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What has Raleigh really done in the last 5-8 years to make you come to that conclusion? Just curious!
city of Atlanta and Raleigh are about the same land area. During the past decade, city of raleigh grew by 43%, city of atlanta grew by 29%. And the ones in Raleigh moved there for jobs. Raleigh is a little bit more dense than the city of Charlotte also. Atlanta gains a lot of people for social reasons, mainly younger professionals who are just getting started in life. I'm over all that.
A lot of people tend to think that, and in some ways it is warranted since it was the rapid growth of the banking industry that has largely fueled Charlotte's growth and prosperity. However, looking at all the F500/F1000 companies headquartered in the region, you realize that there's more to this town than banking. The F5000 companies are:
• Bank of America
• Lowe's
• Duke Energy
• Nucor (the largest producer of steel in the nation)
• Family Dollar
• Goodrich Corp. (global supplier of systems and services to the aerospace and defense industry)
• Sonic Automotive (one of the largest automotive retailers in the nation)
• SPX (manufacturer of several components for several industries)
One sector that Charlotte has been making huge strides in lately is the energy sector. Expect to hear more about Charlotte in that regard in the near future.
Actually, in terms of business, I'd say that Charlotte probably competes more with Atlanta since their corporate profiles are more alike (BOA/Suntrust, Lowe's/Home Depot, Duke Energy/Southern Company, Bojangle's/Chick-Fil-A, Delta/US Air hub, etc.). Since Raleigh is more of a high-tech/biotech type of town, it competes more with the likes of Boston, Austin, etc.
It's LYNX. And nobody's making it out to be a "major system," but it took a whole heck of a lot of get that system built. Raleigh doesn't have the money today; no city has all of the money, which is why the feds contribute. That's why our expansion of the system is held up, due to the feds. But we are getting ready to complement LYNX with a streetcar system (the city recently won a grant to help establish the starter line). The major point here is that Charlotte is making demonstrable progress with mass transit in a way Raleigh is not, and even in a way that Atlanta isn't (although MARTA, of course, is a much more comprehensive system with much more capacity).
I actually don't think Charlotte has a big advantage over Raleigh in terms of retail; there are actually some stores that Raleigh already has that Charlotte is still waiting to get (e.g., H&M, Whole Foods, etc.) although the opposite is true as well. Charlotte has a noticeable advantage in terms of mass transit, F500 companies, urban development, pro sports (although Raleigh has NHL, but most people would probably rather have NFL and NBA like Charlotte has), etc. I'm not going to say it's a "leaps and bounds" advantage, but it is a bit significant. This mainly comes down to Charlotte being the sole center of its metro area, while Raleigh has to share that spotlight with Durham and, to a lesser extent, Chapel Hill. You could even throw that overgrown suburb, Cary, into the equation.
It's pretty much a Texas-type set-up in NC, with Charlotte being more like Houston and Raleigh being more like Dallas. The future is pretty bright for both metros, and they actually complement each other quite well. North Carolina is blessed to have them within its borders.
[quote=blondandfun;15840537]city of Atlanta and Raleigh are about the same land area. During the past decade, city of raleigh grew by 43%, city of atlanta grew by 29%. And the ones in Raleigh moved there for jobs. Atlanta gains a lot of people for social reasons, mainly younger professionals who are just getting started in life. I'm over all that.
A lot of people tend to think that, and in some ways it is warranted since it was the rapid growth of the banking industry that has largely fueled Charlotte's growth and prosperity. However, looking at all the F500/F1000 companies headquartered in the region, you realize that there's more to this town than banking. The F5000 companies are:
• Bank of America
• Lowe's
• Duke Energy
• Nucor (the largest producer of steel in the nation)
• Family Dollar
• Goodrich Corp. (global supplier of systems and services to the aerospace and defense industry)
• Sonic Automotive (one of the largest automotive retailers in the nation)
• SPX (manufacturer of several components for several industries)
One sector that Charlotte has been making huge strides in lately is the energy sector. Expect to hear more about Charlotte in that regard in the near future.
Actually, in terms of business, I'd say that Charlotte probably competes more with Atlanta since their corporate profiles are more alike (BOA/Suntrust, Lowe's/Home Depot, Duke Energy/Southern Company, Bojangle's/Chick-Fil-A, Delta/US Air hub, etc.). Since Raleigh is more of a high-tech/biotech type of town, it competes more with the likes of Boston, Austin, etc.
It's LYNX. And nobody's making it out to be a "major system," but it took a whole heck of a lot of get that system built. Raleigh doesn't have the money today; no city has all of the money, which is why the feds contribute. That's why our expansion of the system is held up, due to the feds. But we are getting ready to complement LYNX with a streetcar system (the city recently won a grant to help establish the starter line). The major point here is that Charlotte is making demonstrable progress with mass transit in a way Raleigh is not, and even in a way that Atlanta isn't (although MARTA, of course, is a much more comprehensive system with much more capacity).
