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I think I can safely assume the OP wanted a variety of opinions from a variety of people who have moved from the Midwest to Charlotte.
Appreciating the arts, too, is personal and, again, depends on your experiences and standards. Some like modern, some like classical. Like I said, I have lived in a variety of places, and I do not think the arts in Charlotte are that great. I'm glad it satisfies your tastes. I studied ballet for over 20 years and have studied with and had the opportunity to see some of the best companies in the world. I'm sorry if it offends you that I do not find the local company up to par. Again, it's just my opinion. St. Louis had wonderful art museums, a world glass symphony, and some of the finest architecture you can find. I'm sorry, but I just don't see it here. I'm not a fan of the zoo, but St. Louis also had the highest ranked zoo in the country. Though unrelated, Madison was ranked one of the best cities for bike trails, another thing somewhat lacking here.
Regarding the influx of people: sure, a lot of people move here because they want to. I have met countless people from the Northeast who come and bring all of their relatives, and they think it is the greatest place in the world. I've met a lot of people from California who love the cost of living the the "four seasons." And I have met plenty of people who do not like it at all and cannot wait to leave. A lot of these people came for their jobs, and a lot of them do not plan on staying. The reasons people come here are as varied as their backgrounds.
I didn't say I hated everything about Charlotte. I have found a great place to worship and grow in my faith. My husband enjoys his job tremendously. I am blessed to live in a quiet, low crime area. Homeschooling is very accepted in the area, so that is a huge plus for my family.
I don't expect this to be a perfect place, and the only one that does exist is in Heaven! Regardless, Charlotte simply doesn't suit my taste. Simple as that. Enough said on the subject.
Have a wonderful afternoon.
How can one study "ballet" for over 20 years? I mean, it isn't like geology or history. Maybe you should get out some and visit some bars and meet interesting people. Oh, I suppose there aren't any. And you have a wonderful evening.
One of my past professions was an educator at one time. I test people. that's what I do. Who's Judy? Have a great weekend and enjoy the cool Carolina breezes.
I moved with my family (husband and 2 kids in junior high) about 5 years ago. We moved to the Denver area of Lake Norman. We love that we can get to the mountains in one hours and the ocean (everyone calls it "the beach" here) in about 4 hours. Love the weather here even when it's hot and muggy because it is still better than dealing with snow in May.
As with any major change, it takes time to adjust. I found myself counting our firsts--first summer, holidays, etc. We are now working to move my brother here from WI and he has the same anxieties that we had about starting over and making new friends - he's 50. I am going to look for meetups for him. I can't seem to find a Vikings bar anywhere.
The only major downside we have found to moving here from Mpls is that the infrastructure is so much less mature making traffic a nightmare in certain areas. We take a lot of back roads and plan ahead when we need to travel from one side of Charlotte to the other. Other than that, we love it here.
I moved with my family (husband and 2 kids in junior high) about 5 years ago. We moved to the Denver area of Lake Norman. We love that we can get to the mountains in one hours and the ocean (everyone calls it "the beach" here) in about 4 hours. Love the weather here even when it's hot and muggy because it is still better than dealing with snow in May.
As with any major change, it takes time to adjust. I found myself counting our firsts--first summer, holidays, etc. We are now working to move my brother here from WI and he has the same anxieties that we had about starting over and making new friends - he's 50. I am going to look for meetups for him. I can't seem to find a Vikings bar anywhere.
The only major downside we have found to moving here from Mpls is that the infrastructure is so much less mature making traffic a nightmare in certain areas. We take a lot of back roads and plan ahead when we need to travel from one side of Charlotte to the other. Other than that, we love it here.
Thanks for the reply!
When I am on the major highways like 394 or 494 I appreciate all the different ways I can get around and I would miss that!
Charlotte has that up and coming feel, while the twin cities feel pretty established.
I bet it took a little time to get used to the muggy days! But it sure does sound better than negative degree winters here.
What's your favorite thing down there other than the weather?
Grew up in Iowa, lived in Colorado for years and then many stops all over the midwest (and one in Virginia). Moved here a year ago and will tell you I love many things about it, including the weather.
