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We might be relocating to Charlotte for my husband's job. We are coming up the week of Thanksgiving to tour the city and see if it would be a good fit for us. From my reading, Charlotte seems to be a good sized city with lots of different neighborhoods. Could anyone help me narrow down our search by letting me know what areas would be best for us to possibly live in? We are in our late twenties, I am a stay at home mom and we have two little girls. A neighborhood with lots of young, active families in a good school zone would be a priority. I don't yet know where my husband's office would be, he would be setting up a new branch so we might have some say in it. I don't have a problem living in a surrounding area but I'm definatly a city girl rather than a rural girl and like to live close to things (I'd love to be within walking distance of something...it doesn't matter what, cafe, shops, whatever, I just feel trapped if I can't get someplace by foot).
We currently live in Gainesville, Florida and really like it here. We have also lived in Jacksonville, Orlando and South Florida so if anyone can compare Charlotte neighborhoods to ones in those cities that would be great!
and my random question of the day...one of my daughters is named Charlotte, obviously named before we thought we might live in NC one day! Would she be a freak in school as a Charlotte in Charlotte?
We had friends who lived in Charlotte with a daughter named Charlotte so - no, she wouldn't be a "freak" at all. http://bestsmileys.com/love1/1.gif (broken link)
As for neighborhoods, there are a lot of SAHMs with young children in Charlotte. Walkable areas, however, are at a premium because it does have a lot of suburban sprawl. Dilworth, Elizabeth and Myers Park are all older walkable communities, but may be out of your price range. There are some newer mixed-use neighborhoods like Blakeney and Baxter in Union County and Fort Mill, respectively may offer an alternative.
we moved from Fort Lauderdale to Charlotte 2 months ago because of the schools. We have 2 little ones (3 years and 10 months)
We love it here now. Life is so much better than in Florida.
There are so many things to do with the kids on the weekends.
We live in Highland Creek now which is a very big community with lots of kids around and things to do.
Part of Highland Creek is in Mecklenburg County and part in Cabarrus County.
Cabarrus County has the better schools.
Now when it comes to shopping, Florida was more convenient.
I used to to be able to drive 10 minutes and had all the stores I wanted right there, while here everything is definitely way more spread out and you have to drive more.
But you get used to it and our priorities are good schools and better way of life so I don`t mind the drive.
I second the Blakeney idea. I live nearby and that is a great area with good schools too. I want my brother to move there. Cute houses too. And I don't feel far from anything except uptown.
Living within walking distance to shops and cafes is hard to find in Charlotte, I think, unless you live in Uptown, which is expensive. When my husband and I first moved to Charlotte, we rented an apt in the Pineville area called Birkshire. There's a shopping plaza and Lowes across the street. But it's still best to drive over there because of the lack of pedestrian crossings.
I can't emphasize more the importance of finding a good realtor. That was what we did. We got in touch with a relocation expert before we flew to Charlotte for a tour. We let him know our needs. We decided to rent for a couple months while looking at houses in different neighborhoods with him. We finally bought a house in NW in Mountain Island Lake area. It's more like a country side than the city. We don't have kids yet but a lot of families in the our subdivision do. I see school buses every day. We have community pool, parks, playgrounds and lake access. So every family's situation is unique. I suggest you do the same thing by renting first, esp you don't know where your husband is going to work yet. But make sure to find a place that offers short-term lease. I'm more than happy to share our experience with you if you need further information. Good luck!
I am originally from Charlotte and returned after living in Dallas and Atlanta so that my children could be raised here! I have lived in the Highland Creek Community for 14 years and am in my second home there. It is in the northern part of the city - nestled between I-77 and I-85. We have an elementary school right in the neighborhood (Highland Creek Elementary) that opened last year, a middle school will open in 2 years right next door and the new high school (Mallard Creek High School) opened just this year. For the money you are spending you can easily find a nice home with 2800 to 3000 square feet. Home owners dues (which pay allow you to use everything but golf) are about $135/quarter. There are children everywhere, 4 swimming pools (one with a water park), numerous parks, walking trails and a public golf course. There is also a retirement home within the neighborhood so every age group is represented. There are many playgroups, dinner clubs, empty nester clubs, etc. You should come take a look! Best of luck to you! I think you will find Charlotte a wonderful place to live, work and raise your children!
Wanted to comment on the schools.....we have had children in both Cabarrus and Mecklenburg - I personally prefer Mecklenburg. I have had 2 children graduate (another is in 8th grade) and both were accepted into and attend top tier universities. We were told at UNC that your chances of getting in were far greater if you graduated from North Mecklenburg or Myers Park than other schools in North Carolina due to their fine reputation and IB programs. I know this is awhile ahead for you but it is something to think about. The one thing to consider if you chose to live in Mecklenburg is to keep in mind that attendance areas do change - especially if a new school is being built. Don't be afraid to knock on doors in neighborhoods you are considering to ask questions. If people have children in the schools they will probably be more than happy to help you.
Thank you all for your input! It will definatly help me decide where to explore when we come up for a visit next month. I know renting in the begining would be the best way to learn the area but we are really going to try our best to explore and visit on a few vacations, i want to minimize moves for my kids and my eldest daughter will be starting kindergarten and I want her in the school she will be going to for elementary rather than moving to an apt and then to a house in a different school zone. My husband is in construction so travel is a part of his job, he might not be in his office on any given day in a week so he wants a neighborhood where the girls and I will be happy rather than simply close to his work.
Does anyone have a realtor they would reccomend?
I saw a house online that I loved, it's zip code was 28273 and it was zoned for Lake Wylie Elem. Is that a good area?
Thank you all for your input! It will definatly help me decide where to explore when we come up for a visit next month. I know renting in the begining would be the best way to learn the area but we are really going to try our best to explore and visit on a few vacations, i want to minimize moves for my kids and my eldest daughter will be starting kindergarten and I want her in the school she will be going to for elementary rather than moving to an apt and then to a house in a different school zone. My husband is in construction so travel is a part of his job, he might not be in his office on any given day in a week so he wants a neighborhood where the girls and I will be happy rather than simply close to his work.
Does anyone have a realtor they would reccomend?
I saw a house online that I loved, it's zip code was 28273 and it was zoned for Lake Wylie Elem. Is that a good area?
Yes, that is Steele Creek and I like the 28273 area and the Lake Wyllie Elementary area. Here's a thought, our poster weedydidi has her home for sale there right now - why not message her and get more details?
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Lsa
