North Carolina is a good place to live. I don't have friends because we don't like to make friends. If you like walking, it's not good for you. I drive everywhere, even in a few minutes of driving distance because walking is too dangerous and tiresome. Why do you want to carry stuff from a store and walk back home? There's a car! It looks ridiculous to walk with shopping bags on hand in our city. Only very poor people would do that. People that can't afford hopping on a bus. Everyone else is always moving around inside a car, even a beat up car is better than no car.
North Carolina State, (the entire state) is a place where having personal vehicles really, really matters. There's no subway and the bus is scarce. If you don't like driving, you shouldn't move here. Expect to go to a convenience store driving a car, even though it's five minutes away on foot. You'd get mowed down by a car, walking through the intersection. There are no pedestrian stops sign.
The weather is hot and humid in the summer on the eastern part, but not too cold in winter. You will find your down filled coats useless and rarely need to use hats and winter gloves. I wear a wool beret the whole winter and feel fine.