Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Ah I see what happened. In 2000 the Charlotte area was called the "Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC" Metropolitan Statistical Area.
In 2010, some additional counties joined the metro area and it became the "Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC" Metropolitan Statistical Area. The website you used backed out those added counties to control for organic growth only over the 2000 census in the counties defined as part of the 2000 metro. In the 2010 census we had organic growth + some outlying counties join the metro area.
Here's where we stand as of 2010 and the 2016 estimate from the census in our new metro area name (and newly added counties) at 2.4 million people (our closest peers are now Orlando, San Antonio, Portland, Pittsburgh, and Sacramento). https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/...xhtml?src=bkmk
Those sound like "alternative facts" to me :-) Original point still stands though...you can't compare Charlotte to NYC/Chicago/Philadelphia or even Baltimore. And when compared to Portland/Pittsburgh/Sacramento, we look much more favorable with the cultural offerings available.
Those sound like "alternative facts" to me :-) Original point still stands though...you can't compare Charlotte to NYC/Chicago/Philadelphia or even Baltimore. And when compared to Portland/Pittsburgh/Sacramento, we look much more favorable with the cultural offerings available.
From the 2010 census, Charlotte is the 34th largest MSA in the country w/1.7MM people. We've grown a bit since 2010, so let's put the figure at 2MM, which would make us 29th...on par with Kansas City and slightly larger than Columbus OH and Indianapolis...and significantly smaller than the top 20 (St Louis, Tampa, Baltimore are #18-20 and are all 2.6MM and above).
I post this only for people to realize...if you're comparing Charlotte to larger cities, it's the wrong comparison. Compare what Charlotte offers vs Indianapolis or Columbus. I have a feeling those towns too have homes with teens that feel like there's "nothing to do" sometimes. Hometowns are what you make of them and what you choose to embrace.
Don't disagree with your premise, but the actual MSA population of Charlotte in 2010 was 2,217,012.
We are relocating either to mint hill or matthews,area. I think we will find more to do and to love in NC. Certainly won't miss the cold. I'm hoping for southern hospitality and to make new friends and acquaintances. It will be a bit stressful for us up until that time...
...Commute / Traffic - One important criteria we had for selecting new home was low traffic. We got it wrong on this one as traffic is really bad depending on which part of city you live and work. Regardless, 2 major highways ( I-77 and 485) are clogged during rush hours and thereafter, Independence blvd is jammed most of the working hours, small roads connecting suburbs are busy during rush hours. Actually, in last 4-6 months, long car lines are commonly seen and commute from Ballantyne to Downtown has gone to almost 50 min each way. As the city is growing fast, roads are still small and many a times left turns are a problem in local roads...
Wait, wait, wait. You wanted an area with low traffic and short commutes and you picked Ballantyne?
Anyone who's spent any time in Charlotte knows that the Ballantyne to Uptown commute is about the worst in the city. Did you ever investigate what the traffic was going to be like during rush hour commute times?
That traffic is not a new phenomenon - it's been that way since we moved here in '07.
I taught the NC math curriculum, 8th grade, which transitions to algebra and may well be the toughest course of any, K-12.
We had a fairly fluid student body, lots of military moves.
I never had an 8th grader come in from NY, NJ, or CA that was not WOEFULLY BEHIND our math. Never. I had one child from DC suburbs, whose mom told me how she had been in advanced math, who struggled to keep up the remainder of the year.
In fact, I only had one kid transfer in who was measurably ahead of us. He was from Northern Virginia as well, and showed up his first day of school with a Harvard tee shirt. I should have figured all that out. After a week or two, I was able, by breaking all rules, to get him transferred into algebra, mid term.
This information relates to the curriculum, not the school or me. The same curriculum taught in CMS.
Very interesting. I'm in the suburbs of Chicago, and after looking to move to Charlotte a few years ago, we decided to stay here until our kids were done with high school. My daughters took Pre-Algrebra in 6th grade, Algebra in 7th grade, Geometry in 8th grade and Trigonometry freshman year. If we had moved, they would have been too far ahead and bored silly.
I called principals in the areas we were looking and found that what they considered "advanced or gifted" was very different from the types of gifted programs we have in our current school district.
It pays to call the schools directly and ask questions. I would not rely on any ratings, especially if you kids is either below average or way above average.
