Review of Charlotte - A Single Guy's Perspective (Cornelius: live, shopping center)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I think we're all missing a couple of big points in this discussion:
The single people who aren't happy in Charlotte aren't really unhappy because of a lack of "stuff to do," for lack of a better term. There are bars for people who want bars, and churches for people who want churches, and everything in between. What's really going on here is that single people are being transferred here for work from major metropolitan areas like NY, DC, Seattle, etc, and then are disappointed because the number of singles in their age group is significantly lower here than in the cities they came from.
I mean, think about it. If the singles in Charlotte could go into any bar or church, depending on their lifestyle, and meet 50 other smiling singles their age on any given day, they'd probably be very happy with Charlotte. But because of the lack of other singles, relative to those big cities they came from, it makes it seem as if there's nothing to do in Charlotte, largely because there's so few people out there for a single 30, 40, or 50 year old to do things with. In Charlotte, people in those age groups tend to be married and/or making babies. In, say, San Francisco, there are still lots of people in those age groups who are happily living the single, childless life.
I really think that if it weren't for Bank of America and a few other big employers that are essentially pulling big city young professionals down here, this wouldn't even be an issue. Charlotte is the size of Columbus, OH. Would any single person 30-50 really expect to be happy living in Columbus, OH? Probably not. But we don't think about it that way, because Charlotte is supposed to be one of these hot, new engines of economic growth, so people come here expecting it to be hip, urbane, and cosmopolitan, or at least preferring it to be that way.
The silver lining for big city young professionals finding themselves pulled down here professionally is that, as more and more of these types relocate down here, they will have the opportunity to change Charlotte and to pull it in the direction of what they are looking for.
No way, you make too much sense, excellent post. In the grand scheme of things, Charlotte is still relatively small but has big city ambitions.
I'm glad that you admit that the Philly-to-Richmond corridor is friendlier. Incidentally, pretty much everyone in DC is a transplant and it's plenty friendly. So I don't see how you can blame the fact that Charlotte is less friendly on its transplants. I think Charlotte is less friendly because Charlotte is less friendly. It just is what it is. Every city has its own personality and that's Charlotte for you.
It's been fun reading your broad brush opinions about Charlotte and other regions of the country. Particularly informative was your first post bemoaning that Charlotte is no NYC, then reading later that you've never actually lived in New York. Did you ask where our theater district was when you got here? LOL. Did you think that every city should be some miniature version of the big apple? I am interested in knowing exactly what sort of experience you do have, other than in whining. So you really think that Richmond is more friendly or desirable than Charlotte? Philadelphia??? Baltimore??? My territory is the Mid Atlantic and Southeast so I travel to these cities all the time.
Have you ever met more than one person from Philly? Really. The words friendly and Philadelphia aren't often used together. And Richmond? Happy, sparkling Richmond? I can't think of a more run down, depressing place. Oh yeah, and their bluebloods make the Myers Park phonies look like pikers. Baltimore? Great for crab cakes and great bars in Fells Point, but I've never heard anyone say that "Baltimore just puts a smile on my face". Again, have you ever been there? The last few times I've visited Baltimore, I've seen at least one arrest taking place. Again, have you spent any time there, or are you just dreaming stuff up? DC is plenty friendly? LOL. Have you ever driven there? Or do you mean Arlington or Alexandria?
So, sorry Charlotte isn't what you want it to be. I am always glad to come home, but that's just me. Hopefully you will soon be able to secure a position in one of the utopias you've mentioned! I hope that it is everything you dreamed it would be.
It's been fun reading your broad brush opinions about Charlotte and other regions of the country. Particularly informative was your first post bemoaning that Charlotte is no NYC, then reading later that you've never actually lived in New York. Did you ask where our theater district was when you got here? LOL. Did you think that every city should be some miniature version of the big apple? I am interested in knowing exactly what sort of experience you do have, other than in whining. So you really think that Richmond is more friendly or desirable than Charlotte? Philadelphia??? Baltimore??? My territory is the Mid Atlantic and Southeast so I travel to these cities all the time.
Have you ever met more than one person from Philly? Really. The words friendly and Philadelphia aren't often used together. And Richmond? Happy, sparkling Richmond? I can't think of a more run down, depressing place. Oh yeah, and their bluebloods make the Myers Park phonies look like pikers. Baltimore? Great for crab cakes and great bars in Fells Point, but I've never heard anyone say that "Baltimore just puts a smile on my face". Again, have you ever been there? The last few times I've visited Baltimore, I've seen at least one arrest taking place. Again, have you spent any time there, or are you just dreaming stuff up? DC is plenty friendly? LOL. Have you ever driven there? Or do you mean Arlington or Alexandria?
So, sorry Charlotte isn't what you want it to be. I am always glad to come home, but that's just me. Hopefully you will soon be able to secure a position in one of the utopias you've mentioned! I hope that it is everything you dreamed it would be.
