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Lesser of two evils...Charlotte.I relocated here (Raleigh)almost 4 years ago from Arizona,hate every minute of it.Trying to get back.But if I had to chose Charlotte is more polished,cosmo,aesthetically pleasing,newer.If rehabing delapidated 100 year old brick buildings into restaurants are your thing,Raleigh has that feel.
Reverse for me....wasn't that fond of Phoenix or Arizona, there for a year, Denver was much nicer to me. Again, it's all opinionated.
To OP, doesn't matter, you'll be OK in either one.
If you want high end South Park is your mall. Concord Mills mall may be the best all around mall in Carolina.
lol...in my family, it's a running joke that to take the escalators up into Southpark, you have to swipe your credit card for a credit check I can't believe I worked there in HS - it has certainly changed!!
What is it that you are relocating to NC for? That might make a difference as far as which area is better. How is it that you have narrowed it down to those two places only? The more info you provide, the more people can assist you (though really, only you know what you are looking for and you should visit both before deciding on either one over the other). I certainly wouldn't pick what city to move to just based on what people I've never met told me
Also, there are numerous threads about this exact question, I think in the General NC board (this forum is specifically for the Triangle).
I lived in Charlotte for a year and found it a LOT less friendly than Raleigh. Also, personally, I'm not a fan of "rednecks." To each their own, but Charlotte is full of them. Raleigh, to me, is a much more comfortable place to live. Do I wish there was more to do here? Sure I do. But it's growing and gets better all the time.
Another thing to consider--traffic. In Raleigh, we really don't know what traffic is. Charlotte is a God-awful mess of a city, planning-wise. Streets are laid out like a dish of spaghetti and they change names every six blocks. The highways are woefully inadequate.
If malls make the city for you, then I guess Charlotte wins. But if that's your criteria, then I'm the wrong person to listen to anyway. I avoid them at all costs.
I lived in Charlotte for 3 years in a boderline community. I say borderline because on one side, it was crime ridden and on the other side, it was heaven on earth. Weird huh? I lived in the University area of Charlotte. I've also lived in Atlanta too so I'm very familiar with "mega" cities. My take on Raleigh is that it has so much to offer. When you get bored, the surrounding areas give you more to do. For instance, your a few hours from the beaches on the coast, your a few hours to Washington, DC (nice day or weekend trip), your a few hours to the mountains, and your a few hours to Charlotte (again nice day trip). In my opinion, Charlotte's crime is out of control. In the 3 years living there I went to .15 funerals (or more I probably lost count) due to violent crimes. After you leave Tryon St (the street with all the tall buildings) there is nothing left but crime and more crime. Sure you can go to South Park, an upscale mall, but that gets old after while. To me, its a city that really just doesnt offer much but tall buildings down town. In my opinion (and I dont fall in love with cities that easily since I constantly move around) I love Raleigh and couldnt see myself anywhere else. From the Farmers Market, to the multiple resteraunts, the great malls all over the Raleigh/Durham area (high and moderate end shops), being around educated people like myself is a big pluse, and the low crime of the city. Its a perfect match for me. Thats just my opinion and please feel free to PM me if you have any more detailed quesitons.
Spend a weekend in each city and see what you like and what you dont, thats always an option.
I think this is a mischaracterization of Charlotte. Yes there's crime here and things could always be better when it comes to that, but such is life in a city Charlotte's size. You just need to know what areas to avoid and use common sense and you can avoid most of that. Charlotte offers so much more beyond Uptown (Tryon Street); as a matter of fact, it can be said that the true character of the city is found outside of Uptown. You've got NoDa, Plaza-Midwood, Dilworth, South End, Elizabeth, etc. and all of the amenities found in these urban neighborhoods. I enjoy major league professional sports and have attended several Panthers and Bobcats games. I visit Carowinds from time to time. There are several tournaments (CIAA, ACC), festivals (Taste of Charlotte, Speed Street, Greek Festival), and major conventions (DNC) that come to Charlotte. We've got light rail. The nightlife in Uptown is awesome with EpiCenter, the venues along Tryon and College, and the NC Music Factory. The Levine Center for the Arts with the new cultural venues is an awesome asset to Uptown. We've got three lakes and a river for recreation. We're closer to the mountains and have access to a nice variety of beaches, particularly the ones in SC (Myrtle, Charleston area beaches, Hilton Head, etc.). Freedom Park and the Sugar Creek Greenway are wonderful. I mean I could really go on and on about the things we have here in Charlotte, including the things you mentioned for Raleigh (malls, farmer's market, educated population, wide array of restaurants). I'm not trying to convince you that Charlotte is "better" and it's great that you've found a city that really appeals to you, but it appears as though you might not have taken the time to fully explore Charlotte for the three years you lived here.
the big difference in the two areas is education of it's residents, ( Raleigh has a college or univ. on every other corner-lol), and traffic. The traffic in Raleigh proper is bad during rush hour, but, you have several options, The traffic in Charlotte, is a nightmare. I've been on 85 ( the main and only big highway, ) many many times from rush hour( it's a parking lot), to 8pm on xmas eve and it was unbelievable. We travel from Raleigh to N. Ga. to visit my daughter. the quickest per a GPS is 85 the entire way. It takes about 8 hrs. If we take 40 out of north Raleigh, to 26 ( out of asheville) to 85 we add about 60 miles to the trip, BUT it takes 7.5 hours. We've been to charlotte several times and dread it, even considered taking a job there. Between the horrible traffic day and night, and the 2 nuke plants in the area, the increase in pediatric cancer that the locals seem to ignore, and or have no knowledge, we RAN . however, there are several nice 50 and over places and if you like to walk, you can stay put and not fight the traffic. also, considering the population, there isn't that much to do, and the few things are packed. Charlotte is a classic example of a city that exploded ahead of it's infrastructure. BUT if you like big city , and don't mind bumper to bumper traffic 9-9 every day, then it could be the place for you!
Hi I am relocating to NC from Az...looking for lots things to do..but low crime rate..and lots high end shopping...like Raleigh location but is there stuff to do for people in50's...clubs etc....or would Charlotte be better...
Charlotte, much more going on there, larger airline hub than Raleigh, wish I would have researched more B4 I accepted a transfer to Raleigh, I had visited Charlotte prior, and made the assumption Raleigh would be similiar...... NOT Good Luck !
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I can't believe I worked there in HS - it has certainly changed!!
