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When you all say that it has little or culture, nightlife etc- what is your frame of reference? Does it genuinely have no culture (when it seems to me that Charlotte IS making an effort to enhance it's cultural standards through projects such as the Convention Center) or does it have no culture in comparison to Manhattan?!
Is the traffic REALLY that bad?! Bear in mind that the average commute in London takes around 1 1/2 - 2 hours!!
Is the crime problem REALLY that bad?! Albuquerque has one of the highest gang crime and murder rates in the US, but that doesn't mean that thugs live around every street corner!!
Are the people REALLY that unfriendly?! I have spent some time in both New York and San Francisco, and wouldn't rank either (or any other big city for that matter) as the home of polite and friendly masses.
So, what i'm really getting at, is how does Charlotte rate next to other cities of 1/2- 1million people?
Also, does anyone have any thoughts on the relative merits of Raleigh compared to Charlotte?
As to the first point, let's bring some reference points in: Charlotte is a city of banking. Bankers tend to be relatively conservative. This is the same place that was home to Heritage USA for YEARS and has long been known more for its Sunday morning life than its Saturday night life, if you know what I mean.
Of all the cities with NBA franchises, Charlotte is easily the sleepiest at night. Easily. Even Memphis and Milwaukee have a better nightlife. So if that is important to a person, it is a good thing to know about Charlotte.
As to the traffic, the roads here were never meant to handle over 600,000 people. The same can be said for the schools and other infrastructure. Like many other places in NC, the infrastructure has lagged behind the appeal to people from other states. The result is traffic. It is relatively focused on certain times of the day, but it's still pretty bad.
Based on 2004 crime statistics, Charlotte has slightly worse crime than Albuquerque. This does not surprise me, as the population density in Charlotte (and this general part of the US) is greater.
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Raleigh and Charlotte are quite different, but neither is really better. Raleigh is focused around colleges and college sports and the jobs there are quite varied, whereas Charlotte is focused largely around one industry (banking) and has more pro sports teams. Both places have a decidedly suburban feel. They are both great places to raise kids, but it can get boring after a while.
jdelre13 must have some bigger problems than city of residence. Sounds like a negative unhappy person in general to me.
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Originally Posted by jdelre13
I lived in this piece of crap city for 6 years - never again. Terrible nightlife
Crush, Liquid, Menage, NV? Just to name a few night spots.
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Originally Posted by jdelre13
no history
Ever been through the Charlotte Museum of History?
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no character, no culture (Little Italy, Chinatown etc etc, NONEXISTANT)
Immigrants here actually join the rest of society and help make it a diverse city instead of all sticking to themselve in one little area. I prefer it this way over having a Littly Italy, Chinatown, etc, etc.
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Originally Posted by jdelre13
I would NOT recommend Charlotte. everyone is phony. . .all about trying to keep up with the Jones'. . . the city has no personality whatsoever.
That is quite the blanket statement for over 1.6 million people.
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Originally Posted by jdelre13
Basically, either you work at BoFA or Wachovia. Your hard pressed to find any other employment. If it wasn't for these two banks, this city would be a complete ghost town
This is just plain stupid. Almost too stupid to merit a reply. Thousands of jobs are available all around Charlotte, that are NOT with Bank of America or Wachovia. I don't work for either one of them and I have yet to meet a person that works for either one. They do not employ anywhere near 1.6 Million+ people around this city.
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(Other than the MS13 gangs that seem to be invading the area lately)
There is probably way more MS13 in New Jersey. I have yet to notice a real gang problem here.
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Originally Posted by jdelre13
(Although traffic is an absolute nightmare - even with 485 complete it still didn't help)
Complete? 485 is still not complete. Only 3/4 of it is open.
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If you are single, not interested in children yet, and want to experience life a little bit before marriage, then Charlotte is not the place for you.
I am 27 with no interest in children yet. I am having a great time in Charlotte. I have had no problem meeting friendly people or finding places to go out at night. I just found out about a big weekly wednesday night sportbike ride and dinner that I will probably start going on in the near future.
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Originally Posted by jdelre13
To observe a BoFA and a Wachovia branch strategically placed on every major street intersection throughout the city can become a little stale.
What is your problem with these 2 banks? Do they really bother you that badly? In the Minneapolis area there is a TCF Bank or Wells Fargo Bank at every major intersection. In Chicago, Boston, or San Francisco there is probably some other bank at every corner. Who complains about the banks around a city?
It all depends on the person. I have lived within an hour of NYC all my life and would never live anywhere in the city. When you return to NYC after being many areas of the country you can see how filthy,old,run down,and nasty it can be. Downtown Dallas for instance is spotless compared to NYC. In NYC there are nasty smells coming from everywhere. People rush around avoiding eye contact. Car will run you over before even considering stopping for you. People will swear at you 2 seconds after the light turns green if you haven't started to move. I agree with the previous poster that talked about there being so much to do within the area. Within 3 hours of Charlotte there is so much to do. The beaches are paradise compared to those in the northeast. Charleston and Savannah are incredible historic places. The mountains are beautiful and there is so much to do there.
In short, I think no one place is really better than the other, it's just different. The question is only then, do those changes suit your needs more than the other place?
But honestly, every move is going to be a trade-off of some sort or another. EVEN if you moved to Tahiti...(everyone speaks french, movies get there months later, must fly everywhere, and so on.) It only matters what matters most to you. Some of us have the wild hairs out already and don't mind settling down in a nice place that isn't overcrowded or overrun. (That's me!) The "trade-off" then would be less of the other stuff, wouldn't it? FINE by me!!!!!!!!
LOL @ thread necromancy...and a post from a Banned member. zomg
Charlotte may be many things, but I definitely would not call it LAME.
I agree. Charlotte is not lame. It is a nice place to live, but it is very over-hyped and over-rated. I think some people hear/read the hype and expect Utopia plus 1. They become very disappointed when they find out that it's a nice place to live and that's it.
This post deserves no recognition. Charlotte could not make everyone happy, Jedlre 13, lived here 6 years before realizing Charlotte's potential. What was Jedlre 13 waiting for? You could've left within a year, if things did not measure up to your potential. I lived here 9 months and Charlotte of course, has its down, but is pluses surely beat NYC living. See ya later.....
To answer your question(s), I currently live in Hoboken, NJ. on the Hudson River waterfront. I've got a gorgeous view of NYC from my deck as well as an inground pool. It is very nice here, but I am looking to stop paying rent and purchase another home. I am beginning to cringe everytime I write out another rent check every month.
I still own my home in NC, on Lake Norman in Cornelius. I do love the waterfront there. Not sure if anyone has mentioned Birkdale Village to you or not, but it's very beautiful.
Matthews is nice, although I believe Charlotte has annexed it into the city limits for taxes. Either way, you've made a good choice in purchasing a home there. Did you check out Weddington at all? Very nice as well.
I didn't mean to discourage anyone from moving there, as I was just in desperate need of a change. Every city has pros/cons. You just have to weigh them against your own personal interests. I would definetely consider going back if I was married.
Good luck with everything down there and enjoy the lovely weather!!
Yet you said that Charlotte was a piece of crap where you lived for six years and would never go back? I'm confused.
A lot of "yankees" move down here to Charlotte & the South in general and are delighted with things. They enjoy the polite and friendly southern attitude and respond in kind.
To these folks, I say WELCOME!
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