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Old 12-03-2013, 12:31 PM
 
Location: Charlotte, NC
106 posts, read 147,263 times
Reputation: 87

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Hey there, Martian Sundays! I hope I can help you out here because I have a lot of knowledge on much of this. Charlotte definitely has the potential to be "the American southern city done right", I'm hoping to help it continue down that route myself.

I am looking to attend UNCC's Masters of Urban Design as well within the next couple school years. I have lived at UNCC's main campus, as well as Plaza, South End, and Elizabeth near uptown, and I live in the Noda district next to uptown now (my spouse and I are in one of those $975/month places). I live a stone's throw from the uptown campus. Here are some main points that you should know:

- Do not live at the main campus. Until the Blue Line extension is completed it is just a glorified suburb, and a wasted opportunity, even if it's cheap.
-You can easily find an affordable place in Noda or Plaza to live, apt/duplex/house. Whether you can get a roommate or not will affect what you can find. NOTE: Some parts are extremely expensive, but if you are willing to forego ammenities and general niceness, you can find something (but I'd still check out the area first in person, regardless).
-I assume you own a bike, but you should get one if not. I was able to live in Charlotte for a couple years without a car with my trusty road bike.
-If you want to live in/near South End, your best bet is Sedgefield (owned by Marsh Properties), they are an older community next to south end that is relatively affordable and surprisingly nice.
-The light rail is awesome to live next to (CLT's land-use policies rock!) but until it's extended, it's not the ONLY best place to live. Noda is particularly more colorful of an area in comparison.

Lemme know if you have any other questions, or want clarification!
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Old 12-03-2013, 03:46 PM
 
Location: Charlotte, NC
21 posts, read 23,126 times
Reputation: 18
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sgt Campsalot View Post
Hey there, Martian Sundays! I hope I can help you out here because I have a lot of knowledge on much of this. Charlotte definitely has the potential to be "the American southern city done right", I'm hoping to help it continue down that route myself.

I am looking to attend UNCC's Masters of Urban Design as well within the next couple school years. I have lived at UNCC's main campus, as well as Plaza, South End, and Elizabeth near uptown, and I live in the Noda district next to uptown now (my spouse and I are in one of those $975/month places). I live a stone's throw from the uptown campus. Here are some main points that you should know:

- Do not live at the main campus. Until the Blue Line extension is completed it is just a glorified suburb, and a wasted opportunity, even if it's cheap.
-You can easily find an affordable place in Noda or Plaza to live, apt/duplex/house. Whether you can get a roommate or not will affect what you can find. NOTE: Some parts are extremely expensive, but if you are willing to forego ammenities and general niceness, you can find something (but I'd still check out the area first in person, regardless).
-I assume you own a bike, but you should get one if not. I was able to live in Charlotte for a couple years without a car with my trusty road bike.
-If you want to live in/near South End, your best bet is Sedgefield (owned by Marsh Properties), they are an older community next to south end that is relatively affordable and surprisingly nice.
-The light rail is awesome to live next to (CLT's land-use policies rock!) but until it's extended, it's not the ONLY best place to live. Noda is particularly more colorful of an area in comparison.

Lemme know if you have any other questions, or want clarification!
My bike is my best friend, had it since I lived in St. Louis(where I biked everywhere)

As far as housing goes, I can do without luxury amenities(but wouldn't complain against them if the price is right).

Where ever I would end up living(roommate or not) MUST:
- be near school, or provide easy access to it
- be in a safe area
- NOT be in a complex/building with loud/messy/inconsiderate neighbors
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Old 12-04-2013, 05:50 AM
 
Location: Charlotte, NC
7,041 posts, read 14,951,226 times
Reputation: 2335
I think that your living costs in London are quite high, as well. You do not have to live in Westminister...that is a very pricey area....there are lots of places that cater to students that are a lot more reasonable.

there are also other schools in the country that are probably cheaper...
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Old 12-05-2013, 04:20 PM
 
Location: Charlotte, NC
106 posts, read 147,263 times
Reputation: 87
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martian Sundays View Post
My bike is my best friend, had it since I lived in St. Louis(where I biked everywhere)

As far as housing goes, I can do without luxury amenities(but wouldn't complain against them if the price is right).