I actually don't think Charlotte has a big advantage over Raleigh in terms of retail; there are actually some stores that Raleigh already has that Charlotte is still waiting to get (e.g., H&M, Whole Foods, etc.) although the opposite is true as well. Charlotte has a noticeable advantage in terms of mass transit, F500 companies, urban development, pro sports (although Raleigh has NHL, but most people would probably rather have NFL and NBA like Charlotte has), etc. I'm not going to say it's a "leaps and bounds" advantage, but it is a bit significant. This mainly comes down to Charlotte being the sole center of its metro area, while Raleigh has to share that spotlight with Durham and, to a lesser extent, Chapel Hill. You could even throw that overgrown suburb, Cary, into the equation.
It's pretty much a Texas-type set-up in NC, with Charlotte being more like Houston and the Triangle being more like the Metroplex. The future is pretty bright for both metros, and they actually complement each other quite well. North Carolina is blessed to have them within its borders.
The way you worded it is more reasonable and logical.But many Charlotte people get sensitive when Raleigh is mentioned in the same breath.I was just countering some of what was posted prior.
Liek the posted saying that GDP wise Charlotte was closer to Atlanta than Raleigh is to Charlotte.Thats just nonsense. $80 difference between CHarlotte &RALEIGH and almost $200 billion gap between ATL and Charlotte.The latter is a 30 year gap.Charlotte and Raleigh is as little as a 10- 15 gap in that regard.
Liek the posted saying that GDP wise Charlotte was closer to Atlanta than Raleigh is to Charlotte.Thats just nonsense. $80 difference between CHarlotte &RALEIGH and almost $200 billion gap between ATL and Charlotte.The latter is a 30 year gap.Charlotte and Raleigh is as little as a 10- 15 gap in that regard.
To be fair, qc dreamin didn't say that at all. He said, "Um..... Raleigh and Charlotte are not even in the same tier of cities. CHarlotte's GDP is $120 billion. Raleigh's GDP is $40 billion. IF you included Durham with Raleigh the combined GDP is still only $75billion. Despite some peoples opinion Charlotte IS a major city period. It might not be in the same tier as Atlanta but it competes with cities such as Atlanta. Raleigh is 20 -25 years behind Charlotte(not just in population but also in amenities and business and infrastructure.) Atlanta is 30 years ahead of Charlotte in population."
To be fair, qc dreamin didn't say that at all. He said, "Um..... Raleigh and Charlotte are not even in the same tier of cities. CHarlotte's GDP is $120 billion. Raleigh's GDP is $40 billion. IF you included Durham with Raleigh the combined GDP is still only $75billion. Despite some peoples opinion Charlotte IS a major city period. It might not be in the same tier as Atlanta but it competes with cities such as Atlanta. Raleigh is 20 -25 years behind Charlotte(not just in population but also in amenities and business and infrastructure.) Atlanta is 30 years ahead of Charlotte in population."
Atlanta is 15 to 20 years ahead of Charlotte in development.. 1 of everything Charlotte has there is multiple offerings in Atlanta.. The only thing I think Charlotte competes with Atlanta in is Buisnesses. Anything else No..you rarely see Charlotte on any of these big rankings. I think everyone likes Charlotte for the most part but it's these silly comparison.. Like the OP is trying to get some kinda approval from Atl posters...
Charlotte a MAJOR city??? I swear that made my day.....What MAJOR city has only 2 lanes for traffic on a "major" freeway that runs thru their downtown??? Atlanta has about 10 lanes...... Just my perspective of the situation
Atlanta is 15 to 20 years ahead of Charlotte in development.. 1 of everything Charlotte has there is multiple offerings in Atlanta.. The only thing I think Charlotte competes with Atlanta in is Buisnesses. Anything else No..you rarely see Charlotte on any of these big rankings.
Big rankings? You mean Forbes, etc.? Charlotte always makes those lists, but nowadays, both Charlotte and Atlanta rank a little lower than they used to while cities like Raleigh and Austin rank at the top. But I agree with you that business is pretty much the only area in which Charlotte and Atlanta compete and both have similar types of corporate profiles.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ajjam
Charlotte a MAJOR city??? I swear that made my day.....What MAJOR city has only 2 lanes for traffic on a "major" freeway that runs thru their downtown???
Vancouver does, but since you rarely know what you're talking about, I wouldn't expect you to know that before you go spouting off inaccurate information. Highway 1 is the only major highway that runs through Vancouver's city limits, and it looks like this:
And this is for a city that's one of the densest on the entire continent:
And for the record, I-77 is six lanes running through Charlotte. That's appropriate for Charlotte's size. There's no need for a huge concrete river of 10 lanes barreling through Charlotte like that.
Quote:
Just my perspective of the situation
Which is quite ignorant, deceitful, and WOEFULLY uninformed. Making the number of lanes running through downtown the sine qua non of a city's status...SMH
Last edited by Akhenaton06; 09-11-2010 at 10:51 AM..
