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Ok, we are finally "home", and its really wonderful. Its definitely the kind of place I was looking for. No offense to anyone, but NJ wasnt really our style.
We chose Fort Mill and it does remind me of the small town Michigan which we loved, without the mall.
Of course, there is a lot of greenery (as my kid puts it, theres more "nature" here), birds chirping and just a very good feel. The roads are easy to navigate, and driving is a breeze. Hubbys commute is abt 30 mins. All shopping needs are nearby. People are outdoors A LOT, and I love that.
I also really liked the Harrisburg area, but I think the commute will be longer from there and not sure how the schools are. I havent explored much around the north, but it did seem to be more "busy".
I have to admit, I havent been here long enough to give a really good
evaluation, and I havent thoroughly seen the entire Charlotte area, but here are some of my general observations:
~Ballantyne area is beautiful too and well laid out with more of an upscale suburban feel. It reminds me a lot of Northern Virginia.
~The cost of veggies is 2-3+ times the cost in NJ. This is unfortunate for me because I eat a largely vegetarian diet. But there is variety, and Ive found some small scale farmer markets by the roadside(so cute!) and hoping to hit some of the larger ones in the coming weekends.
~I was impressed that all the grocery chains Ive visited have at least some organic products. Yes, I miss Whole Foods, but I did find Earthfare.
~There's a TON of fast food joints. (not particularly impressed by that :P)
~Many places close early, around 7-8 oclock. Some smaller businesses are not open every day (sometimes wed-sat).
~Uptown Charlotte is nice and clean. Its small, but it has a cute little skyline.
~People seem more polite and considerate
Two quick examples of this: I was in the grocery store when they announced "If anybodys car windows are down, it is now raining" - Wow
I needed a pen at my kids school. Before I could reach for my handbag a child ran up and offered me one. Sweet
Welcome!!!! We moved from Jersey and love it too. I've heard others express that it feels a bit like an extended vacation in the beginning. Perhaps that has to do with where one chooses to settle because we immediately felt like we were home. Many relatives have asked when I am coming back for a visit and honestly, it's not even a consideration at this time.
Good luck getting settled! Hope your new digs continue to agree with you and the family.
Ok, we are finally "home", and its really wonderful. Its definitely the kind of place I was looking for. No offense to anyone, but NJ wasnt really our style.
We chose Fort Mill and it does remind me of the small town Michigan which we loved, without the mall.
Of course, there is a lot of greenery (as my kid puts it, theres more "nature" here), birds chirping and just a very good feel. The roads are easy to navigate, and driving is a breeze. Hubbys commute is abt 30 mins. All shopping needs are nearby. People are outdoors A LOT, and I love that.
I also really liked the Harrisburg area, but I think the commute will be longer from there and not sure how the schools are. I havent explored much around the north, but it did seem to be more "busy".
I have to admit, I havent been here long enough to give a really good
evaluation, and I havent thoroughly seen the entire Charlotte area, but here are some of my general observations:
~Ballantyne area is beautiful too and well laid out with more of an upscale suburban feel. It reminds me a lot of Northern Virginia.
~The cost of veggies is 2-3+ times the cost in NJ. This is unfortunate for me because I eat a largely vegetarian diet. But there is variety, and Ive found some small scale farmer markets by the roadside(so cute!) and hoping to hit some of the larger ones in the coming weekends.
~I was impressed that all the grocery chains Ive visited have at least some organic products. Yes, I miss Whole Foods, but I did find Earthfare.
~There's a TON of fast food joints. (not particularly impressed by that :P)
~Many places close early, around 7-8 oclock. Some smaller businesses are not open every day (sometimes wed-sat).
~Uptown Charlotte is nice and clean. Its small, but it has a cute little skyline.
~People seem more polite and considerate
Two quick examples of this: I was in the grocery store when they announced "If anybodys car windows are down, it is now raining" - Wow
I needed a pen at my kids school. Before I could reach for my handbag a child ran up and offered me one. Sweet
Anyway, so far Im loving it!
Thanks Get, Love to hear posts like these especially after reading some from bad apples....anyway we are right behind ya, we leave NJ May 31st..YIPPIE
and WELCOME TO CHARLOTTE
~These southern guys sure are easy on the eyes!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for all the welcomes!
This gets me super excited!! I leave KC in exactly 8 days for Huntersville. I was already ready to go but the southern guys reminder makes me want to leave now!! I swear, as dumb as this sounds, but that drawl gets me every time!
I just moved from NJ 6 months ago, and love it here!!! no regrets what so ever!! (and I don't want to visit NJ either..hee hee)
My dh and I have been living in Ballantyne for the past 6 months while deciding on where to build a home. We ended up picking Fort Mill SC. Beautiful, upcoming area....as you already know!!
I to, noticed all that you have!! The first thing that got my dh and I, was the fact that people waved to us all the time...felt so weird...
Oh, and my spring allergies were usually horrendous in NJ. But here, for some reason..I was fine..
Okay, it's late and I'm rambling...Welcome to the area!
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I swear, as dumb as this sounds, but that drawl gets me every time!
