Charlotte or Columbus or ? (Lancaster, Dublin: ski resorts, insurance, condos)

[classic girl]

Any insight will be most appreciated. My husband and I are retired after long careers in Chicago, one of the country's truly great cities. Prolonged winters caused us to relocate to warmer climes, but we miss cultural access to symphonies, operas, theatre and museums. The area we're in now, NE FL, has a few cultural outlets, but we want to move to a more vibrant and urbane setting with a moderate climate -- no prolonged winters but neither do we want to be indoors half the year because it's too hot and humid to venture out. Preliminary research on both cities looks promising. We're open to other possibilities as well, although our search is limited to the mid & eastern regions for family reasons. Access to quality health care, reasonable taxes, insurance and costs of living, high quality of life in a diverse community are all very important, non-drought prone, minimal natural hazards, relatively safe, etc. Don't like McMansions or large lots, but prefer newer high quality 4+ bdrm, under $900k. Seems like this should be fairly simple, but at our age we have to get it right as this will be our last move.

[LancasterNative]

Howdy Classic Girl,

Columbus and Charlotte are very similar economically and demographically.

In terms of growth pace and patterns, friends of mine in Charlotte say it's like "Columbus on steroids" down there. In other words, the growth is almost on the overwhelming side. Nonetheless, there is no lack of amenities—cultural or otherwise—in NC's largest city. Plus they have NFL football, which Columbus will never have thanks to stupid Ohio State...

As far as weather, winters in this part of Ohio are mostly cold, wet, gray and dismal. We get snow for Christmas if we're lucky, but nothing like Chicago. Of course, these things are cyclical too; when I was growing up, it seems we got more snow and Christmas was seldom without it. Unlike Chicago we have NO lake effect; the nearest great lake (Erie) is 110 mi. away! So that at least cuts down on the nasty freezing winds as well as the amount & duration of snowstorms. Usually around February or so, I get reeeeally bored/sick of the winter drear and start dreaming about beautiful magnolias, live oaks, sweet tea and warm weather down in Dixie!

Summer humidity is another story entirely. While Ohio gets it, Charlotte would definitely be worse in that department...

As far as symphonies, operas, theatre and museums, both cities offer a good variety and I don't think you could go wrong either place.

Others would be better qualified to speak on the cost of housing in Charlotte. But I know that in Columbus, the type of home you're looking for is available well within your price range. Indeed, depending what part of town you're in, good new custom-built 4+BR single-family houses can be found in the $500K range.

Best of luck to y'all!

Lanc

[raleightransplant]

Classic girl--I think I can give you some thoughts based on experience of living in Columbus and NC. Charlotte is in fact growing like crazy right now, as is all of NC....a bit too fast if you want a stable, sane place to call home (cost of living is going up with the crowding, traffic, schools, etc.).

I personally view Columbus to be a bit more interesting culturally than Charlotte. That's probably due to the university presence---I think C'bus is a bit more offbeat. Charlotte's corporate to a fault almost in my opinion. They do seem to sprout beautiful new highrises every time you blink though and it has a fairly "big time" feel to it. Columbus feels more "established"..for Charlotte the future is now. My wife and I looked at the Raleigh-Durham area and Charlotte back in 2000, and chose Raleigh due to it being a bit more of a "hip" area...a little younger with the area universities, diversity, great music scene, arts, etc. Raleigh's smaller than Charlotte, but the Triangle metro is comparable in size and growing equally fast (if not faster at present)..both currently btwn 1.5 and 2 million.

I would base a lot on whether you prefer sunshine or snow and what you want in natural surroundings. North Carolina is MUCH sunnier year round and you get a little snow every year---varies by year. Columbus is gray quite a bit in the winter months and you obviously get more snow. I see the snow as a good thing..stabilizes growth. Not sure if you're a mountain or ocean person, but both can easily be accessed in Charlotte (and there are ski resorts in the NC mtns where it can snow quite a bit). Summer can really suck in NC though, unless you're in the mountains--this year was particularly awful. I do view Columbus to be more energetic and eclectic if you're in to that when comparing Clbs and Char side by side.

[streetcreed]

Columbus will never have thanks to stupid Ohio State...

I too agree the Ohio State being within Columbus, and not a distant city like Raleigh, helps Columbus have a certain dynamic that Charlotte cannot obtain.

However, since Columbus is more established you do have certain potenial elements within in the city that Charlotte may not have. Some of my parents friends, retirement aged, love Charlotte. They love how clean the city is and how the city lacks any real poor or blue collar areas.

Columbus on the other hand has a bit of everything, by no means not nearly as urban or large as Chicago, but Columbus has your rich, urban areas, your rich suburbs, your blue collar nieghborhoods, your ethnic ones, your poor african-american areas, your beautiful Victorian homes areas, and your middle class family areas. Theres a bit of everything. Not all of Columbus is "new" and as "wealthy" in appearance as Charlotte may be. If you live in Columbus' innercity there are many nice neigborhoods, but you have to be fine living not to far from a more diverse or less well of neighborhood nearby.

Columbus' innercity seems older than Charlottes, and most of Columbus' growth was 80's and 90's where as Charlotte's is today.

