re: Anyone here live in the Raleigh/Durham area?

Currently live just SW of Raleigh in Holly Springs and have been in the area for about 15 years. Love it here.

We live by Harris and Jordan Lake with easy access to local outdoors type stuff. Fishing and canoeing. Beach is close by, Mountains are close by, several areas with lakes are close by. If you're outside of Durham crime is very low and things are improving in Durham. Schools are generally good. Overall it's a very attractive place as far as landscape goes as well.

Real estate has gotten pretty expensive here about double the prices from 2020. Also as other folks have said, the massive growth over the last 15-20 years has brought tons of traffic, Californians, Bostonians, New Yorkers and other assorted Yankees that are dead set on changing the local places and politics to make them just like their failing states.

Not sure what you've seen of the area when you were here for work. A quick visit isn't probably going to be impressive, it's a place that gets better when you live in it for a while and not really a place that thrills you over a short visit or long weekend.