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Hi,
I'll be attending JWU in the fall, and I'm trying to choose a campus: Denver or Charlotte. I've tried to do research on both cities on my own, and thought I'd ask you guys too. I have seen similar discussions here with really good input. Some posts are a bit dated, so I thought I'd ask as an update, re: job market, safe areas to live, and so on.
I'm originally from Chicago. I live in Mississippi now. Personally, I love diversity and culture and options that the North provides,and I really miss that. Sometimes, the lack of the aforementioned can be really frustrating and tiresome. Since I moved to MS, even though the pace is slower, I've learned to really appreciate the community vibe, and the overall friendliness that the South can provide. So, as you can imagine, I've come to kind of a standstill with my decision making process.
Here's what I'm wondering-
How's the job market? I'd read in older posts that it was okay in Denver, and kind of slim pickins' in Charlotte. Still true?
Safety?- I'm single, no kids. I'll be living by myself. Should I look outside city limits for safer apartments in either location?
Food and entertainment/culture?- I have LOT of franchise places where I am now...I'm looking for -and NEED- more options- not just a movie theatre and Mickey D's on every corner. I've read conflicting things. Help?
I know that the cost of living will be higher regardless of where I move, so I know I'll have to get ready for that.
I'm going to Denver in a week to visit, my trip to Charlotte will be in a month or two. Any places or local gems I should not miss? Are there other things I haven't considered? Any practical and nice comments are welcome!
I actually like both cities, but prefer Charlotte for the greenery, weather, african-American culture however, you cant go wrong with either city. I would say entertainment options are about the same in both cities. You won't be bored in either unless you are a boring person. This would be a great Superbowl matchup: Carolina vs. Denver. Go Panthers!;-)
Well both cities are going to provide you with many more options than can be found anywhere in Mississippi, so I'd say you couldn't go wrong with each. Denver has been a bigger city for longer and acts as a hub for the Mountain West, so in that respect it has an edge on Charlotte in most categories. However, Denver is pretty isolated while Charlotte is closer to other places of interest which is a plus.
I'm not as familiar with Denver, but as far as Charlotte goes:
• The job market in Charlotte isn't what it was before the recession, but it's making notable progress. By the time you graduate, it should be even better.
• There are plenty of safe areas within the city of Charlotte. There's no need for an unnecessary commute out to the 'burbs.
• Charlotte's offerings in terms of food/entertainment/culture are about what you'd expect for a city its size and they continue to grow. But I'd imagine that Denver has a bit more.
When you visit Charlotte, I'd encourage you to check out some of the neighborhoods just outside of downtown (which is called Uptown by locals) which give you a better feel for the city overall than downtown alone, like SouthEnd, Dilworth, Plaza-Midwood, NoDa, Elizabeth, etc.
Denver has a density rating that is nearly twice as dense as Charlotte. Also, it seems as though Charlotte doesn't have very many cities closely located by it (although I could be wrong as I don't know much about Charlotte) but the Denver metro area has a lot of cool places worth your interest.
it seems as though Charlotte doesn't have very many cities closely located by it.
Charlotte has more metros in it's proximity than Denver. Denver is isolated and acts as the main city for the region it's located in; Charlotte does not.
Denver has a density rating that is nearly twice as dense as Charlotte. Also, it seems as though Charlotte doesn't have very many cities closely located by it (although I could be wrong as I don't know much about Charlotte) but the Denver metro area has a lot of cool places worth your interest.
Overall, I'd go with Denver.
As Austincool stated, Charlotte actually does have several cities within close proximity, but they are all smaller than Charlotte. However, they can make for great day trips, particular the foothill/mountain cities (e.g., Asheville) and the coastal cities (e.g., Charleston).
Thanks for the input guys, you're really helping me a lot. Does Charlotte have more of a small town feel, or would you say it's more metro? I'll be visiting soon, but I guess I'm just excited and curious :-)
Thanks for the input guys, you're really helping me a lot. Does Charlotte have more of a small town feel, or would you say it's more metro? I'll be visiting soon, but I guess I'm just excited and curious :-)
I suppose if you're coming from NYC, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, etc.--one of the giants--you'd think Charlotte feels like a small town in comparison. Overall, I'd say it feels like what it is: a rapidly growing midsized city.
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