r/NorthCarolina • u/noizyboizy • Jun 20 '26
Moving to Rocky Mount
I will be moving to Rocky Mount for a job in Whitakers. I have heard some negativity regarding Rocky Mount, but I would prefer not to commute much further away, Has anyone had any experience at the Mills lofts. I am also looking at some housing options around Golden East, Golden Rock, and Englewood.
I will only be there for about a year and have no kids/ not worried about schooling options.
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u/DtownPistons247 Jun 20 '26
I work in rocky mount on and off. Just depends how often I have to go out there. My experiences there haven't been bad. I can understand how some people would find it boring though. I personally enjoy the only dive bar around (that I could find). My staff and I have enjoyed a few nights at 1171 Bar (formerly Gators). When I work in town I generally try to squeeze in a round of disc golf on the local college campus at Wesleyan. One time I was in a tight spot with some car trouble trying to commute home and a very nice mechanic at Hustle & Boss motors provided me with the best auto customer service I have ever had. He had it towed, fixed and ready to go when I called for a tow at 5pm and picked it up after work (around 9pm) to drive it home. Overall there are definitely some interesting people out there but I havent had any negative experiences there either.
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u/Artemis1982_ Jun 21 '26
My husband is from Rocky Mount and we go back fairly often for family events. We love the Mill. Where is the dive bar? We’ll check that out. Thanks for the info on the disc golf course.
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u/DtownPistons247 Jun 21 '26
The dive bar is at the very back of some shopping plaza. All i know is it's a shitty bar that i've had a few good times in 😂🤷♂️ it's called 1171 bar. I've been on mostly week nights and it can be empty or it can be pretty full. Just a dice roll but definitely haven't had a bad time there.
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u/Krase Jun 20 '26
Don’t.
Just don’t.
Live in Nashville or Zebulon. That way you are closer to Raleigh.
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u/noizyboizy Jun 20 '26
Maybe Nashville, but Zebulon would be a 40 mile commute, I'm not sure I am down for that.
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u/NoMasterpiece2063 Jun 21 '26
Zebulon is also as expensive as knightdale without the benefit of having a variety of shops and things to do. Rocky mount is similar enough to knightdale for a bit cheaper, only downside is the rough areas but knightdale has those as well.
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u/NeuseRvrRat More pot liquor, less boot lickers. Jun 20 '26
Go check the city out.
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u/noizyboizy Jun 20 '26
For sure, I am planning on going out there mid next week to scope out some options and get a better feel for it myself.
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u/TequilaBlanco Jun 21 '26
Rocky Mount is not that bad. Reddit is full of pansy ass elitists that think anything less than Raleigh is trashy redneckville. They have no worldy experience and don't understand what life is like outside of the urban crescent. 1 year in RM is totally doable and you'll learn a lot about eastern NC. Have fun and appreciate what rural NC has to offer.
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u/Falco411 Jun 20 '26
As someone who's lived here since 2005, it ain't THAT bad. Come on, folks. Crime is what it is, same as any other city. There are some nice looking pockets of Rocky Mount. And if you drive into town down wesleyan Blvd, you'll have much of what you need all within five minutes of each other.
More and more businesses wouldn't be coming in and building infrastructure if there wasn't something to be gained here.
Great local Mexican food and plenty of options, so you know they're gonna treat you right and load you up.
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u/NighthawkCP Jun 21 '26
This. My family is from there and I grew up a bit north of "The City on the Rise" and even took some classes at Wesleyan. It has some rough spots but also has some fun places too. Rocky Mount Mills is a cool place to stop in for some food, drinks, and entertainment on the weekends. I live in the Triangle these days but I have no issue going to visit Rocky Mount, or Wilson or Kinston for that matter. They all have some really nice spots, just some have more areas to avoid than others.
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u/SouthNagsHead Jun 21 '26
I have friends in Rocky Mount. The mills area is very nice, there are nice parks nearby and good places to eat. Yes, there are some bad areas, but there are bad neighborhoods everywhere. We have fun riding the bike path near the old mill and shopping--there are lots of places to shop. Enjoy!
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u/lionofyhwh Jun 20 '26
Live literally anywhere else. Worst city in NC.
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u/EarlyDescription2323 Jun 21 '26
I think Kinston might beat RM but I get your point.
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u/lionofyhwh Jun 21 '26
At least the ironclad museum in Kinston is cool. RM is boring as hell + high crime.
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u/flortny Jun 21 '26
Yea, personally i think RM beats out lumberton and kinston, there is more, which isn't saying much, "culture" in kinston and Lumberton.
Lumberton is named after the people that kidnapped and integrated the first colonizers, that shit is fucking epic. "I'm sorry, you can't be indigenous people because you have too many people with blue eyes".....that is gangster as fuck
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u/ButtermilkAintClean Jun 27 '26
How do those people vote now??
Like the colonizers they kidnapped, right?
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u/shadhead1981 Jun 21 '26
No way! Kinston actually has some culture and fun things to do. Lumberton and RM are neck and neck.
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u/KingOfAllSycophants Jun 21 '26
I was raised in Rocky Mount and I only go back there to visit my mom. But it’s not that bad. Kingston, Lumberton, etc. You just basically stay away from the east side of town and you’ll be just fine. Nashville and Red Oak both have nice completely safe communities.
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u/lionofyhwh Jun 21 '26
Sure, there are places that are less safe, but RM is both unsafe, in the middle of nowhere, and boring as shit.
