What do you guys think of Monroe? (Charlotte, Wilmington: houses, neighborhood)

[whodaz]

Hey everyone, I am planning on moving to NC in a few months and originally was interested in moving to Charlotte, but I think Monroe is more of what i'm looking for.. I saw a beautiful brand new 4 room house with 2 acres of land for around 280k.... I want to have privacy and not be soooo close to my neighbors.. and just a short drive from the stores.. [I am self employed so looking for a job wont be a problem..] does anyone here live in monroe and likes it there? any positive/negative things you'd like to share ?
thanks so much!

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by whodaz

Hey everyone, I am planning on moving to NC in a few months and originally was interested in moving to Charlotte, but I think Monroe is more of what i'm looking for.. I saw a beautiful brand new 4 room house with 2 acres of land for around 280k.... I want to have privacy and not be soooo close to my neighbors.. and just a short drive from the stores.. [I am self employed so looking for a job wont be a problem..] does anyone here live in monroe and likes it there? any positive/negative things you'd like to share ?
thanks so much!

I think from what you say you are looking for that Monroe would be a good choice for you. The folks I know who live there really enjoy it, and as long as you don't have to be in Charlotte for work every day I think it's a great location

[Barkingowl]

The Sears in Monroe is supposed to have a great selection of Craftsman Tools.

[ctribucher]

Friends of ours just bought a house in Monroe. We went out to see their place and have dinner over Easter weekend. We live near SouthPark Mall, and on a Sunday it took us close to 40 minutes to get there (bearing in mind, though, that we are new to town and didn't really know where we were going! LOL).

My friend is a nurse and will be commuting to Carolinas Medical Center near Myers Park. My concern for her is that her commute will start to get old pretty quickly. However, she and her husband got a wonderful deal on a great 5 bedroom home, so hopefully it will be worth it for them. And, with a baby on the way, they need the room.

Though everyone's situation is different, for me, it just seemed a bit "far out" for us. But since you're self-employed, perhaps the house you found suits you to a T. And, the downtown Monroe area looked very cute, though all of the shops were closed (Easter Sunday, naturally).

Good luck to you!

[whodaz]

thanks so much everyone for all your responses! Yes, since my husband and I work at home we dont mind being a littel bit away...We both grew up in miami, florida and are use to homes with mostly small backyards..and neighbors really close.. soo we are looking forward to having 2 acres and lots of trees and space to explore...how far are all the common stores from monroe? [grocery stores, malls, walmarts, target..?] Also..in the 2 acre home we are planning to get we are going to build a little/medium warehouse [i'm in the process of starting out my own private cattery..] how's NC with permits for things like that in that area.. ?
One more thing, how are the people in monroe like? friendly? do most people in that area speak english? [somehow when moving from florida to newhampshire we managed to be close to an area where there are a lot of greek people and it sometimes feels like english is a minority there!]
Well thanks again everyone for your comments!

[proudguardwife]

I have lived in Monroe since 1986, with the exception of a few years when I attended college in Wilmington, and have been back since 1997. I've watched it grow so much over the years, but it doesn't have the congestion that Charlotte and Matthews have. We live in the city limits now, but have plans to move a bit further out in the next couple of years. Commutes can stink, but it sounds like that isn't a concern for you. Everything is doable as long as your mindset is right and my husband's commute into Charlotte for work isn't any worse than some of his coworkers who commute from other areas of Charlotte, Harrisburg or Concord even though their mileage is less.

If you're looking for "fine dining" you won't find it in Monroe, but there are your basics: Chili's, McAllisters Deli, steak houses, Applebee's. For something a bit more upscale, it's just a short drive up 485 and, voila, you can find anything you want. I used to wait tables at Pizza Hut while in high school when it was the only thing open past the mall closing so a lot has changed over the years. Target, Wal Mart, Pet Smart, etc. have all found their way to Monroe, but depending on where you are moving to, Monroe shopping/dining may not be what is closest to you so all that may not matter.

There are a lot of different threads about Union County, schools, etc. on the board and I would suggest you scout around and you will see other opinions, etc. I have found that, especially in this area, if people don't like it, they can move and still be able to maintain the cores of their life (jobs, church, etc.) because of newly populating areas in Union County. We like it and don't mind the bit of drive to Southpark, etc.

For the most part, Union County folks are "good people," but you'll find crabby ones and good ones no matter where you go. There are many Spanish-speaking people all over Union and surrounding counties. An open mind and good spirit are keys to anything, especially relocating!

Welcome to the neighborhood!

[snowflake]

We live in Monroe and love it. There are plans to build a new mall and put in more restaurants as well. We are retired and don't mind driving a bit to go to some of the better restaurants, but pretty much everything we need can be found in Monroe.

[Barkingowl]

I only go through Monroe if I'm headed for the beaches. Otherwise the traffic is so horrendous that I usually avoid the area entirely. My wife & I were going to live out that way when we first moved here, but the thought of commuting on Rt. 74 everyday was enough to make us say no to the nice house on an acre.

[neoflex]

Originally Posted by Barkingowl

I only go through Monroe if I'm headed for the beaches. Otherwise the traffic is so horrendous that I usually avoid the area entirely. My wife & I were going to live out that way when we first moved here, but the thought of commuting on Rt. 74 everyday was enough to make us say no to the nice house on an acre.

I too live in Monroe but the key is to avoid 74 during rush hour. I'm pretty happy there although the schools could be a bit better but overall I like it. You won't be commuting to work so 74 during the rush won't be much of an issue but even still if you need to get places during the rush there are plenty of ways around 74. I work in Mooresville and make it in an hour ten on average. Believe it or not the back roads are the way to go rather than the main thorough fairs that others don't like to wonder too far from. Monroe is still pretty rural which is something that appealed to my wife and I, yet there is still everything you could possibly need not too far away. Where in Monroe would you be living?

[whodaz]

Well we saw a few houses we liked a lot on "Griffith Rd"... Do you know that area?
Yes, driving and rush hours wont be a problem for us since we work at home.... The homes in that area are really nice..Thats great that you guys say there are all the stores we need near by...that way whenever we need to go out we dont have to drive really far just to get to a supermarket... and thats great that monroe is growing an getting more things. hmm..and does anyone have any input on having a medium warehouse/shed on the land and the permits required?