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The 2014 Sprawl index is out and Charlotte wins this one too! Congratulations Charlotte, you are the #5 most sprawled large metro in America! You aren't quite Atlanta yet but there's still time to catch them!
In fact, Charlotte "beat" Raleigh in every single dimension of sprawlism!!!
That said, none of NC's cities have sprawl scores to be proud of.....
As for city population growth, Raleigh's will undoubtedly slow down since the legislature put the clamps on annexation and Raleigh isn't even half the physical size of Charlotte. That said, Raleigh continues to add more density to its limits and is now sitting right at the 3000 ppl/sm metric.
The 2014 Sprawl index is out and Charlotte wins this one too! Congratulations Charlotte, you are the #5 most sprawled large metro in America! You aren't quite Atlanta yet but there's still time to catch them!
In fact, Charlotte "beat" Raleigh in every single dimension of sprawlism!!!
That said, none of NC's cities have sprawl scores to be proud of.....
As for city population growth, Raleigh's will undoubtedly slow down since the legislature put the clamps on annexation and Raleigh isn't even half the physical size of Charlotte. That said, Raleigh continues to add more density to its limits and is now sitting right at the 3000 ppl/sm metric.
Its really nothing to get all mad about....
Most of the growth is inwards... Charlotte has large swaths of undeveloped land that dilutes sprawl numbers. Charlotte as a city and metro is growing inwards. This is why in uptown there are several Highrises planned and smaller projects like Skyhouse planned...
Either way, both are growing... Raleigh is spread between Cary & Durham & Chapel Hill, Charlotte is concentrated in Charlotte. And it's very obvious that growth is occurring in the center city.
The 2014 Sprawl index is out and Charlotte wins this one too! Congratulations Charlotte, you are the #5 most sprawled large metro in America! You aren't quite Atlanta yet but there's still time to catch them!
In fact, Charlotte "beat" Raleigh in every single dimension of sprawlism!!!
That said, none of NC's cities have sprawl scores to be proud of.....
As for city population growth, Raleigh's will undoubtedly slow down since the legislature put the clamps on annexation and Raleigh isn't even half the physical size of Charlotte. That said, Raleigh continues to add more density to its limits and is now sitting right at the 3000 ppl/sm metric.
This "sprawl index" has been widely discredited as propaganda. Have you really looked at it? For one thing, Charlotte and Atlanta are ranked alongside Hickory and Kingsport TN. They also don't account for actual sprawl, which can be densely or sparsely populated. It's not something that I would cite as a reference, but that's up to you.
I have lived in both Charlotte and Durham: Charlotte, where I raised my family, for over 30 years and in Durham for over four years. I feel that i can compare the two cities in some respects. Although I was never a young single in either city, I have two children who fit into that category. We've discussed the nightlife (including concerts of every sort and the bar scene) and my kids think that Durham-Chapel Hill is by far the best place to be young and single. It seems to me that they attend at least one concert every week, there frequently seems to be a film festival, an arts/crafts exhibit of some sort or a random event such as a themed bike ride. Of course, given the number of young people in the area, there is no shortage of bars to hang out in. You’ll notice that I don’t say too much about Raleigh because I'm not very familiar with this scene there. While there isn't the number of great restaurants, that there is in Charlotte, in any one of the three cities one never has a hard time finding an excellent place to eat. Southern Living readers recently voted Durham the Tastiest City in the Southeast.
For those who are interested in the arts, the Triangle has a lot more to offer than Charlotte. In Raleigh there’s the NC State Museum, in Durham, Duke’s Nasher Museum and in Chapel Hill the Ackland Art Museum plus may small galleries. In my opinion, the art and craft scene is much more vibrant in theTriangle. I can say the same for music and dance. I’m starting to run out of steam , but could write a lot more about both music and dance. Let me not close, however, without mentioning the American Dance festival in Durham each summer. The leaders in modern dance participate in this festival which is sold out for most performances.
Charlotte, however, wins hands down when it comes to movies. Better films seem to play and stay longer in Charlotte than in the Triangle, I often miss films either because they don’ t play here or because they play for only a short time. I don’t believe that the Triangle has a cinema that compares favorably to the Manor.
A couple last words. It is so much easier to drive around in the Triangle than it is in Charlotte. This is true mainly because the towns are smaller. Getting from town to town, however, (Durham to Cary for example) can sometimes be daunting because of traffic.