Where ever I would end up living(roommate or not) MUST:
- be near school, or provide easy access to it
- be in a safe area
- NOT be in a complex/building with loud/messy/inconsiderate neighbors
You're in luck, because you would only been inconsiderate neighbors if you DID live in the University area- I know from experience.

Uptown campus is on the "north" side of uptown (really NE), and Noda (Short for North Davidson) is NE of uptown, so anywhere in Noda is easily bikable to uptown campus. And as you get more south-east-ish toward Plaza-Midwood, the bike commute gets more dicey.

If you do a cursory glance at Apartments for Rent - PadMapper Apartment Search for Oodle, Apartments.com, Rent.com, Kijiji, and Craigslist Apartments in the "28206" zip code, you can get a VERY general idea of what's around there. Your best bet may be a duplex/house that's renting out, since it's a hip area with a lot of that being done. But there are a fair number of apartment/loft complexes that are pretty good too.
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Old 12-05-2013, 09:45 PM
 
Location: Murica
834 posts, read 1,003,982 times
Reputation: 607
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suncc49 View Post
I hope you are not accruing alot of student loan debt to finance this dream. I know some folks in their late 40ies still paying on six figure student loan bills. Have you researched the Architecture profession and the HUGE amount of unemployment that they have had in the field?

A bachelors at a crappy accredited university in the US is going for 60k+ now, associates 6k+ except for some 4k community colleges.

I hate to say it but anyone getting a degree most likely has enough disposable income or inheritance that they are only being a burden by congesting job markets where they mostly don't hold the jobs anyway.

But on topic: Go to London, if for no other reason than to have access to quality education. The primary schools there a superior to most US graduate schools in academics.. Even better, go to Europe or Russia and learn proper mathematics and engineering..
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Old 12-05-2013, 11:44 PM
 
3,859 posts, read 4,238,034 times
Reputation: 4504
Quote:
Originally Posted by TJJT View Post
A bachelors at a crappy accredited university in the US is going for 60k+ now, associates 6k+ except for some 4k community colleges.

I hate to say it but anyone getting a degree most likely has enough disposable income or inheritance that they are only being a burden by congesting job markets where they mostly don't hold the jobs anyway.

But on topic: Go to London, if for no other reason than to have access to quality education. The primary schools there a superior to most US graduate schools in academics.. Even better, go to Europe or Russia and learn proper mathematics and engineering..
Not to stray from topic, but as an American engineer, could you please elaborate on proper mathematics and engineering. The world's best engineering programs are in America which isn't directly related to urban design but might incorporate aspects of civil, mechanical, environmental and architectural engineering courses:

Top 50 engineering & technology universities - Times Higher Education

No matter the university, heavy engineering programs are rigorous even at lower ranked tier universities and America has some of the best in the world.

Last edited by Big Aristotle; 12-06-2013 at 12:00 AM..
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Old 12-06-2013, 10:40 AM
 
2,753 posts, read 5,105,538 times
Reputation: 3603
Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Aristotle View Post
Not to stray from topic, but as an American engineer, could you please elaborate on proper mathematics and engineering. The world's best engineering programs are in America which isn't directly related to urban design but might incorporate aspects of civil, mechanical, environmental and architectural engineering courses:

Top 50 engineering & technology universities - Times Higher Education

No matter the university, heavy engineering programs are rigorous even at lower ranked tier universities and America has some of the best in the world.
Sorry this is off the OP question, juts to respond to post above.

I can speak for European engineering programs (been in both), which surpasses ours.
For starters, engineering bachelor in Europe is a 5 yrs program versus 4 years with a lot more intense hands-on exposure (mandatory co-op of real experience, every couple of months).
While the first 2 years engineering are common for either the mechanical or electrical engineers (with a lot more advanced math than here). The last 3 years in either mechanical or electrical programs, students specialize in a specific area: hydraulic machines, power generation, machine tool design, automotive, welding, nuclear, process equipment, etc - these are program options just for the mechanical engineers.
Here it is just a 4 years program (with 1st common for all engineers, electrical, mechanical, civil, industrial, materials, etc) with a bit of everything.
In other words, engineering degrees in Europe are a lot more specialized than here where here most are very generic, by comparison.
So when one finally gets an engineering degree in most European universities, there is a better chance for that person of being able to contribute right away, instead of being totally green.

