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I lived in Charlotte for just a short time (less than a year), and I know nothing about the Chicago area that you're coming from, but seeing that nobody has answered your question yet, I'll try with my $.02. :-)
Ballantyne is pretty upscale, at least by Charlotte standards. Houses can run into the millions, though there are many areas in the $200K-$400K range, depending on what you're looking for. Apartments with one or two BR are generally in the $800-$1000 range for something basic, and newer, larger units can go for more than that. I can't be more specific about prices 'cause it was sort of out of my price range (I was over in Steele Creek -- the southwestern corner of Mecklenburg County). In general, Ballantyne has a mixed city/suburban feel to it, somewhat more interesting than areas farther out. (The Charlotte 'burbs are pretty dull, IMHO).
If you go farther north from Ballantyne, the Park Road/South Park area is pretty nice, though prices will still be high. Also, I was advised to be very careful about just where you locate when you're looking inside the I-485 beltway, as some areas that look nice can be kind of "tough" after dark, if you get my drift. There's a Trader Joe's store on Rea Road, an important consideration because most of the Charlotte's other chain grocery stores suck, at least by northern standards (exception: Most Harris Teeter stores are ok).
There's usually lots of stuff going on downtown (note: They often refer to downtown as "uptown" for some weird reason). The trendy, funky area is NoDa (North Davidson), which is just north of downtown (or uptown). Lots of bars, interesting restaurants, etc. There are some greenways around the Charlotte area, but the roads in general are pretty horrible to ride bikes on because of the traffic and also because in NC they don't put much of a shoulder on the side roads.
Hope this helps. As I say, I wasn't there for long, but my impressions are that Charlotte is an okay city to live in but it's not everybody's dream city.
Ballantyne and SouthPark are the two most upscale areas in Charlotte by far. Very nice homes and apartments. Both have plenty of shopping and dining, but SouthPark probably has more.
You could also look into Uptown and it's neighborhoods, that's where many restaurants, bars, museums, the area, stadiums, ect are located and there's a greenway in Midtown, which just east of the Uptown loop.
Thank you so much! This is all very helpful for us in our search. So the Ballatyne area sounds pretty safe then? That is where he will be working so we figured it may make sense to look there. We will be renting, at least until we know if the area is a good fit. Any apt complexes to stay away from or that we should check out in specific? So is that area pretty diverse age wise?
Definitely look in Ballantyne if the job is there. It is very suburban though with all the accompanying traffic issues. Since it's a new suburban area, there are actually sidewalks in many areas, but it's still not particularly walkable. It's clean, safe with many shopping/eating establishments and a variety of housing choices. You could also look in the area around the Blakeney Shopping Center on Rea Road. It's also a very nice area. Uptown is about 25 minutes away but much more in rush hour.
If your husbands job is in Ballantyne, you would be better off living in that area, at least until you get acclimated to the city.
Ballantyne sits just outside the I-485 loop, which can get you to Carowinds, if you like amusement parks, the NC White Water Center, the largest of its kind in the world. They have bike trails, rock climbing, kayak and rafting. And a few hours drive is Myrtle Beach, Charleston, SC, Asheville, NC which are superb weekend getaways.
There are many apartment communities in Ballantyne, but I've always liked Crestmont Apts on Ballantyne Commons Parkway. Just my own personal opinion. Very clean, well kept complex. Also check out Camden Ballantyne, a community within walking distance to restaurants, grocery and movie theaters.
Ballantyne is also very close the the Greenway, a series of boardwalks and asphalt walkways that were built in swampy, flood plains area where you can bike, or walk one on one with nature.
One more area to consider might be Piper Glen. Another upscale area, a little older, not far at all from Ballantyne just inside the I-485 loop. It has a more neighborhoodsy feel to it than Ballantyne. The Fairways at Piper Glen are a decent apartment complex within walking distance to a Trader Joes, Starbucks, CVS and the Greenway.
That's about all I can think of now. You can't go wrong living in these areas. If you decide to stay in Charlotte, and want a more urban, upscale feel, then the Southpark area is very nice and Dilworth and Elizabeth are my favorite areas of the city less than a mile from uptown. As with most cities though, the closer in you live, the costlier it gets. Good luck!
As an area overall, none of those come close to matching SouthPark.
SouthPark is a mall and an area. In my opinion it's not really a neighborhood although there are a few apartments/condos adjacent to the mall that could probably be "officially" SouthPark Neighborhood homes. But, most of the neighborhoods in the SouthPark Area have their own names and identity too. I think of Barclay Downs, Carmel Country Club, etc.
There is a historic "old Charlotte" appeal and understanding about especially Myers Park and Eastover. The homes there are wonderful, historic (built before the depression mostly) and have lots of times beautiful quirky interiors, well decorated with lots of times gorgeous gardens, trees, artwork, and details. Many are quite large, but they aren't like some of the homes you hear about on Lake Norman for instance. There are wonderful homes in other parts of Charlotte that share this cache. I think of those who live in Quail Hollow, around the golf course for instance, probably have a similar cache and unique interiors although the homes are newer. Dilworth as the first Charlotte suburb is undeniably popular and unique - again with historic details and a walkable neighborhood. The sense many of us have of Charlotte as a small town comes from being with those who live, work, worship, volunteer, shop and socialize with-in this inner (sort of) ring of downtown.
Ballanytne is nice but at this point is mostly for newcomers - which is it's appeal to many- with new homes, some custom but with lots of tract builders though. It is also an area but is seen as a but more unified (I see Ballanytne more of an over all neighborhood) by many long time Charlotteans. This is probably unfair but it's mostly because we so seldom are down that way so we don't know the names of the sub-divisions.
To the OP I would rent in Ballantyne if that is where the job is but I would also explore other areas to make sure it matches what you're looking for and the vibe you want.
Thank you so much everyone. You truly have given us great guidance. I think dilworth sounds lovely to buy a home in but we want to rent first just to make sure we stay etc. I will save this thread for when we go down there to check everything out. Very gracious for your help!
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Thanks so very much in advance 
