Possibly moving to Charlotte...need some advice on areas! (Huntersville: work, home)

[mm_mary73]

Originally Posted by ResidentsWife

.............My husband is getting ready to graduate medical school and will begin his residency in July. We fell in love with Charlotte when he interviewed there (at Carolinas Medical Center) and would be thrilled if he matched there (he will find out in March). I'm trying to go ahead and look at areas to buy a house, with the hope of actually beginning our search in March/April. The factors we are considering most are:

1. Safety--we plan to start a family very soon and would like a good area for young kids, pets, etc.
2. Proximity to CMC--we can be up to 20-25 miles away, but not if that correlates to an hour drive or something like that!
3. Budget--residents don't make what doctors do, and I am planning to stay home with our kids, so we need to stay under $200,000.
.............. Can't wait to hear your replies.

Sorry to be the rain cloud, but as a physician's spouse (not any longer) who went through 3 years of med school and internship and residency, then 10 years of private practice - have you been married long? Do you work? How much debt does he have? How much savings? What if he doesn't get his first choice - it does happen - where will you go. These PG-1 through 4 (5) years are murder, between call and exhaustion and the gut-wretching realization that there is so much more that you don't know, but now YOU'RE THE DOC!!! Maybe Charlotte won't be as bad as Chicago was, but what I remember was him being exhausted and bone tired. I don't want an answer to the above; they are rhetorical questions. I can hear the excitement in your post, and I truly do wish you well, but do think realistically. Much luck on the Match!

[nkjaws]

Originally Posted by ResidentsWife

Hello all! I've been using these boards as a resource for the last few months and I have to say they have been a huge help! I've been a little worried since a lot of the posts in this Charlotte board are about crime, but I'm starting to realize it's a matter of where you are. Which, since I'm not very familiar with the city, means I need to rely on your help! Let me explain my situation and hopefully you can give me some suggestions.

My husband is getting ready to graduate medical school and will begin his residency in July. We fell in love with Charlotte when he interviewed there (at Carolinas Medical Center) and would be thrilled if he matched there (he will find out in March). I'm trying to go ahead and look at areas to buy a house, with the hope of actually beginning our search in March/April. The factors we are considering most are:

1. Safety--we plan to start a family very soon and would like a good area for young kids, pets, etc.
2. Proximity to CMC--we can be up to 20-25 miles away, but not if that correlates to an hour drive or something like that!
3. Budget--residents don't make what doctors do, and I am planning to stay home with our kids, so we need to stay under $200,000.

What areas would you all recommend considering those things? I have found a good amount of really nice houses in our price range in zip code 28278. I'm not sure of the neighborhood names (Planters Walk, maybe?), but streets are Creek Turn, Mountainside, etc.---is this considered Steele Creek area? Is it really far away from CMC? What about the safety there? Thank you so much in advance for your help!!! Can't wait to hear your replies.

Let me just say if I were you I would stay away from 28278 especially Planters Walk. We moved here a year and a half ago, and while we were building our house we rented in Planters Walk for 6 months. That neighborhood is interesting to say the least. There are a lot of cheap homes there that brings in lower income families which sometimes brings baggage of its own. There were always shady things going on, cops in and out and really it is not a nice neighborhood to raise a family. Also, if you lived there your children would go to Winget Park Elementary which has severe problems with growth and also has young children being taught in cramped, overcrowded trailers. If you were set on the 28278 you could better that the 28273 zip seems to be a nicer area with a bit less crime, especially heading towards Fort Mill, SC which is beautiful. Not sure how far away that is from the hospital but one of my doctors told me that Fort Mill would be building it's own hospital soon. Also, Fort Mill, SC has excellent schools. You have to be careful in CMS (Charlotte schools) as there are some not so great ones.

[nkjaws]

Originally Posted by marblmom

I would also consider areas like Fort Mill, Indian Trail, Weddington, Wesley Chapel and Matthews. All about 15 - 25 miles to CMC. Traffic can be bad, but a resident is probably going to be driving at some odd hours, so maybe that won't be an issue. Steele Creek as an overall area is improving but I guess having been in Charlotte for 10+ years, I still view it as an area with more crime than the others I mentioned. Not trying to offend anyone, just my opinion. It's just closer to some of the bad areas - but there are very nice parts of Steele Creek, too!

I would say you are accurate about it being one of the areas (Steele Creek) with more crime, also living here for over a year, crime has gotten worse. It was hardly an issue the first few months we resided here, then all of the sudden it was everywhere. I hear Ballantyne and Matthews are great, Huntersville, etc as well.

[NCDave]

I posted this last October in another thread.

Originally Posted by NCDave

I moved to Steele Creek about 8 years ago from East Charlotte to be nearer my job, and I've never regretted it. I expect to be here until I move to a rest home.

