Advice On Safe Area For More Affordable Rental (Charlotte, Gastonia: sales, apartments)
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This post is long, so for those who just want to give me advice on neighborhoods and places within my budget, just skip to the end to my TL;DR (Use Ctrl/Command+F on your keyboard). I am going to explain in a synopsis my situation.
I have decided I am going to be moving back to Charlotte. Yes, I have been all around the place and in circles and circles. I've run out of time to decide and my main worry about going back to Charlotte was the cost of living. My situation is I am desperately trying to leave Nashville, a place I utterly hate, and want to find a place with a more reasonable cost of living (Nashville is insane), has an abundant amount of good paying technology and software jobs and other jobs that I can work on a part-time basis. Salaries for software jobs where I live are like 20% less than Charlotte, despite higher cost of living. Yes, no state tax in TN, but food and sales tax adds up here and the wages and availability of technology jobs are way lower.
As far as my situation, I will be spending the next 7-8 months studying for software interviews. My algorithm/data structure test skills are garbage and will be devoting myself to studying these in depth for some months. I will be living on limited income and having to find at least some part-time work within 3-4 months to help get by while I keep up with my studies and try to traverse the challenging software market after not having to search for jobs for 15 years. I was in a family business that I help build and we did dental/medical software and it was what I devoted my heart and soul to for the last 15+ years. I am also partially disabled and cannot sit for long hours on the job , so I do have some challenges. However, I have devised a system where I alternate between sitting, some standing and doing a core of my work laying down on the floor. I have built a standing/sit/laydown kind of desk setup that allows me to work long hours. The problem is some employers do not allow you to violate company culture or will accommodate a person with a disability. I understand I will have challenges.
I did everything from the core of the software development in the company, developing new features, research ,design, testing, debugging, support and release. As well I did rigorous consulting for the business and making important business decisions. Basically, I helped manage the business as well as making business deals with other companies and handling integration of their third party packages. Sadly, I kind of limited my scope of technology and skill-sets by primarily focusing on desktop and application development for users on Windows OS system. My main skill is .Net desktop development, but also had skills in C,C++ and VB6. However, as of late I have been rigorously studying ASP.Net Core, Angular 8 and trying to hone my full-stack web skills with becoming proficient with ASP.Net as a back-end technology and Javascript/Typescript/Angular as front-end technology. Charlotte's software market is really booming and I heart here are a lot of technology related jobs.
I know many will say I should move to the Research Triangle, but there are actually almost as many .Net specific jobs in Charlotte as there are in the Triangle. Also, after talking to many people about the Triangle, I can see being a single 41 year old Jewish guy that there will not be much to offer me. I hear most of the people there are married with kids and live out in the suburbs. I'm told its a pretty rough place to be older and single. Maybe, this is true, maybe it is not ,but I like that Charlotte has a more cosmopolitan atmosphere. As well, I hope to get back into hiking again and Charlotte's proximity to the mountains is a major bonus. Driving 3 hours to a beach doesn't excite me.
I actually liked living in Charlotte in the past, liked the weather and beautiful scenery. I'm hoping Charlotte will be the place I can get out of the ditch and get back onto my feet. I don't need to ask much about Charlotte, as I lived there a short time and kind of know what to except. Although, it's been almost a year and a half and I know the city is growing and changing quickly. I still have a month or so of legal income as I will be paid under the table in the next month. I will be getting a small salary for a little over half a year, in addition to some savings and taking out a large loan to get me by while I study and prepare for interviews and/or find a part-time job that can help me get by until I am fully employed again.
TL;DR
So, I am trying to spend as little as possible, but to avoid living in bad areas. I know that West Charlotte can look nice from first appearance but there is a lot of crime there. After viewing several properites in Wset Charlotte that looked nice and were cheap, I got a feeling these neighborhoods were kind of sketchy and would not feel safe living in them. I will be working from home for a while, but may need to commute into Charlotte for work. I really hate apartments and live in a noisy , crappy one now. If I am a stuck living in another crappy apartment at least I could hope it is a place I can get sleep , enforces noise complaints, isn't overrun with cockroaches and has a staff that refuses to fix your A/C in summer or heater in winter, etc. I'd also like to avoid living near gangbangers and drug-addicts.
