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Location: Apex, North Carolina [Shepherds Vineyard Subdivision]
269 posts, read 1,156,512 times
Reputation: 103
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Hello, just another pain from CA [actually were quite nice!] who is trying to get his family over your direction so my girls can live and play in more green with down to earth nice people!
I will take any suggestions from those of you in the know regarding those nice suburbs of Charlotte. I am also looking into the Triangle area, but trying to give me and my family options depending on what job opportunities arrise for me. Usual high priorities for us are great public schools that score high, affordable homes [looking for 3+2's or bigger in the $175 to $225K zone, in a somewhat spaced out community of 1/4-up acre size lots] in a established community that puts an emphasis on families with parks, trails, and bicycle paths nearby.
We very much like the outdoors, so proximity to natural attractions is good too. Love all your forest!! Thank in advance. If their is already a previous post with this kind of information, please send me info to it! Ciao.
Honestly I think all of Charlotte's suburbs are desirable. This post has a nice map of the metro area. Link - 1-9 is Mecklenburg County. Within the county there is Huntersville, Pineville, Matthews and Mint Hill. The surrounding counties, including part of upstate South Carolina, are also Charlotte's suburbs.
There are probably several areas where you can find you are looking for. My biggest question for you is will you be working in Charlotte? If so where? How long/far are you willing to commute?
Please read all of the posts concerning moving here .....and, please, have a job in line before you come. The job market here is really bad and probably going to get worse at the start of the year. Other than that, we will need more info to give you info!
Location: Apex, North Carolina [Shepherds Vineyard Subdivision]
269 posts, read 1,156,512 times
Reputation: 103
Back atacha'
Hello and thanks NCgirl and Chicagocub fan!
Don't worry chicagocub I have read all the post telling all the negatives regarding the job market, but like lots of other post have said, their are literally thousands of metro area's being effected right now, and most of them are hovering in that 6.7-7.1 % unemployment rate just like Charlotte. I definately won't be moving anywhere until a job is locked in, that is why I am researching areas in advance, trying to find that location that we both like physically but will also support me job wise. I am always optimistic that everything happens for a reason and that will end up being the deciding factor where we end up!
Now back to NCgirl, thanks for the welcome! No job locked in yet, a few ranging from inner metro area to some in the outer areas. So kind of vague still on that point sorry to say. Now I can say I am willing to commute generally about 15-20 miles max [30 minutes with traffic]. Huntersville and Matthews were the first ones to pop up on my radar due to demographics, I hadn't noticed Pineville and Mint Hill yet, so I will research those too, thanks. It seemed to me any of the outer counties might be too far, but like you said that just depends on where my job is eh?
Charlotte is a wonderful city and has a great location for people enjoying the outdoors. While the Triangle Area is closer to the beach (only by an hour) we are much closer to the mountains. That's actually why I chose Charlotte over the Raleigh. Based on your post and my experience, I think the Blakeney area of South Charlotte would fit you well. There are affordable housing opportunities, although it may not give you the space you desire. Many people move here thinking they are going to get a 3,000 sq. ft house on a wooded acre for 200k. Not going to happen. Land in desirable areas here can actually be quite pricey.
Anyways, this area would give you access to many reatail, restaurant and entertainment activities, yet is considerably a very quiet and safe area of Charlotte. It's full of nice people (mostly transplants) and family oriented households. It's also very close to outdoor recreation; i.e. Cane Creek Park, Colonial Beatty Park and some of Charlotte's City Parks. The school district (Ardrey Kell) is exceptional.
You may also want to check out Union County as well. There's a little town called Waxhah just south of Blakeney. There are many development going in between the two. Another great location.
I just saw your newest post and would like to add, Blakeney would also give you relatively easy access to the light rail system, if you end up working in uptown. Matthews is pretty nice, in most areas. Overall, I would find it a little more desirable than Pineville.
I recommend the "University City" area of Charlotte. Here's a map of where I'm talking about. Homes range from $130k to $350k and lots are generally larger than most other parts of town with that price range. I'm on a half-acre and under $200k. The area has nearly everything you need...shopping, restaurants, highway access, back roads to Concord Mills (huge shopping area northeast of Charlotte near Lowes Motor Speedway), and a future light rail line is planned to run up N. Tryon St. for very quick and easy access to Uptown (Charlotte's name for the downtown area).
The Mallard Creek Greenway (http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Park+and+Rec/Greenways/Mallard+and+Clark%27s+Creek.htm - broken link) runs all through the area providing something around 7 or 8 miles of paved trails (one of many in the county network of Greenways).
In my opinion, the area is more suburban and a tiny little bit better planned than the rest of the city's 'burbs. It's an area that's about 15-20 years old in development terms, so "newer" on Charlotte's timeline.
With traffic, it takes about 20 minutes to get to the center of Charlotte's Uptown coming in, maybe 30 minutes going out. I will note that the CATS bus system provides many park and rides throughout the metro area, so mass transit is an option for nearly everywhere in the area. The trains and light rails that are underway are just icing on the cake and looking ahead to make sure Charlotte stays on track (pun intended) to becoming a dominant metro region.
And as a side note...the other area you referenced is called the "Triad," not the "triangle" as you called it. Just want to make sure you don't get a confused look from others when asking about the area!
Metallisteve, the Triangle and Triad are two different places, with the Triangle referring to thr Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area and the Triad Area referring to thr Winston-Salem/ Greensboro area. The OP didn't mention an actual city, so they may very well be considering the Triangle area.
Metallisteve, the Triangle and Triad are two different places, with the Triangle referring to thr Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area and the Triad Area referring to thr Winston-Salem/ Greensboro area. The OP didn't mention an actual city, so they may very well be considering the Triangle area.
Location: Apex, North Carolina [Shepherds Vineyard Subdivision]
269 posts, read 1,156,512 times
Reputation: 103
How right you were Jstn!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jstn
Metallisteve, the Triangle and Triad are two different places, with the Triangle referring to thr Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area and the Triad Area referring to thr Winston-Salem/ Greensboro area. The OP didn't mention an actual city, so they may very well be considering the Triangle area.
Hmm, I was going to post and say the very same thing and tell Metallisteve that exact same thing. We were not looking at the Triad area, but the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill "Triangle" area, but it looks like Jstn beat me to it, thanks!
The Triangle area especially Apex, Holly Springs, Cary, & Chapel Hill attracted us for their great public schools and strong economy in these hard times, but unfortunately the school district has been doing a lot of re-districting in the area that is really making the parents uncomfortable and annoyed because some families have different siblings going to different schools at different times and then being moved again the next year, so no security and familiarity for the children which makes us back off a bit. So were looking at options and that is why we also researching the burbs of Charlotte. Thanks again! I will probably post an another new post asking for the pro's and cons of the Charlotte area vs the Triangle. Ciao.
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Thank in advance. 
If their is already a previous post with this kind of information, please send me info to it! 
Ciao.
Back atacha'
I definately won't be moving anywhere until a job is locked in, that is why I am researching areas in advance, trying to find that location that we both like physically but will also support me job wise.
I am always optimistic that everything happens for a reason and that will end up being the deciding factor where we end up!
Now I can say I am willing to commute generally about 15-20 miles max [30 minutes with traffic]. Huntersville and Matthews were the first ones to pop up on my radar due to demographics, I hadn't noticed Pineville and Mint Hill yet, so I will research those too, thanks.
How right you were Jstn!
So were looking at options and that is why we also researching the burbs of Charlotte. Thanks again! I will probably post an another new post asking for the pro's and cons of the Charlotte area vs the Triangle. Ciao.
