<p>I agree that Boston is better than any NC city. I love it up there (during the summer). I agree that there is no cultural comparison, but that should not be a dealbreaker in choosing a college and I think we need to drop it. No student is going to be going out every night looking for shows or new restaurants or museums. Most Chapel Hill students stay on campus the majority of the time because there are so many activities. And if you’re looking to go off on occasion to see a show or have a nice dinner, Raleigh and Durham can give you that. Please stop being so negative, because this is actually a nice area even though it cannot compare to a major city.</p>
<p>It’s not negative to point out that this can’t compare to a real city, when the OP specifically requested a real city.</p>
<p>I agree with keepittoyourself. I, personally, would prefer Chapel Hill to Boston in a New York minute, but I didn’t feel that way when I was 18!</p>
<p>Yes, Boston is on that circuit keepitoyourself mentioned. When I was a kid, I went to pre-Broadway tryouts of several plays and musicals that went on to become Broadway hits. That’s not going to happen in Chapel Hill. But so what? As Jessimo said, it’s not a deal-breaker. Far, far from it. </p>
<p>Again, I’m just speaking from my jaundiced old-lady perspective, which is not the same as the OP’s POV, but I LOVE North Carolina and wouldn’t trade it for a million Bostons. But I do recognize that Boston is a very special place in terms of culture and the arts. From the art museums (including a little jewel like the Gardner) to the awesome Aquarium to the opera scene (I once sat in a loge seat so close to Pavarotti I could almost reach out and touch his handkerchief, LOL)…it’s truly fabulous. BUT it also has its downside. And, if I were 18 right now, I think I would definitely prefer Chapel Hill. (Actually, if I were 18 right now, I wouldn’t want another thing in the world!)</p>
<p>Gee, I’ll have to tell all my in-state friends that are going to top-15 law schools and med schools that they are stupid and can barely read. What a joke. If you really think that in-state students are ‘below’ you then you don’t deserve to be here, bottom line. I’d rather have someone who isn’t an elitist ******* paying OOS tuition.</p>
<p>Look, nobody (well, almost nobody) is saying that all the in-state students are stupid.</p>
<p>But I think it is undeniably true that the out of state students are almost all very smart and clever, but the quality of the in-state students varies much more widely. Because of the (unofficial?) county-quota system, a lot of less well-qualified people get in from NC’s less-populated counties.</p>
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<p>I agree with you that most people at chapel Hill tend to stay on campus or on franklin st most of the time, but really I think that is because there’s not much else to do! To get to Raleigh or Durham you really need a car, and most of the freshmen and sophomores on campus don’t have them. And the traffic is a nightmare.</p>
<p>I know that friends at Harvard and MIT (and NYU for that matter) do tend to enjoy the cultural life of those cities, going to world-class plays, performances and museums many weekends.</p>
<p>Oops, in one of my posts above, I meant “bus stop,” not “bus station.” Boston’s bus stations are as seedy and icky as any other city’s, but, as they have indoors waiting areas, they are not particularly cold. It’s the outdoor bus stops that will freeze your tush off. I don’t know why they all seem like wind tunnels, but they do. This may seem like a small consideration, but believe me, it wears on you. When you spend a lot of time freezing at bus stops or negotiating icy sidewalks, it wears you down. It really does. Even when you’re young.</p>
<p>NC’s temperate climate is a joy in comparison. Just something to think about.</p>
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<p>Oh man I’d choose Boston climate over Piedmont any day of the week and twice on Sundays. At least in the cold you can wrap up, but in the horribly humid Chapel Hill Summer there’s nothing you can do but stay indoors.</p>
<p>(And why does everywhere in Chapel Hill set their air conditioning for just above freezing in the summer? I often have to carry a sweater around to wear in bars, when it’s 90F outside! Ridiculous.)</p>
<p>^ LOL, I guess it’s just a matter of personal preference. I get cold very easily, whereas heat and humidity don’t bother me. And, while a New England autumn is spectacular, you can’t beat spring in the South. The redbuds, azaleas, and dogwoods – oh my gosh!</p>
<p>Also, re cultural stuff: Well, the South and especially Appalachia have their own rich culture. Think bluegrass, gospel, shape-note…not to mention blues and jazz, both of which were born in the South, as I recall.</p>
<p>I’m listening to Patty Loveless right now. She ain’t no damn Yankee! :D</p>
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<p>Right, but this isn’t about the South. this is about rural vs urban – I don’t think anyone would say Atlanta isn’t a big important city, for example.</p>