I would like to stay under $1100/mo, but if I have no choice I guess I can pay up to $1400/mo, but would really like to pay less. I am planning on storing and getting rid of as many possessions as I can and will accept if I have to live in a measly 1 bedroom apartment. Until I get back on my feet, I understand I have to make sacrifices. I have no pets, kids, friends (so no roommates) or anything. I won't have enough time to look for roommates and I have firearms and in the past nobody in Charlotte would accept me as a roommate because of that. I would also just prefer to find my own place.
FIrst, I see some cheaper homes in Kannapolis. THe crime looks low on paper, but many people told me there is a serious drug problem out there. As well, I have read of several drug busts, some involving FBI in literally a time period of a few months. That is an awful lot of drug bust sand they were major operations. That tells me drug dealing and addiction is a big issue out there. It looks kind of rural and as much as I like the setting I wonder if I should avoid this area? The nice thing about that area is I can afford a house in the area. I also see Gastonia has some more affordable houses, townhouses, condos. I lived in Huntersville before and ended up next door to a convicted felon who carried a gun and tried to murder his girlfriend in front of me. Yes, I was a bit unlucky, but the fact Huntersville PD just kept releasing him from jail shows me that unless you are a millionaire the non-wealthy parts of Huntersville are very sketchy. The cops care nothing about anyone there who isn't wealthy from my experience. My neighborhood had all types of problems . I was living near Beatties-Ford Road at the time on the west side. With that being said, I kind of want to avoid the nothern suburbs. MOoresville may be nice, but it doesn't look cheap and is quite far from Charlotte if I had to commute.
I am also open to just renting a 1 bedroom in areas like Ballantyne or the safer Southern suburbs of the city. Charlotte's neighborhoods drive me a bit crazy, because one is safe, one affluent and one crime-ridden and they can all be intermixed. Even living there for 3months I couldn't figure out what was what, but it seemed overall South side of the city is better. But, can I get a decent apartment for around $1100/mo or so in areas like Ballantyne, South Park, Dilworth, Plaza Midwood, Noda, etc? Some say parts of Plaze Midwood are still pretty sketchy, although driving around there it always seemed nice to me.
Anyway, it's been almost a couple years , but I am set on going to Charlotte. I am going to make some motel reservations and head out next week and try to see if I can land a place as quick as possible. I appreciate whatever advice people can give.
Last edited by RotseCherut; 12-28-2019 at 10:56 PM..
Given your past experience (remember that saga), I'd recommend you just pick an area like Dilworth or South Park. I think Plaza Midwood and Noda may end up resulting in another bad experience... just have a feeling.
Dilworth and South Park should fit your age range, desires to be in a more "cosmopolitan" location, and you would be close to the massive Shalom Park campus which is the hub of Jewish activities here.
For $1,100 a month you should be able to get into a safe, but older complex like Madison Southpark.
I interviewed for a company in Nashville a few years back. Glad to hear I dodged a bullet.
I think you should look at the banks in Charlotte. There’s Wells Fargo, BOA, Ally. I work for one of them and they are always hiring for tech jobs. In some job descriptions, the required experience will just be the number of years in technology and the desired experience will list the specifics you’ve listed such as C+. Definitely highlight your software development skills on your resume. You may also want to contact a recruiter. Signature Consultants works heavily with the banks out here.
Also, where I work, they’re revamping the facilities to make them more employee friendly and collaborative. In one of the newer buildings, all of the desks are convertible to standing desks. I don’t know what they are formally called but when you want to stand up and work all you have to do is pull some lever, then right back again when you’re ready to sit back down. I’m in an older building and we have some here. I’m sure if you request it, they wouldn’t have any problem accommodating you.
