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Old 06-19-2022, 04:21 PM
 
74 posts, read 57,663 times
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Hey all,

As the title suggests, I am curious about an objective opinion on Charlotte. I actually have quite a few friends, college, fraternity (yes from college), personal, professional, dating, etc. friends from the Charlotte area so my view is already "good/positive" but I want an objective opinion.

Some background about me:
Early to mid 30s young professional. I am 100% WFH/remote and very successful. I am from TX originally but have lived in 3 other States/metros, AZ (Scottsdale area), MN (Minneapolis area), CT (Greenwich area). I liked all of the other 3 and hated how "landlocked" TX is/was and how much the culture in TX revolves around "eating and drinking". I mean I love food (I mean who doesn't because everyone has to eat lol) but I'm not a foodie and I absolutely HATED that culture in TX. Every time I go home I am amazed by how "fat" people are (lol). Outside of ATX, the "eating and drinking" culture is big and just something I can't be around long term and not the type of lifestyle I want.

For the other 3 metros, I liked Scottsdale and Minneapolis, although they are polar opposites in weather/climate wise, but they may be more "seasonal" IMHO; like going back and forth between the two (Scottsdale - Winter and Spring, Minneapolis - Summer and Fall) is probably more preferable from a quality of life perspective. Greenwich was also great, but even making $200k+ the COL in that area and PLUS with their State Income Tax is ridiculous. For all 3 of those, I liked how fit/active they were and proximity to good beaches, mountains, lakes, etc. and also the ease of access to lacrosse/hockey leagues. There are good restaurants and good nightlife EVERYwhere so that isn't a concern for me. Obviously Charlotte has good bars and restaurants but that's not big to me.

I am very red/Republican if this matters. I am very active, like to stay fit, eat right/healthy, I gotta be near beaches, mountains, (good) lakes, harbors, nightlife is whatever. For the record, I grew up in DFW and graduated from SMU so an Uptown scene, like Uptown Charlotte, won't be "super cool" (lol) to me at my age. Although from my visits/experiences, I feel like Uptown Charlotte is superior to Uptown Dallas IMHO. But it's not super important to me. Like don't "sell me" on Uptown Charlotte, although I've been out with friends there before, but it won't mean much to me.

What I Want to Know:
1) Beaches - So Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head I have been to but those are technically South Carolina beaches. Virginia also has some INCREDIBLE beaches, but what would you say are the go to North Carolina beaches? Or is going out of State big? There are lakes obviously but curious on that part of the culture.

2) Mountains - So Asheville is awesome, but what are the other mountainous areas/regions in NC? Raleigh?

3) Sports - So basketball is somewhat big in NC due to UNC and Duke obviously, but Charlotte does have a ULAX (lacrosse) league. How popular are the Hurricanes even though they're based out of Raleigh I believe. I wouldn't call NC a "hockey state" but I'm just curious on an objective answer here. I understand that there are decent amount of ex New York (upstate and Long Island) expats in NC who may be into hockey as well. Regarding football, I am definitely NOT a Panthers (NFL) fan.

4) 4 Seasons - Do you all, honestly, get 4? How often do you get snow/precipitation?

5) COL & Taxes- my understanding is that it's a "tiered" State income tax structure (much like CT) so that is never fun (lol). What is generally reasonable to expect in Charlotte? For Ballantyne/Uptown/NoDa.... like is $3k or so reasonable? higher? lower?

6) Location - So lastly, I really like the location of Charlotte. What is generally commute times to:
- Hilton Head?
- Myrtle Beach?
- Nashville?
- Virginia Beach?
- DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia area)?
- Arlington, VA
- Baltimore

Thanks in advance everyone!

*I am also aware of the Banking and Financial Services sector and have connects in the area if that matters, but that isn't huge for me.
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Old 06-19-2022, 05:28 PM
 
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VA Beach is a 5-hour drive and Arlington/DC area is around 7 depending on how you go - 77 to 81 is the way we'd go to Loudoun County - 85 to 95 to Arlington - 85 to 29 also takes you into the DC area. Myrtle Beach is 3.5/4 hours, Nashville is around 6/7 - Knoxville is about 4.5/5 hours.

The Hurricanes are popular here as the Charlotte Checkers used to be their AHL team. The Checkers won the Calder Cup (AHL equivalent of the Stanley Cup) in 2019 and many of the players went on to play in the NHL.

We do get all 4 seasons but don't really get much snow. We are always on the rain/snow line and the areas north of the city get more than the areas south of the city. A good snow for us is about 3-4 inches and in the last few years, we're lucky to get 2-3.

The NC beaches are popular - Wilmington, Ocean Isle, Oak Island, Carolina Beach, OBX, and Emerald Isle. We actually prefer going to Rehoboth Beach in DE. We went to Myrtle once about 14 years ago and never returned.

