Help me get the lay of the land, possible relo (Charlotte: house, wedding)

[Citykid3785]

Despite living in Atlanta for the last 3 years, and having traveled a majority of the US, I have never been to Charlotte!

I'm in the very early stages of exploring a move, as I was offered a big promotion, but I don't need to decide if I want to relo for 18 months (COVID). The relo package makes a lot sense simply from a financial perspective, so we are at least considering the move (job would be on northern half of the metro).

1) Is there a "good side" and "bad side" to the metro (like there is in Atlanta)?
2) Are there any areas that offer a sort of urban/suburban mix, while still having decent schools?

Our housing budget would be from $400 - $700K, probably need a 4 bd house as we have 3 kids. We have tended to prefer suburban areas (for the safety and schools) that are somewhat quick to get into the city on weekends for some of the culture (indie coffee shops, good restaurants, etc.). Lastly, we like the outdoors, so proximity to local hiking/biking/trails is a plus too.

Any areas we should start our exploration in? As I mentioned, despite being a CD nerd, I'm fairly uneducated about the Charlotte metro, so I sincerely appreciate your input!

[CLT4]

Here is a list of areas you might want to check out in no particular order:

Ballantyne
Matthews
Waverly
Inner South Charlotte (Myers Park, South Park, Madison Park, Beverly Woods, Foxcroft)
Further South Charlotte (Carmel Road area like Montibello, Quail View, Kingswood; the Olde Providence area, highway 51 corridor like Raintree, Providence Plantation, Whiteoak, McAlpine, et. )
Belmont
Fort Mill
Concord
Weddington
Harrisburg
Huntersville
Cornelius
Davidson

[Eristic1]

Originally Posted by Citykid3785

Despite living in Atlanta for the last 3 years, and having traveled a majority of the US, I have never been to Charlotte!

I'm in the very early stages of exploring a move, as I was offered a big promotion, but I don't need to decide if I want to relo for 18 months (COVID). The relo package makes a lot sense simply from a financial perspective, so we are at least considering the move (job would be on northern half of the metro).

1) Is there a "good side" and "bad side" to the metro (like there is in Atlanta)?
2) Are there any areas that offer a sort of urban/suburban mix, while still having decent schools?

Our housing budget would be from $400 - $700K, probably need a 4 bd house as we have 3 kids. We have tended to prefer suburban areas (for the safety and schools) that are somewhat quick to get into the city on weekends for some of the culture (indie coffee shops, good restaurants, etc.). Lastly, we like the outdoors, so proximity to local hiking/biking/trails is a plus too.

Any areas we should start our exploration in? As I mentioned, despite being a CD nerd, I'm fairly uneducated about the Charlotte metro, so I sincerely appreciate your input!

So the city is laid out with "Uptown" in the center with it's only mini-beltway Rt 277, and the greater city is surrounded by a larger concentric beltway Rt 485.

The "good side" is typically the wedge south of uptown, bound by 485 to the South, Independence BLVD (Rt 74) to the East, and Rt 77 to the West.

However the areas that run along Rt 77 to the West can still be plenty shady, and there are plenty of nice spots further south than 485 so YMMV.