I live in Pineville, which is between Ballantyne and South Park, about 10 minutes away from each. I pay close to $1200 for a 2bdr/2ba so I’m sure you can get a 1bdr for $1100. I’ve been here 6 years and haven’t had any problems, other than a noisy neighbor. We’re right down the street from the hospital, and I see a lot of folks in scrubs in my parking lot so I think we have a lot of professionals out here as well as a lot of senior tenants. Surprisingly, I guess because we’re kind of tucked away, the sirens you hear going to the hospital are not loud at all. You hear them but they are not loud or bothersome.
Hope this helps. Feel free to DM if you want more info.
Given your past experience (remember that saga), I'd recommend you just pick an area like Dilworth or South Park. I think Plaza Midwood and Noda may end up resulting in another bad experience... just have a feeling.
Dilworth and South Park should fit your age range, desires to be in a more "cosmopolitan" location, and you would be close to the massive Shalom Park campus which is the hub of Jewish activities here.
For $1,100 a month you should be able to get into a safe, but older complex like Madison Southpark.
I am glad you remember.. Seems like the Charlotte forum has gotten a little quieter over the years.. I remember Noda being kind of hit or miss, some parts seem super nice others pretty gritty. Maybe, I don't remember all Plaza Midwood, but I remember eating at that famous Southern restaurant there (Forgot the name now, but they had good pot roast) and it looked like a pretty good area.
I am looking at apartments mostly on the Southside, but I do see some lesser expensive apartments in Concord area. I worry about living out in Concord because I will have to find some part-time work and commute into CHarlotte and I don't know whats available in Concord. I wonder if there are any areas in Northeast Charlotte that are decent? I remember Northwest being pretty gritty and not so nice. The Lake Wylie area could look nice, but I Found there to be lots of pockets of crime infested looking areas too. Haha, even after living in Charlotte a few months I am still confused
I am glad you remember.. Seems like the Charlotte forum has gotten a little quieter over the years.. I remember Noda being kind of hit or miss, some parts seem super nice others pretty gritty. Maybe, I don't remember all Plaza Midwood, but I remember eating at that famous Southern restaurant there (Forgot the name now, but they had good pot roast) and it looked like a pretty good area.
I am looking at apartments mostly on the Southside, but I do see some lesser expensive apartments in Concord area. I worry about living out in Concord because I will have to find some part-time work and commute into CHarlotte and I don't know whats available in Concord. I wonder if there are any areas in Northeast Charlotte that are decent? I remember Northwest being pretty gritty and not so nice. The Lake Wylie area could look nice, but I Found there to be lots of pockets of crime infested looking areas too. Haha, even after living in Charlotte a few months I am still confused
I second Dilworth, and perhaps even Elizabeth; both areas are safe and quiet (as far as crime), and both would be a pain free commute into Uptown.
Dilworth is a very handsome area as well, with many charming craftsmen bungalows. You'd be reasonably close to Montford & South End.
Dilworth was a great suggestion, and I would also look into Elizabeth.
I second Dilworth, and perhaps even Elizabeth; both areas are safe and quiet (as far as crime), and both would be a pain free commute into Uptown.
Dilworth is a very handsome area as well, with many charming craftsmen bungalows. You'd be reasonably close to Montford & South End.
Dilworth was a great suggestion, and I would also look into Elizabeth.
No way one is going to rent a SFH in Dilworth for $1,100 a month, and even $1,400 would be almost impossible. Even an apartment for $1,100 in Dilworth is virtually impossible.
I am glad you remember.. Seems like the Charlotte forum has gotten a little quieter over the years.. I remember Noda being kind of hit or miss, some parts seem super nice others pretty gritty. Maybe, I don't remember all Plaza Midwood, but I remember eating at that famous Southern restaurant there (Forgot the name now, but they had good pot roast) and it looked like a pretty good area.
I am looking at apartments mostly on the Southside, but I do see some lesser expensive apartments in Concord area. I worry about living out in Concord because I will have to find some part-time work and commute into CHarlotte and I don't know whats available in Concord. I wonder if there are any areas in Northeast Charlotte that are decent? I remember Northwest being pretty gritty and not so nice. The Lake Wylie area could look nice, but I Found there to be lots of pockets of crime infested looking areas too. Haha, even after living in Charlotte a few months I am still confused
What parts of Concord? Some areas (around Concord Mills Mall) are pretty nice, but some of the areas around downtown are so - so.
