Looking for young professionals...found out Cornelius is not the place the hard way! (Charlotte: homes, buying)
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I graduated college and moved to Charlotte about a year ago for a job. I moved to the Cornelius area because it A)is gorgeous, and I love the lake B)lots of parks for me/my dogs C)thought it would be a great place for networking
What I have learned is that it IS a gorgeous place live after you have established yourself a little. One of the best places to start a family that is for sure. However, I feel like I am missing a lot of opportunity to network with ambitious people around my age. Most people I have met my age in this area are bartenders, retail workers, etc...none working their way up the corporate ladder or entrepreneur driven.
Do you think that moving to Dilworth or Elizabeth would surround me with more people like me?
Move to Ballantyne if this is what you want. I am 22 years old and fresh out of college and not to brag but doing very well for my age, so are most of the people who live near me. Definetly give it a look. If ambition is what you want, come here.
Move to Ballantyne if this is what you want. I am 22 years old and fresh out of college and not to brag but doing very well for my age, so are most of the people who live near me. Definetly give it a look. If ambition is what you want, come here.
I graduated college and moved to Charlotte about a year ago for a job. I moved to the Cornelius area because it A)is gorgeous, and I love the lake B)lots of parks for me/my dogs C)thought it would be a great place for networking
What I have learned is that it IS a gorgeous place live after you have established yourself a little. One of the best places to start a family that is for sure. However, I feel like I am missing a lot of opportunity to network with ambitious people around my age. Most people I have met my age in this area are bartenders, retail workers, etc...none working their way up the corporate ladder or entrepreneur driven.
Do you think that moving to Dilworth or Elizabeth would surround me with more people like me?
I live in the area and find that there are tons of young professional people. I meet them at the Galway Hooker, Pelicans, many places in Birkdale although it it technically Huntersville and even Pruchuttos. I don't know your age, but the Cornelius area includes all ages just as Davidson does. Overall, I do agree that Cornelius is where most people live that are more established and have chosen the area for a permanent residence. Most people here commute into Charlotte for jobs as you know.
Again, I don't know your age group exactly or what you do. That would make advice easier.
Much depends on where a person choses to live out here. If you moved out the penninsula or some place like that, homes are great but they are out of the way. On the other hand, if you live somewhere off of Cawtaba, chances are that you are with a young, single crowd that are mostly(but not all) professional.
Most of my friends are busting their chops to get up the corporate letter. I don't really know what you mean by "entrepreneur driven?" I know what entrepreneur means, but the driven part is throwing me off. There have been many entrepreneurs out here and many have gone bust unfortunately. Anyway, best of luck wherever you end up.
I live in the area and find that there are tons of young professional people. I meet them at the Galway Hooker, Pelicans, many places in Birkdale although it it technically Huntersville and even Pruchuttos. I don't know your age, but the Cornelius area includes all ages just as Davidson does. Overall, I do agree that Cornelius is where most people live that are more established and have chosen the area for a permanent residence. Most people here commute into Charlotte for jobs as you know.
Again, I don't know your age group exactly or what you do. That would make advice easier.
Much depends on where a person choses to live out here. If you moved out the penninsula or some place like that, homes are great but they are out of the way. On the other hand, if you live somewhere off of Cawtaba, chances are that you are with a young, single crowd that are mostly(but not all) professional.
Most of my friends are busting their chops to get up the corporate letter. I don't really know what you mean by "entrepreneur driven?" I know what entrepreneur means, but the driven part is throwing me off. There have been many entrepreneurs out here and many have gone bust unfortunately. Anyway, best of luck wherever you end up.
Maybe I am looking in the wrong places, but I find most people that are out and about are trendy mothers in their 30's and 40's, families, or younger kids with wealthy parents that don't seem to be doing anything more than retail. Where does a mid 20's guy go to meet some people around here? I guess buying a boat and hanging out at the sandbar wouldn't be a bad idea.
By entrepreneur driven I just meant people who have a go-getter attitude.
By entrepreneur driven I just meant people who have a go-getter attitude.
I find it hilarious when people use terms like this, because it tends to be "newly minted" individuals thinking they are masters of the universe before the real world gets to them. Or else they become moderately successful but with hollowed-out souls. One can be hugely successful without wearing the attitude on one's sleeves or talking about "how we're going to take over the world" in one's free time. I think you'll find that down here, a lot of the "cream of the crop" people you refer to are very unassuming, and thus more difficult to pick out in a crowd - they watch football games on weekends or go hiking or boating or fishing or to little league games and such. The "networking" that takes place is incidental to being familiar with one another without actively fawning over each other's successes. I'll meet someone who owns a start-up technology business who in passing will know what I do, and then down the road if the situation is right, we'll remember each other and talk business.
What's also important to understand is that around here, moreso than I've found in other parts of the country, there is a "no go" zone that no amount of professional success is allowed to touch. People want to be parents and spouses, and not just by proxy. The definition of "success" here extends to so much more than the professional realm. Weekends are treated as "family time" by default, so if there's work to get done over the weekend, it is understood to be an imposition.