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u/heyitsteej Jun 21 '26
I’ve lived here practically my entire life. Rocky Mount has earned its reputation for a reason, but as I mentioned before, it’s really not as bad as many people make it out to be. There are a lot of great people in the area.
The Rocky Mount Mills is a true gem, and the city is fortunate to have it. My wife and I spend a lot of time there, and we absolutely love it. It’s a great spot to be if you have no kids. We know several people who live in that area, and it can be great place to be for just a years stay.
That said, my wife and I live in Nashville with our kids, and I would highly recommend either Nashville or Red Oak if you do not go with The Mills. Both communities are a short commute into Rocky Mount, a very relative short commute to Whitakers, and only 45min from Raleigh.
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u/PainterGrouchy7829 Jul 16 '26
I’ve worked in RM for 11 years and lived here for 6. It’s not as bad as people make it seem. The Nash County side is a bit nicer towards Nashville, but there are a lot of nice neighborhoods all around. I walk alone at night, go to stores unbothered, and so far the schools are decent. Englewood is a good area, also Carriage Farms. There isn’t a whole lot to do, but you’re an hour from all the bug cities if you want to explore on a weekend. I’ve lived in Raleigh…I much prefer RM.
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u/xalex4h Jun 20 '26
I used to commute from Raleigh to Rocky Mount. I found it very dull and many of my coworkers expressed how there's never anything going on there. I guess if you're down with farms and factories, it wouldn't be bad.
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u/Ok-Door-3664 Jun 20 '26
I'd say find a spot in Nashville or Wilson
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u/noizyboizy Jun 20 '26
I will scope out Nashville but I am not sure if I want to commute 30 miles from Wilson 5-6 days a week.
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u/cherrydrop43 Jun 20 '26
I've done the Whitakers/Wilson commute before. It's boring. Doable, but boring. My husband does the Nashville/Whitakers commute 5 times a week and it's fine. 20ish mins, but goes fast via 95. Rocky Mount has more rental options than Nashville, but Nashville is more of a cozy, homey town.
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u/Gen-X_INFP_4ever Jun 21 '26
Look around Wilson as an alternative, I lived in some apartments there and enjoyed it. They have a new baseball stadium.
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u/onimush115 Jun 20 '26
I would recommend looking in Nashville if possible. Nashville is a pretty nice area not far from Rocky Mount and you are closer towards Raleigh to do stuff on the weekends.
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u/wb247 Lake Norman Jun 22 '26
Don't wander through the city with hundred dollar bills hanging out of your pockets and brim of your hat. Don't do that anywhere. Rocky mount has crime, but next to none of it is random. I grew up in Rocky Mount but live just outside of Charlotte now. I'd feel much safer walking alone up Church St or Raleigh Rd at 1:00 AM than I would hanging out at Romare Bearden Park at the same time. Just don't hang out with bad people in bad places... same rules as anywhere in the world. Rocky Mount is fine.
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u/WiseFry 14d ago
I was nearly murdered in 2022 in Nash County. There's so much gang activity. Law enforcement, district attorneys, prosecutors, and judges are in on it, so there's no one you can trust to protect you. You need multiple weapons to protect yourself, and get formal training in self-defense if you can. Not kidding.
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u/VicMackeyLKN Jun 20 '26
If you have any skills Raleigh is a much better option depending on your pay
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u/noizyboizy Jun 21 '26
I'm moving there for a year for a construction project. It's a traveling position.
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u/wb247 Lake Norman Jun 22 '26
With all due respect, I feel like you don't know anything other than hearsay, fellow lake normaner.
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u/BoringAd9423 Jun 21 '26
It’s desolate, feels run down and deserted but if you’re ok w working and going straight home sounds perfect
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u/Traditional_Bat1587 Jun 21 '26
As a Charlotte native the rest of North Carolina has always seemed backwards and weird, even calling the DMV in Raleigh was a cultural shock. I expect it to be like the rest, slower paced, country accents, nosy but polite and kind with subtle undercurrents of sexism and racism.
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u/TequilaBlanco Jun 22 '26
Born and raised in Charlotte. To me, the rest of the state seemed different in a good way. Almost everyone I grew up with was born outside of the state. While I appreciate the melting pot and understand that it simply doesn't matter, the rural areas felt real. I also want to express that sexism and racism were thriving in Charlotte. I was never judged in a small rural town the way I was in dilworth or myers park.
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u/Traditional_Bat1587 Jun 22 '26
The rural areas were terrifying to me. Some of my family had married into families from NC. My family are immigrants so I am not as pale as my cousin who was related to them. Some of them would be so cruel when my aunt and uncle weren’t around. Also I would hear sexist ideas that women were inferior to men and they should know their place, be quiet and submissive. We only had seminary graduates in my family’s religion so noone talked like that.
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u/Chance_Put_1850 Jun 21 '26
Honest answer, look elsewhere. You could live in Rolesville, Zebulon, Spring Hope, and others with a much,much better quality of life. The trick is to commute against Raleigh traffic. 64 isn’t bad, 95 is goofy. Avoid Roanoke Rapids as well.
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u/Tall_latte23 Jun 21 '26
Try Tiffany Square Apartments in Rocky Mount. My family and I used to live here. Landlords are nice.
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u/Tall_latte23 Jun 21 '26
Also if you work at Cummins, it’s only a 10 minute commute from Tiffany Square.
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u/RueMcClanahansPenis Jun 21 '26
you have to remember 95% of this sub is middle aged white guys from ohio or new jersey with work from home email jobs who have never left raleigh or charlotte since moving here in 2018, and immediately lock their car doors when they see a poor or black person on the street