It's noteworthy to mention that people from Florida are moving to the Carolinas to ESCAPE the heat of Florida summers. Yes it's muggy on many summer days but not *that* different from July and August in the midwest. The lakes here are warmer in mid-summer and warmer longer on each end of summer. Boat docks can be permanent (no roll ups needed!).
You absolutely get fall - it is beautiful here right now. Not as "crisp" (cool) as midwestern fall days but no early snowstorms, either, and you feel like going for walks because it's not too cold outside. And spring in the midwest cannot hold a candle to spring in the mid-atlantic states. It absolutely explodes with color here.
Sub zero weather actually hurts my face every time I go outside! Heat can be uncomfortable but cold hurts! so Charlotte is just about right. If you love snow, this isn't your best bet although I'm hearing it's normal to get a couple of snowfalls a year. That's a perfectly acceptable amount for me to feel like I've been through a winter I don't miss the dirty, ugly slush piled up for months, either.
You will find the arts, sports, etc. Is it as enthusiastic as other cities? No because Charlotte didn't grow up the way most midwest cities did. But if you're bored here, you're just not trying.
As for infrastructure, while I certainly agree Minneapolis/St. Paul likely have a more established road system, the population of the Twin Cities in the aggregate is less than Charlotte by at least 100,000 people. However, the metro up there is larger than down here...but not sure that’s apples to apples.
Moved here after 26 years near Chicago. The only things we miss from Chicago are Lake Michigan and or friends there.
Love the weather here, on average 5F higher in Summer and 20F higher in Winter, but still 4 seasons, what's not to like about that?
Though there is obviously more of everything in Chicago, Charlotte is FAR less congested and expensive and it has everything most people would ever want from a city - arts & culture, restaurants, sports, moderate/low COL, outdoor activities, ocean 3 hrs away-mountains 2 hrs away. Since Charlotte has grown a lot in the last 30 years, much of the infrastructure and buildings are much newer, more efficient and modern. Maintaining Chicago has to be more expensive for taxpayers. And Chicago and IL have a badly underfunded pension time bomb waiting to go off.
People here complain about traffic but it all depends on what you're used to, a really bad day on I77 isn't nearly as bad as most days on the Dan Ryan, Kennedy or Eisenhower.
If you're worried about not fitting in with southern culture, don't worry, at least half the people here are from another state.
And people aren't perfect anywhere, but they are friendlier and a little more polite here than Chicago, Boston, NYC or probably most big name cities.
We love it here so far, and I don't expect to feel differently in 5, 10 or 20 years.
Moved here after 26 years near Chicago. The only things we miss from Chicago are Lake Michigan and or friends there.
Love the weather here, on average 5F higher in Summer and 20F higher in Winter, but still 4 seasons, what's not to like about that?
Though there is obviously more of everything in Chicago, Charlotte is FAR less congested and expensive and it has everything most people would ever want from a city - arts & culture, restaurants, sports, moderate/low COL, outdoor activities, ocean 3 hrs away-mountains 2 hrs away. Since Charlotte has grown a lot in the last 30 years, much of the infrastructure and buildings are much newer, more efficient and modern. Maintaining Chicago has to be more expensive for taxpayers. And Chicago and IL have a badly underfunded pension time bomb waiting to go off.
People here complain about traffic but it all depends on what you're used to, a really bad day on I77 isn't nearly as bad as most days on the Dan Ryan, Kennedy or Eisenhower.
If you're worried about not fitting in with southern culture, don't worry, at least half the people here are from another state.
And people aren't perfect anywhere, but they are friendlier and a little more polite here than Chicago, Boston, NYC or probably most big name cities.
We love it here so far, and I don't expect to feel differently in 5, 10 or 20 years.
We moved here in 2016 after 7 years in Middle Tn. But, was in north suburban Chicago for most of 50 years before that. I will agree with midpack on pretty much everything. However, I also miss the food from the Chicago area. Not just the pizza and Italian Beef, but the different ethnic foods and the ethnic neighborhoods. Most of the year I love the weather here, but I'm not a fan if the constant heat & humidity of the summer. .
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I don't miss the dirty, ugly slush piled up for months, either.
