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I think I certainly presented some positives about the area, and yes, you're right, it does take a long time (usually at least half a year) to get the full hang of a place. I have been many many places; usually first impressions leave a mark on me, and RDU did not leave a good first impression on me. Obviously hundreds of thousands of people want to move there, so not convincing me to come there is not going to be some sort of detriment.
Here is why it left a bad taste: everyone I know from Raleigh raves about the place. I don't even like the people I know from there in the first place, but usually I listen to what people say. I went for an extended stay. I thought Duke was beautiful but isolated (wanted to be "in" a city) and I thought NC State was the ugliest campus I had been on, but it had a good program for what I was going to school for. I do not like Clay soil (which Raleigh has). I love really nice, but old areas (which Raleigh does not seem to have...mostly new, and what's old doesn't interest me). I love a good, thriving downtown, which Raleigh does not have and you can't even argue that one. There is at least only up to go, and I'm sure it's getting better every year. Basically, I could not find one reason for all the people to rave about it. Granted, I'm from a smaller city, too, but I feel like my city at least has sooo much potential and is making huge strides (and has good bones). There is no water in Raleigh (I grew up on the water...it's a big part of my life). The list goes on. It's not for me, but obviously tons of people love it.
If you were to compare Charlotte's overall metro/suburbs to that/those of RDU's, I would say there is little to no difference, but Charlotte has a great downtown for a southern sunbelt city. Charlotte also has the Lynx, and its intown neighborhoods are far more beautiful than those I saw in Raleigh (and supposedly I was in the good area of Raleigh). I also feel like Charlotte has more for *me* to do, and being a finance major, it has more jobs for me, too. ::Carowinds, a larger airport that goes places, Lowes Motor Speedway, and more things to do in town (stuff to do Uptown, Epicentre, Dilworth, area around UNC Charlotte, and South Park/Myers Park)::
It sucks to hear bad things about your city, but believe me, I am used to it, too.
I have been to each city only once. I looked at schools in RDU, stayed in Cary, and competed in a sporting event there in high school (not too long ago for me ). I just visited Charlotte for a job interview and to see the city (I also took about 200 photos, posted on another website and on my PhotoBucket site. Comparisons as follows:
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill
Eds, meds, and feds. Stable, growing economy and booming population. Brick everywhere. Research Triangle is kind of a big deal. Duke. Chapel Hill. NC State. Major research/teaching hospitals. Brick everywhere. Newness everywhere you turn. Small downtown with some odd looking buildings. Clay for dirt (at least where I was). Not really on a major interstate (an hour from 95 it seemed like). Super sprawled and not dense at all. It seemed like countryside suburban living everywhere to me. Franklin St is the major downtown street, no? It was alright at best. I don't particularly like the people there (the wrong mix of northerners imo).
Charlotte
Newness everywhere. Banks and more banks. Progressive city leadership and Brian Moynihan, the CEO of BofA that pushed for Lynx. On that note, Lynx. Pure brick in the suburbs, stone in the intown neighborhoods of Myers Park/Dilworth, and glass and steel Uptown. I agree that skyline is typical for a 2+ million person American city, but metro feels like a 1.0 million person metro. Highways are underdeveloped (I guess the spending goes to public transit ). US Airways. Nascar. Lowes Motor Speedway. Uptown. Epicentre. Epicentre. Dilworth. Myers Park. More downtown eateries than I have seen anywhere (and they looked and smelled good). Wells Fargo cultural center. South Park. People actually living downtown. Harris Teeter.
If I had to pick my poison (well Uptown Charlotte is not a poison), then I would go with Charlotte. Honestly, I was so turned off by Raleigh that I opted not to even consider going to college in the area (well I applied to one of the colleges and was accepted, but you couldn't have paid me to go). I like Charlotte's corporate atmosphere (I love corporate power centers like Century City, Uptown, etc). I could live in Uptown, but the overall metro *sucks*. It is just as spread out as Atlanta with 1/3 the amount of people. I also would not want to be rich in Charlotte (and definitely not Raleigh, where is the nice area in Raleigh anyway and don't say Cary). Always thinking ahead It sucks for all the rich bank CEOs who have residences in Charlotte, but I guess I now know why they choose to spend more time in NYC.
Great Post!
However don't forget about the other prestigious areas of Charlotte: Ballantyne, Lake Norman, Piper Glen, Birkdale Village, Providence Square area, Carmel Road area, etc...
Also you have great picks in your photobucket, however, i did not see any pics of Charlotte. Those pics of Atlantas sprawl are good and terrible at the same time. The shots are good but the sprawl is terrible(lol)!!
However don't forget about the other prestigious areas of Charlotte: Ballantyne, Lake Norman, Piper Glen, Birkdale Village, Providence Square area, Carmel Road area, etc...
