Richmond or Raleigh, which southern city do you prefer?

12 comments

1. Charleston.

2. I found Raleigh to be a lot better than Richmond, although my time in both places was pretty limited.

3. Richmond when you’re young, Raleigh when you’re raising a family.

4. Oddly enough I’m actually visiting both of these cities for the first time next month. Plan on hitting up King’s Dominion and Busch Gardens Williamsburg while I’m there. Do you guys have any recommendations on things to do and places to eat in the area?

5. Straight-up city, I’ll take Richmond. It’s a plucky little city, and they’re doing a very nice job of making it a hip river town. Raleigh kind of loses its identity, as it’s always mentioned as Raleigh/Durham.

   As far as the area, though, Raleigh has the whole research triangle which is pretty great. With the universities, there is always something going on, and they get better concerts. I think I’d be less bored there.

6. Considering I’m in Raleigh at this very moment, I’m gonna say Raleigh.

7. I’m pretty biased (see flair), however both have their perks. Raleigh is in the research triangle, so lots of jobs. Richmond also has a great job market too with a big corporate presence.

   I was born and raised in the suburbs here. Came to the city after being away for college. The two cities are vastly different in a major way: they developed at different times. Richmond’s booms were much earlier than Raleigh’s, giving the city a large stock of older, architecturally appealing homes. I live in a neighborhood that’s pretty large, old, and has a wide variety of 1890s-1920s architecture. Some other neighborhoods, like Church Hill, Shockoe, and Jackson Ward are even older. Unfortunately, the city was mostly burned at the end of this Civil War, so we did lose a lot of great architecture and history.

8. Well, I’ve been to Richmond… My aunt used to live just outside of there in Stafford.

9. Neither.

10. My opinion, having visited both cities, is that Richmond is just more aesthetically appealing with cooler neighborhoods etc.

11. I’ve lived in both of these cities.

    I’ve always said that Richmond is the northernmost southern city, which means quite naturally it’s a cultural blend of different regions. History, amenities, culture, nightlife, charm—Richmond is much better in these respects. It’s a fairly walkable city by American standards with several historically significant neighborhoods.

    For jobs Raleigh is better. It’s the heart of the research triangle and population has exploded in the last two decades. However, it’s a rather “bland” city of tract housing, strip malls, and office parks. Very few interesting neighborhoods in the city, but it’s a great place to work and raise a family though. I actually prefer Durham over Raleigh.

12. 100% Richmond. I lived there and regularly traveled to Raleigh for work. I never found the “real” Raleigh, just an endless progression of suburbs and strip malls. Richmond has personality and a sense of place to it.