We in US are in a huge need for good engineers, which unfortunately prevents further economic growth. We should increase the immigration of specialists to be able to keep growing our economy.

Last edited by 28173; 12-06-2013 at 11:18 AM..
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Old 12-06-2013, 10:58 AM
 
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,809 posts, read 34,440,425 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by 28173 View Post
I can speak for European engineering programs (been in both), which surpasses ours.
For starters, engineering bachelor in Europe is a 5 yrs program versus 4 years with a lot more intense hands-on exposure (mandatory co-op of real experience, every couple of months).
While the first 2 years engineering are common for either the mechanical or electrical engineers (with a lot more advance math than here). The last 3 years in either mechanical or electrical programs, students specialize in a specific area: hydraulic machines, power generation, machine tool design, automotive, welding, nuclear, process equipment, etc - these are program options just for the mechanical engineers.
Here it is just a 4 years program (with 1st common for all engineers, electrical, mechanical, civil, industrial, materials, etc) with a bit of everything.
In other words, engineering degrees in Europe are a lot more specialized than here where are very generic by comparison.
So when one finally gets an engineering degree in most European universities, there is a better chance for that person of being able to contribute right away, instead of being totally green.

We in US are in a huge need for good engineers, which unfortunately prevents further economic growth. We should increase the immigration of specialists to be able to keep growing as an economy.
Pitt. mandates co-ops during the summer. Long ago, when Drexel was still Drexel Institute of Technology, engineers did a 5 year program. Don't know about now.

But the OP is not talking about engineering.

I searched on masters programs in urban design & UNC Chapel Hill, Harvard & U of P were highly ranked. I'm not sure why the OP picked these 2 schools.
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Old 12-06-2013, 06:51 PM
 
Location: Murica
834 posts, read 1,003,982 times
Reputation: 607
Price to learn differential equations in Europe or Russia by a skilled instructor: nothing it's free and taught mid-way through primary(around 13 YOA).

Price to learn differential equations in America by a skilled instructor:40k+ IF you have exceptional GPA and parents credit score when you are in your late teens..

Math, Physics, and Chemistry books are even blacklisted or restricted in most US libraries.. Go try to find a pure math or chemistry book in a US library.. Honors courses for physics and chemistry in the US have academics that are taught to people in first half of primary in most of the world(I know for sure <10 YOA in Estonia and Latvia)..

On top of it all. If you don't know at least two languages by 8 in America you aren't an exception and segregated..
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Old 12-07-2013, 04:34 AM
 
3,859 posts, read 4,238,034 times
Reputation: 4504
Quote:
Originally Posted by 28173 View Post
Sorry this is off the OP question, juts to respond to post above.

I can speak for European engineering programs (been in both), which surpasses ours.
For starters, engineering bachelor in Europe is a 5 yrs program versus 4 years with a lot more intense hands-on exposure (mandatory co-op of real experience, every couple of months).
While the first 2 years engineering are common for either the mechanical or electrical engineers (with a lot more advanced math than here). The last 3 years in either mechanical or electrical programs, students specialize in a specific area: hydraulic machines, power generation, machine tool design, automotive, welding, nuclear, process equipment, etc - these are program options just for the mechanical engineers.
Here it is just a 4 years program (with 1st common for all engineers, electrical, mechanical, civil, industrial, materials, etc) with a bit of everything.
In other words, engineering degrees in Europe are a lot more specialized than here where here most are very generic, by comparison.
So when one finally gets an engineering degree in most European universities, there is a better chance for that person of being able to contribute right away, instead of being totally green.

We in US are in a huge need for good engineers, which unfortunately prevents further economic growth. We should increase the immigration of specialists to be able to keep growing our economy.
I guess you'll need to let the folks at MIT, Stanford and Georgia Tech know how substandard and inferior their students and programs are compared to rest of the world. Although many engineering programs are structured for 4 years, most students require 5 years to complete the programs and usually do specialized co-ops and internships. And America has the best research facilities, companies, etc in the world to train people. There is a reason America leads the world in innovation and technology (Silicon Valley, etc).
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