<p>Let’s stop arguing over preferences. What matters is the OP’s preferences, and I’m sure that he can make up his own mind now that the good and bad of both locations have been discussed. Nobody is going to win because this isn’t a matter of fact but one of opinion.</p>
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<p>By the same token, schools that have affirmative action policies (read: all of them) admit people that aren’t as well qualified, so they should be avoided as well.</p>
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<p>Plenty of people on campus have cars. If you don’t have one, chances are that by the end of your first couple weeks, you’ll have made a friend that does. There’s plenty to do in Chapel Hill, and there’s plenty to do outside of Chapel Hill as well. Carolina Hurricanes games in Raleigh, expeditions to some of the state and national parks close by, Durham Bulls baseball games, trips to the DPAC, great dining options in Durham and Raleigh if you somehow get tired of the hundreds of options available in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Those are all things that can be accomplished in an hour or two. For longer excursions, some of the best beaches on the East Coast are just two hours away, and the Great Smoky Mountains are about the same distance to the west. These things are readily available to any student that wants to go on a road trip, and if a student joins a greek organization it is likely that they will go to the beach and the mountains once or twice a semester.</p>
<p>Also, traffic is bad from 5-7 pm and from 6-8 am on weekdays. Apart from those limited hours, traffic is almost nonexistent. Those who think that the Raleigh-Durham area has a serious traffic problem haven’t spent time in bad traffic.</p>
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<p>Or, you can do what most people do in the summer and go to the pool (there are a ton around campus in apartment complexes, and even a university-owned outdoor pool that just opened this year) or go to the beach. North Carolina springs, with the dogwoods and azaleas blooming, are legendary as well.</p>
<p>“Those who think that the Raleigh-Durham area has a serious traffic problem haven’t spent time in bad traffic.”</p>
<p>Yep. 
Try Boston’s I-93 at rush hour. Oy!</p>
<p>^ Of course I’m remembering 93 before the infamous Big Dig. Maybe it’s better now. :)</p>
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<p>could you be any more smug and provincial? For your information, I spent most of my driving years driving in two of the top 10 largest cities in the world.</p>
<p>And the traffic here is awful, considering the size of the town. For just day to day errands, the traffic here really is unbearable. </p>
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<p>Yes, that’s a great way to go about my daily life. I’ll carry a swimming pool around with me for four months. What a colossal non sequitur. </p>
<p>That makes about as much sense as telling someone who thinks Boston is too cold that they can always go to the sauna.</p>
<p>(And anyone with any money in the Piedmont goes to the mountains for the summer anyway.)</p>
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<p>You must have some seriously bad luck then. I live off campus and drive around Chapel Hill/Carrboro every single day and never have any problems unless it is either the morning or evening rush hour. And for the record, I’ve lived all across the United States and in two foreign countries; compared to what I’ve seen, traffic here is a breeze. Parking is a much bigger problem than traffic is.</p>
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<p>Not sure what your point is here. If it is hot, turn on the air conditioning. If it is extremely hot and you are looking for an outdoor activity to do, go to the pool. Its free. Not sure what is so difficult about that. </p>
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<p>The beach is a much more popular summer destination than the mountains, in my experience. Ninety percent of my graduating high school class in Piedmont North Carolina had beach houses, compared to only one person whose family had a mountain house. I guess it just depends on personal preferences though.</p>
<p>Come on guys. Stop. Keepittoyourself, stop being so defensive. You like Boston better. Other people like Chapel Hill better. Be respectful. I’ve seen some of your other posts, and you have a tendency to be negative towards Chapel Hill as a school and a town. If you really don’t like it, find other options, and let everybody else be excited about UNC.</p>
<p>^ Fair enough. You know the thing is, I actually do like Chapel Hill rather a lot, but I think it has flaws like anywhere. When people react sarcastically or whatever to my honest opinions, it makes me very angry. But I’ll stop.</p>
<p>“Ninety percent of my graduating high school class in Piedmont North Carolina had beach houses, compared to only one person whose family had a mountain house. I guess it just depends on personal preferences though.”</p>
<p>LOL, sounds like it also depends on money. I can only wish for a second home – either beach or mountain. (If you’re thinking of donating one, I’ll take mountain, thanks.)</p>