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I am hoping to gather some feedback from people living in Charlotte or have lived in Charlotte. Hey even people who are thinking about moving to Charlotte. I would like to know what you think about living here. It is consistently scoring high on websites about great places to relocate to.
I like Charlotte. I moved here about 5 1/2 years ago from Atlanta which I also liked very much. I have also lived in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of texas. I'm not sure if I want to settle here in Charlotte and buy a house or to move again.
I am considering moving to the midwest. (Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis maybe???). If anyone have lived in any midwest city and now lives here and would like to compare and contrast, that would be great. (I lived in Missouri (columbia) for 8 years and do not want to go back there or even St. Louis or Kansas City). I know it is very very cold there which is not the greatest thing. I typically wear shorts 10 months out of the year here in Charlotte.
Thank you for taking part in my unofficial survey about living here in the Queen City.
Well, to begin with, if you like warm weather and thought that St. Louis was cold, well, you ain't seen nuthin' till you get to Chicago!!! The wind whipping off the lake with a foot of snow on the ground...wow...that's enough to remind me why I live here!! Seriously, it is very common to have below zero temps for days/weeks in a row, with windchills of 20-30 below zero. Or, snow every day for a month. Suffice to say, winters are BRUTAL. None of this shorts-in-Dec business up there...unless you want to get frostbite.
Further north, you go, it is just going to get worse. Wisconsin still has a lake there and there is a reason that it is not well populated.
Otherwise, Chicago (in the summer) is a fantastic place to be. Museums to die for, real baseball , the beach, more to do than there are hours in the day. Chicago has no comparison to Charlotte as just one neighbourhood might make up the entire city of Charlotte. So, the question would be...what are you looking for in your move? that would help a lot...
I spent the better part of my life growing up in Charlotte. Loved it when I was a naive child, still like it, just not so much now. Getting kind of expensive to exist here while maintaining the standard of living I enjoy. Traffic's getting crappier every year. Taxes, big government, smoking bans. Crap like that gets to me. But the weather, most of the people, and the memories I have make up for it. Looking to experience something a good bit more rural starting this December or Jan 2010, but Charlotte will always be my home (after Wilmington, bleh they took my city over)
I am an NC native . . . there are worse places to be than Charlotte. Good quality of life here for a decent cost. I lived in Kansas City (JoCo) for a chunk of my life and loved it there and that is where I would have recommended you move if you were considering the midwest - KCMO metro. I miss the Nelson Atkins and the outdoor venues . . . jazz . . . and the Plaza. Lots of areas in the metro's more rural areas for horses.
Have you thought about Tulsa? Also a great quality of life, good cost of living and nice for horses. More "shorts" weather . . . and the Dallas burbs - again, low cost of living - plenty of areas for horses - warm weather. But again, you've been there and it doesnt sound like you are as fond of these areas as I am.
I leave out of town to get my museum fix. There are lots of things that make this area desirable, including proximity to other places for quick trips.
I am hoping to gather some feedback from people living in Charlotte or have lived in Charlotte. Hey even people who are thinking about moving to Charlotte. I would like to know what you think about living here. It is consistently scoring high on websites about great places to relocate to.
I like Charlotte. I moved here about 5 1/2 years ago from Atlanta which I also liked very much. I have also lived in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of texas. I'm not sure if I want to settle here in Charlotte and buy a house or to move again.
I am considering moving to the midwest. (Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis maybe???). If anyone have lived in any midwest city and now lives here and would like to compare and contrast, that would be great. (I lived in Missouri (columbia) for 8 years and do not want to go back there or even St. Louis or Kansas City). I know it is very very cold there which is not the greatest thing. I typically wear shorts 10 months out of the year here in Charlotte.
Thank you for taking part in my unofficial survey about living here in the Queen City.
If you liked the places that you lived, why keep moving? Is it because of a job? The whole change of scenery thing doesn't make sense to me. Your going to get use to everywhere you go after a while.
I am an NC native . . . there are worse places to be than Charlotte. Good quality of life here for a decent cost. I lived in Kansas City (JoCo) for a chunk of my life and loved it there and that is where I would have recommended you move if you were considering the midwest - KCMO metro. I miss the Nelson Atkins and the outdoor venues . . . jazz . . . and the Plaza. Lots of areas in the metro's more rural areas for horses.
Have you thought about Tulsa? Also a great quality of life, good cost of living and nice for horses. More "shorts" weather . . . and the Dallas burbs - again, low cost of living - plenty of areas for horses - warm weather. But again, you've been there and it doesnt sound like you are as fond of these areas as I am.
I leave out of town to get my museum fix. There are lots of things that make this area desirable, including proximity to other places for quick trips.
