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Greetings All...My family and I are thinking about relocating to charlotte NC. We are a family of 5 with one child who will be entering middle school in the next school year. Our family is African American and Caribbean mixed and we are looking for a community that would offer this cultural background. My husband is a jack of all trades from carpenter, electrician, cdl driver etc. I am a CNA, phlebotomist, and ekg technician. I recently completed a medical billing course as well. Please share your experience. knowledge and comments of advice on schools, jobs, communities, housing as well as family entertainment and activities.
Plaza Midwood can be a bit pricey but, there are several neighborhoods around the city that may meet your needs. I would try the area near Independence Blvd. and Idlewild Road. This area is approximately 5-6 miles east of downtown. The area is pretty diversified and, there are private schools, and decent public schools within a short drive. The area is centrally located for many things such as schools, shopping, grocery stores, pharmacies, dry cleaners, resataurants, and other ammenities. Most things that you need on a daily basis are within 3-5 miles. Reasonablly priced housing is in the area. Wide variations in the price of housing (renting and owning) exist within a five mile radius. You may have to commute out of the five mile radius to work but, most commutes in Charlotte area are within 30 to 45 minutes. But I would recommend finding a job before moving. Charlotte has been a boom town for years but, the recession has even hit Charlotte. Some people may try to tell you that Charlotte has little to do in cultural acivities; however, these people are misinformed. There is a wide array of cultural, sports, and fun activities in the Charlotte area. Most of the towns near Charlotte have spring and summer festivals. Carowinds theme park is a large park such as Six Flags. Charlotte has four pro sports teams (two major league). There are numerous parks, hiking and bike trails throughout the area. The local Greek festival is a great festival for food, fun, and activities. The Renaissance Festival is popular. Downtown (called Uptown in Charlotte) boasts six museums. The Charlotte History Museum also exist outside of downtown. Other museums are in other small towns surrounding Charlotte. These are wonderful museums that can be very entertaining and knowledgeable. But some people think that if a museum is not the Smithsonian then it is not worthy. Charlotte is a short drive to the NC mountains and also the NC and SC coasts. NC is well known for its 16 universities within its state public university system. There are other cultural activities a short drive away but outside the metro such as Winston-Salem and Asheville. NC has become known for its popular wineries. There are numerous wineries within a few short hours by car. The list goes on and on for things to do whether it be within a short 15 minute drive or a 2-3 hour drive. My advice is to secure your job, make the move, and explore Charlotte and all of NC and SC. I believe that you will be surprised. Good luck!!
Thank you for responding to my post. I will examine the area that you suggested. I feel so much comfortable about making this decision and cannot wait to get things under way. Would you have any suggestions on how I would go about applying to jobs from another state with relocating. Should I inform prospective employers that I am relocating or would that not be a good idea on my part?
I agree with brooklyn_queenbee. Charlotte is very spread out and you won't find a concentration of people from the carribean in one area, neighborhood or borough like in New York, that community does not exist. You really have to get out and try to network with people of your same cultural background and find out what events they attend, functions they sponsor, etc.
This is nothing like Brooklyn, you will probably be in a smaller group of people with the same cultural background spread out and living in different parts of Charlotte. The cultural diversity is really not here like up north in NJ, Philly, DC, etc.
I'm sure there is a decent amount of people out here from the Carribean but again, you'll have to search them out.
Thank you for this information. It is greatly appreciated...I hope to be able to stay in contact so that I can inform you all of my progress.
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...My family and I are thinking about relocating to charlotte NC. We are a family of 5 with one child who will be entering middle school in the next school year. Our family is African American and Caribbean mixed and we are looking for a community that would offer this cultural background. My husband is a jack of all trades from carpenter, electrician, cdl driver etc. I am a CNA, phlebotomist, and ekg technician. I recently completed a medical billing course as well. Please share your experience. knowledge and comments of advice on schools, jobs, communities, housing as well as family entertainment and activities.
