NC move

I would suggest going to The Chronicle of the Horse forums to ask for suggestions around RDU or even just do a search as this topic is discussed there quite a bit. It might help you decide when you find out how easy it is to access the feed store, get farm deliveries, etc. from different parts of town.

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/

It might also be worth checking out the Fuquay Varina area.  Not sure if that's too far out from where you prefer to be, but there's plenty of land out that way.  You can get more house/land for a lower price in that area compared to others.  They have a quaint downtown area and it has a small town feel.  There's plenty of pros/cons to living there but may be worth looking into.  We were there last weekend and actually saw a horse farm for sale!!

There is nothing wrong with east of Raleigh thank you very much. I think Knightdale is great as is the surrounding area. Any problems they have near 440 on the east side of Raleigh (and I don't think its that bad) are not a problem out here. Plenty of horse farms and room for riding.

That said, you don't have to settle for a 25 mile commute from east of Raleigh when you can get what you want in Chatham County with half the commute. Plus you'd be close to Jordan Lake and closer to Umstead Park and all the tri stores and groups out that way. North Raleigh is getting better for that sort of thing, so the Falls Lake area would be another good option.

I still think Knightdale is great for living in a rural area with all the major shopping two miles away. You get Wake County Schools which I think is still a good thing. So if the commute is still okay for you, I'd look at the North and South edges of Knightdale.

Glad to hear you enjoyed your visit to NC!  My husband and I moved to NC 3 years ago and absolutely love the area.  Before NC we lived in Augusta, GA and we both always talk about how much more we love this area than being in Augusta.  Close to the mtns and the ocean, and it's a pretty active area with lots of races and things to do.

Keep us posted on your progress if you guys decide to move!

I moved down a year and a half ago.  You'll get as many opinions as people you ask.  We looked quite a bit in Chatham County because you can get a lot of space and house for your money.  We looked at Chapel Hill because of the University feel and the schools.  We settled on Apex.  It still has a bit of a small town feel and is on the edge of the rural territory but definitely has access to retail and all that.  If I take the back exit from my neighborhood it's nothing but hills, ponds, tobacco fields, and country churches as far as I can ride.

Holly Springs is another nice town and with 540 (the new toll hwy) opening, it will be closer to the rest of the triangle.

You really can't go wrong anywhere in the area.

Another NC newbie this month - I'm moving to Wilson, so a mere 30 miles east of Knightsdale.  Would love info on any running groups, where to start looking for tri schedules (who are the goto race websites to check out) and the Tri shops in the area.   Good running stores too.

Will be my 3rd year competing, the plan is to start with a few sprints and hopefully this year compete in my first Olympic.  Alot depends on finding a pool and getting in the swim training this winter.   I have never swam in Ocean tri either, so that will be a big one for me I'm sure this year.   I love  non-salty lake water anyday!!

Thanks in advance.   Michigan/Ohio import!

Kristin

Welcome Kristin, you will find plenty of races not too far from you.  Check out http://www.setupevents.com for events in NC as well as VA and SC.  There are also a few other race series but Setup Events is the largest.  Also check out http://www.fsseries.com/index.php?

BTW my son lived in Hilliard and is now in Columbus while his wife is a PHD student at OSU.  We almost did the Giant Eagle race last year but he was injured.

FS Series has a lot of races within an hour drive for you. Battle at Buckhorn should be very close and their course could give you a good start on a training route. On setup's website the Trysports series is also in NC (obviously the NCTS is). I hear their Kerr Lake Oly is good.

Inside Out Sports has a a store in North Raleigh. Raleigh Running Outfitters is good. The Selma Cyclepaths (mostly roadies, but a few tri bikes and some of the roadies do tris, too) rides out of Clayton and trains for the MS150 in New Bern.

If you like trail running, Medoc Mountain (not really a mountain) has some trail races including a marathon.