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If you’re coming from the North you’ll be at home in Charlotte. There’s no more Southern feel to Charlotte because of the mass relocation here from the North. Charlotte use to have local stores and restaurants that had great customer service. Now most of the stores are high end boutiques, corporate or big box and most of the restaurants are chains and there is very little actual customer service. In other words, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut Delaware and Rhode Island transplants have brought their harsh me, me, me personalities to our once gracious city. I’m sure there will be many who will think that’s not true and these will be the same folks who moved here without any idea of how it truly was like before. If you’ve lived in Charlotte for 25 years or more, you know what I mean. Charlotte has been forever changed and will never have that true southern hospitality again.
If you’re coming from the North you’ll be at home in Charlotte. There’s no more Southern feel to Charlotte because of the mass relocation here from the North. Charlotte use to have local stores and restaurants that had great customer service. Now most of the stores are high end boutiques, corporate or big box and most of the restaurants are chains and there is very little actual customer service. In other words, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut Delaware and Rhode Island transplants have brought their harsh me, me, me personalities to our once gracious city. I’m sure there will be many who will think that’s not true and these will be the same folks who moved here without any idea of how it truly was like before. If you’ve lived in Charlotte for 25 years or more, you know what I mean. Charlotte has been forever changed and will never have that true southern hospitality again.
Big box stores and chain restaurants move where boring suburbanites live who think a classy night out is Olive Garden or Cheesecake Factory. If anything, NY, NJ, and MA are as opposite as you can get from that since there is tons of local culture and local restaurants and local stores in every size downtown. This is not an effect of Northerners moving to Charlotte; it's an effect of Charlotte being the epitome of Southern Sunbelt boring suburbia lacking any real urban amenities comparative to its size. It's done an awesome job of attracting the boring finance suburbia types who wants to live in a cul de sac in a tract home and only eat at chain restaurants every day.
Maybe that is an East Coast thing. There are a bunch of local restaurants and stores in the suburbs here as well as big box stores. Bunch of both near the cores of Fort Worth and Dallas, too.
Big box stores and chain restaurants move where boring suburbanites live who think a classy night out is Olive Garden or Cheesecake Factory. If anything, NY, NJ, and MA are as opposite as you can get from that since there is tons of local culture and local restaurants and local stores in every size downtown. This is not an effect of Northerners moving to Charlotte; it's an effect of Charlotte being the epitome of Southern Sunbelt boring suburbia lacking any real urban amenities comparative to its size. It's done an awesome job of attracting the boring finance suburbia types who wants to live in a cul de sac in a tract home and only eat at chain restaurants every day.
I've never had Cheesecake Factory before, even though there's one a couple miles from me. I might need to give it a try.
Olive Garden, yuck.
One thing about the south I'll always love is the prominence of Waffle House. You'll find those things everywhere. A well run WH is pretty darn good. Wish we had more in the Midwest
I am in my mid-20s and I am looking to relocate from update NY and need help! I will be graduating with my master's degree this May in HR and is looking to relocate to a bigger city like DC, Atlanta, Chicago, Charlotte, etc. I've been doing a lot of research lately and I'm getting lots of mixed messaging. About me: Single, black, gay, young professional. Any advice? I think my top choices right now is DC (super expensive) & Charlotte.
Atlanta, Chicago, and Charlotte would all be good choices. My 4 young adult children (23-28) have all stayed in the Charlotte area and like it. There's plenty to do, especially outdoors. Yes, it's family oriented, but most anyone can find their niche'.
Too, even if an area is Conservative, don't rely on stereotypes to guide your decisions. I'm Conservative/Christian and most of us are very live-and-let-live. We have no problem with anyone who doesn't agree with us and can easily be friends, as long as the same respect and courtesy can be given. Don't rob yourself of meeting some great people just because they're Conservative. If society is going to be truly inclusive, the tolerance has to go both ways.
Good luck no matter where you land. A new move like this can be a bit daunting, especially when you're young. Take care!
Big box stores and chain restaurants move where boring suburbanites live who think a classy night out is Olive Garden or Cheesecake Factory. If anything, NY, NJ, and MA are as opposite as you can get from that since there is tons of local culture and local restaurants and local stores in every size downtown. This is not an effect of Northerners moving to Charlotte; it's an effect of Charlotte being the epitome of Southern Sunbelt boring suburbia lacking any real urban amenities comparative to its size. It's done an awesome job of attracting the boring finance suburbia types who wants to live in a cul de sac in a tract home and only eat at chain restaurants every day.
I am from the NE and moved to the Charlotte area, and what you just stated is an exaggeration. There are a TON of local eateries down here. BBQ in particular is some of the best in the nation. Local seafood is here (though I prefer New England style, since its boiled and baked instead of fried.) Certain fried foods such as chiken and othe"Soul Food" is unparalleled in the South.
Also in Charlotte, I found, there's a very large South American population (mostly in east Charlotte), and many ethnic food places to choose from. Texas has the best BBQ beef and Tex-mex in the country, by far, IMO.
And don't kid yourself, up north we had the very same big box stores and chain restaurants. Instead of Waffle houses though, in New England, there are Dunkin Donuts on every block, it seems. Same CVS's, Walgreens, Starbucks, big chain steak houses, Red Lobster, etc., and malls with almost the exact same stores as the south.
Chain and big box stores are in every suburb up North. Quite a few cul de sac as well. Although not nearly as much new build tract home. Go North or west of Boston and tell me what you find. Go into Warwick, Cranston and other Massachusetts suburbs to the east of Providence and you will find much of the the same suburban lifestyles.
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