First impresssions from a High Country transplant
It has been one year and a week or so since I moved to Boone, North Carolina. Boone is the self-proclaimed “Heart of the High Country” and home to Appalachian State University. Because it has been a full year, I now feel somewhat qualified (although readers may argue with this after reading my post) to comment on most things Boone. Remember, these are what I will call my “first impressions,” although the following thoughts have been contemplated for 53 weeks now.
- North Carolina is a beautiful place to live. Even though I’m so far away from my family, the beauty of North Carolina and Boone specifically make the transition somewhat easier. At 3333 feet above sea level, Boone’s picturesque views are impressive. The balcony on the front of my dwelling is a perfect place to take in the surrounding mountain views.
- The little things about living in a different state halfway across the country are the really noticeable things. For instance, North Carolina requires a yearly inspection for your vehicle. I recently paid the registration renewal fees for both our SUV and motorcycle. However, neither vehicle had been inspected prior to paying the registration so the NC DOT sent back the checks and informed me of the need to have the vehicles inspected. The motorcycle has now been inspected, costing me $13.60 in the process, with the inspection consisting of these integral procedures: Check tail lights, check brake lights, check turn signals, check horn. End result: roughly 45 seconds of bullshit. I don’t know what the car inspection will consist of, but I can’t wait to find out.
- Charter Cable sucks fat sack. Prior to moving here, I was a proud member of the Dish Network family. I had service from Dish for 5 years and was incredibly impressed with their DVR and overall service. After moving here, I signed up for Charter because I wasn’t sure that my landlord would allow Dish in this townhouse. Perhaps I was spoiled with Dish and their dual-tuner DVR with massive storage capacity, but Charter’s DVR was WORTHLESS. If I let it go for a week and just record shows without deleting them, there would be little or no space. In the last month, I’ve since switched back to Dish (with the approval of the landlord) and currently have 300+ hours left on a DVR with nearly 20 shows and movies recorded on it. Plus, the HD service (now free for life with an automatic withdrawal) is pretty impressive.
- Traffic in Boone is incomprehensible. This town has 14,000 people living here with that number doubled during school months. I defy anyone anywhere to alert me to another town of this size that has the traffic of Boone. I understand it is a tourist town (sort of), but this is ridiculous. I hope to have a picture to prove this ridiculousness soon.
- Restaurants in Boone are solid. Perhaps because this town is like east coast hippie-central, there are more organic restaurants and grocery stores in Boone than I have ever seen before in my life. And the food is pretty fantastic. Two examples: Coyote Kitchen and Hob Nob Cafe.
- Housing prices are out of control. All across the country, houses are selling for a fraction of what the buyer paid for them originally. Not in Boone. A simple ranch style brick house down the street from me is selling for $360,000. Seriously. In middle America, this house might go for $95,000. Maybe.
Overall, if you’re not looking to buy a house or have good cable television, Boone is a pretty nice place to live. Advice: Rent a place, put up Dish, and go get a Chorizo Boat from Coyote Kitchen. Delicious.