Philly is the city of brotherly love... yeah right. I lived there for 5 year and I've had single white females who weigh 105 try to start fights over nonsense like grabbing a napkin. Philly is the worst... lovely city and a fun town IMO but at any given moment the fun can turn into a fight because Philly loves tension.
Baltimore? Armpit of America.. lovely city but watch your back.
Richmond? Went to school there... nice place to live, but too segregated and once you cross broad street you are in for a surprise.
DC? No way... Georgetown is nice but for the life of me I could never understand how the nations capital could be that rugged and raw.
Lets be honest, Charlotte isn't Paris, but if you can't find something to do any time you want to do something, you have a personal problem. There are hundreds of great restaurants, bars, museums and music venues. There is an active theatrical scene. There are activities going on all around Mecklenburg and a concert or street affair on numerous weekends uptown. There are numerous health spas and parks to walk, bike, and get in shape. There are several colleges where one can take a course in something interesting in a non-student status. Schools are always looking for volunteers and you can even go volunteer for the DNC coming to town. I certainly am not a democrat (republican either) by I would still volunteer just to meet people, etc. You don't have to be an outside type person to love the city. You just can't sit around and complain and expect life to get better. Go out there and meet someone and have fun.
If you are bored in Charlotte, I am pretty sure you will be bored any place you go. Get away from the computer, look at Creative Loafing and find something. Sitting at the computer will just make you ass larger and your attitude worse. I'm getting up now.
Philly is the city of brotherly love... yeah right. I lived there for 5 year and I've had single white females who weigh 105 try to start fights over nonsense like grabbing a napkin. Philly is the worst... lovely city and a fun town IMO but at any given moment the fun can turn into a fight because Philly loves tension.
Baltimore? Armpit of America.. lovely city but watch your back.
Richmond? Went to school there... nice place to live, but too segregated and once you cross broad street you are in for a surprise.
DC? No way... Georgetown is nice but for the life of me I could never understand how the nations capital could be that rugged and raw.
From the statistics I've seen, Baltimore more than earns it's nickname, Bloodymore, Murderland.
And Richmond? Happy, sparkling Richmond? I can't think of a more run down, depressing place.
Gotta disagree with this comment. Richmond always seemed very nice to me. There's a difference between sparkle and substance. A city can be new and shiny and still a horrid place to live. Similarly, a city can be very modest from the outside and yet thriving when it comes to culture, etc. Can't always judge a book by its cover.
I will say this about Richmond: it feels like it hasn't changed in about 150 years. Charlotte, on the other hand, seems like it has undergone a lot of changes in the past 10-15 years, with all the banks, and all the new people moving here, etc. So maybe those who prefer Richmond to Charlotte just prefer a city that feels more "settled," as opposed to one where a lot of changes are taking place, which can seem unsettling to some.
I think we're all missing a couple of big points in this discussion:
The single people who aren't happy in Charlotte aren't really unhappy because of a lack of "stuff to do," for lack of a better term. There are bars for people who want bars, and churches for people who want churches, and everything in between. What's really going on here is that single people are being transferred here for work from major metropolitan areas like NY, DC, Seattle, etc, and then are disappointed because the number of singles in their age group is significantly lower here than in the cities they came from.
I mean, think about it. If the singles in Charlotte could go into any bar or church, depending on their lifestyle, and meet 50 other smiling singles their age on any given day, they'd probably be very happy with Charlotte. But because of the lack of other singles, relative to those big cities they came from, it makes it seem as if there's nothing to do in Charlotte, largely because there's so few people out there for a single 30, 40, or 50 year old to do things with. In Charlotte, people in those age groups tend to be married and/or making babies. In, say, San Francisco, there are still lots of people in those age groups who are happily living the single, childless life.
I really think that if it weren't for Bank of America and a few other big employers that are essentially pulling big city young professionals down here, this wouldn't even be an issue. Charlotte is the size of Columbus, OH. Would any single person 30-50 really expect to be happy living in Columbus, OH? Probably not. But we don't think about it that way, because Charlotte is supposed to be one of these hot, new engines of economic growth, so people come here expecting it to be hip, urbane, and cosmopolitan, or at least preferring it to be that way.
The silver lining for big city young professionals finding themselves pulled down here professionally is that, as more and more of these types relocate down here, they will have the opportunity to change Charlotte and to pull it in the direction of what they are looking for.
I lived in Columbus, Ohio during the ages you mentioned. I had a great time, had many friends, and a great social life. Charlotte is very similar to Columbus in my opinion, except for the great zoo there. If someone isn't able to meet people in the aforementioned age group, they are either not going out or definately not going to the right places. They are everywhere. I rarely hear anyone between 30-50 complaining, but I only know outgoing people.
