North Carolina is vastly different than South Carolina (Charlotte, Raleigh: employment, schools)

[sonofaque86]

I'm from South Carolina (Columbia)....This is my second year living in North Carolina (Charlotte)....

After traveling to France, Italy, California, Florida, DC, New York, and so on in the country.......

I really don't see a VAST difference in North and South Carolina when comparing the two to other states....Just my opinion

[AVLLVR]

Originally Posted by saucystargazer

Yes. NC is definitely different (read: the better Carolina).

It's funny you say that because on a trip up to D.C. last summer a stranger asked me where I am from. I told him North Carolina and he replied, "Oh, the 'good' Carolina." I laughed!

Really, the "difference" between the two states obviously has to do with preference but it also has to do with perception. I think that there is definitely a perception both within NC and without that we are not automatically comparable with our similarly named neighbor to the south. Personally, I am glad because I think that there are definitely differences (at least that is my perception.)

[PDD]

I live close to SC in the NC sandhills and I do a lot of just riding around to get the lay of the land. I find the rural roads of NC generally to be much better as far a pavement and general maintenance. I was driving to Darlington on the back roads thru NC and had to stop and wait for a paving crew just short of the SC border. The new paving ended in NC which is expected but when I continued on into SC the roads had deteriorated and I was almost expecting to see a crew similar to the road gang of Cool Hand Luke paving the road in SC.

As far as the politics of the two states when you get to a certain point in life arguing politics makes as much sense as arguing about religion or favorite sports teams. There are no winners.

[urbancharlotte]

Originally Posted by PDD

I live close to SC in the NC sandhills and I do a lot of just riding around to get the lay of the land. I find the rural roads of NC generally to be much better as far a pavement and general maintenance.

And IMO, it is on this one issue that SC is smarter than NC. We pave roads to nowhere in NC while our city residents sit in traffic and dodge potholes.

Trust me, you will see the exact opposite when it comes to NC freeways vs SC freeways (especially within a large metro area). I-77 in metro Charlotte is a perfect example. From uptown to Carowinds (the NC/SC stateline) you will see 6 lanes of traffic barely moving on most days of the week. However, upon crossing into SC you will see 8 smooth (and well maintained) lanes of nice flowing traffic for nearly 14 miles. Rock Hill is the only "ring city" of Charlotte with 8 lanes of freeway between itself and Charlotte. The other "ring cities" of Charlotte (Gastonia, Concord, Monroe, Lake Norman Area) are at best 6 lanes (the same amount of lanes that you will find in rural NC along I-85 between Salisbury and Greensboro)...... And Gastonia is the only one that currently has 6, the others are 4 laned.

What's the difference between Rock Hill and those other areas surrounding Charlotte? Simple, SC Dot funds Rock Hill; NC Dot funds the others. If you ever wondered "Gee, how can NC afford to pave my rural road so well?" The answer is "by not properly funding the largest and fastest growing regions of the state" (Charlotte, Triangle, and Triad). When you short-change 60% of the state's population, paving rural roads is EASY!!!

[PDD]

Originally Posted by urbancharlotte

And IMO, it is on this one issue that SC is smarter than NC. We pave roads to nowhere in NC while our city residents sit in traffic and dodge potholes.

Trust me, you will see the exact opposite when it comes to NC freeways vs SC freeways (especially within a large metro area). I-77 in metro Charlotte is a perfect example. From uptown to Carowinds (the NC/SC stateline) you will see 6 lanes of traffic barely moving on most days of the week. However, upon crossing into SC you will see 8 smooth (and well maintained) lanes of nice flowing traffic for nearly 14 miles. Rock Hill is the only "ring city" of Charlotte with 8 lanes of freeway between itself and Charlotte. The other "ring cities" of Charlotte (Gastonia, Concord, Monroe, Lake Norman Area) are at best 6 lanes (the same amount of lanes that you will find in rural NC along I-85 between Salisbury and Greensboro)...... And Gastonia is the only one that currently has 6, the others are 4 laned.

What's the difference between Rock Hill and those other areas surrounding Charlotte? Simple, SC Dot funds Rock Hill; NC Dot funds the others. If you ever wondered "Gee, how can NC afford to pave my rural road so well?" The answer is "by not properly funding the largest and fastest growing regions of the state" (Charlotte, Triangle, and Triad). When you short-change 60% of the state's population, paving rural roads is EASY!!!

That is just the reason I don't live in one of the large metro areas of NC.Was going to move to the Greensboro area but way too crowded.
Your right about the roads to nowhere.
NC did build a nice highway to the Sandhills 220/73 almost no traffic from Greensboro to Rockingham. Can't quite figure out the two rest areas near Asheboro, beautiful but nobody ever there.