Does this put a cap on the level of professional success that one can achieve versus if one is gunning 24/7, and where all social objectives have the understood undercurrent as being an input into that professional success? Well maybe, but I'll take my very high income in a gorgeous place with low cost of living where I can enjoy my wife and raise kids properly and do fun things with them on weekends. It might mean I don't become the next Jerry Yang or Steve Jobs, but most people I knew who were gunning it in a more Type-A business market weren't going to either - but they were going to have a lot more gray hairs and early-age coronaries to show for it.
Maybe I am looking in the wrong places, but I find most people that are out and about are trendy mothers in their 30's and 40's, families, or younger kids with wealthy parents that don't seem to be doing anything more than retail. Where does a mid 20's guy go to meet some people around here? I guess buying a boat and hanging out at the sandbar wouldn't be a bad idea.
By entrepreneur driven I just meant people who have a go-getter attitude.
Yea, I see your point. My son is looking for a place around Elizabeth or uptown somewhere. He likes it here, but he is in the health business. I suppose you have been to the Rusty Rutter and Prushettos Pizza and Bar? Most of the residents out here are seem to be from from upstate N.Y. and the Boston/Chicago area and a bit older. Boats are great, but I would probably head uptown if I were you. Good luck.
I find it hilarious when people use terms like this, because it tends to be "newly minted" individuals thinking they are masters of the universe before the real world gets to them. Or else they become moderately successful but with hollowed-out souls. One can be hugely successful without wearing the attitude on one's sleeves or talking about "how we're going to take over the world" in one's free time. I think you'll find that down here, a lot of the "cream of the crop" people you refer to are very unassuming, and thus more difficult to pick out in a crowd - they watch football games on weekends or go hiking or boating or fishing or to little league games and such. The "networking" that takes place is incidental to being familiar with one another without actively fawning over each other's successes. I'll meet someone who owns a start-up technology business who in passing will know what I do, and then down the road if the situation is right, we'll remember each other and talk business.
What's also important to understand is that around here, moreso than I've found in other parts of the country, there is a "no go" zone that no amount of professional success is allowed to touch. People want to be parents and spouses, and not just by proxy. The definition of "success" here extends to so much more than the professional realm. Weekends are treated as "family time" by default, so if there's work to get done over the weekend, it is understood to be an imposition.
Does this put a cap on the level of professional success that one can achieve versus if one is gunning 24/7, and where all social objectives have the understood undercurrent as being an input into that professional success? Well maybe, but I'll take my very high income in a gorgeous place with low cost of living where I can enjoy my wife and raise kids properly and do fun things with them on weekends. It might mean I don't become the next Jerry Yang or Steve Jobs, but most people I knew who were gunning it in a more Type-A business market weren't going to either - but they were going to have a lot more gray hairs and early-age coronaries to show for it.
I think you're thinking a little too much on this. I just graduated with nearly hundreds of thousands of twenty-somethings that all have a common goal when they graduate- find a good job. These are the people I am looking to re-connect with (party,fish,watch football,whatever). I don't have any kids, and I want to hang around a good crowd of friends. Thats all.
I graduated college and moved to Charlotte about a year ago for a job. I moved to the Cornelius area because it A)is gorgeous, and I love the lake B)lots of parks for me/my dogs C)thought it would be a great place for networking
What I have learned is that it IS a gorgeous place live after you have established yourself a little. One of the best places to start a family that is for sure. However, I feel like I am missing a lot of opportunity to network with ambitious people around my age. Most people I have met my age in this area are bartenders, retail workers, etc...none working their way up the corporate ladder or entrepreneur driven.
Do you think that moving to Dilworth or Elizabeth would surround me with more people like me?
I live out here now (Cornelius) and still think of myself as a young professional, and as much as I LOVE Cornelius, I do find that most of my nights are spent around Charlotte. I spent plenty of time at Rudder where, at a point there were young professionals there that loved to hang on the coattails of the Nascar drivers that frequented it, but you would find a pretty hefty sum of people. In the summers on Sunday nights it's pretty cool. All the other places, eh. I don't have many friends up here except for the one's I've already known. It's hard to get integrated into Lake Norman nightlife, at least it was for me.
Anyway living here and going out in Charlotte isn't bad unless you constantly need to take cabs back and forth Good luck.
I think you're thinking a little too much on this. I just graduated with nearly hundreds of thousands of twenty-somethings that all have a common goal when they graduate- find a good job. These are the people I am looking to re-connect with (party,fish,watch football,whatever). I don't have any kids, and I want to hang around a good crowd of friends. Thats all.
My guess is that a lot of us can relate to these sentiments. I'm probably about ten years older than you, but I also have neither a spouse nor kids and so that seems to result in an uphill climb to find a social life in Charlotte and her surrounding communities.
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