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These responses are great! Thanks for chiming in everyone. I haven't checked this in a few days and just saw that it got stickied... so I'm feeling a little famous right now. Ironically, two of Navy Seal's "favorite" things about Charlotte are two of the things that I think make it awesome-- it's proximity to the beach and mountains. But then again my glass is usually half full. This upcoming move to Charlotte is very bittersweet for me because I love where we currently live and have no desire to leave it, but we must due to DH's job. I made this post to help get me excited about it, and it's worked!
you'll fit right in...enjoy your couple years...hope your husband or whatever a DH is has a job with a good company...BofA for example is a layoff machine. Contract work, can't trust it...commute to charlotte, not so fun...
you'll fit right in...enjoy your couple years...hope your husband or whatever a DH is has a job with a good company...BofA for example is a layoff machine. Contract work, can't trust it...commute to charlotte, not so fun...
I do agree that relocating to a new area (anywhere) for contract work is risky business, especially with family in tow. Contract work is the new business model for a lot of companies, which started en masse post-internet meltdown (early 2000s) and the latest recession has only magnified that organizational structure. Seems to be more prevalent in the financial industry.
I realize Charlotte's shortcomings. I am not going to compare Charlotte to NYC. Some people want to do that. Charlotte is not going to have the activity downtown of a much larger area. But compared to other areas of similar size Charlotte's downtown is pretty active. It is not dead after 5pm as some suggested. But it is not NYC either.
1. Exciting growth bring international restaurants, shopping, people, museums, festivals, performing arts, and breweries.
2. Beautiful friendly areas with nice parks and huge oak trees and plenty of bikers, runners, etc. enjoying life.
3. Lots of professional sports and venues including the rafting center and a great future with expanding pro soccer, etc.
4. Easy to get anywhere in Charlotte within 20 minutes (not rush hour) and not too far from the beach and mountains.
5. International airport with direct flights to major most major American and several European and Caribbean cities.
As a friend from NYC told me: In NYC, you always know what is going on as far as festivals, etc. It is already a huge, exciting city. Charlotte is becoming that and it is great to be here and see it grow and transform.
My Top 5 Favorite Things
1. The Drivers (worse I have ever seen) except driving 95 which the locals think is all of the Northeast.
2. Poor people who hang around Charlotte begging and simply loitering in all public places.
3. The gas prices as we have the highest rates in the South.
4. The wildly inconsistent customer service and food preparation from local restaurants.
5. Churches who ask to ACH your account for weekly dues as part of enrollment into their shrine.
6. The wonderful school systems ... oh sorry that isn't the case either
7. The fact that the real mountains are over 2 hours a way and a hassle to get to.
8. The artificial made lakes (w/ nuclear power plants) that are over commercialized and full of drunks on noisy machines.
9. The transplants who only care about themselves and cheap McMansions.
10. The beach isn't close either try 3 hours of back road hassle.
11. Have fun in uptown after the workers leave...its no mans land...and dangerous.
Listen, I am very sorry for ruining it for you. I know this seems wildly negative. Beyond the pretty skyline Charlotte is still an area going through growing pains and has its fair share of unsettling issues. I wish you happiness in your decisions and hope if you do move here your experience with the city is in no way close to the way I perceive things to be. I just find that I can get a better quality of living elsewhere regardless of the pretty skyline and clean streets. On the outside Charlotte looks clean but on the inside it runs on 3 cylinders.
I see that you are likely from Vermont. Charlotte is way too big for you. Try Asheville. It has lots of lost, small town hippie types. You might be happy there.
1. Exciting growth bring international restaurants, shopping, people, museums, festivals, performing arts, and breweries.
2. Beautiful friendly areas with nice parks and huge oak trees and plenty of bikers, runners, etc. enjoying life.
3. Lots of professional sports and venues including the rafting center and a great future with expanding pro soccer, etc.
4. Easy to get anywhere in Charlotte within 20 minutes (not rush hour) and not too far from the beach and mountains.
5. International airport with direct flights to major most major American and several European and Caribbean cities.
As a friend from NYC told me: In NYC, you always know what is going on as far as festivals, etc. It is already a huge, exciting city. Charlotte is becoming that and it is great to be here and see it grow and transform.
1) Seasons
2) Traffic (moved from NYC and Miami) horrible roads and traffic. AlsoTOLLS!!! NYC tolls are extremely high
3) Growth (new things to do)
4) Family orientated
5) Great airport, easy to get to our frequent destinations without hassle.
*Beautiful neighborhoods with winding streets, rolling elevations, stately homes, and amazing tree canopies
*Metro is large enough to conveniently support just about any interest you might have
*Fireflies, sweet tea, barbecue
*Mild winters; a couple of fun snow days each year; summer thunderstorms; spring/fall color; lots of top-down driving days
*Regular weekend trips to Asheville, Atlanta, Hilton Head, Savannah, Charleston
*Lakes, parks
*Professional sports
*Great airport with tons of direct flights to Chicago, New York, etc., as well as international flights
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Ironically, two of Navy Seal's "favorite" things about Charlotte are two of the things that I think make it awesome-- it's proximity to the beach and mountains. But then again my glass is usually half full. 
This upcoming move to Charlotte is very bittersweet for me because I love where we currently live and have no desire to leave it, but we must due to DH's job. I made this post to help get me excited about it, and it's worked!
