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So, our very, very curious question is: why did each of you move from Colorado to the Charlotte area. Was it because of the winters in Colorado or??? Please tell us that.
We moved to have our child closer to our families. We miss Colorado very very much. Although we'd rather live in Colorado Springs (however, we don't miss the icy roads!), we feel like it's a sacrifice that we are willing to make to have our son grow up near relatives--- we had no one there (relative-wise), and it was becoming increasingly expensive for all of us to fly "home" to the south 3-4 times a year. If we didn't have kids, we would likely still be in Colorado.
My wife's immediate family is in So Calif, but we sure won't move back there. And, when the Denver area gets "buried" again in another snowstorm or blizzard, we will be "thinking" about all the "digging out" they will be doing. Heck, the wife and I have had "snow days" off from work, but a large part of that day was taking up digging out of a snowstorm/blizzard......that wasn't my idea of fun or a day off! We don't know if the Charlotte area will be for us, but we have to leave here and Charlotte is worth the try.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 3johnsons
We moved to have our child closer to our families. We miss Colorado very very much. Although we'd rather live in Colorado Springs (however, we don't miss the icy roads!), we feel like it's a sacrifice that we are willing to make to have our son grow up near relatives--- we had no one there (relative-wise), and it was becoming increasingly expensive for all of us to fly "home" to the south 3-4 times a year. If we didn't have kids, we would likely still be in Colorado.
I have been everywhere. Lived in jersey most of my life, then moved to colorado for a job relocation. lived in centennial, co for a year and then had to come back to jersey for 6 months job situation got bad out there and then came to charlotte
I dont miss the icy roads, bad drivers, and many more things I hated about colorado, but I do miss the nice cool evenings in the summer/fall. The mountains in plain sight and BOULDER/estes park etc..
Location: Between Belmont & Cramerton, North Carolina
199 posts, read 956,752 times
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LoveBoating, you seem to be pretty convinced that Charlotte is a good alternative. I would recommend that you visit the area before you make any decisions. You mentioned before that you are in your late 50's so you might retire in a few years. I am just not sure if I'd like to retire in Charlotte. It seems to be more of a young to middle-aged family kind of place.
Also, you mentioned in another thread that some long-time Coloradoans don't like the transplants from California. Same is true to a certain extent in Charlotte w/ transplants from NJ, NY as well as other states.
...mountains in plain sight and BOULDER/estes park etc..
OH, yeah... Our two favorite places in Colorado are Estes Park and Ouray. I think they're probably the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I love the cool, dry air...
Bad drivers in CO, are you kidding, Charlotte has terriable drivers. No one seems to understand what a turn signal is(I'm always getting cut off or nearly run off the road) and there is an accident on 77 or 485 all the time. I wish I could do a study on what happened to the drivers and the use of turn signals here. Maybe its me since I'm moving back to CO. I am originally from Winston-Salem and man things have changed.
Here in Parker, we are always seeing people running red lights. In fact, we see it in other areas also. When there are Officers out on the streets here, I'll bet they have no problems at all ticketing speeders and "red light runners".
As far as us coming out to Charlotte for a visit, just can't do.....got to move there and hope for the best. As I have said in other Replies, people can not learn a whole lot about an area by just visiting for a week. If they are truely interested in living in a certain area, the best thing to do is move there and settle down for a year and then decide "stay or not". And, as I have stated before, not everyone has the time or money to travel around the U.S. looking for the right place to live. If we can not handle the weather in the Charlotte area (or whatever else comes up), we will just have to move somewhere else. North Carolina and the Charlotte area will be a new experience for us that we are looking forward to going there. Just can't wait to see Lake Norman, the Blue Ridge Mountain area, the Outer Banks and the big Atlantic Ocean that I (husband) has never seen before.
Just wish us "good luck" and continue with telling us why you moved to the Charlotte area and why you like it there.
Bad drivers in CO, are you kidding, Charlotte has terriable drivers. No one seems to understand what a turn signal is(I'm always getting cut off or nearly run off the road) and there is an accident on 77 or 485 all the time. I wish I could do a study on what happened to the drivers and the use of turn signals here. Maybe its me since I'm moving back to CO. I am originally from Winston-Salem and man things have changed.
I've seen bad drivers everywhere I've lived-- I don't think any particular region/state has the market cornered on them.
In Colorado, my pet peeve was all the people who drove big 4 wheel drive SUVs in the winter driving WAY too fast for conditions, but hey--- they drive a 4 wheel drive, so they are immune to hazardous road conditions, right? I witnessed road rage there and also tailgating on the interstate through the city every day.
In NC, I see the exact same things (sans the winter "expert" drivers). I have to admit that I'd never been "flipped off" by another driver until I moved to Charlotte. I intentionally drive the back roads now just to avoid the crazies on the freeways.
My family and I lived in Parker CO 7 years! I know EXACTLY what you are talking about. We enjoyed Parker (and Ft. Collins for 3 years) but, having grown up in the Atlanta area, had a hard time getting used to the snow and lack of trees. Though I loved the cool summer evenings, the front range is also quite brown (as opposed to green) for so much of the year. I also dreaded the winter commutes - some years it was twice a week of white-knuckling it to work. And yes, Parker is full of families, which was nice when our daughter was in high school, but after she left, we also felt a little out of place.
We chose Charlotte for the moderate climate and the trees, and because the city is large enough to have jobs and a variety of people, both from the south and from elsewhere. We arrived in June of this year and love it, in spite of the streak of hot weather in August. There is a friendliness/warm-heartedness in the South that I find still here. I definitely look forward to a long fall of beautiful trees and cooler temps, instead of having all the trees broken by 12 inches of snow in mid October, as happened in 2005 in Denver.
We are living in Mint Hill, which is east of Charlotte. We found a cute community called Brighton Park, with new homes on small lots. We can walk to the library, grocery store, coffee shop, even dentist's office.... Last weekend we walked to the Mint Hill Madness parade, which lined up in our neighborhood. We love it here.
Best wishes to you on your move - I think it will be great fun for you to see this side of the country!!!
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