Lol, my best friend lives in KC (Olathe, really). She really likes it there and has been asking me to move up there for years. I like KC, but when I would go there, felt very isolated (in the middle of the us)with no water. I like Chicago and Milwaukee because they are on lake michigan and it feels like an ocean. (for the summer at least).
Kansas City has some nice features. It is only 2 hours from my parents (in columbia), I love the plaza and crown center, the power and light district. I agree, very cool museums. My friend hates the weather. She moved from Atlanta to KC, has nightmares about driving in the snow.
The downsides to Kansas City are no lake michigan. Although I hear there are lakes in the area. 6 1/2 hours from Minneapolis (kinda far) and Chicago is 8 hours away. (way to far)...
Besides those few things, I would strongly consider Kansas City.
There are a few reasons i'm considering moving out of Charlotte.
1. I adopted two kids here and think a big city like Chicago would have a lot of opportunities for them. (maybe not but it's a thought). I grew up in Philadelphia and enjoyed the city and various cultures.
2. I have talked with several teenagers (15-18) and they hate it here, think it's boring and can't wait to leave.
3. My friends in Chicago talk about generations of families all living there. Not as much transient a culture i guess.
I'm not sure what i'm going to do yet, but I really appreciate you all added your thoughts and experiences to the mix.
Lol, my best friend lives in KC (Olathe, really). She really likes it there and has been asking me to move up there for years. I like KC, but when I would go there, felt very isolated (in the middle of the us)with no water. I like Chicago and Milwaukee because they are on lake michigan and it feels like an ocean. (for the summer at least).
Kansas City has some nice features. It is only 2 hours from my parents (in columbia), I love the plaza and crown center, the power and light district. I agree, very cool museums. My friend hates the weather. She moved from Atlanta to KC, has nightmares about driving in the snow.
The downsides to Kansas City are no lake michigan. Although I hear there are lakes in the area. 6 1/2 hours from Minneapolis (kinda far) and Chicago is 8 hours away. (way to far)...
Besides those few things, I would strongly consider Kansas City.
Have you spent time checking out the parks in JoCo? We had a sailboat and used it in Shawnee Mission park. There are some beautiful, open areas - lots of walking and bike trails, too - all right there close by to housing, yet it feels off in a rural area.
We used to drive to CHI . . . but then - we drove back to NC in a day, so 9 hours didn't really phase me, LOL!!! Lake of the Ozarks - 4.5 hours away, but we really didn't get into that except on occasion.
I think the KCP&L district has developed beautifully - it really is a great destination.
I know the winters are harsher than here, but it would snow 13" and the schools would still operate, b/c the streets were always cleared so well. I never minded driving in the snow at all but I have spent a lot of my time since a child in NC's mountains during bad weather.
It is nice being able to access the mountains and beach from Charlotte. If you want to be in a warm climate, I can't see you ever being happy around Lake Michigan, except for visits.
I lived a 1/2 hr away from the biggest city in the world. (NYC). Moved here almost 3 yrs ago and love it. Would never move back.
YES YES, there are things I defintely miss from the northeast, however there is no perfect place and there are much more positives than negatives in my mind.
Kids love it. (Isn't that what life is all about...? )
It all depends what you make of things and what actually makes you "happy".
Charlotte is not for everyone. It is for us and thats the only thing that matters....
There are a few reasons i'm considering moving out of Charlotte.
1. I adopted two kids here and think a big city like Chicago would have a lot of opportunities for them. (maybe not but it's a thought). I grew up in Philadelphia and enjoyed the city and various cultures.
2. I have talked with several teenagers (15-18) and they hate it here, think it's boring and can't wait to leave.
3. My friends in Chicago talk about generations of families all living there. Not as much transient a culture i guess.
I'm not sure what i'm going to do yet, but I really appreciate you all added your thoughts and experiences to the mix.
Well, I agree that Chicago has a LOT more to do for kids as well as for adults. I grew up there, and, except for the crime, I would not have traded it. I moved south so that my kids would not have to deal with the crime (among other things) but, sometimes I wonder if they were shortchanged by never being able to go to museums and zoos, ballgames and even just running through the open fire hydrant in the summer. That is a personal choice for you. If you grew up in Philly, you know what I mean.
To your second point, no, people do not usually move out of Chicago. (except maybe to the suburbs) It is not a transient city by any means. In fact, my family has never gotten over the fact that I actually DID move. It is a sore point to this day. (I moved in 1974!)
Perfect? NO!! no more than anywhere is. It is just all in what you want/need.
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, the beach, more to do than there are hours in the day. Chicago has no comparison to Charlotte as just one neighbourhood might make up the entire city of Charlotte. So, the question would be...what are you looking for in your move? that would help a lot...
Don't say that around my best friend....
)
That is a personal choice for you. If you grew up in Philly, you know what I mean. 
