The old South versus the old North:
Raleigh, N.C. & Buffalo, N.Y.
By Reine Hauser
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How about Raleigh, North Carolina? How does it really stack up against Western New York?
Well, for starters, Raleigh placed fourth on Money magazine’s 2006 list of Best Big Cities. Its population is growing rapidly—from 276,093 in 2000 to 353,604 in 2006, whereas Buffalo’s declined during that time period: 292,648 in 2000, and 279,745 in 2005.
In February 2007, Raleigh topped the list of the best U.S. cities to find employment, according to a survey by Forbes. But that’s a little misleading. Sure, there are lots of jobs in Raleigh, but many don’t pay as well as those here:
A few randomly selected examples (including benefits):
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So once you’ve found a job in Buffalo, you might actually earn more than your counterpart down south.
Raleigh is a new city. Despite being spared destruction in the Civil War, Raleigh grew very little from its original 1792 size until the introduction of streetcar lines in the 1920s, the establishment of the Research Triangle Park in the 1950s, and the arrival of IBM in the 1960s, which greatly influenced growth.
Buffalo, on the other hand, has history. The War of 1812, the Erie Canal, the Pan-American Exposition, just to name a few. And while Raleigh was the birthplace of Andrew Jackson, Buffalo was home to both Millard Fillmore and Grover Cleveland.
Now let’s talk about risky weather. There’s actually a national index, with a score of 100 as the National Average Risk. So lower is better on this scale. Here are some comparisons:
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On to education. There are eight colleges in Raleigh. There are more than twenty in Buffalo. Raleigh has a younger population than Buffalo, and hence has 134 schools in the public school system, whereas Buffalo has 78. In Raleigh, though, even though the city has been building schools (read: high cost of construction), rapid population growth has made it difficult for the school system to keep up. The student population for Wake County Schools has more than doubled since 1985.
On the museum front, Raleigh has a very nice Museum of Natural Sciences, with active research as a result of its proximity to the Research Triangle. But the wealth of collections at the Buffalo Museum of Science (note: it’s only a city museum, not a state-wide one) leaves North Carolina in the dust. Raleigh also has the North Carolina Museum of Art, yet another state-wide institution. Ever heard of it? Me, neither. Our own Albright-Knox Art Gallery has a world-wide reputation for its modern and contemporary art. Of course, Raleigh does have a Harley Davidson Museum. Buffalo has the Burchfield-Penney, Hallwalls, CEPA, Big Orbit, the Carnegie Art Center, the Buffalo Art Studio, El Museo, Art Dialogue, and many more. By the way, Buffalo has a Harley-Davidson Museum, too. It’s at 4220 Bailey Avenue. Oh, right—Raleigh doesn’t even have a zoo.
Buffalo is rich in professional theater with fourteen theaters. Raleigh has four. On the boards this spring in Raleigh are The House of Blue Leaves, which the Studio Arena presented eight years ago; and The Full Monty, which takes place in Buffalo. Enough said?
Housing costs vary greatly between the two cities: Buffalo’s median home price is $45,000 (which in 2004-5 increased by 6.80%), and Raleigh’s is $203,012 (which in 2004-5 increased by 4.8%)
As for restaurants, Raleigh has 1,816 within fifteen miles of downtown. Buffalo has 2,232. Raleigh has fifty-nine bars, Buffalo has 264. (As you know, many of our bars are taverns, great for a fish fry or beef on weck.) Raleigh has one really big farmers’ market, operated by the state. Erie County has eleven.
Speaking of food, Raleigh is known for North Carolina barbecue (that is, pork, with a vinegary sauce) and nice, heavy Southern cooking. Apparently, Raleighites aren’t any healthier than we are. Although they do have the world’s largest frying pan in Rose Hill, about an hour and a half away, they don’t have a food actually named after them, like Buffalo wings.
On the professional sports front, the NHL Carolina Hurricanes moved to Raleigh in 1997 from Hartford, Connecticut. It’s Raleigh’s only professional sports team (the Panthers are in Charlotte). Buffalo has the Sabres, the Bills, and Buffalo Bandits. Raleigh has forty-one public golf courses; believe it or not, Buffalo has slightly more with forty-four. Buffalo has thirteen ski resorts. Raleigh has, well, none.
Of course, Raleigh does have some advantages, like the sales tax rate: Buffalo: 8.25 percent Raleigh: 7percent, but tax rates may rise with Raleigh’s proposed $97.6 million bond issue for parks and greenway improvements. Surprisingly, the income tax rate in New York State ranges from a high of 6.85% to a low of 4 percent, but in North Carolina it’s higher, from 8.25 percent to 6 percent.
Getting to the crux of the matter, can you afford a house in Raleigh? Will you miss our sports, our arts, our architecture, our history? How much do you really like southern cooking? Will you miss Canada? Are you prepared for hurricanes, tornados, and ice storms? It’s up to you: Old South or Old North?
Reine Hauser is a freelance writer, and the Executive Director of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff estate. She believes in the Broadway Market at Easter, Our Lady of Victory at Christmas, Temple Beth Zion for the High Holy Days, Ulrich’s Tavern for St. Patrick’s Day, the Olmsted Parks for Arbor Day, and Lake Erie for Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day.
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