Also you have great picks in your photobucket, however, i did not see any pics of Charlotte.
I drove down 77 to 485 and over to Providence, also up 85 over to Davidson Hwy and back down 77. I don't like lakes, but I know Lake Norman is to Charlotte as Lake Lanier is to Atlanta. I really also did not like any areas I saw outside of Uptown, Dilworth, and Myers Park (I didn't even like South Park, let alone the Ballantyne and Providence Square areas). They were too sprawly and plain brick and suburban.
I drove down 77 to 485 and over to Providence, also up 85 over to Davidson Hwy and back down 77. I don't like lakes, but I know Lake Norman is to Charlotte as Lake Lanier is to Atlanta. I really also did not like any areas I saw outside of Uptown, Dilworth, and Myers Park (I didn't even like South Park, let alone the Ballantyne and Providence Square areas). They were too sprawly and plain brick and suburban.
Too bad you didn't get to check out Southend, NoDa, Plaza-Midwood, and Elizabeth.
I have been to each city only once. I looked at schools in RDU, stayed in Cary, and competed in a sporting event there in high school (not too long ago for me ). I just visited Charlotte for a job interview and to see the city (I also took about 200 photos, posted on another website and on my PhotoBucket site. Comparisons as follows:
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill
Eds, meds, and feds. Stable, growing economy and booming population. Brick everywhere. Research Triangle is kind of a big deal. Duke. Chapel Hill. NC State. Major research/teaching hospitals. Brick everywhere. Newness everywhere you turn. Small downtown with some odd looking buildings. Clay for dirt (at least where I was). Not really on a major interstate (an hour from 95 it seemed like). Super sprawled and not dense at all. It seemed like countryside suburban living everywhere to me. Franklin St is the major downtown street, no? It was alright at best. I don't particularly like the people there (the wrong mix of northerners imo).
Charlotte
Newness everywhere. Banks and more banks. Progressive city leadership and Brian Moynihan, the CEO of BofA that pushed for Lynx. On that note, Lynx. Pure brick in the suburbs, stone in the intown neighborhoods of Myers Park/Dilworth, and glass and steel Uptown. I agree that skyline is typical for a 2+ million person American city, but metro feels like a 1.0 million person metro. Highways are underdeveloped (I guess the spending goes to public transit ). US Airways. Nascar. Lowes Motor Speedway. Uptown. Epicentre. Epicentre. Dilworth. Myers Park. More downtown eateries than I have seen anywhere (and they looked and smelled good). Wells Fargo cultural center. South Park. People actually living downtown. Harris Teeter.
If I had to pick my poison (well Uptown Charlotte is not a poison), then I would go with Charlotte. Honestly, I was so turned off by Raleigh that I opted not to even consider going to college in the area (well I applied to one of the colleges and was accepted, but you couldn't have paid me to go). I like Charlotte's corporate atmosphere (I love corporate power centers like Century City, Uptown, etc). I could live in Uptown, but the overall metro *sucks*. It is just as spread out as Atlanta with 1/3 the amount of people. I also would not want to be rich in Charlotte (and definitely not Raleigh, where is the nice area in Raleigh anyway and don't say Cary). Always thinking ahead It sucks for all the rich bank CEOs who have residences in Charlotte, but I guess I now know why they choose to spend more time in NYC.
Those suburbs are the reasons a lot of CEO's have homes in Charlotte. For a lot of people who have lived in NYC and are past the party and awe stage of the city a place like Charlotte or Raleigh begins to look very nice.
Those suburbs are the reasons a lot of CEO's have homes in Charlotte. For a lot of people who have lived in NYC and are past the party and awe stage of the city a place like Charlotte or Raleigh begins to look very nice.
Exactly. Both cities have a lot to offer without the stress or rush. Both cities have some nice urban elements BTW, so no one is going for the "They're all suburban nonsense."
Just to throw in my two cents, I like the city of Charlotte over the cities of Raleigh and Durham. However, I think the suburbs of Raleigh-Durham (Cary, Apex, Chapel Hill, etc.) is better than Gastonia, Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Huntersville, etc.) Although Huntersville, Mooresville, and Fort Mill are my favorite suburbs in Charlotte.
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). I just visited Charlotte for a job interview and to see the city (I also took about 200 photos, posted on another website and on my 
). US Airways. Nascar. Lowes Motor Speedway. Uptown. Epicentre. Epicentre. Dilworth. Myers Park. More downtown eateries than I have seen anywhere (and they looked and smelled good). Wells Fargo cultural center. South Park. People actually living downtown. Harris Teeter.
It sucks for all the rich bank CEOs who have residences in Charlotte, but I guess I now know why they choose to spend more time in NYC.