I know that a lot of folks visit this website attempting to determine whether they should move to any given city. Given that I have been a resident of Charlotte for a year now, I thought I'd provide my two cents on living here, with both the good and the bad from my point of view. Keep in mind that I am a single 33 year old male, so that will be the perspective I'm writing from. If you're, say, a married 45 year old woman with two young children, you may have a different point of view than my own.
I'll talk about the bad stuff first. For young singles, Charlotte is the sort of city where you're going to have to look a little harder for things to do. There aren't a lot of ready-made activities for young people looking to go on fun dates or meet new friends. In New York, there are a million things to do. In DC, you move there and spend the first few months just walking around and looking at all the historical sites, and there will be scores of other people doing the same thing.
In Charlotte, basically you've got a lukewarm bar scene, and not much else. There really doesn't seem to be a lot of history here. It feels sort of like a sleepy Southern town that has been recently refurbished due to all of the banks and corporations relocating down here from the Northeast. So you've got this vibrant downtown area (called Uptown) that seems sort of like Disney World for bankers, and then you've got the rest of Charlotte, which feels older, but not old in the cool, historical way.
Of course, if you were planning on meeting friends and dates through church or a sports team or whatever, you can find that anywhere, including Charlotte. But if you're like me, and you want to live in a cosmopolitan city or college town where you can just walk around and meet people, Charlotte is going to be a bit of a challenge socially.
I live in a part of town called Cotswold, in a complex that I selected because it seemed to have lots of young professionals living there. The only trouble is, all of them are either married or living with their significant other. Every. Single. One. There isn't another truly single person in this complex that I've met so far. So much for meeting eligible ladies here. Again, the bar scene is what I call luke warm. Not a lot of energy, and it's not uncommon to go into a bar on a Friday or Saturday night and find the place only half full. What's even stranger is driving home from the bar on those nights and realizing that the roads are basically clear. This may be because of the way the city is laid out, but it adds to the sense that the people here just aren't going out or doing anything.
Other pet peeves. The heat is pretty bad during the summer, but it seems to be bad everywhere these days. Also, be prepared for what I call the "Charlotte Attitude" to emerge from lots of people. It's sort of a combination of the attitude you'd expect from Northeastern banking types who have way too much money for their own good, and old school Southerners who don't like all these transplants moving into their city. Most Southern cities I've been to are way friendlier than Charlotte.
Okay, that's a lot of bad stuff. Here are a few things I like. It's cheap. It has that Southern, laid back, feeling to it, where people tend to leave the office at 5 and where life isn't taken quite as seriously as in a lot of other big cities. Because there are so many transplants here, you're going to run into a good number of people between 18 and 39, and a good number of them are going to be very attractive and fun, etc. Only trouble is, most of them aren't single.
Look, in this economy, we take what we can get. If you're single, in your 20s or 30s, and the only place you can find a job is in Charlotte, move to Charlotte. But just expect to get creative when it comes to your social life. But if you have a choice between Charlotte and other places, do your research before you make a decision.
Might be moving to charlotte or greensboro sometime in the near future. . . but not alone thankfully! Good post, thanks for sharing.
It's been fun reading your broad brush opinions about Charlotte and other regions of the country. Particularly informative was your first post bemoaning that Charlotte is no NYC, then reading later that you've never actually lived in New York. Did you ask where our theater district was when you got here? LOL. Did you think that every city should be some miniature version of the big apple? I am interested in knowing exactly what sort of experience you do have, other than in whining. So you really think that Richmond is more friendly or desirable than Charlotte? Philadelphia??? Baltimore??? My territory is the Mid Atlantic and Southeast so I travel to these cities all the time.
Have you ever met more than one person from Philly? Really. The words friendly and Philadelphia aren't often used together. And Richmond? Happy, sparkling Richmond? I can't think of a more run down, depressing place. Oh yeah, and their bluebloods make the Myers Park phonies look like pikers. Baltimore? Great for crab cakes and great bars in Fells Point, but I've never heard anyone say that "Baltimore just puts a smile on my face". Again, have you ever been there? The last few times I've visited Baltimore, I've seen at least one arrest taking place. Again, have you spent any time there, or are you just dreaming stuff up? DC is plenty friendly? LOL. Have you ever driven there? Or do you mean Arlington or Alexandria?
So, sorry Charlotte isn't what you want it to be. I am always glad to come home, but that's just me. Hopefully you will soon be able to secure a position in one of the utopias you've mentioned! I hope that it is everything you dreamed it would be.
I agree with you. I haven't been to a city anyplace that didn't have both good and poor qualities. People see what the want to see. If people are positive, they will hang with positive people. If they are myserable and negative, they will hang with the same. If one needs an extra exciting weekend from Charlotte, it is really cheap to fly Jet Blue and get a hotel in the city through Cheap Hotels. com.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Good thing I'm not single :D
