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Though I've never been to NYC, I did grow up in DC. That being said, I do find Charlotte to be pretty boring at times and definitely lacking in the cultural aspect. I'm sure I'll get a lot of hate for saying that
No hate.
Just curious though, where in Charlotte do you live?
Though I've never been to NYC, I did grow up in DC. That being said, I do find Charlotte to be pretty boring at times and definitely lacking in the cultural aspect. I'm sure I'll get a lot of hate for saying that
It could/should be "boring" to someone from DC but so would most mid-size metros. I got bored quite a bit living in DC (PG County, NOVA and Capitol Hill) but not because there weren't things to do, it just cost too much, too many wannabee "important" and pretentious folks and the traffic timing game got old. But lots of friends and family who love it, so it really is give and take.
When relocating from large (4-5 million+ size metros) to any mid-size metro, the con is gonna be the cultural mix of activities and just less things to do...primarily why is more affordable and tolerable traffic wise.
I think mom hit the nail on the head.
To OP, there isn't any secret about Charlotte or any other mid-size growing metro. There are clubs, restaurants, cultural activities, museums, events, etc. but it's scaled compared to larger metros...pretty good break down Native.
And Charlotte does have great moments like the CIAA tourney in a few weeks...and will be one of the hottest spots in the country for professional African Americans to participate in many events/shows, not to mention the over-priced (lol, DC priced) parties...it reminds me of DC that week with respect to African American social scene.
It could/should be "boring" to someone from DC but so would most mid-size metros. I got bored quite a bit living in DC (PG County, NOVA and Capitol Hill) but not because there weren't things to do, it just cost too much, too many wannabee "important" and pretentious folks and the traffic timing game got old. But lots of friends and family who love it, so it really is give and take.
When relocating from large (4-5 million+ size metros) to any mid-size metro, the con is gonna be the cultural mix of activities and just less things to do...primarily why is more affordable and tolerable traffic wise.
I think mom hit the nail on the head.
To OP, there isn't any secret about Charlotte or any other mid-size growing metro. There are clubs, restaurants, cultural activities, museums, events, etc. but it's scaled compared to larger metros...pretty good break down Native.
And Charlotte does have great moments like the CIAA tourney in a few weeks...and will be one of the hottest spots in the country for professional African Americans to participate in many events/shows, not to mention the over-priced (lol, DC priced) parties...it reminds me of DC that week with respect to African American social scene.
I understand that, but every city has its own aspects, positives and negatives so it's good to know them.
Though I've never been to NYC, I did grow up in DC. That being said, I do find Charlotte to be pretty boring at times and definitely lacking in the cultural aspect. I'm sure I'll get a lot of hate for saying that
Well duh, you live in a very boring part of Charlotte. (I live near you as well) It's the land of surburbia without a lick of culture down here. I love it here and if I want culture/fun, I do have to drive to it. No hate here either!
Well duh, you live in a very boring part of Charlotte. (I live near you as well) It's the land of surburbia without a lick of culture down here. I love it here and if I want culture/fun, I do have to drive to it. No hate here either!
True, but where do you go for culture/fun? Uptown doesn't seem to have much going on during the weekends. We do go to the hockey games and to the occasional concert/play. Uptown is really lacking in the shopping scene and lots of places are closed on the weekend. And we aren't really bar people, so those are out. We usually end up making a day trip over to Asheville or a long weekend in Charleston to get in a bit of culture.
I don't know what is is exactly about Charlotte. But DH is from the NYC area and isn't particularly fond of it here either.
Again, I'm not trying to diss on Charlotte. I can see why others love it so much and I think it's got a lot of potential. It's just not for everyone.
There are performances going on every day at Blumenthal in one of it's many theatres including the new Knight Theatre. The There are a few very good places to catch a play (CAST, Theater Charlotte, Actors Theatre). Bechtler Museum has an excellent jazz series as well as lectures and movies. The Public Library runs interesting film series (the next one will be films from 1934). The Charlotte Film Society is an organization bringing little known foreign and independent films to Charlotte.
Even the suburban shopping centers have live local music on summer evenings. These things are just off the top of my head. There are plenty things to do if you look for them.
True, but where do you go for culture/fun? Uptown doesn't seem to have much going on during the weekends. We do go to the hockey games and to the occasional concert/play. Uptown is really lacking in the shopping scene and lots of places are closed on the weekend. And we aren't really bar people, so those are out. We usually end up making a day trip over to Asheville or a long weekend in Charleston to get in a bit of culture.
I don't know what is is exactly about Charlotte. But DH is from the NYC area and isn't particularly fond of it here either.
Again, I'm not trying to diss on Charlotte. I can see why others love it so much and I think it's got a lot of potential. It's just not for everyone.
Uptown is lacking in the retail department because of its proximity to South Park. Almost all the high end and decent shopping is in that area, making it an easy decision for stores to locate where the people go to shop. I completely agree that Charlotte has potential for culture, the problem is that Charlotte is too new. It has just become a legitimate city in the past thirty years, whereas cities like New York, DC, San Francisco, Boston, and many other large cities have had between 150 and 250 years to grow and find an identity. Charlotte, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Austin are all part of the "New South"; fast growing cities with, in my opinion, a lack of culture because they have grown so quickly. You're not going to find restaurants in 200 year old buildings or go to China town, but you certainly can find a good time just about anywhere. Just about every major suburb in Charlotte has plenty to do on weekends, you just have to find it or change your idea of culture.
True, but where do you go for culture/fun? Uptown doesn't seem to have much going on during the weekends. We do go to the hockey games and to the occasional concert/play. Uptown is really lacking in the shopping scene and lots of places are closed on the weekend. And we aren't really bar people, so those are out. We usually end up making a day trip over to Asheville or a long weekend in Charleston to get in a bit of culture.
I don't know what is is exactly about Charlotte. But DH is from the NYC area and isn't particularly fond of it here either.
Again, I'm not trying to diss on Charlotte. I can see why others love it so much and I think it's got a lot of potential. It's just not for everyone.
You might laugh at this but I am enjoying the American culture here. I grew up with so much "ethnicity" and culture, that I never had I guess they call it Southern/Americana culture. It wasn't till I moved here that I am eating American foods, doing traditional school activities etc. I am thoroughly enjoying the street parades, church festivals, museums of the South etc. I love going to small towns, mountains or the parks here. I love the plays they have here in the Children's theater or the Matthews Playhouse. I am enjoying the big box stores etc. I love going to the older parts of Charlotte and learning about the history here such as the Latta Plantation or going to SC to the Andrew Jackson park. And yes I was born in America, but the part of Florida I was in was definitely not American.
I get what you are saying about lacking in a type of culture and can see why people want more of that type here. I personally am okay if it comes or not as I am enjoying what's here already.
It has been said over and over again on these boards that it all depends on where you come from and how jaded/immune you are.
One thing kind of cool about a city with "less" culture is that you tend to run into all your friends, or at least the same people when you go out since it's one of the few events in town. It is kind of fun when that happens.
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(I live near you as well) It's the land of surburbia without a lick of culture down here. I love it here and if I want culture/fun, I do have to drive to it. No hate here either!
