Quote:
Originally Posted by sweets7
Anyone have any ideas or opinions on the similarities or differences between the two cities/ surrounding areas of each? ...especially if you have actually been to or lived in each city. Thanks
-culture
-school systems
-jobs
-crime
-nightlife
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I'll start with nightlife b/c it's the easiest one for me to describe. It's different here, and this will help you understand the culture more, I think. Nightlife in Cbus is more about bars - specifically local bars - and not so much clubs. You go out to drink, maybe play pool or darts and hang out with your friends. It's not a popularity contest. Here if you go out it's all about getting dressed up, taking your Louis Vuitton clutch and going to clubs uptown. There are plenty of people who just go to grab wings and watch football or whatever, but they are still putting on their ironed jeans and most douchy shirt. It's more about being seen.
Next I'll tackle school systems. ZnGuy is right, the schools in the Cbus suburbs will always trump the schools here, as most northern schools will trump most southern schools. There are some decent ones around Charlotte and in Union county and even in Fort Mill, just across the border into SC. The learning is a little different here though. I don't really know how to describe it...I'll have to give it some thought.
I'm not sure what field you're looking into, so I can't comment much on jobs. I will say that the majority of people looking for jobs and not finding them here are in the business and banking sector and outside of that jobs seem relatively easy to come by. Relative depending on your situation, of course. I have never had a problem finding a job here and my husband is fortunate to be not only secure in his job but also constantly courted by other companies who want him. Like I said, it really depends on your field.
I don't know the actual crime statistics, but I can tell you about the "feel" of crime here compared to Cbus. There's more - MUCH more, and it's everywhere. Crime in Cbus is mostly concentrated to certain areas and the suburbs, while not necessarily immune, are extremely safe. Here there is lots of crime all over, even in the nicest sections. It's mostly non-violent like home burglaries, car break-ins, etc. There are a
TON of drunk drivers, drunk driving accidents, stupid accidents (like just the other day some teenager was driving through a neighborhood, bent down to get her phone off of the floor and mowed down a grandpa, his granddaughter and a baby in a stroller - they died), and hit-and-runs. I'm not uncomfortable here, but I'm definitely not as comfortable as I was in Cbus. We have reinforced doors, dogs, a home alarm, etc. I would never worry about that in Ohio.
Culture...is VERY different. Despite the fact that Ohio is kind of a swing state, it feels much more democratic than NC. It's pretty conservative here, and people are not afraid to love their guns, Fox news and church. That's not always a bad thing, for instance when I lived in SC (for 7 years) people were very kind, welcoming and non-judgmental. That is definitely not the case here. Someone said recently it's because there are so many transplants here and the "locals" feel like they are under attack...but I think a lot of them are just rude and miserable and they want to smash their way of life into your face. I'm a little cynical about that.
The art scene is slowly developing here. There are a couple of decent museums uptown, and I think they have an art crawl or something. It's not nearly as popular as it is in Cbus, but I honestly think they are working on it and it will only get better. As for music, it's very dismal. Other than stupid pop crap, no bigger names come here and the local music scene is terrible. The symphony and chorus aren't great and we don't get the big name guest conductors and singers like in Cbus. There's no ballet or opera either.
Sports...I miss Ohio sports so much. It's true we have professional teams here, but nobody really cares. They are all fairweather fans, if they are fans at all (which I'm not). They say it's because everyone here is from somewhere else and they are loyal to their home teams. I could see that. Games are quiet, the fans are more reserved, it's just a different scene. Even the golf tournament, now called the Wells Fargo Championship, is a place to be seen and not just to go watch golf. I guess the excitement just isn't there like it is in Cbus. You know how the whole town shuts down for the Michigan game? Sigh...
Columbus is more middle-class, blue-collar type culture, where Charlotte attempts to be more white-collar. Everyone here either has an MBA and is a workaholic, or they are a SAHM with 2.5 kids and a minivan. Either way, it's very much about keeping up with the Joneses. Someone said it used to be more "live and let live" here, but I don't see that at all now. Maybe it's from all of the newcomers, I'm not sure. I think Charlotte definitely struggles with its identity.
Alright, some good things: The weather. Despite all of the things Cbus has going for it, it would be a hard sell for me. Today it's 60 with a clear blue sky and bright, warm sunshine, and it's supposed to be this way all week. Ahhh!
Charlotte is within a couple of hours of the mountains and the ocean, as well as being only 4 hours to Atlanta, 7 hours to DC and Florida, etc. I really feel like we are in the middle of it all. There are lots of parks and greenways here, and plenty of hiking nearby. I know Ohio has lots of that stuff too, but the weather here makes it so much more accessible and enjoyable year round. There is more diversity here, which I like a lot. It's not that there's not diversity in Columbus, but it's segregated diversity, if you know what I mean. Here, people of all colors and walks of life live in every neighborhood, go to every school, shop at every store. It's definitely a melting pot. (of course, there's still plenty of racism. It's the south after all)
This was definitely a novel. Hope it helps. I should disclose that I don't love it here, but I'm sure you figured that out. I don't hate it, just don't love it. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions or want more info. Just for your reference, I grew up in Grandview, moved to Dublin and graduated from DHS (back when there was only one
). I lived on Campus for two years before moving to SC.
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