Charlotte vs. Atlanta

[Akhenaton06]

It's not plain stupid. There are cities around the same size as Charlotte that have more exciting and vibrant areas with much more character.

That's not what I said. I said that it's stupid to expect a city less than half the size of Atlanta to have neighborhoods just as large and encompassing in terms of scale. But in terms of being similar, those neighborhoods I listed are similar to those in Atlanta; it's just that the scale is smaller because Charlotte is a smaller city.

And speaking of Sunbelt cities "around the same size as Charlotte that have more exciting and vibrant areas with much more character," the only one that comes immediately to mind would be New Orleans, and we know that's not exactly a fair comparison.

Charlotte is trying, but it's just not "there" yet (and the recession is slowing it all down and making it worse), and being in my early 20's I don't have time to wait around for it to get "there".

That's fine, and I respect that; even feel the same way to a certain extent as I hope to move to DC in the near future (which has neighborhoods more vibrant and exciting than Atlanta I'd say, but that's another discussion). But at the same time, I don't disregard the progress that Charlotte has clearly made already, but depending on how long you've been here, you might not be aware of far it has really come in such a short period of time. I'm just enjoying the city for what it is until I'm able to move on. Maybe you should do the same because you just might wind up waiting longer than you'd want to. Life is a funny thing.

[gladt]

Originally Posted by mrdkb

I like Charlotte - may even move there. And you are correct. It's just like Jacksonville.

I disagree. Charlotte is not much like Jacksonville. Charlotte is NOT on Atlanta's level (lived there), but it is Much closer to what Atlanta is and offers than JAX.

[mike7586]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

That's not what I said. I said that it's stupid to expect a city less than half the size of Atlanta to have neighborhoods just as large and encompassing in terms of scale. But in terms of being similar, those neighborhoods I listed are similar to those in Atlanta; it's just that the scale is smaller because Charlotte is a smaller city.

And speaking of Sunbelt cities "around the same size as Charlotte that have more exciting and vibrant areas with much more character," the only one that comes immediately to mind would be New Orleans, and we know that's not exactly a fair comparison.

That's fine, and I respect that; even feel the same way to a certain extent as I hope to move to DC in the near future (which has neighborhoods more vibrant and exciting than Atlanta I'd say, but that's another discussion). But at the same time, I don't disregard the progress that Charlotte has clearly made already, but depending on how long you've been here, you might not be aware of far it has really come in such a short period of time. I'm just enjoying the city for what it is until I'm able to move on. Maybe you should do the same because you just might wind up waiting longer than you'd want to. Life is a funny thing.

Well, if you are only going to compare Sunbelt cities, then fine. Only Austin, TX comes to mind. If you look at cities all over the country, there are more.

I grew up in Charlotte and I've seen the changes. Yes, it's like night and day but there is still so much more that needs to be done in terms of it being more exciting for us young people. Atlanta and DC are built completely different and I agree about the neighborhoods in DC, however Atlanta is making much more progess than Charlotte. With the exception of Miami, Atlanta is the best city for young professionals in the Southeast.

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by mike7586

Well, if you are only going to compare Sunbelt cities, then fine. Only Austin, TX comes to mind. If you look at cities all over the country, there are more.

And Austin has a huge university smack dab in the middle of downtown also. That's a pretty big advantage to have. Had UNCC been built Uptown, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. But after a while, just clubbing with a bunch of college-age kids gets old.

I grew up in Charlotte and I've seen the changes. Yes, it's like night and day but there is still so much more that needs to be done in terms of it being more exciting for us young people.

I'm sure people said that same thing about Atlanta when it was Charlotte's size. Change didn't come overnight to Atlanta, and it's not coming overnight to Charlotte. But if you look back just over the past 10 years, huge strides have been made in the right direction and they continue to be made.

Atlanta and DC are built completely different and I agree about the neighborhoods in DC, however Atlanta is making much more progess than Charlotte.

