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I just look forward to going to a beach where you're not in a hoodie, rainboots and FREEZING with horizontal rain (yes, even in the summertime). And being able to swim without a wetsuit! What a novel idea!
I just look forward to going to a beach where you're not in a hoodie, rainboots and FREEZING with horizontal rain (yes, even in the summertime). And being able to swim without a wetsuit! What a novel idea!
I almost forgot to tell you about Lake Norman. This is a huge lake just north of Uptown Charlotte (18 miles north). Lots of people get their "beach fix" here. When the weather is warm, you will see jet skis, yachts, and sail boaters out on this lake. Here is a link to Lake Norman. Visit Lake Norman's Homepage
Remember Portlandshaws most of these comments are by Charlotte residents so far. Charlotte isn't really twice the size of Raleigh, because Charlotte has an extremely lenient annexation policy. Charlotte is 300sq miles, while Raleigh is 115. Raleigh is also the densest city in NC. Raleigh is landlocked by other towns and another midsize city (Durham). If Raleigh were allowed to annex these areas it would be roughly the same size as Charlotte... So in short both areas are roughly the same size. Charlotte has a bigger center city, however it's nothing like other large cities, that have culture, history, or grit. Many complain about Charlottes sterile amosphere. Raleigh on the other hand, although lacking the nice skyline, has a more organic and soulful atmosphere, so to speak. Not as much as Portland unfortunately, but enough to keep you intrigued... Like I tell most folks, you would have to visit both places atleast a week apiece to decide on which one to settle on. Good luck.
Remember Portlandshaws most of these comments are by Charlotte residents so far. Charlotte isn't really twice the size of Raleigh, because Charlotte has an extremely lenient annexation policy. Charlotte is 300sq miles, while Raleigh is 115. Raleigh is also the densest city in NC. Raleigh is landlocked by other towns and another midsize city (Durham). If Raleigh were allowed to annex these areas it would be roughly the same size as Charlotte... So in short both areas are roughly the same size. Charlotte has a bigger center city, however it's nothing like other large cities, that have culture, history, or grit. Many complain about Charlottes sterile amosphere. Raleigh on the other hand, although lacking the nice skyline, has a more organic and soulful atmosphere, so to speak. Not as much as Portland unfortunately, but enough to keep you intrigued... Like I tell most folks, you would have to visit both places atleast a week apiece to decide on which one to settle on. Good luck.
Raleigh is actually a little over 140 sq/mi now due to recent annexations. Charlotte is 280 sq/mi. Carboro is actually NC's densest town. Uptown Charlotte is by far NC's biggest most continueous urban area. I know you are proud of Raleigh "metro.m" but let's not put civic pride into this. Charlotte has a very strong urban core. It is not like Portland, but it is very urban and growing. There are condo towers in Charlotte either standing or under construction taller than any office or residential building in Raleigh. I have been to Portland and Raleigh. Charlotte's urban core is a closer comparison to Portland. I think your best argument is to provide "portlandshaws" with videos or pictures of Raleigh's urban side. I have provided them with videos of Charlotte's urban side. Population figures (false ones at that) don't tell people much. These folks are from Portland; therefore they know urban when they see it. Show them Raleigh's downtown area and let them decide. I will show them some more of Charlotte's urban side. There is no need to argue. Their decision will ultimately be based on what they see, not the census...
Just for the record.
Multnomah county (Portland)
density is 1,600 people per sq/mi
population 700,000
msa 2.2 million
downtown population 11,000
Mecklenburg county (Charlotte)
density is 1,700 people per sq/mi
population 900,000
msa 1.8 million
downtown population 12,000
Wake county (Raleigh)
density is 1,000 people per sq/mi
population 850,000
msa 1.1 million
downtown population 5,000
Here are some videos of the Urban side of Charlotte.
Here is the page to all of my videos. http://www.youtube.com/user/urbancharlotte
Now it is time to show them Raleigh's urban side "metro.m" so they can make their own decision!!!
Thanks "North Raleigh Guy"!!! Awesome pics!!! Here are my "high quality" videos. I've finally got a decent camera LOL!!! Make sure to click the blue "watch in high quality" icon before viewing these videos located at the bottom right corner of the videos. Keep in mind that these three videos (total) only show about 20% of Charlotte's 1st ward. The other 80% will come at a later time. My batteries died on me yesterday so I had to cut things short. 4th ward (my most favorite urban neighborhood) is coming soon. I just haven't found the time to record it yet.
Enjoy!!!
Here is a "regular quality" video tour of a LYNX light rail train car in Charlotte. This video was taken around midnight on a Saturday night. Seventh street station is the location. During daylight hours, this place has a nice sized crowd of people getting on and off of the train. In nice weather, you can see people dining out in front of Reid's Fine Food grocers. Around the corner from where I stood in this video was Brixx Wood Fire Pizza. There are also several other food spots in this area that I've not filmed yet, but they will come soon!!! This is just a FUN hobby for me and my wife, so it will take us some time to get more stuff. Enjoy!!!
Hi--
We are in the very early stages of thinking about a move out of Portland OR. We've "sort of" narrowed it down to NC but we don't know anything about either area. These are things that are important to us:
-Great schools
-Liberal/open-minded attitudes (gay marriage, mixed-race couples etc)
-Independent shops/restaurants
-Easy access to public parks/play areas
-Older houses with character
I was originally drawn to the Triangle area because I assumed that since it has a larger population, I'd be able to find a lot of the things that I find in Portland but I've heard nothing but good things about Charlotte. We are not huge fans of urban sprawl/new housing/strip malls/restaurant chains.
We're planning a trip down there in January to take a closer look at the area.
Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
I too live in PDX and am thinking of relocating to either Charlotte or Raleigh/Durham (Charleston, SC is also on the list) - I'm leaning towards RTP area because of schools (changing careers) but Charlotte is where the banking is at, and that is the career I am currently in. I am anxious to hear about your impressions when you visit - and comparisons to PDX. Would you let me know?
Which city are you leaning towards? Why are you leaving PDX?
I too live in PDX and am thinking of relocating to either Charlotte or Raleigh/Durham (Charleston, SC is also on the list) - I'm leaning towards RTP area because of schools (changing careers) but Charlotte is where the banking is at, and that is the career I am currently in. I am anxious to hear about your impressions when you visit - and comparisons to PDX. Would you let me know?
Which city are you leaning towards? Why are you leaving PDX?
Hi Tangerinepuddle---
It's nice to know that there's someone else out there living in Portland and thinking about relocating to NC! There are many reasons that we're thinking about leaving this area. First off, my husband isn't from here and has lived here (because of me) for over ten years. He's a black man from DC and has never been a huge fan of Portland. We have a 3yr old and we would like her to be exposed to more diversity. Also, we would like to live closer to his family in DC (which is why RDU sounds a bit more appealing than Charlotte since it's a shorter drive to DC). At first I was reluctant to embrace the thought of moving but now I'm getting excited about a change. My world has become very monotonous here! AND, now that we have a child the months and months of rain and overall grayness has started to take more of a toll on me.
We haven't ruled out other states but I just can't think of anywhere that is in decent proximity to DC, has an affordable cost of living AND is a cool place to live. If anyone has any other ideas, feel free to pipe in!
Why are you thinking about moving?
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I just haven't found the time to record it yet.
Hey portlandshaws
