Pros and Cons of NC (Charlotte, Concord: fit in, crime, chapel)

[DonnaPGH]

Hi everyone! My family and I are moving to the Concord area within a year and I was wondering what the pros (good weather, affordability, nice housing) and cons (humidity, bugs, taxes, crowded schools) are.

I did get a lot of information for this formum but would like to hear some of the pros and cons.

Our background is this: We have two kids (5th and 7th graders) my husband works at USAirways, we did live in Pineville in 1990 for 18 months until he got "bumped" and had to move to Pittsburgh, we would like to live in the outskirts of Charlotte (no more then 45 min from the airport) we like Nascar racing, like the heat and my daughter loves snakes ( I saw a post here about the snakes in NC so she is happy about that - she is 10) and I'm an Interior Decortor so I can work for a company or for myself, we are looking to make many friends in our neighborhood and plan to have many social gatherings (we like to entertain) we are origionaly from Long Island . . . . . oh yea, and we're tired of shoveling snow.

I would love to hear what you have to say - thanks!!

[mhogan10010]

I have to be honest. After reading you question, I asked myself, why? You've lived in NC already and know what the culture is like. You say you like all the things people complain about (heat - snakes etc). You like Nascar and your husband works for US Airways.
So, what can a person really say? Sounds like you should fit in nicely there.
I didn't, but that is irrelevant to a person in your situation.

[Miker2069]

Originally Posted by mhogan10010

I have to be honest. After reading you question, I asked myself, why? You've lived in NC already and know what the culture is like. You say you like all the things people complain about (heat - snakes etc). You like Nascar and your husband works for US Airways.
So, what can a person really say? Sounds like you should fit in nicely there.
I didn't, but that is irrelevant to a person in your situation.

A lot has changed in 16.5 years. At lot has changed in just the last 5 years, so the question is still valid. But as mhogan said, you should have a pretty level transistion and still find a majority of the aspects you enjoyed in 1990 still here in 2006.

[DonnaPGH]

thanks Miker - I guess the only difference now is that we have two kids and I would be looking at the city through different eyes (crime rate, schools, friendly neighborhoods, family activity etc). It looks like other than overcrowding in the Charlotte area, traffic and the schools, maybe everything else is pretty much the same. It's good to know after 16.5 years.

thanks
D

[New_Yorker]

Nascar and NC go hand in hand.

Originally Posted by mhogan10010

I have to be honest. After reading you question, I asked myself, why? You've lived in NC already and know what the culture is like. You say you like all the things people complain about (heat - snakes etc). You like Nascar and your husband works for US Airways.
So, what can a person really say? Sounds like you should fit in nicely there.
I didn't, but that is irrelevant to a person in your situation.

[mhogan10010]

Originally Posted by New_Yorker

Nascar and NC go hand in hand.

I've written this before in another thread. I had a co-worker here in NYC, that did her undergrad at UNC - Chapel Hill. She said that they guys in NC were either Nascar or J.Crew and nothing in between.

[New_Yorker]

J. Crew?

Don't you mean pit crew? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Ha Ha Ha

Originally Posted by mhogan10010

I've written this before in another thread. I
had a co-worker here in NYC, that did her undergrad at UNC - Chapel Hill. She said that they guys in NC were either Nascar or J.Crew and nothing in between.

[Carolina_native]

If you have not been to NC since 1990, you will see a huge change. In the amount of buildings and traffic. Guess when you left we were still recovering from Hurricane Hugo, remember that?

The whole Nascar thing is overblown. The sport has gotten a lot of bandwagon fans over the past few years and it has bought into the money like every other sport. Nascar was always big in NC and still is, it just wasnt nationally until recently.

If you have any specifics, ask, be glad to help.

[DonnaPGH]

Thanks so much!

Still what is boils down to is the schools. Once we find a good one - that will be the town we live in.

I guess I have to do a lot of internet searching and hopfully get some good advice from this forum.

[CharlotteAgent]

Originally Posted by Carolina_native

If you have not been to NC since 1990, you will see a huge change. In the amount of buildings and traffic.

This could not be a truer statement