That's because Atlanta had a head start much, much earlier than Charlotte and because of that, it has more momentum. Look, if Charlotte and Atlanta had both started out in similar positions, and Charlotte had somehow gotten lazy and let Atlanta zoom past it, then I could understand the complaints. But again, you simply cannot expect a metro area less than half the size of Atlanta to be up to par with Atlanta. That's just unreasonable on just about every level. When you stack Charlotte up against its peers, Charlotte does very, very well. So I'd say that your issue isn't so much with Charlotte as it is with cities the size of Charlotte.

With the exception of Miami, Atlanta is the best city for young professionals in the Southeast.

And Atlanta is also the largest metro area in the Southeast. I don't think that's a coincidence. Charlotte is pretty much tops in its league though. Again, this isn't a fair comparison to begin with. I say the same thing for people who expect Atlanta to be like NYC, which is just as crazy.

[mike7586]

I agree with what you said about UNCC. However, even though Austin and Atlanta (and even DC) have very large college populations, their nightlife is not dominated by college students. They are all too large to be considered "college towns", so no, it doesn't get old because there's more than that. I could rant about the scene here in Charlotte, but I don't want to offend anyone. All I can say is that it's lame, and I prefer places like Austin and Atlanta over Charlotte. Like I said, Charlotte is attempting to make some progress, but I'm not waiting around for it. Places like DC and Austin are great, but Atlanta works for me because it's close to my family here in Charlotte and I prefer to not be too far from them.

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by mike7586

I agree with what you said about UNCC. However, even though Austin and Atlanta (and even DC) have very large college populations, their nightlife is not dominated by college students. They are all too large to be considered "college towns", so no, it doesn't get old because there's more than that.

Atlanta's too large to be considered a "college town," but I don't think Austin is, at least to a certain extent. Austin's identity is largely rooted in UT, even more so than being the state capital. You can say the same thing about Columbus, OH. You can see that reflected in the local sports culture. College sports dominate to the extent that there are no major league professional teams there, and they would face an uphill battle if major league teams were to try and break into a market like Austin. That can have something of an alienating effect on those who have no ties to UT and like major league sports. But you're still college-aged, so things like that probably don't matter to you quite as much as they do to me since I'm pushing 30. I would just rather not live in a city where a good bit of the venues are geared towards that early 20's crowd, like Austin. Proportionately speaking, Charlotte has more venues for the slightly older crowd, which is probably why this city suits me a bit more than it suits you.

I could rant about the scene here in Charlotte, but I don't want to offend anyone. All I can say is that it's lame, and I prefer places like Austin and Atlanta over Charlotte. Like I said, Charlotte is attempting to make some progress, but I'm not waiting around for it.

Like I stated, your issue seems to be more with Charlotte's size than the city itself. The city isn't where I'd prefer it to be myself, but that has more to do with its size than any lack of effort on Charlotte's part. Among its regional peers, Charlotte ranks towards the top in terms of vibrancy. But then again, some things depend on one's social circle (or lack thereof), certain musical/artistic tastes, etc.

[FromCLTtoATL]

I lived in Charlotte from 2000 to mid-2008. I moved to Decatur then and work in downtown Atlanta. I preferred Charlotte. But it's all so personal and subjective. I can see why Atlanta would have more appeal for lots of people. [And I work 7 p.m. to 3:30 a.m., so it's hard to get connected to the community with those hours. If I had a church and friends I could see more regularly, I'm sure Atlanta would have more appeal to me.]

Under the right employment circumstances, I'd like to live a in a small city -- something along the lines of Asheville, Chapel Hill, Wilmington, Carrboro, Athens, Savannah, Charlottesville. So you can see why Atlanta isn't quite my speed right now.

[AtlantaGuy21]

Everyone has there reason for living where they wanna live. So just be happy where you at if it makes you happy. Yes I stayed in Charlotte for 6 months on west harris and yes it was boring as watching 2 chickens lay eggs. But instead of trying to downplay charlotte I just moved back to hot atlanta

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by AtlantaGuy21

Yes I stayed in Charlotte for 6 months on west harris and yes it was boring as watching 2 chickens lay eggs.

I'd be bored living there also. The University area is my least favorite part of town.

[AtlantaGuy21]

But if I wanted to raise a family I would certainly move to Charlotte. I grew up in miami so I have to be in a very lively city. And shopping options mean a lot to me too. Charlotte don't carry the stores I like.