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I have owned and lived part-time in Charlotte for the past three years. Prior to that my only other experience was a stint for about 2 years being stationed at Fort Bragg N.C. I always thought I was living in the South.
Some months back I bought some properties in Ga. For the past month I lived in Sav. Ga. and I really felt I was experiencing living in what was truly "the South". I, quite honestly, loved it and will be returning in early July for another month. It's just a whole way of living that is so different than being in Charlotte.
My question is: Is living in CLT really" living in the South" (which I'm sure is the impression many transplants have,) or am I missing something here what I think "living in the South" really is all about?
Your thoughts on Charlotte and "living in the South".
I have owned and lived part-time in Charlotte for the past three years. Prior to that my only other experience was a stint for about 2 years being stationed at Fort Bragg N.C. I always thought I was living in the South.
Some months back I bought some properties in Ga. For the past month I lived in Sav. Ga. and I really felt I was experiencing living in what was truly "the South". I, quite honestly, loved it and will be returning in early July for another month. It's just a whole way of living that is so different than being in Charlotte.
My question is: Is living in CLT really" living in the South" (which I'm sure is the impression many transplants have,) or am I missing something here what I think "living in the South" really is all about?
Your thoughts on Charlotte and "living in the South".
Well what are your thoughts about living in the south? I guess I can't comment since I'm a "transplant" but this is as south as I have been and I lived in Florida for a while
Contrary to the stereotypes, there is not one "south," just like there is not one "north." Yes, Charlotte is different than Savannah or Alabama or Raleigh. But Vermont is different than Boston or New Jersey.
So yes, I think living in Charlotte is "living in the south." You just have to find the "south" that you like best.
No...Charlotte is no longer really 'The South' imo...many, many transplants...I think Charlotte is also somewhat transient in nature...a goodly number of residents don't really put down roots there...it's a stop on the way to somewhere else...it has become a land of endless residential subdivisions...upscale shopping centers...and TRAFFIC...it could be anywhere...and none of this is describing Charlotte as a place that is not 'nice'...it is in many respects a 'nice' place to live...is it a GREAT place to live...I don't think so...but I'm originally from a more rural area of NC...so that's just my opinion...
I believe that the Mason Dixon Line...in societal terms... has shifted southward to somewhere around the NC/SC border...I know most would not agree with this...but it just seems as if the Old North State has lost some of its "southerness."
COXE: You express what I have been thinking after assessing the changes since moving back here from the Midwest in 2002. If I want "southern," I find it outside of Charlotte.
I am not saying that this is a bad thing for Charlotte . . . but Southern? Nope.
I've tried to explain all this many times and the discussions usually degenerate into silliness, b/c the facts are - if you are not a Southerner, you won't have the slightest idea how much this region has changed and what it means to be "Southern." . . . it is a different style of living, a style of dress, food and social manners/expectations.
That's not to say that folks from other regions can't participate! I have found that Italian-Americans (who have never been very prominent in most Southern towns, as their families just didn't migrate here in the 18th and 19th Centuries) seem to immediately embrace the culture. I think that is because of close-knit family traditions and FOOD!
But there is so much more and I neither have the time nor the inclination to try to explain.
Charlotte needs to build on its Revolutionary War era roots, as this region is becoming (demographically) more a mid-Atlantic city than a "southern city."
I think people associate "southerness" with a rural and slower pace of life based upon popular media. The South was historically an agrarian society. So if you live in any sizable metro like Charlotte, Atlanta, et al then you're going to lose that rural feeling, assuming one equates the South with rural life. Most people have voted with their feet and prefer to live in big metro areas and living in big metro areas breeds conformity, i.e. chain restaurants and retail stores.
No...Charlotte is no longer really 'The South' imo...many, many transplants...I think Charlotte is also somewhat transient in nature...a goodly number of residents don't really put down roots there...it's a stop on the way to somewhere else...it has become a land of endless residential subdivisions...upscale shopping centers...and TRAFFIC...it could be anywhere...and none of this is describing Charlotte as a place that is not 'nice'...it is in many respects a 'nice' place to live...is it a GREAT place to live...I don't think so...but I'm originally from a more rural area of NC...so that's just my opinion...
Wow, I am surprized at how much I agree with what you wrote. But, I had never really put my vague feelings into words. The only difference is that we bought in a more rural area outside Charlotte, so we still feel we have a good balance.
The shopping centers have the same stores together that are found in Raleigh or Atlanta. I love wondering through small unique store in small towns' centers, like Davidson or Concord, but even those are starting to look alike with all the same "cute" signs, silly bandz, etc.
I think people associate "southerness" with a rural and slower pace of life based upon popular media. The South was historically an agrarian society. So if you live in any sizable metro like Charlotte, Atlanta, et al then you're going to lose that rural feeling, assuming one equates the South with rural life. Most people have voted with their feet and prefer to live in big metro areas and living in big metro areas brings breed conformity, i.e. chain restaurants and retail stores.
Although the agrarian nature of the South in general definitely has been a big factor in less populated regions, the "slower pace of life" etc that people seem to refer to when they are assessing what it means to be Southern is not even relevant to the changes PINK is talking about. He is comparing one city to another - Savannah to Charlotte - neither of which is rural.
Savannah and Charleston have chain restaurants, retail stores, malls, etc but those things are simply conveniences.
What PINK is referring to is a difference in style and culture.
Although the agrarian nature of the South in general definitely has been a big factor in less populated regions, the "slower pace of life" etc that people seem to refer to when they are assessing what it means to be Southern is not even relevant to the changes PINK is talking about. He is comparing one city to another - Savannah to Charlotte - neither of which is rural.
Savannah and Charleston have chain restaurants, retail stores, malls, etc but those things are simply conveniences.
What PINK is referring to is a difference in style and culture.
I see what you are saying, and agree to a point. But, I think that the move to chain restaurants and stores DOES contribute to a less southern feel. You aren't waited on by the owner, who also goes to church with you and knows your family. Part of what I always think of as being the south is the nature to talk with anyone at any length about anything. Although this is not always the case, I rarely see that level of engagement in chain stores. (Except the cashers at Walmart - they always seem up for a nice chit-chat as you are checking out!)
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