Steele Creek is an interesting mixture of old and new. I moved into one of those subdivisions that have been replacing the dairy farms. At the time it was the closest place I could find to my job on Beam Road. I love the short commute that avoids the interstate traffic. (Previously I came across town on Independence and I-277. AAUGH!)

Since Steele Creek is such a magnet for development, most of us here are new and measure our time in years, but there still are many that measure their time in generations.

I began getting involved with the community, starting with my homeowners association. Then I found the Steele Creek Residents Association and began their web site. I participate in all their committees & am on the board of the Steele Creek Library Association. I attend meetings of the Steele Creek Historical and Genealogical Society when I can. (Wow, you wouldn't believe how much history the area has!) Through my boy, I've also gotten involved with scouts, a local karate school, and the Steele Creek Athletic Association.

Folks have a wide variety of churches to choose from, from the historical and traditional to the ultra-modern.

It's amazing how much Steele Creek has changed in just the short time I've lived here. It's interesting to see the plans developers present for rezoning and watch them move toward completion.

I live closer to Whitehall than RiverGate but shop at both. (I've shopped at the Whitehall Bi-Lo since it opened without incident.) When I moved here, I spent most of the early weekends at the Lowes in Pineville. It's great having more shopping close by. Although there are some high end developments coming in, most of Steele Creek is affordable and is one of the most naturally diverse communities in the Charlotte area.

I never heard the word "bad" associated with Steele Crek until I discovered this message board. It took me quite by surprise.

There was a time a few years back when the locals took their kids out of Olympic and moved them to the magnet program at Harding. That is changing now. Olympic is on the upswing. it's been divided into five smaller schools to help the students from feeling lost in a mass of students and teachers. Olympic has some passionate supporters -- it wasn't be accident that the stadium made it into the school bonds projects and survived the cuts.

The Steele Creek community generally includes the area south of the airport and west of I-77. The nonresidential buffer along Beam Road and Tyvola Road separates it from other communities to the northeast. The boundaries of the Steele Creek Division of CMPD weren't chosen to correspond to the Steele Crek community. They chose the division boundaries first and then selected the name. Before the recent realignment of districts it went all the way north to I-85. The Nations Ford area isn't part of Steele Creek.

I love living, working, and playing in Steele Creek and don't understand the bashing of it that goes on on this messageboard. I'm a non-confrontational type of guy, however, and seldom join in.

Everything else I know about Steele Creek I put here: Steele Creek Residents Association. I hope you find our site informative about Steele Creek.

[ResidentsWife]

You guys have given me a lot to think about! I really appreciate it and will keep it all for reference. Once we find out for sure where we will be, if it's Charlotte, I'll be going on a more specific visit and asking you all more specific questions.

In response to mm_mary73, I completely understand your questions and appreciate your openness in sharing. We both are very realistic in our expectations about residency and we know it will be hard. May I ask what speciality your spouse was in? Luckily PM&R is not nearly as bad as far as hours go as others are. We have been married for almost four years-all through medical school-so we feel like we've been through every step together and are the type of people that consider every single thing to the thousandth degree. I would love to answer the rest of your questions, but since you said you didn't want answers to them, I'll leave it at that for now.

[buymyhouse:)]

There are some homes in my neighborhood for sale & a neighbor works @ CMC Main so the commute is about 25 minutes. Home prices are reasonable and it is a very family oriented neighborhood w/year 'round activities. Resale has been steady. It's located on the Charlotte/Matthews border in area 4, called Weddington Ridge (not in Union Co. but Meck. co.). Good luck to you!

[AP-1976]

Whomever is writing that Steel Creek are is bad has absolutely no idea what they are talking about! I've lived off Steel Creek Rd. for over 5 years now and absoultely LOVE IT! You are close to everything (I-485, I-77, 20 mins to uptown), you have everything you could want as far as shopping, dining, ect. and it is very-very safe-serene, and still a little bit rural (which is rare in Charlotte). We just bought a Regent Home in Waterlyn almost 2 years ago and couldn;t be happier. Great builder! Got 2800 sq. feet, bedrooms, loaded with upgrades for $206K. The community has a club-house, pool, walking trails, playground, everything. And I feel so safe here! Know all my neighbors and let my boys ride bikes all day long on their own!

You need to just get out here and see for your-self. Check out Waterlyn on Shopton Rd. West, off of Steele Creek Rd.

I promise you will love this area and it is still very affordable (but won't be for too much longer).

