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I am considering moving down to Charlotte/surrounding area from the DC/Northern Virginia region. After spending a few days here wandering around the city and 'burbs, I have enjoyed my visit and the people here were very friendly! (Pleasantly surprised.)
I have a few questions, if you folks would be kind enough to share some of your knowledge and experience:
1. If money was not an option, what luxury apartment complexes would you recommend? (They don't necessarily have to be in the city, I'm looking for quality over location within reason of a Charlotte-based job and no kids/pets.) Bonus points if they have tennis courts and/or a water view.
2. For folks that have either lived or spent significant amounts of time in DC/NoVA, how do these two cities compare in terms of COL, attractions/things to do, 20s-30s population, traffic, diversity, etc?
3. While I may be prompted to move down to NC depending on my job offer(s), my partner will need to find new work as he cannot transfer. Is there much work in the city/surrounding area for civil engineering firms? My partner is a CAD designer with ~decade of experience and a major factor in our decision to relocate will be his ability to secure a job.
Hey Pequeno-I really do not know too much about Charlotte Luxury Apartmets, but there are many places on Lake Norman, which is north of Charlotte. We relocated here about 5 years ago and love it!! Plenty of nighlife in Charlotte - Amos' downtown or at the lake have great live music/bands-excellent restaurants like Ruth Chris Steak house & McCormick & Schmick's Seafood. Plenty of fun things to do. I am sure there are others who know more than I do in regards to Charlotte, I am in Lake Norman area, so hopefully you will get some responses from them. Hope this helps a little bit!!
My DH and I moved down to the Charlotte area from the DC/NoVa area almost 5 years ago and the two areas really don't compare. There are far more things to do in the DC/NoVa area, but if you are looking for 20-30's somethings your best bets are the lake area (Cornelius, Huntersville, LKN) or the uptown area. It's nothing like the Arlington area or even the DC club scene if you are into that.
I'm not sure about any luxury apartment areas how much are you looking to spend? There are a couple of condo's on the LKN that you could perhaps rent....
Where would you be working? The Charlotte job market isn't that great and if you couldn't afford to support the both of you until he found a job I wouldn't move. We have since moved back to the DC/NoVa area for that reason.
Riley09swb, thanks to you also. While we're young, we prefer the Old Town Alexandria area instead of Arlington/DC. (We haven't been into the club scene for a long while.) I'd be comfortable paying up to ~$1,000/month on rent if that helps narrow down the options.
I'd be working for a major IT company down that way for ~1-2 years before launching to another site in the nation. I can afford to support both of us comfortably until our next move although it would be preferable if we both can find employment.
Riley09swb, thanks to you also. While we're young, we prefer the Old Town Alexandria area instead of Arlington/DC. (We haven't been into the club scene for a long while.) I'd be comfortable paying up to ~$1,000/month on rent if that helps narrow down the options.
I'd be working for a major IT company down that way for ~1-2 years before launching to another site in the nation. I can afford to support both of us comfortably until our next move although it would be preferable if we both can find employment.
I don't think you can really compare D.C. and Charlotte. D.C has twice the population of Charlotte. But for a city our size there is plenty to do. I am in my 20's and think Charlotte is a great city for people in that age group. Uptown Charlotte is filled with different clubs, bars and restaurants. The Epi Center always has something going on. NoDa, Charlotte's art district is also a cool place to be. As is Plaza/Midwood. When I first moved here back in 2002, I thought Charlotte was the most boring place on earth. But it has come a long way. As far as luxury apartments I would look in Ballantyne, located South of Charlotte. It doesn't have "water views" but I know for a fact that some of the pools these apartments have are quite amazing. And actually Ballantyne has a lot to do around it. Traffic is pretty bad, but I am sure it is no worse then D.C.
You could google Charlotte apartments. I would consider apartments in these areas: Carmel, Providence, Cotswold, Ballentine, Beverly Woods, Foxcroft, Landsdowne, Montibello, Myers Park, Old Providence, Myers Park and Quail Hollow. All of these apartments are in southeast Charlotte. This is a very good area to raise a family. I believe that is what I hear that you are saying. You have evolved beyond your days of frequenting bars. I lived in SE Charlotte, for many years, before moving to an outlying county. If you could locate near South Park Mall, you would do well. SE Charlotte would have all of the amenities that you would need from shopping to dining to schools etc. This is a great area to live in. I believe that it is the best area to live in the Charlotte area. And if you decide to venture beyond South Park area for dining and entertainment, downtown does offer a lively nightlife with 175 restaurants and bars. But as Riley09swb pointed out, it cannot compare to DC. But that should go without saying. However, if you were totally happy DC then you wouyld not be moving, would you?
I lived in the DC/NOVA area for a few yrs right after college and while I loved it I really do enjoy Charlotte much more - moved here a couple yrs ago. A few of the positives: cost of living much better than DC area - able to rent a nice apt. uptown for less than $1200 which after living in DC was definitely a deal, I've found people to be very friendly here, the weather is milder, and although traffic can get bad here it's definitely much better than the DC/VA area. It's also a pretty diverse city but what I've found lacking is the high # of great ethnic restaurants that DC has (but maybe I just haven't found them yet). There definitely won't be the high # of museums, clubs, bars, etc. that you have in DC but there is still plenty to do here: http://www.charlottesgotalot.com/resources/pdfs/101-things-to-do-letter.pdf (broken link) I can't comment too much on the places to live part since I now live in the burbs but did enjoy living uptown because I enjoyed walking everywhere including the sporting events. Uptown might remind you more of Ballston than Old Town though. GL!
I'd be comfortable paying up to ~$1,000/month on rent if that helps narrow down the options.
You might not find "luxury" in Charlotte (or even DC metro) for that price. Most places in Charlotte that are considered "luxury rentals" start at $1200 per month. Personally, I think you and your partner would enjoy uptown, southend, or the southpark areas of Charlotte the most. Here are some areas to start with.
Charlotte Luxury Apartments for Rent | The Millennium South End (http://www.themillennium.com/North-Carolina/Charlotte/Millennium-South-End/Home-1916.html - broken link) 1312 South College Street, Charlotte, NC - Google Maps (don't let the dated google image fool you, they are built now).
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