Finally, for those who are interested in living near downtown (or uptown), Durham is paradise. I often feel as though I were in Charlotte back in the 70’s when an average person could buy a house in the Fourth Ward, Dilworth. Elizabeth or Plaza-Midwood. Durham has several neighborhoods that are currently developing into safe, attractive areas with many Craftsman style houses still available. There are, of course, neighborhoods such as those in Cary, where more costly homes in the style of south Charlotte and Union County can be found. I do believe, however, that in the Triangle area, one has more of an option.
You have undoubtedly noticed that my comparisons focus mainly on Durham because I’m not as knowledgeable about Raleigh. Chapel Hill can not be compared with Charlotte because of its size and focus on UNC. Furthermore, it must be said that if you live in Raleigh, you have easy access to all that Durham and Chapel Hill have to offer. And the reverse is true. The three towns can not be easily separated.
PS: I just looked at the photos of Uptown Charlotte and have a lump in my throat. I do love and miss the Charlotte city-scape with it's elegant skyscrapers and energy.
I have lived in both Charlotte and Durham: Charlotte, where I raised my family, for over 30 years and in Durham for over four years. I feel that i can compare the two cities in some respects. Although I was never a young single in either city, I have two children who fit into that category. We've discussed the nightlife (including concerts of every sort and the bar scene) and my kids think that Durham-Chapel Hill is by far the best place to be young and single. It seems to me that they attend at least one concert every week, there frequently seems to be a film festival, an arts/crafts exhibit of some sort or a random event such as a themed bike ride. Of course, given the number of young people in the area, there is no shortage of bars to hang out in. You’ll notice that I don’t say too much about Raleigh because I'm not very familiar with this scene there. While there isn't the number of great restaurants, that there is in Charlotte, in any one of the three cities one never has a hard time finding an excellent place to eat. Southern Living readers recently voted Durham the Tastiest City in the Southeast.
For those who are interested in the arts, the Triangle has a lot more to offer than Charlotte. In Raleigh there’s the NC State Museum, in Durham, Duke’s Nasher Museum and in Chapel Hill the Ackland Art Museum plus may small galleries. In my opinion, the art and craft scene is much more vibrant in theTriangle. I can say the same for music and dance. I’m starting to run out of steam , but could write a lot more about both music and dance. Let me not close, however, without mentioning the American Dance festival in Durham each summer. The leaders in modern dance participate in this festival which is sold out for most performances.
Charlotte, however, wins hands down when it comes to movies. Better films seem to play and stay longer in Charlotte than in the Triangle, I often miss films either because they don’ t play here or because they play for only a short time. I don’t believe that the Triangle has a cinema that compares favorably to the Manor.
A couple last words. It is so much easier to drive around in the Triangle than it is in Charlotte. This is true mainly because the towns are smaller. Getting from town to town, however, (Durham to Cary for example) can sometimes be daunting because of traffic.
Finally, for those who are interested in living near downtown (or uptown), Durham is paradise. I often feel as though I were in Charlotte back in the 70’s when an average person could buy a house in the Fourth Ward, Dilworth. Elizabeth or Plaza-Midwood. Durham has several neighborhoods that are currently developing into safe, attractive areas with many Craftsman style houses still available. There are, of course, neighborhoods such as those in Cary, where more costly homes in the style of south Charlotte and Union County can be found. I do believe, however, that in the Triangle area, one has more of an option.
You have undoubtedly noticed that my comparisons focus mainly on Durham because I’m not as knowledgeable about Raleigh. Chapel Hill can not be compared with Charlotte because of its size and focus on UNC. Furthermore, it must be said that if you live in Raleigh, you have easy access to all that Durham and Chapel Hill have to offer. And the reverse is true. The three towns can not be easily separated.
PS: I just looked at the photos of Uptown Charlotte and have a lump in my throat. I do love and miss the Charlotte city-scape with it's elegant skyscrapers and energy.
I really like this post and I appreciate the commentary. I will also have to add that i am wondering when was the last time you were in Charlotte. The art scene in Charlotte has greatly improved. You have the cultural campus in uptown that includes the Bechtler museum of modern art as well as the new Mint museum. Additionally there are smaller art museums in Mint Hill, Plaza-Midwood, Southend, and NoDa. When it comes to the young and single I don't disagree with your children but you have the Epicenter and Southend just to say a few of several places that I hear about. I'm not single and the night scene is not my thing anymore so I would not be able to add the best commentary. But I welcome you to come down to Charlotte and see the many changes that have happened in the past 5-10 years. We also just finished the Romare Bearden park which is really nice. Once again thanks for the comments.
Nice post! FWIW, if you are looking for indie movies like what plays at the Manor in Charlotte simply visit the Rialto or Colony theaters in Raleigh. They play indie movies. For example right now you can see same movies as what is currently at The Manor.
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