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In my opinion, Charlotte and Raleigh are very different. I had the opportunity to live in both cities for business purposes. Overall, I like Charlotte much better.
About the only positive things I can say about Raleigh is that I've read that the area is ranked as #1 in education according to the Places Rated Almanac. Raleigh is also very scenic and easy on the eyes. Lots of rolling hills, lush and green trees and manicured landscaping in the medians. Raleigh looks like a classy city to me. It is obvious that Raleigh cares about it's appearance because all of the roads are newly paved and the shopping centers are tucked away behind large trees. Raleigh is also more compact that Charlotte and not as spread out.
But While living in Raleigh, I immediately noticed that I wasn't in a typical Southern city and was surrounded by many intellects who have extensive educations and very high paying jobs. They were seemingly more articulate than Charlotteans but most of the them were from parts of the Northeast and graduates of Ivy League schools. And if I may say this, I thought the people in Raleigh were much stuffier than Charlotteans. I hardly ever met an Ivy league graduate while living in Charlotte; most of the people I met in Charlotte were actually from NC and had moved to Charlotte for their careers.
Raleigh didn't seem to still have it's natives around and the ones who are from there come from OLD money and don't associate with you unless you live "inside the beltline" and come from a long line of success. There was always the whole "new money vs. old money" topic going and there was definitely a line drawn between the older well established neighborhoods and the newer ones in North Raleigh. It was rare that I didn't meet a snob in Raleigh. When I went out for socializing in Raleigh, I was often approached by people whose first sentence was, "So, what do you do?" It was obvious that they were sizing me up according to my job status which I thought was shallow. IT was all about money for them, it seemed.
If I had to compare the two overall, Charlotte beats Raleigh hands down. More restaurants, shopping and music events... for me , that was a real plus. I also like Charlotteans much more because they are WAY laid back compared to the residents of Raleigh. I came to conclusion that Raleigh was like a mini Manhattan while Charlotte was the perfect Southern city.
Wow. I'm a Raleigh resident and I can't refute your claims. We're still just a bit more humble than you stated however. I also hate the line "So what do you do." I should counter with, "I'm a drug dealer."
Might be OK to raise a family...but for young professionals...Charlotte is the place to be!
Raleigh is a completely different city from 96'-98'. Raleigh probably has the best nightlife NC right now. There are hundreds of night spots downtown. Most of which opened up recently. The city is the opposite of 90's Raleigh. Charlotte still has more family oriented things to do.
I have lived in quite a few big cities. In order of most recent first,
1 baltimore
2 washington, dc
3 philadelphia
4 NYC
5 Toronto (love it)
6 Pittsburgh
7 Los Angeles
8 London
9 South Bend, Ind (LOL I threw that one in there, not exactly a cosmopolitan one!)
I have been in CLT since Nov 07 and I can honestly say that this is the BEST place I have ever lived (well, US CITY that is, Toronto is fantastic too) Great people, great weather, good roads, lots of activities, handy location to mountains and sea, fun restaurants, great markets..all in all,Charlotte area is a fine place to live.
Great post but I believe the original poster is looking for info on Charlotte compare to other metros in this state.
1. Greensboro metro
2. Newton/Conover/Hickory
3. Boone/Blowing Rock
4. Asheville metro
5 Columbia, SC
May retire to Boone/Blowing Rock someday . . . if that explains how much I love it there. Wonderful people . . . and for some reason, that area has just "felt right" to me from the time I was a child. Totally at home there, even in lousy weather.
Asheville - no longer has much charm for me. Enjoy the surrounding mountain communities that have not yet been ruined by over-development (if you can find any these days, Hee Hee).
Greensboro - like the more rural communities in Guilford Co.
Newton/Conover/Hickory . . . enjoy the rural communities of Catawba County as well as Viewmont/Hickory and Lake Hickory area. Again, hard to find true "rural" there anymore . . . Loved living on the lake and would settle on the lake again if I were to move there.
Columbia - someplace to go for conventions, concerts, clients . . . and otherwise, not really fond of Columbia. Other burgs w/in an hour of Columbia - such as Newberry and Rock Hill . . . find them more interesting.
To compare to CLT. . . Charlotte is where I choose to be. DH and I could move anywhere in the region b/c of flexibility w/ our work situation. We chose to be in CLT. Exactly what I want right now. Would consider moving to Tega Cay . . . and have thought about Mooresville b/c of family, but am very happy right where I am in S. CLT and doubt I will move for the next 20 years. Might move to Blowing Rock eventually. I like what is available to me here . . . great shopping, wonderful neighborhoods, sound healthcare systems, educational institutions . . . and terrific friends, most of whom moved here from somewhere else (and who like it here, too!)
I want to respond to this thread but it will be long winded answer and I am always short of time for right now... maybe late tonight.
I hope you will weigh in since you know Lexington/GSO and also Lincoln Co in addition to H'ville. I was watching to see if you posted, LOL. I hope your "busy-ness" today means you are gonna be out enjoying the day . . . I will be watching for your post later.
I lived in the Triad. It was ok, but there are certain things about Charlotte I like much better. More specifically, the fact that Charlotte has pro sports and in general is just a larger place with more to do. However, for folks who live in Charlotte that have never been to the Triad, I think they'd be surprised. For example, Elm Street in downtown Greensboro really comes alive at night, just like the North Tryon area in Uptown here. Also, the Greensboro Coliseum seems to attract pretty much the same concerts as Charlotte, and some years, it appears they get more. And in Winston, they've got the Old Salem area which is a great must see tourist attraction that's cool for taking visitors. I've often thought Charlotte really lacks a must see place to take folks coming into town. I suspose the whitewater center is kind of like that now, but I don't see me taking older family members out there. Old Salem works for all types of people. Lastly, the best thing about the Triad is that its pretty much half way between the Triangle and Charlotte. So if something really cool where happening in either of those places, ior if you just wanted to get away for a day, either is just a short drive.
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