What are the best places to live in North Carolina?

I'm moving to NC in the first part of 2010 or later part of 2009 and I want a great place to work and live (I'll have a masters of teaching) I don't want a huge town but not a tiny one either. With the cities please list reasons why they made the list. Thanks.

Public Comments

1. Out of curiosity, how can you say you know what state you're moving to but be able to choose which city? Not sure what you mean by "not a huge town but not a tiny one either". The Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area (known as "The Triangle" has a fairly well-educated population (largest number of Ph.D.'s per capita in the world), decent activities, and a fair number of museums. On the other hand, it's kind of expensive, and is having problems controlling population growth. The Chapel Hill area is smaller and generally more liberal (some people in the state sarcastically refer to it as "the Berkeley of the East"), which depending on your point of view may be a good thing or a bad thing. If you're into college sports you'll love the Triangle, since it has UNC, NCSU, and Duke. Wilmington is close to the shore and consequently has a good climate, as well as a fair amount of history. But it can get overrun with beach-goers in the summer. Asheville is a sizeable city located in the mountains, so it has nicer summers (and worse winters) than much of the rest of the state. Several people I know from that part of the state say that it has a disporportionately large amount of cultural amenities for its size owing to the fact that it's the only city of consequence for an hour or two in any direction. Charlotte and the Triad (Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point) aren't too bad; basically they're not-quite-as-good versions of the Triangle. Charlotte does have the advantage of having an NFL team and NBA team if you're into that sort of thing. Most of the rest of the state, in all honesty, I would avoid. Of course, I came down here from Washington D.C., so I'm biased in favor of bigger cities.
2. North Carolina is a nice state to live. I suggest you look at Raleigh, Charlotte and Wilmington area. They are all large cities but they have smaller towns near those cities. Near the Raleigh area, you have Knightdale, Wendell, Cary and Apex. Those cities are very nice (not too big or small). Wake county schools (Raleigh) has a good reputation in the state of North Carolina also. Charlotte is a nice city also. Their are smaller cities near Charlotte you can reside in. Charlotte is located in Mecklenburg County. I suggest you check out that website and the cities located near Charlotte for further info. Wilmington is beautiful and peaceful (in my opinion). Wilmington is located in New Hanover county. I only visited once but I enjoyed the scenary when I went. http://www.nhcgov.com/Pages/NHC.aspx