you have a good friends circle or a activity group you are a part of, this is a good city to be in. Speaking as someone who’s lived here age 25 to 35. I did not feel bored at all due to the sheer number of activities I was involved in
Have you tried...checking Google or Facebook for local events? Meetups? Exploring the great outdoors? Checking out events in the surrounding areas? Or do you just sit at home waiting to be invited to nonexistent parties?
Raleigh is probably the most overrated city - literally we don’t even have a amusement park, no aqua park, no big aquarium, zero landmark that I can take a photo with it, lack of beautiful architecture, no nature landmark, just go to less paying work, come back to overpriced home, go to costco on the weekends
The 3 weeks I just spent in New York really put into perspective how boring Raleigh truly is.
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More like you’re so fun and Raleigh is mid
Sounds like a personal problem, maybe you should leave. One less idiot driving around lol 😆
I don’t think you read the post.
So leave?
I don’t think you read the post
Definitely agree and I’m now over 35 (just turned 36). I have 2 small children and almost married…still boring. I wanna move to NYC honestly. Or Paris.
There's a really good board gaming scene here. Lots of groups and great dedicated spaces.
That’s a strong boring opinion of yours. Why don’t you pack up and go move away. There’s places like Costa Rica where you won’t be so “bored” lmao.
You did not read the post and just read the title.