Hey Charlotte folks- I chatted a bit in the Raleigh Dopefest thread about it, but hadn’t formerly called out the Charlotte Dopers yet. I’m moving! It’s a long story, but the bottom line is that I’ll be there next week. Wheee!
So, who are you, what’s your story, and when can we meet? Tell me all about what I’m going to love about Charlotte!
Zette
But I am a scant 90-minute drive south. And I do make it up that way several times a year. So anytime there’s a fest, I’m a possibility. (And I already have plans for the weekends that the Raleigh festivities will be going on, so I won’t make them.)
Zette, when exactly will you be in Charlotte? My brother lives in Charlotte and I’ll be there for Thanksgiving and the weekend following.
Mj: I’ll keep you in mind for future Charlotte stuff- where in SC are you? I plan on doing some travelling down there to scope the state out a bit.
Katie: I’ll be arriving on the 27th and will be there…well, forever I hope. Will you be there for the entire week from Thanksgiving through the following weekend? Or are you coming then leaving? If you have some time, let me know- maybe we can do lunch or something!
Mjollinir,
HEY, I remember you! 
Please do try and attend one of these fests, or if not, let us know your schedule a bit so we can plan another one!
Zette, I’m in downtown Columbia.
Hey, aenea, can you believe it’s been over two and a half years! Unfortunately, I’m going to be at the beach for Thanksgiving, and Atlanta for the other one–but I’ll be watching.
I live in Monroe, about 25 miles or so from Charlotte, but work in the Queen City. Mebbe we could do the lunch thing sometime?
Oh, btw, you do have a pick-up truck, don’t you? 
Zette wrote:
It is a beautiful city. Here’s the Chamber of Commerce website. There, you’ll learn that Money Magazine named the Queen City one of the ten best places to live in America.
It has a rich history of entrepreneurship and love of Freedom. In fact, you’ll find Independence Blvd, Freedom Drive, Freedom Park, and Liberty St. there. They are particularly proud of the quasi-documented Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence that preceded the national declaration. (Charlotte is mostly in Mecklenburg County). They are also proud that a British General called the place a “hornet’s nest”.
The nation’s largest bank, Bank of America, is headquarted there in a spectacular post-modern building that also houses the North Carolina Blumenthal Center for the Performing Arts. You will find oodles and oodles of public art uptown (don’t make the mistake of calling it “downtown”) since the city has an ordinance that requires that all building projects include 1% of their budget on public art.
Most of the skyscrapers are banks, all among the nation’s largest. There are more banking assets on Tryon Street (sort of the main street) than in any place outside New York city.
It is an amazingly cosmopolitan city. Relatively few of its nearly two-million inhabitants are natives. Its city-limits population is larger than Atlanta’s and its traffic can sometimes be just as bad, but it is ringed by three loops (one of which is a scenic boulevard), and is criss-crossed by two Interstates that intersect just outside the uptown area.
It has a charming “we’re growing!” spirit that permeates the whole place. It loves attention, and it hates being called “Charlotte, NC”. The people believe that they have earned enough status to be called simply “Charlotte”.
The biggest drawback is perhaps the street naming convention. There isn’t one. You will find that Billy Graham Blvd changes suddenly to Woodlawn and then Wendover and then Sharon and then Eastway and then Sugar Creek … and I’ve probably left a few out.
Years ago, when we were moving there, my then wife and I got lost. When we came upon the intersection of Queens, Queens, Queens, and Queens, we just looked at each other and burst out into laughter. (We learned later that Queens Road is a figure eight.)
There was also an exit sign on I-77 that proclaimed “Northwest Freeway East, Highway 16 South”. Well, that had every point on the compass covered, so there were actually people who would pull off onto the shoulder and stop, trying to get their bearings! They’ve since changed the name of Northwest Freeway to Brookshire Freeway.
I moved away from there many years ago, but I do return from time to time. Next to San Francisco, it is probably my favorite place in the country. Be sure to check out the gallery crawl on North Tryon if they still have that. It’s a two or three block collection of art galleries featuring wonderful local and regional talent.
Enjoy.
Did I scare you away, Zette?
Hey, I’m in Charlotte! I moved here in April from Columbia (hi Mjollnir), and I really like it, even though I’m probably only here temporarily. Lib pretty much hit the highlights in his description.
Looking forward to hopefully meeting you (and other area Dopers) sometime soon!
I thought of one more thing that you might should know.
Charlotte takes full and unabashed advantage of North Carolina’s extremely liberal annexation laws. The state’s Supreme Court ruled that these laws were constitutional in the 1950s, declaring that the intent of the legislation was that “if an area is urban, it shall be municipal.”
It is routine for Charlotte to swallow 20,000 people overnight upon the authority of the City Council.
If you’re planning on staying near Charlotte but away from city taxes, it is practically futile. All that is required for annexation is that a plot of land already adjoins the city limits and that it has a population of 2.2 persons per square mile. There is no referendum. And the City Council annexes at least something at almost every meeting.
On the other hand, if it does annex you, the city must provide fire and police protection immediately, and sidewalks, water, and street lights within one year.