NC mountains - People go to Boone as well as Asheville.
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Old 06-19-2022, 05:34 PM
 
Location: Sneads Ferry, NC
13,324 posts, read 26,804,471 times
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The OP has a mistaken idea of the state income tax. It is a *flat* rate of 5.25 % for 2022. Our sales tax is 7% in many jurisdictions, with some higher. Sales tax applies to many things including most labor and your electric bill.
The property tax rate for Mecklenburg County is $1.05. So expect $4000 for a modest house or condo.
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Old 06-19-2022, 05:53 PM
 
74 posts, read 57,663 times
Reputation: 48
Quote:
Originally Posted by goldenage1 View Post
The OP has a mistaken idea of the state income tax. It is a *flat* rate of 5.25 % for 2022. Our sales tax is 7% in many jurisdictions, with some higher. Sales tax applies to many things including most labor and your electric bill.
The property tax rate for Mecklenburg County is $1.05. So expect $4000 for a modest house or condo.
Thanks, this is very helpful. I had asked a friend about this, but she could have been wrong on it being tiered. Flat 5.25% isn't too bad honestly.

Thank you, very helpful.
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Old 06-19-2022, 05:58 PM
 
74 posts, read 57,663 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Riley09swb View Post
VA Beach is a 5-hour drive and Arlington/DC area is around 7 depending on how you go - 77 to 81 is the way we'd go to Loudoun County - 85 to 95 to Arlington - 85 to 29 also takes you into the DC area. Myrtle Beach is 3.5/4 hours, Nashville is around 6/7 - Knoxville is about 4.5/5 hours.

The Hurricanes are popular here as the Charlotte Checkers used to be their AHL team. The Checkers won the Calder Cup (AHL equivalent of the Stanley Cup) in 2019 and many of the players went on to play in the NHL.

We do get all 4 seasons but don't really get much snow. We are always on the rain/snow line and the areas north of the city get more than the areas south of the city. A good snow for us is about 3-4 inches and in the last few years, we're lucky to get 2-3.

The NC beaches are popular - Wilmington, Ocean Isle, Oak Island, Carolina Beach, OBX, and Emerald Isle. We actually prefer going to Rehoboth Beach in DE. We went to Myrtle once about 14 years ago and never returned.

NC mountains - People go to Boone as well as Asheville.
thanks, very helpful.

Cool, not complaining about not much snow, but want 4 seasons for sure lol

Did not know about the Checkers, thanks for that intel.

How could I forget Wilmington? lol.

I should screen some of these, thanks for letting me know about Boone.

So you actually make the commute to Delaware? How is that? Delaware has a really, REALLY nice beach and party scene this time of year, especially at Dewey Beach. But I like how you could get a beach house/condo for a group of friends (or a date) pretty easily. Pretty sweet.

I suppose that that commute wouldn't be much further than say Maryland...?

Again, thanks for the intel dude. Will definitely give points
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Old 06-19-2022, 06:32 PM
 
Location: Charlotte
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1.) I like Hilton Head personally. It isn't a big deal to cross state lines here. Charlotte is literally on the border with South Carolina so people are back and forth all the time. Sometimes a place on the SC side of the border can be closer to your house than a place on the NC side. For NC beaches, Wrightsville, Carolina Beach, Oak Island, Ocean Isle, Bald Head (really beautiful), et.... are all around 3.5 hours away and have their own unique vibes. I'm biased to Wrightsville and Bald Head in that area.

2.) Raleigh is not in the mountains. The Appalachian Mountains are the main mountain range in North Carolina. Asheville is the biggest city in the mountains. Boone / Blowing Rock is the closest part to Charlotte though. Further away are areas like Highlands/Cashiers. There are hiking opportunities on smaller hills or "mountains" near the city like South Mountain State Park, Pilot Mountain, Crowder Mountain, Hanging Rock, Chimney Rock, et...

3.) Hockey isn't mainstream here, but the Hurricanes fans are around. You can find bars where hockey loyalists hang out easily. If you like soccer, the city just gained an MLS team in addition to the NFL and NBA.

4.) Snow is very rare. Maybe 1 or 2 times a season. Sometimes close to nothing / trace all season. People lose their minds and prepare for the end of the world when snow is forecast and everything shuts down. Thunderstorms are very common in summer with heavy precipitation that ends relatively quickly. Humidity creeps in during May, June - August temps above 90 are common, October is often warm, November - December look like fall, then winter is really just January - early March, transition to spring. Spring is FULL of pollen. We have a billion trees. The whole city is full of pollen. DO NOT have a black car unless you are OK with it being green for 2 months.

5.) Income tax is flat 5.25%
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Old 06-19-2022, 07:00 PM
 
74 posts, read 57,663 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CLT4 View Post
1.) I like Hilton Head personally. It isn't a big deal to cross state lines here. Charlotte is literally on the border with South Carolina so people are back and forth all the time. Sometimes a place on the SC side of the border can be closer to your house than a place on the NC side. For NC beaches, Wrightsville, Carolina Beach, Oak Island, Ocean Isle, Bald Head (really beautiful), et.... are all around 3.5 hours away and have their own unique vibes. I'm biased to Wrightsville and Bald Head in that area.

