What are the best cities/communities to live in North Carolina? And Why?

We are trying to decide if we want to move to AZ or NC - I think i'm leaning more towards NC. What are some good communities/cities to live in there? Why? Do you recommend living more towards the coast or more inland? My fiance wants to be somewhere he can ride his motorcycle year round. I want somewhere warm most of the year, but I am not sure if I can handle the heat of AZ. So, good cities in North Carolina would be great if you could share!

Public Comments

1. Chapel Hill is considered one of the best cities in the country. I does get cold in the winter, but nothing like the North. It is not too large, but is big enough to have the services you need, it is friendly and a college town.
2. Asheville, NC is the best city in NC. However it is the worst for jobs. Think about Atlanta and it's burbs. Weather is awesome 10 months out of twelve. I live4d in Tucson, AZ for two years and the heat was awful...
3. There was an article on yahoo today about apartment communities in AZ. Made me think the economy isn't doing so great there. Although NC right now has a large unemployment growth over the last couple of months, things still seem bearable (depending on what you do for a living). I live in Raleigh and can't imagine being anywhere else in the country right now! I have lived in CA, WA and NY. I personally love Raleigh because you can be to the beach within an hour and a half, to the mountains in just a few hours, but you still have plenty of land in the outskirts of Raleigh. Plus, you can still be to downtown with a great night-life, restaurants, theatre, etc. within a short time. If you are looking to buy a home you can still get a great deal, especially right now. The weather is great in my opinion! The winters are cold, but very short lived. The summers are hot and humid, but usually short lived also. The springs and falls are perfect!!!