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What's up everybody? First of all, I would like to give a little background info. My wife and I just got married a month ago, she just graduated pharmacy school at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. She recently accepted a position at Gaston Memorial Hospital in Gastonia. We will be moving to the Charlotte/Gastonia area here in the next month or so. I have been looking at apartments and so forth in the area, where would be a good area to get an apartment and what not? I have been looking at some very nice apartments in the Charlotte area more towards the airport-is this a decent area? Any info would be appreciated. Feel free to message me or just post it up in this forum. Thank you in advance. I am also looking for a job. I currently work for the Iowa Department of Corrections as a correctional officer. Looking in the security/law enforcement field more particularly. But open to whatever. I love working hard, just don't like doing it for $8 an hour.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,678,989 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sbronemann
What's up everybody? First of all, I would like to give a little background info. My wife and I just got married a month ago, she just graduated pharmacy school at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. She recently accepted a position at Gaston Memorial Hospital in Gastonia. We will be moving to the Charlotte/Gastonia area here in the next month or so. I have been looking at apartments and so forth in the area, where would be a good area to get an apartment and what not? I have been looking at some very nice apartments in the Charlotte area more towards the airport-is this a decent area? Any info would be appreciated. Feel free to message me or just post it up in this forum. Thank you in advance. I am also looking for a job. I currently work for the Iowa Department of Corrections as a correctional officer. Looking in the security/law enforcement field more particularly. But open to whatever. I love working hard, just don't like doing it for $8 an hour.
Look in SE Gastonia for right now. There are tons of apartments.
As for your job situation, CMPD will be your best possibility. Also look at Kings Mountain, Shelby, & Lincolnton. If you are willing to be a sheriff's deputy, look at Mecklenburg, Gaston, Lincoln, & Cleveland. If you are interested in the State Police, there are multiple barracks in the area. Cleveland County's jail is in Shelby.
Gastoia PD is a revolving door because of low pay. They always seem to be looking, but it's a way to get in while you wait for an opening elsewhere.
Thank you for your reply. Obviously I've been researching Charlotte/Gastonia crime statistics and what not. Gastonia seems quite a bit safer to live in than Charlotte. I also realize Gastonia pop. is like 70k compared to 731k of Charlotte. Is Gastonia a decent smaller city to live in? We are going to visit the area in two weeks to look at apartments and what not, but any specific areas to look?
I always thought Iowa's unemployment rate was a little lower than Charlotte's...Expect a lot of competition here among jobs, full and part time....A lot of people moved here during the boom years and there's just not enough jobs to go around for the amount of people who migrated here.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,678,989 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by sbronemann
Thank you for your reply. Obviously I've been researching Charlotte/Gastonia crime statistics and what not. Gastonia seems quite a bit safer to live in than Charlotte. I also realize Gastonia pop. is like 70k compared to 731k of Charlotte. Is Gastonia a decent smaller city to live in? We are going to visit the area in two weeks to look at apartments and what not, but any specific areas to look?
You're welcome. Just for the record, I live in Kings Mountain & I'm a transplant.
The majority of the crime in Gastonia is in the NW quadrant. The best schools are in the SE quadrant & that's where the majority of the apartments are. I'm female & have no fear of Gastonia, but I also don't go to bad areas.
Kings Mountain & Gastonia have not been actively annexing, because of the bad economy, so the population of both cities is deceptively small.
There are security firms in Charlotte, Gastonia, Kings Mountain (I'm pretty sure), & Shelby. Gastonia is a good central location until you find a job. Pull up a map. Look betweel Union Rd & Redbud & South of Garrison
I always thought Iowa's unemployment rate was a little lower than Charlotte's...Expect a lot of competition here among jobs, full and part time....A lot of people moved here during the boom years and there's just not enough jobs to go around for the amount of people who migrated here.
Well that's not good to hear! I know the unemployment is like 5.3% around here, so our economy is doing great thanks to the ag boom! And I actually have a great job with the Iowa DOC, but my wifey got a job out there, so that's where I'll have to go. Hopefully I will find something soon. Might have to go back to school to get my degree next year unfortunately!
You're welcome. Just for the record, I live in Kings Mountain & I'm a transplant.
The majority of the crime in Gastonia is in the NW quadrant. The best schools are in the SE quadrant & that's where the majority of the apartments are. I'm female & have no fear of Gastonia, but I also don't go to bad areas.
Kings Mountain & Gastonia have not been actively annexing, because of the bad economy, so the population of both cities is deceptively small.
There are security firms in Charlotte, Gastonia, Kings Mountain (I'm pretty sure), & Shelby. Gastonia is a good central location until you find a job. Pull up a map. Look betweel Union Rd & Redbud & South of Garrison
We are actually thinking about the Lake Wylie area now. Looks like a pretty nice area to live. As for jobs, I don't care where I work, as long as it's within 30-45 mins max away.
Well that's not good to hear! I know the unemployment is like 5.3% around here, so our economy is doing great thanks to the ag boom! And I actually have a great job with the Iowa DOC, but my wifey got a job out there, so that's where I'll have to go. Hopefully I will find something soon. Might have to go back to school to get my degree next year unfortunately!
Not sure I'd leave an area of 5.3% unemployment to come to one closer to 10%!
southbound gave you good advice on where to look, but you might also like the area of Charlotte you mentioned above - that's the Steele Creek area.
Check into whether or not CMPD is taking applications for the police academy. If not, with your experience you could also look at other local police departments in places like Huntersville, Mint Hill, Pineville, Concord or Rock Hill, SC.
Though really, with your corrections experience your best bet might be the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Department.
Not sure I'd leave an area of 5.3% unemployment to come to one closer to 10%!
southbound gave you good advice on where to look, but you might also like the area of Charlotte you mentioned above - that's the Steele Creek area.
Check into whether or not CMPD is taking applications for the police academy. If not, with your experience you could also look at other local police departments in places like Huntersville, Mint Hill, Pineville, Concord or Rock Hill, SC.
Though really, your best bet might be the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Department.
Unfortunatly Iowa is saturated pretty thick with Pharmacist. There are 3 pharmacy schools in iowa that put out 350 pharmacist a year. So pretty hard to find a job in Iowa as a pharmacist. She wanted a residency in a hospital, so she got one. So I'm just along for the ride. As for experience, I have been in the department of corrections for 5 years and only like 20 credits from having my AS in Criminal Justice. So hopefully I can find something in the law enforcement/security field.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,678,989 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by sbronemann
We are actually thinking about the Lake Wylie area now. Looks like a pretty nice area to live. As for jobs, I don't care where I work, as long as it's within 30-45 mins max away.
That's up to you, but that will be more limiting for your job search. Hickory might fall into your commute window from Gastonia, north on 321. Going south on 321, you're looking at Clover, SC & possibly Rock Hill.
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