2.) Raleigh is not in the mountains. The Appalachian Mountains are the main mountain range in North Carolina. Asheville is the biggest city in the mountains. Boone / Blowing Rock is the closest part to Charlotte though. Further away are areas like Highlands/Cashiers. There are hiking opportunities on smaller hills or "mountains" near the city like South Mountain State Park, Pilot Mountain, Crowder Mountain, Hanging Rock, Chimney Rock, et...

3.) Hockey isn't mainstream here, but the Hurricanes fans are around. You can find bars where hockey loyalists hang out easily. If you like soccer, the city just gained an MLS team in addition to the NFL and NBA.

4.) Snow is very rare. Maybe 1 or 2 times a season. Sometimes close to nothing / trace all season. People lose their minds and prepare for the end of the world when snow is forecast and everything shuts down. Thunderstorms are very common in summer with heavy precipitation that ends relatively quickly. Humidity creeps in during May, June - August temps above 90 are common, October is often warm, November - December look like fall, then winter is really just January - early March, transition to spring. Spring is FULL of pollen. We have a billion trees. The whole city is full of pollen. DO NOT have a black car unless you are OK with it being green for 2 months.

5.) Income tax is flat 5.25%
Thank you. Very helpful.

Crossing state lines, that is good to know, I really like the location of Charlotte overall. I mean just in general to everything you and others have mentioned. That is SUPER appealing IMO

I understand Raleigh is fairly outdoorsy, so sorry for the confusion. I am very aware of Asheville as a mountain town

Cool, just curious about the Hurricanes. I think having the ULAX league in Charlotte is appealing enough for me. But good that there is "some" hockey

Cool, I love the "feel" of 4 seasons but I would prefer VERY LITTLE if possible. Love that there are 4 seasons

FANTASTIC to know about the FLAT 5.25% income tax, not too bad

This has been very helpful, thank you
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Old 06-19-2022, 07:51 PM
 
4,039 posts, read 4,915,759 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WellTraveled1988 View Post
thanks, very helpful.

Cool, not complaining about not much snow, but want 4 seasons for sure lol

Did not know about the Checkers, thanks for that intel.

How could I forget Wilmington? lol.

I should screen some of these, thanks for letting me know about Boone.

So you actually make the commute to Delaware? How is that? Delaware has a really, REALLY nice beach and party scene this time of year, especially at Dewey Beach. But I like how you could get a beach house/condo for a group of friends (or a date) pretty easily. Pretty sweet.

I suppose that that commute wouldn't be much further than say Maryland...?

Again, thanks for the intel dude. Will definitely give points
Yes, when we head to the beach we go to Rehoboth. We've never been to any of the NC beaches besides OBX.

We go up through DC and visit family (we moved down here from the DC area) or we head up towards VA beach and go along the eastern shore of VA up into MD and into DE. Never been to Dewey or Ocean City.

Next Feb the Hurricanes will play the Caps in an outdoor series in Raleigh. We're hoping to get tickets.
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Old 06-19-2022, 08:02 PM
 
74 posts, read 57,663 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Riley09swb View Post
Yes, when we head to the beach we go to Rehoboth. We've never been to any of the NC beaches besides OBX.

We go up through DC and visit family (we moved down here from the DC area) or we head up towards VA beach and go along the eastern shore of VA up into MD and into DE. Never been to Dewey or Ocean City.

Next Feb the Hurricanes will play the Caps in an outdoor series in Raleigh. We're hoping to get tickets.
Nice thanks for intel, that makes sense do you take CBB tunnel through to Virginia Beach and just go straight up along the Eastern shore like that? When I first went through CBB tunnel a few years back, that was "mind blowing" a pretty sweet part of the country and a helluva job in making/engineering that lol.

I ask because I assume if you went up through like Norfolk, Hampton, Williamsburg up and then more East that would take a long a** time. I guess you would pass through W&M though so that would be cool lol
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Old 06-20-2022, 06:45 AM
 
Location: Gaston County, N.C.
425 posts, read 412,349 times
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North Carolina is a relatively big state itself - nothing aside from Alaska competes directly with Texas... but you will be facing the decision that many relocators do... People may like the beach and the mountains, but it's not really practical to live close to both. In the sense of waking up on a Saturday and saying "Hey I feel like heading out there today". These trips normally are something you'll plan a few days ahead.

When a destination is 2.5-3.5 hours away, going there and back on a day trip and skipping the cost of a motel room is feasible during the summer. But you'll realize after moving, that you won't really do it as much as you imagined. It's just not the same draw to make that drive after you've "already seen that and been there" once or twice. So in the end, how you really feel about the immediate location where you live, is going to matter most.

Even if you work from home, I'd still say try to be within an hour's drive of a major city. It's inevitable that you'll want access to some additional commercial amenities, or a wider range of health care. Or you might face a sudden career change and be expected to come into the office more often for the next job than you thought.

Last edited by SGMI; 06-20-2022 at 07:01 AM..
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