Missing Charlotte

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

You didn't "school" anyone. You gave evidence of a so-far short-lived trend in barely established regions in a young country and then extrapolated that into the future indefinitely based on...nothing, really. It's like saying, "Yeah, they found a vaccine for polio and whole bunch of other diseases back then, but they'll never find one for these newer diseases."

Furthermore, the Sunbelt as a region is actually still developing. Our cities haven't been established as big cities for very long, compared with the Northern urban centers. That's why the urban cores of most Sunbelt cities are much less dense and developed than those of our Northern counterparts.

Yes, as a region the South is still developing (I hate the term "sunbelt" because of the negative connotations). But within the South there are various level of development and various levels of establishment, so it's kind of silly to even characterize it as a region for this discussion. Cities like Atlanta, New Orleans, Memphis, etc. have been larger cities much longer than Charlotte, so they are very different and really can't be painted with the "regional" brush.

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by blondandfun

Interesting to look at Birmingham. It was once the industrial powerhouse of the south back when nashville and charlotte were cotton fields. Will all the music industry in Nashville I consider it to be much hipper and interesting place than Charlotte, the boring banking city. Atlanta is the only city in the south that has a diverse economy, similar to Chicago.

I can see why you would think that Nashville is hipper and more interesting than Charlotte, but that doesn't make us a "boring banking city." The banks have given us much prosperity and a higher quality of life. If it wasn't for the growth of that industry and the population growth that followed, we wouldn't have two major league professional teams, a new downtown arena, a new cultural campus downtown, light rail, etc.

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

Yes, as a region the South is still developing (I hate the term "sunbelt" because of the negative connotations). But within the South there are various level of development and various levels of establishment, so it's kind of silly to even characterize it as a region for this discussion. Cities like Atlanta, New Orleans, Memphis, etc. have been larger cities much longer than Charlotte, so they are very different and really can't be painted with the "regional" brush.

True, but most of the Southern heavyweights today didn't really hit their stride until WWII and afterwards. The vast majority of cities that were more developed pre-WWII (New Orleans, Charleston, Savannah, Louisville, Richmond, etc.) have experienced much more modest growth since that time.

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

True, but most of the Southern heavyweights today didn't really hit their stride until WWII and afterwards. The vast majority of cities that were more developed pre-WWII (New Orleans, Charleston, Savannah, Louisville, Richmond, etc.) have experienced much more modest growth since that time.

Atlanta was much more developed pre-WWII than Charleston, Savannah, and Richmond. In 1940, Atlanta's population was 302,000...Charleston's was 71,000; Savannah's was 95,000; and Richmond's was 193,000. Atlanta and Louisville were about the same size.

Of course, Atlanta has continued to grow by leaps and bounds as it always has, but that doesn't mean that the city wasn't as developed prior to WWII. Atlanta's downtown was already large and had many highrises at the turn of the 20th century.

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

Atlanta was much more developed pre-WWII than Charleston, Savannah, and Richmond. In 1940, Atlanta's population was 302,000...Charleston's was 71,000; Savannah's was 95,000; and Richmond's was 193,000. Atlanta and Louisville were about the same size.

Of course, Atlanta has continued to grow by leaps and bounds as it always has, but that doesn't mean that the city wasn't as developed prior to WWII. Atlanta's downtown was already large and had many highrises at the turn of the 20th century.

That's why I said the "vast majority" and not all. Atlanta is certainly an exception.

[hatgirl007]

At least you are close to Charlotte. Working long hours can make any situation worse. Plan to go back at least once a month. Just go on priceline, bid online, gas up your vehicle and go home when you can. It will help you to feel better when you're in the ATL. I have a friend that lives in another part of NC and loves it so much. I visited Charlotte, NC and I liked the vibe. I might consider moving there sometime in the future. The fact that you miss it so much makes me believe it is a nice community.

Feel better, Charlotte blues.

[am2]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Stay in Atlanta, get in a time machine, set your destination for 1980, get out and you'll be in Charlotte.

Does that mean if get in the delorean in CLT and set your destination for 2040, you'll be in ATL? Lol


someone told once that If you want to see what ALT was like in 1980, go to Charlotte, if you want to see what it was like in 1950, go to Birmingham.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

I hate the term "sunbelt" because of the negative connotations.

What are the negative connotations of sunbelt? I haven't heard that before and am just asking.

[Lagwagon113]

I don't think there are any negative connotations with the term sunbelt. However, I do think it is misleading. When I think of the term sunbelt I think of places like Phoenix. Lumping the southeast in with other regions just because it is warm is a bit misleading. Personally I find "Deep south" more offensive as it seems to imply an area that is more backwards than just the "regular south". As if everyone acts and talks like Paula Dean. In any case, I guess it doesn't really matter so whatever.

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by arjay57

What are the negative connotations of sunbelt? I haven't heard that before and am just asking.

Read through a few threads on city-data that concern the region and you'll see what I was talking about in that post (from last year I think?). People from outside of the region love to sing the horrors of the sunbelt cities and love to avidly predict their demise. To many members of this site, the sunbelt is synonymous with sprawl (every city in every region sprawls), traffic (every city in every region has traffic issues); suburbia (every city in every region has endless suburbia), etc....you get the picture. Besides this, they love to fantasize that every city in the sunbelt is the same - when each city has it's own set of merits and faults that are totally independent of one another.

It has really just turned negative on this site...in the real world of verbal communication the sunbelt still holds a mostly positive image, or at least it seems that way from the stream of new residents from other regions.