Big rankings? You mean Forbes, etc.? Charlotte always makes those lists, but nowadays, both Charlotte and Atlanta rank a little lower than they used to while cities like Raleigh and Austin rank at the top. But I agree with you that business is pretty much the only area in which Charlotte and Atlanta compete and both have similar types of corporate profiles.
Vancouver does, but since you rarely know what you're talking about, I wouldn't expect you to know that before you go spouting off inaccurate information. Highway 1 is the only major highway that runs through Vancouver's city limits, and it looks like this:
And this is for a city that's one of the densest on the entire continent:
And for the record, I-77 is six lanes running through Charlotte. That's appropriate for Charlotte's size. There's no need for a huge concrete river of 10 lanes barreling through Charlotte like that.
Which is quite ignorant, deceitful, and WOEFULLY uninformed. Making the number of lanes running through downtown the sine qua non of a city's status...SMH
Im not talking about forbes Im talking about most important city.Global recognition. Most of those listings Charlotte is usually ranked alot Lower than Atlanta its always right there with its other counterparts of its tier..
To be fair, qc dreamin didn't say that at all. He said, "Um..... Raleigh and Charlotte are not even in the same tier of cities. CHarlotte's GDP is $120 billion. Raleigh's GDP is $40 billion. IF you included Durham with Raleigh the combined GDP is still only $75billion. Despite some peoples opinion Charlotte IS a major city period. It might not be in the same tier as Atlanta but it competes with cities such as Atlanta. Raleigh is 20 -25 years behind Charlotte(not just in population but also in amenities and business and infrastructure.) Atlanta is 30 years ahead of Charlotte in population."
You are right.In my opinion though,the post was very contradictory.QC mention Atlanta being ahead of Charlotte by 30 years in only in population.Failing to mention anything about the other factors that make them so different.I personally i think 40 years is more appropriate.Not soley for population but overall.Atlanta is a center for not only corporate power but also,non-profits,Hospitality,Tourism,research,education,man ufacturing,media.
Banking still accounts for a huge share of Charlotte's economy.Just because they have companies headquarters of a lot of different sectors does not make it a major.These are MAJOR sectors in Atlanta.Thats not to mention the arts,infrastructure, and yes population.
Whole industries are big in Atlanta.What whole industries other than banking is Charlotte?Maybe transportation?
Charlotte does compete with Atlanta but so do many mid sized cities.Atlanta competes with NYC for certain things.Due to the fact that there is only ONE NYC ,that is all the more reason that it does have competition.Atlanta of course is no different.
Im sorry but I believe in my soul without any ill will towards Charlotte,but Charlotte has too many things to be in a tier even close to Atlanta.
It lacks transportation.Charlotte may have gotten light rail but transportation is more than just Marta in Atlanta.Its CCT(Cobb CO),Gwinett Transit and GRTA.Was 3, now 2 suburbs have extensive transport systems of there own.
Atlanta has 1 major airport and 2 smaller airports for small jets and planes within lust the city.
Multiple interstate access.Atlanta_I-20,I-75,I-85
International connections.Charlotte has a few f500 but there are not many international companies that have choose use Charlotta as there American gateway as they have in Atlanta.Even the AMerican companies headquartered in Charlotte are more driven by the U.S. economy than world wide like those in Atlanta.
Amenities-Recreational parks like Stone Mountain,Six Flags the city parks like Piedmont,Grant,Centennial and soon as we speak 2 additional brand new major parks being built.
Westside Park will be the largest in Atlanta.
Fourth Ward park is also halfway completed.Tony Hawk foundation awarded the park $25,000 to help complete the 15,000-square-foot skatepark.
Tourism_Major weakness for job.
These are reasons I think Raleigh is better suited for the future.Its schools/education give it major potential.Research is really driving the economy.There are several sectors in RAL that are poised for growth.Tourism is even bigger.
So how is Raleigh 20-35 years behind Charlotte?
Raleigh like I said ,IMO it is maybe 10 years behind,None of whatCharlotte has is that far out of reach that it cannot easily be caught up with.Raleigh IS in the same tier with Charlotte.(Albeit on the lower part)
This gives me further credibility to what I already believe:
Charlotte is a minormajor city and Raleigh is in the same tier.$80 billion dollars is not a whole lot by GDP standards,Its $200 billion between ATL and RAL!
Raleigh is constantly ranked in the same categories as Charlotte
Last edited by afonega1; 09-12-2010 at 12:12 AM..
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And nobody's making it out to be a "major system," but it took a whole heck of a lot of get that system built. Raleigh doesn't have the money today; no city has all of the money, which is why the feds contribute. That's why our expansion of the system is held up, due to the feds. But we are getting ready to complement LYNX with a streetcar system (the city recently won a grant to help establish the starter line). The major point here is that Charlotte is making demonstrable progress with mass transit in a way Raleigh is not, and even in a way that Atlanta isn't (although MARTA, of course, is a much more comprehensive system with much more capacity).
The latter is a 30 year gap.Charlotte and Raleigh is as little as a 10- 15 gap in that regard.