Concord isn't a far drive from the major University City area job hub and is a more reasonable commute into Uptown that many of the outer southern suburbs (like Fort Mill).
Check out Cameron South Park Apartments near the Harris YMCA. Good reviews online, in a very safe area of the city, close to South Park, and 1 bedroom units available for $950 a month.
Cameron Foxcroft is in a safe area and is a little older, but close to Providence / Fairview with units starting at $899 per month.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RotseCherut
This post is long, so for those who just want to give me advice on neighborhoods and places within my budget, just skip to the end to my TL;DR (Use Ctrl/Command+F on your keyboard). I am going to explain in a synopsis my situation.
I have decided I am going to be moving back to Charlotte. Yes, I have been all around the place and in circles and circles. I've run out of time to decide and my main worry about going back to Charlotte was the cost of living. My situation is I am desperately trying to leave Nashville, a place I utterly hate, and want to find a place with a more reasonable cost of living (Nashville is insane), has an abundant amount of good paying technology and software jobs and other jobs that I can work on a part-time basis. Salaries for software jobs where I live are like 20% less than Charlotte, despite higher cost of living. Yes, no state tax in TN, but food and sales tax adds up here and the wages and availability of technology jobs are way lower.
As far as my situation, I will be spending the next 7-8 months studying for software interviews. My algorithm/data structure test skills are garbage and will be devoting myself to studying these in depth for some months. I will be living on limited income and having to find at least some part-time work within 3-4 months to help get by while I keep up with my studies and try to traverse the challenging software market after not having to search for jobs for 15 years. I was in a family business that I help build and we did dental/medical software and it was what I devoted my heart and soul to for the last 15+ years. I am also partially disabled and cannot sit for long hours on the job , so I do have some challenges. However, I have devised a system where I alternate between sitting, some standing and doing a core of my work laying down on the floor. I have built a standing/sit/laydown kind of desk setup that allows me to work long hours. The problem is some employers do not allow you to violate company culture or will accommodate a person with a disability. I understand I will have challenges.
I did everything from the core of the software development in the company, developing new features, research ,design, testing, debugging, support and release. As well I did rigorous consulting for the business and making important business decisions. Basically, I helped manage the business as well as making business deals with other companies and handling integration of their third party packages. Sadly, I kind of limited my scope of technology and skill-sets by primarily focusing on desktop and application development for users on Windows OS system. My main skill is .Net desktop development, but also had skills in C,C++ and VB6. However, as of late I have been rigorously studying ASP.Net Core, Angular 8 and trying to hone my full-stack web skills with becoming proficient with ASP.Net as a back-end technology and Javascript/Typescript/Angular as front-end technology. Charlotte's software market is really booming and I heart here are a lot of technology related jobs.
I know many will say I should move to the Research Triangle, but there are actually almost as many .Net specific jobs in Charlotte as there are in the Triangle. Also, after talking to many people about the Triangle, I can see being a single 41 year old Jewish guy that there will not be much to offer me. I hear most of the people there are married with kids and live out in the suburbs. I'm told its a pretty rough place to be older and single. Maybe, this is true, maybe it is not ,but I like that Charlotte has a more cosmopolitan atmosphere. As well, I hope to get back into hiking again and Charlotte's proximity to the mountains is a major bonus. Driving 3 hours to a beach doesn't excite me.
I actually liked living in Charlotte in the past, liked the weather and beautiful scenery. I'm hoping Charlotte will be the place I can get out of the ditch and get back onto my feet. I don't need to ask much about Charlotte, as I lived there a short time and kind of know what to except. Although, it's been almost a year and a half and I know the city is growing and changing quickly. I still have a month or so of legal income as I will be paid under the table in the next month. I will be getting a small salary for a little over half a year, in addition to some savings and taking out a large loan to get me by while I study and prepare for interviews and/or find a part-time job that can help me get by until I am fully employed again.
