Nashville, TN to Charlotte, NC - a good move for a Brooklyn Girl? (Matthews: low crime)

[nsantamaria]

Hi There! I am from Brooklyn, NY and have now lived in Nashville for 4 years. We have some things we like about TN and some things we don't - but I was wondering, what differences if any are there between these two places (Nashville vs .Charlotte) that is, of course, if someone out there knows the answer to this question or has a general idea?
Cost of Living seems slightly higher but comparable.
How about employment? My husband can transfer there and have a good but I am a licensed massage therapist. Does anyone know if spas are plentiful in Charlotte or things of that nature?
How are schools? I went to www.neighborhoodscout.com and found that schools are pretty terrible in Charlotte and Nashville so either way it appears our daughter will be going to private school when the time comes....
Crime?
or, to put it better - what outlying areas of Charlotte are family friendly with low crime? Can anyone tell me anything about Matthews, NC? I heard from a friend that might be an option for us.

[south.charlotte&union]

We relocated from NY in 1998 to South Charlotte -- now we are in Union county just over the South Charlotte border. Check this link for individual school comparative information:

www.ncschoolreportcard.org

We have three kids -- 12, 10 and 6...I think you may find some schools that will meet your needs. Best of luck

[friendnc]

The cost of living is probably a little higher here than in Nashville, but not by much.

The suburban areas around Charlotte are safe, as are most areas in Charlotte.

There are some excellent schools in suburban Charlotte (Cabarrus, Union, Belmont, Ft. Mill).

One of the top spas in the nation is in south Charlotte (Ballintyne Resort).

[resident]

There are very good schools in Union and Cabarrus Counties which border Mecklenburg, South Charlotte and Matthews IN meck also have good schools.

[appgirl]

We recently moved here from Franklin TN, after living there for 10 years. It is true that cost of living here is slightly higher (something like 9-12%). You also have to take into account that NC has a state income tax and you also have to pay personal property tax here. Charlotte is a much larger city, so you're going to have more to do (but also have more people that also want to do what you're doing). As for schools, we chose Union County. Even though they are overcrowded, we feel like the education benefits will outweigh having to use portable classrooms. Depending on where your child is going to school in Nashville, you may find that the schools here are more challenging (which for us is a great thing), so I wouldn't count out the public schools just yet.

I would definitely recommend spending several days here just checking out the area. Once you see what a great place this is, you'll want to join the rest of us! Good luck in making your decision.