Quote:
Originally Posted by NDL
You have a nice way of surmising things, and yes, I agree with your opinion of NC - which is why I am vocal and protective of her (NC's) advantages.
Sadly, there seems to be an opinion among many folks that "things will remain as they are" - as if to say that NC's virtues are immutable.
History proves otherwise.
Fortunately, the City of Charlotte is not the City of New York, and she has learned from her mistakes, and now cherishes and embraces her past. The City of New York sees everything in terms of an increase in tax revenue, and has permitted structures that it ought not have. Every inch of land is maximized for profit, and where one house stood, ten townhouses now stand, without giving proper consideration to things like the need for ample parking; roads that can support traffic, etc.
As quality of life in New York suffered, New Yorkers left New York City for New Jersey. As NJ was flooded with former NY'ers, and as New Jersey's cost of living rose and congestion increased, the exodus has since been diverted to North Carolina.
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New York State & surrounding states suffer from people wanting better weather down South and high tax burden on waning population to keep schools, roads, etc, functional.
But NYC has never shined as much as now, it's the only Northern city still growing, it's cleaner, greener, & more flush with cash than ever in its history.
I know, I arrived in 1999 just after Guilanni has cleaned up Times Square's seediness, which started a boom period with a new, Disney park-safety with low crime, businesses worldwide wanted their HQ back in Manhattan, and Bloomberg ushered in developers that replaced almost half of Manhattan with new condos and rentals.
Now Manhattan is 100% litter free, you can almost eat off the sidewalks. Crime is less than 1/2 of NC's.
After 10 years and now in my 40s, I returned to the easier, relaxed pace of Atlanta.
And I understand that you are stating that Charlotte now doesn't want to erase any more history, and that's good, but your comparison to NYC implies that it had a choice, which it didn't.
From immigrants, people flocking to Manhattan to work in factories, that small island became crowded for survival, which was hard with the disease, shantytowns, horse manure covering the streets, etc.
Every sq. inch of that city has a value to everyone around the world. It is maximized to turn away fewer people.
NYC is larger than life in attracting the creatives, the go-getters from every state and around the world who aren't afraid of anything. They're all on the same page...strive for the best, biggest, the highest goals "what else is there?:" I miss that environment.
Where else can you live with the world's most influential people and 8.5 million others ALL WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE?
It's such a unique environment, a lot of local, small-town aspects, literally rubbing elbows with others all day long, with every type, caliber, genious, deadbeat, imaginable.
That exposure to all kinds, fosters collaboration, invention, style, residents of NYC are creating, deciding tomorrow's trends, and the city is like a spinning top with so much momentum built up starting 100 years ago, that every aspect of life and people is 10-15 years ahead of the rest of the country.
The average rent for a studio apt. in Manhattan is around $3,800 a month because the much of the world wants to live there, and the price of everything is just a function of who gets the privilege.
NYC planted 1 million trees in recent years and is about 30% tree canopy which far surpasses the world's other dense cities. Outdoor spaces & connections with nature have been the main focus for the last 10 years now, tearing down any space that's too much a concrete jungle.
Constructing buildings and the amount of development doesn't give a city its worth.
Charlotte needs to relax a little with that obsession
ren
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