TL;DR
So, I am trying to spend as little as possible, but to avoid living in bad areas. I know that West Charlotte can look nice from first appearance but there is a lot of crime there. After viewing several properites in Wset Charlotte that looked nice and were cheap, I got a feeling these neighborhoods were kind of sketchy and would not feel safe living in them. I will be working from home for a while, but may need to commute into Charlotte for work. I really hate apartments and live in a noisy , crappy one now. If I am a stuck living in another crappy apartment at least I could hope it is a place I can get sleep , enforces noise complaints, isn't overrun with cockroaches and has a staff that refuses to fix your A/C in summer or heater in winter, etc. I'd also like to avoid living near gangbangers and drug-addicts.
I would like to stay under $1100/mo, but if I have no choice I guess I can pay up to $1400/mo, but would really like to pay less. I am planning on storing and getting rid of as many possessions as I can and will accept if I have to live in a measly 1 bedroom apartment. Until I get back on my feet, I understand I have to make sacrifices. I have no pets, kids, friends (so no roommates) or anything. I won't have enough time to look for roommates and I have firearms and in the past nobody in Charlotte would accept me as a roommate because of that. I would also just prefer to find my own place.
FIrst, I see some cheaper homes in Kannapolis. THe crime looks low on paper, but many people told me there is a serious drug problem out there. As well, I have read of several drug busts, some involving FBI in literally a time period of a few months. That is an awful lot of drug bust sand they were major operations. That tells me drug dealing and addiction is a big issue out there. It looks kind of rural and as much as I like the setting I wonder if I should avoid this area? The nice thing about that area is I can afford a house in the area. I also see Gastonia has some more affordable houses, townhouses, condos. I lived in Huntersville before and ended up next door to a convicted felon who carried a gun and tried to murder his girlfriend in front of me. Yes, I was a bit unlucky, but the fact Huntersville PD just kept releasing him from jail shows me that unless you are a millionaire the non-wealthy parts of Huntersville are very sketchy. The cops care nothing about anyone there who isn't wealthy from my experience. My neighborhood had all types of problems . I was living near Beatties-Ford Road at the time on the west side. With that being said, I kind of want to avoid the nothern suburbs. MOoresville may be nice, but it doesn't look cheap and is quite far from Charlotte if I had to commute.
I am also open to just renting a 1 bedroom in areas like Ballantyne or the safer Southern suburbs of the city. Charlotte's neighborhoods drive me a bit crazy, because one is safe, one affluent and one crime-ridden and they can all be intermixed. Even living there for 3months I couldn't figure out what was what, but it seemed overall South side of the city is better. But, can I get a decent apartment for around $1100/mo or so in areas like Ballantyne, South Park, Dilworth, Plaza Midwood, Noda, etc? Some say parts of Plaze Midwood are still pretty sketchy, although driving around there it always seemed nice to me.
Anyway, it's been almost a couple years , but I am set on going to Charlotte. I am going to make some motel reservations and head out next week and try to see if I can land a place as quick as possible. I appreciate whatever advice people can give.
As far as looking for jobs goes, do searches on Indeed for Charlotte, Concord, and Gastonia. The results will overlap, but Concord and Gastonia should bring in additional locations.
A search for Concord should bring in jobs in Kannapolis. A search for Gastonia will bring in Maiden and Kings Mountain, where there are data centers.
No way one is going to rent a SFH in Dilworth for $1,100 a month, and even $1,400 would be almost impossible. Even an apartment for $1,100 in Dilworth is virtually impossible.
A single family house? No, but the OP might find a suitable compromise.
Southside of Charlotte is definitely the better part. I lived in south & uptown Charlotte during the 90s, then off of Central Avenue in 2002, and the south area was the safest, as well as the nicest. There is a large Jewish population too, as well as other ethnicities. It's diverse in a way most other NC cities will never be. COL is high-ish but doable if you have a good paying job & affordable housing. I keep up with crime, entertainment, etc, in various places in NC and while Charlotte has its fair share of crime, the positives outweigh the negatives.
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