Also, outside of Columbus' rich downtown area neighborhoods (German Village and Victorian Village), and Beechwold north of OSU, most of Columbus' annexed post WWII areas are very middle class (other than NW Columbus.) Most of Columbus' post WWII wealth is out in areas of the city that attend suburban schools, or in the new suburbs outside of the outerbelt (New Albany and Powell.) Charlotte has a great number of these wealthy residents living in their annexed areas. This can give Charlotte a more "nice" presence, but could also make it seem a little more 2 dimensional than Columbus.
You just have to come to Columbus and see if you "get it."

Is the character, (sort-of artsy/liberal, hipster, down to earth) of the urban neigborhoods what your looking for? Do you like the kind of beat up, but world class atmosphere of Ohio State?

Most importantly is finding what Columbus neighborhood you want to live in, Columbus has a great collection of neigborhoods. From the sounds of what your looking for, you want something in a more urban, nice location?

In Columbus I would look at Victorian Village, Short North, German Village, and Clintonville or Beechwold. All of these areas are near the culture of downtown, have vital, impressive commercial districts with fine dinning, shops, and nearby recreation on bike trails along the river.

Also, these neigborhoods have a great selection of very nice houses, with great character, walkable communities, they are very safe for the central city, and they are all also very close to the ammenities of OSU. Therefor, these areas are more expensive for a Columbus neigborhood, but most places are well well below the price of 900,000 that you mentioned. You could find a nice place for 300,000 and up (for 4 bedroom, though most 4bedrooms in these areas can run closer to 500,000)

The only thing im trying to clarify is that you want a nice urban setting, which would be the areas i mentioned above, but most of the houses there are not "new" they are redone, if you want a total new build, there's more condos that fit that requirement in the urban areas. However, if you want a nice "newer" house you can find that in a semi-urban setting in areas like Dublin, Powell, or NW columbus.

[LancasterNative]

That is very true about the collegiate atmosphere in Columbus vs. Charlotte.

Columbus is, and always will be, unmistakably a "college town." OSU's influence extends well beyond the campus itself—even into the conscious identity & social fabric of the metro area. It is considered almost a social faux-pas here to have a wedding on any Saturday during football season w/o at least having a TV tuned to the game at your reception Heck, to plan anything that conflicts with OSU football practically requires an apology. It's like nothing you've ever seen...

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, at about half the size of Ohio State, doesn't have nearly the same cultural, social or emotional impact on the consciousness of Charlotte residents as does OSU : Columbus. Besides, Charlotte is very much a "corporate" town and I get the impression its leaders tend to think BIG—big growth, big leagues, big economy. The way I see it, Charlotte is positioning itself more as rival to Atlanta than to Raleigh-Durham or any other in-state population center.

(Considering y'all are retired, no longer into the corporate jockeying nonsense, that may not be as appealing to you...)

Chicago, despite it large array of higher educational offerings, is immune from being labeled a "college town" due to its sheer size. There's soooo much else going on there.

Anyway, if you can get used to all the rah! rah! OSU stuff, then you'd probably find Columbus quite to your liking.

[raleightransplant]

^^
Charlotte does have a bit of Atlanta envy. Raleigh-Durham concerns itself with high tech meccas like your Seattles, Bostons, Austins, Silicon Valleys of the world. Neither really acknowledge each other much aside from visiting for Hurricanes or college games in Raleigh area or Panthers games in Charlotte. Both deem themselves superior...Funny part is--Asheville's the coolest town in the state (but small and not much of an economy).

As for urban feel, I agree on the cleanliness of Charlotte. It all seems so very new. Some people love it, some don't. Columbus has some great neighborhoods with a real charm. Charlotte is new, but there is some tremendous ambition in some of the new development and light rail is going in this fall.

[Weedydidi]

I just moved from Charlotte to Columbus and I will just add that if you love your car and love to sit in traffic, then move to Charlotte. Here in Columbus they seem to build roads which they really don't like to do in Charlotte.

Also, property taxes are lower there, but the county raises property taxes every other year and you pay property tax on your cars in NC, but not in OH.

I have heard Charlotte described as "a city without a soul" or "McCity" because there's nothing there that you can't find anywhere else in the country. So, if you love chain restaurants and big box stores, then Charlotte's the place to be!

[LancasterNative]

Originally Posted by Weedydidi

and you pay property tax on your cars in NC, but not in OH.

Are U serious?! That's huge. I've heard Virginia does the same thing. That would suck royally!

Originally Posted by Weedydidi

I have heard Charlotte described as "a city without a soul" or "McCity" because there's nothing there that you can't find anywhere else in the country. So, if you love chain restaurants and big box stores, then Charlotte's the place to be!

I hear ya. But then again, every time I hear Charlotte described that way (which is often; you're not alone on this) I stop and think...whoa, is Columbus really that far behind?! Sounds like the Charlotte of today will be the Columbus of tomorrow...

[raleightransplant]

[quote=LancasterNative;1927115]Are U serious?! That's huge. I've heard Virginia does the same thing. That would suck royally!


It's true. Between that and the car inspections it can all add up (particularly if you need a sensor fixed to pass the inspection). That cost my wife like 1k last year. Insane!

[LancasterNative]

Originally Posted by raleightransplant

It's true. Between that and the car inspections it can all add up (particularly if you need a sensor fixed to pass the inspection). That cost my wife like 1k last year. Insane!

Holy smokes...that's horrible, my friend.

To the OP of this thread, if I were being faced with your decision, this alone would disqualify Charlotte and all of NC as a place to live.

Good ol' Ohio...