[Randomstudent]

Originally Posted by urbancharlotte

And IMO, it is on this one issue that SC is smarter than NC. We pave roads to nowhere in NC while our city residents sit in traffic and dodge potholes.

Trust me, you will see the exact opposite when it comes to NC freeways vs SC freeways (especially within a large metro area). I-77 in metro Charlotte is a perfect example. From uptown to Carowinds (the NC/SC stateline) you will see 6 lanes of traffic barely moving on most days of the week. However, upon crossing into SC you will see 8 smooth (and well maintained) lanes of nice flowing traffic for nearly 14 miles. Rock Hill is the only "ring city" of Charlotte with 8 lanes of freeway between itself and Charlotte. The other "ring cities" of Charlotte (Gastonia, Concord, Monroe, Lake Norman Area) are at best 6 lanes (the same amount of lanes that you will find in rural NC along I-85 between Salisbury and Greensboro)...... And Gastonia is the only one that currently has 6, the others are 4 laned.

What's the difference between Rock Hill and those other areas surrounding Charlotte? Simple, SC Dot funds Rock Hill; NC Dot funds the others. If you ever wondered "Gee, how can NC afford to pave my rural road so well?" The answer is "by not properly funding the largest and fastest growing regions of the state" (Charlotte, Triangle, and Triad). When you short-change 60% of the state's population, paving rural roads is EASY!!!

That is true. Once you get to the I-40/I-85 split between Greensboro and Chapel Hill it goes down to four lanes and stays four lanes through Chapel Hill and right up to Durham.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by PDD

I live close to SC in the NC sandhills and I do a lot of just riding around to get the lay of the land. I find the rural roads of NC generally to be much better as far a pavement and general maintenance. I was driving to Darlington on the back roads thru NC and had to stop and wait for a paving crew just short of the SC border. The new paving ended in NC which is expected but when I continued on into SC the roads had deteriorated and I was almost expecting to see a crew similar to the road gang of Cool Hand Luke paving the road in SC.

As far as the politics of the two states when you get to a certain point in life arguing politics makes as much sense as arguing about religion or favorite sports teams. There are no winners.

I'm about 10 miles from the SC line. A blind man riding in a car would know when the state line was crossed, on I 85 or local roads.

[arbyunc]

Originally Posted by PDD

NC did build a nice highway to the Sandhills 220/73 almost no traffic from Greensboro to Rockingham. Can't quite figure out the two rest areas near Asheboro, beautiful but nobody ever there.

If you travel this highway on summer weekends, you'll see why it was built--it's loaded with beach traffic from places like Ohio and West Virginia. I think over time this road will provide some economic stimulus to the Sandhills, an area that sorely needs it.

[urbancharlotte]

Originally Posted by arbyunc

If you travel this highway on summer weekends, you'll see why it was built--it's loaded with beach traffic from places like Ohio and West Virginia. I think over time this road will provide some economic stimulus to the Sandhills, an area that sorely needs it.

Aren't the Sandhills home to the Lumbee Native Americans? If they really wanted an economic stimulus, why don't they get together and build a casino? The Cherokees did and the Catawbas of SC are working on it....
Catawbas plan to build massive casino in York County | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper

As for taking money from the major metros of the state just to build roads to nowhere; not a good idea. A casino however..... I like it!!!! Score 1 more point for SC:

Let's see how NC vs SC looks so far...

-Better road building for urbanized areas; +1 SC
-Innovative, greedy, and creative Native Americans; +1 SC
-Themeparks (the better rides of Carowinds are on the Fort Mill side of the park); +1 SC
-Governor (too easy); +1 SC
-Beaches/coastal cities (Hello!!! Myrtle and Charleston) +2 SC
-Governor (correction);+287,436,437^3 SC
-Unemployment; +1 SC

^^^Um, why am I NOT living in Fort Mill; it's only 4.7 miles from my house?

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by urbancharlotte

Aren't the Sandhills home to the Lumbee Native Americans? If they really wanted an economic stimulus, why don't they get together and build a casino? The Cherokees did and the Catawbas of SC are working on it....
Catawbas plan to build massive casino in York County | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper

As for taking money from the major metros of the state just to build roads to nowhere; not a good idea. A casino however..... I like it!!!! Score 1 more point for SC:

Let's see how NC vs SC looks so far...

-Better road building for urbanized areas; +1 SC
-Innovative, greedy, and creative Native Americans; +1 SC
-Themeparks (the better rides of Carowinds are on the Fort Mill side of the park); +1 SC
-Governor (too easy); +1 SC
-Beaches/coastal cities (Hello!!! Myrtle and Charleston) +2 SC
-Governor (correction);+287,436,437^3 SC
-Unemployment; +1 SC

^^^Um, why am I NOT living in Fort Mill; it's only 4.7 miles from my house?

urban, you wouldn't say that if you lived that closed to Cherokee County, SC.