Just some general observations: As someone who has ranked metro areas, small towns, and retirement areas since 1985, Charlotte is one of about 15 metro areas that have consistently ranked as one of the best metros in the U.S. in various publications and outlets over the last 3 decades. These rankings are just a general thumbnail of the overall livability/quality of life/etc. Not all areas are for everyone. One person's needs may be better suited in Orlando rather than Minneapolis. Or a family of 4 might have needs or personal preferences that take them to Charlotte rather than Chicago. All 4 area great areas that I'd recommend. But each has different aspects that people look for........I see all of the time here on C-D where people have lots of misinformation, biases/stereotypes, and unreasonable expectations when viewing a particular area. As many posters here have said on this thread, C-D is only ONE tool in helping you find the area that's right for you and/or your family. You have to do the deep digging and research yourself........Several things you mentioned are a bit confusing. You complained about traffic in Charlotte, but I know for a fact the traffic in the NYC area is light years worse. There are plenty of good school districts in the metro area. But in general, most people put way too much value in "Blue Ribbon" schools and such. If parents are actively involved in their children's education, the child will do well pretty much anywhere they go. My ex was a teacher for many years and can attest to that. Not that wanting a great education is not important. Just that many parents focus way too much on average test scores and such........Charlotte has a lot to do recreationally. When I'm there, I never get bored. If you do, then you're not looking........Just my 2 cents worth from my experiences. Charlotte's a great area. I'd recommend it to most people.
Just some general observations: As someone who has ranked metro areas, small towns, and retirement areas since 1985, Charlotte is one of about 15 metro areas that have consistently ranked as one of the best metros in the U.S. in various publications and outlets over the last 3 decades. These rankings are just a general thumbnail of the overall livability/quality of life/etc. Not all areas are for everyone. One person's needs may be better suited in Orlando rather than Minneapolis. Or a family of 4 might have needs or personal preferences that take them to Charlotte rather than Chicago. All 4 area great areas that I'd recommend. But each has different aspects that people look for........I see all of the time here on C-D where people have lots of misinformation, biases/stereotypes, and unreasonable expectations when viewing a particular area. As many posters here have said on this thread, C-D is only ONE tool in helping you find the area that's right for you and/or your family. You have to do the deep digging and research yourself........Several things you mentioned are a bit confusing. You complained about traffic in Charlotte, but I know for a fact the traffic in the NYC area is light years worse. There are plenty of good school districts in the metro area. But in general, most people put way too much value in "Blue Ribbon" schools and such. If parents are actively involved in their children's education, the child will do well pretty much anywhere they go. My ex was a teacher for many years and can attest to that. Not that wanting a great education is not important. Just that many parents focus way too much on average test scores and such........Charlotte has a lot to do recreationally. When I'm there, I never get bored. If you do, then you're not looking........Just my 2 cents worth from my experiences. Charlotte's a great area. I'd recommend it to most people.
Great points. Why do people convey impressions that "we need to get out more" as if though many of us haven't lived in places like DC, etc. I've lived a lot of places and there is one constant - ALL the SHINY wears off after a year or so. It's up to individuals to take advantage of what a place has to offer.
Over the years I've learned to avoid COMPLAINERS in the community, work, church or wherever. They're extremely toxic and suffer from the green grass syndrome so much it's pathetic. Charlotte and RDU are still relatively easy to traverse outside of rush hour times, right now. That's one of the big draws to these areas but loosing some of it's luster with the exponential growth, big enough to things but not overcrowded to the extent you have to design your day around damn traffic patterns. There's a lot going on downtown DC but it's hassle getting there, it's expensive, even parking. I've lived all over that city/metro, even in the city. However the cost-benefit wears off over time.
Not all areas are for everyone and insinuating that museums, arts or so-called "culture" elevate the status of city/metro are ridiculous. I'm not slamming those offerings but to most people they could really give a damn about it. It mostly exists on a certain scale everywhere but having tons of it isn't necessary. The only time I'm interested in going back to DC is to visit family or friends. I don't need to see a damn thing downtown, Georgetown or anywhere else. That shine wore off many moons ago.
I totally agree about schools. It's all about parental or guardian involvement - those are the keys to success or excelling in the classroom.
Last edited by Big Aristotle; 12-02-2017 at 05:10 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