Paul

[nkjaws]

Originally Posted by AP-1976

Whomever is writing that Steel Creek are is bad has absolutely no idea what they are talking about! I've lived off Steel Creek Rd. for over 5 years now and absoultely LOVE IT! You are close to everything (I-485, I-77, 20 mins to uptown), you have everything you could want as far as shopping, dining, ect. and it is very-very safe-serene, and still a little bit rural (which is rare in Charlotte). We just bought a Regent Home in Waterlyn almost 2 years ago and couldn;t be happier. Great builder! Got 2800 sq. feet, bedrooms, loaded with upgrades for $206K. The community has a club-house, pool, walking trails, playground, everything. And I feel so safe here! Know all my neighbors and let my boys ride bikes all day long on their own!

You need to just get out here and see for your-self. Check out Waterlyn on Shopton Rd. West, off of Steele Creek Rd.

I promise you will love this area and it is still very affordable (but won't be for too much longer).

Paul

Since we all have a right to our opinion, I just don't agree. Waterlyn is so very close to some shady developments, and there are by far nicer parts of Charlotte then Steele Creek. There is a lot of crime here, much more so then in a lot of other areas of Charlotte. I wouldn't promise anyone that they would love this area, they have to decide that on their own but there have many other posters to caution about this area so one has to see for themselves.

[carolina_guy]

This is from something I wrote a couple months ago. I think your best bet is Huntersville/Cornelius. 25-45 minute drive to downtown Charlotte depending on traffic. Best for raising a family, entertainment, and so many options within your budget. There are tons of kids in my neighborhood.

P.S. We have the best lake in North Carolina here. Hope this post helps:

Well, on Sunny's advice, I thought I'd start a counter thread to the mammoth crime thread, "What is the real crime story of Charlotte?" We all know that there are an abundant amount of areas that are very SAFE in Charlotte and the metro region. Just so I don't have to work so hard, I will start with only my current residing area (although I've lived in multiple safe areas of the region) and let others chime in on their secure living quarters. Obviously, when a violent crime occurs in a ritzy part of town, the media will be ALL OVER IT because it is indeed OUT OF THE NORM!

Anyways....

I live in Cornelius, NC which is accessible from exit 25 and exit 28 on I-77 as well as Highway 73, 21, and 115. Cornelius is a very quaint town and is highlight town of the Lake Norman area (LKN). Other "LKN" towns include Huntersville, Davidson, and Mooresville. There are other Lake Norman towns on the north and west end of the lake, but these mentioned ones are the most active and popular.

Cornelius has seen vast growth over the last several years due to the quality of life it offers, which includes very safe neighborhoods, friendly neighbors, convenient shopping, dining, and entertainment, and of course all of the fun activities of Lake Norman. Housing is very affordable (starting in the mid 100s for condos, townhomes, and single family) but ranges well into the millions of dollars. There is one VERY small pocket of a questionable area by the Cashion's gas station at Catawba and Hwy 21, but even this area is essentially safe. The occurrence of crime here is petty larceny, and even in late November we had 2 break ins in my neighborhood, Heritage Green. The cops responded rapidly and the homes that were attempted did not have locked garages. The crooks were scared off by the resident dogs. These incidents in no way have caused me to live in fear as these types of crimes are the types that can happen anywhere at anytime.

I absolutely love living in Cornelius and will certainly miss it if we have to move out of state for a job transfer. Police response times have been very prompt, however, I do not depend on these public servants for my safety. I have taken appropriate measures to defend my home and family and will exercise this right if ever necessary. Having said that, I don't constantly worry about home defense because the area in which I live does not cause me to do this.

Cornelius is very family friendly and has a wide range of income level housing options. Even the poorer section does not pose significant security threats. If any one is looking for one of the MANY safe areas to live in Charlotte metro, I highly suggest Cornelius for the above mentioned reasons and your commute time is only 25-45 minutes to downtown Charlotte depending on the time of day and traffic incidents. I have made it home from Cotswold in 5'oclock traffic in 25 minutes, so that can even be done.

I hope others will jump in here in attempts to divulge important information to newcomers who may have been scared into not moving to Charlotte due to hysteria in other parts of town. While the cause of alarm is certainly justified, it does not represent crime patterns in all of Charlotte. Even the occurrence in Providence Country Club was random act that could have happened in ANY part of the country. No matter where you live, even if it is Utopia, you should always be alert of your surroundings.

So, welcome to Charlotte for those considering it...it's a very lovely place to live!!!

[NCDave]

Statements by Captain John Williams,Commander of the Steele Creek Division of CMPD last week (as quoted in the Lake Wylie Pilot):

"Is it worse here than any other area in Charlotte? No it is not," he said.

Officers in Steele Creek are prepared to respond and are working to control crime, Williams said. "There's nothing you'll see down here to worry about that You wouldn't see anywhere else," he said. "I want to dispel that myth. It's just not the case."

He should know.