Tell me about living in Charlotte, N.C.

In My Humble Opinion
1

My husband has had a job offer. Very promising, pretty lucrative (salary is more than what he makes now plus what I make now). We are going down there at the end of the month to check out the site plus look around, but there’s only so much we can learn in two days.

As some of you know, I not only have lived in the same town my whole life, but in the same house. I have no family, so I depend a lot on my husband and my friends. If we moved, I’d have only him until we made some new friends. I’d also have to get a new job.

So what’s it like to live there? The job is in the Huntersville area. Besides a little better weather, what’s Charlotte got that Cleveland ain’t got? “Carolina Panthers” is not an answer.

2

It’s been years since I’ve been to Charlotte. I moved down there about 20 years ago and lived there for about 7 months. I’ve lived most of my life in the liberal Twin Cities in Minnesota so it was a nasty culture shock for me to be around so many Jesse Helms supporters.

There was just a lack of culture there that I disliked, it wasn’t enough going on except for one small area. A small part of the city was carved out with art galleries and a place called Fat City which was just an awesome place to hang out, hear live music, grab a beer and just wander around. Apparently, that’s gone though.

The city back then was very transient. It was hard to find anyone that actually grew up there. Most had moved there for work it seemed.

That all said, the folks there were very friendly. Within a month I had a great group of friends. Something like that just doesn’t happen in Minnesota. We’re very closed off from each other and keep our cliques.

Take all of that with a grain of salt that is coupled with some nasty memories about my time there.

3

Sounds like Charlotte has a very good job waiting for your husband, which Cleveland ain’t got. That’s not small potatoes.

How easy it will be for you to find a job will depend on what you do - Charlotte is where a lot of the financial industry has settled in the last 20 years or so and healthcare is pretty big too.

The Huntersville area is pretty nice - I was just there last weekend (I live in the Triangle area, and spent the first 26 years of my life in Cleveland as well). Not crowded, and housing seems reasonably priced.

You won’t find the ethnic enclaves there that Cleveland has or the depth of ethnic food, but you will find people who are friendly and many are quite well-educated too. As stpauler said, a lot of the people who live there (and here, and other more populous parts of this state) came from somewhere else, and in places like that it’s easier to make friends, I think. People also tend to spend more time outside since the weather’s nicer so it’s easier to meet people if that’s what you want to do.

You also won’t find the deep inferiority complex that has become ingrained in Cleveland culture (and really needs to go away, imo).

If there are any interests you have that you want to keep up if you move, it would help if you would tell us about them.

4

Well, I’m really introverted, so it’s not as if I’ll be looking for people to go carousing every weekend with. Most of my friends are of very long standing. My husband and I are in Mensa, so we could just start going to the events down there. But my sorority doesn’t have any chapters in that area, so instant girlfriends are tougher.

It didn’t really seem to me that housing is all that affordable. One thing is that in about three weeks, we will be 100% debt-free. Then to sell this house, move, buy another house that’s probably more than $100K more than the one we have, based on what I’m seeing online . . . It’s all overwhelming. I’m going to have to find a lot to recommend it. I don’t love my job, but cleveland is awesome. Charlotte will need a lot to recommend it. I think I’m paralyzed.

5

What about Cleveland do you find awesome?

6

Music! Food, culture, architecture, every ethnicity (dumplings! noodles!) under the sun, a Great Lake, rock ‘n’ roll, an outstanding park system, museums, the biggest theatre complex outside of New York, sports teams with mad loyal fans and history if not championships, did I say restaurants?

Cons: crappy weather a third of the year and potholes that could sink the Edmund Fitzgerald.

7

I find it hard to believe that Charlotte is that much more expensive than Cleveland. The place that I used to live in northeast Charlotte is worth about $187K, according to zillow. It is a nice 3 br/2.5 bath in a nice development. Taxes are probably lower too.

I moved there in 1991 (with a girlfriend) and left in 1995 (without a girlfriend). It was a nice town, and I met a lot of nice people in the local running club. Being very liberal and not religious, I found the conservative religious vibe offsetting. There were too many people trying to shove their religion down your throat for my tastes.

I’ve lived a lot of places across the US, and every place has had enough good things for me to enjoy. The good things vary from place to place, so don’t expect to have everything in Charlotte that you would enjoy in Cleveland. But you will be pleasantly surprised by a number of good things in Charlotte that aren’t available in Cleveland.

8

Hey Hey! Looks like I’m your man!

As the city motto says, Charlotte’s got a lot. The one thing that I have noticed more than anything else here is that Charlotte is a foodies paradise. Unfortunately that’s about where it stops because I am not a foody and can’t really direct you towards things personally, but the food here is fantastic.

Outdoor activities seem to be pretty high here as well. I’ve found a couple great running trails that are shaded and well maintained, there are parks that have easy access and golf courses and a lot.

Since you’re in Huntersville you’d actually be about 30 or so min north of downtown (uptown they call it here…but I don’t cuz that’s stupid), and therefore 30 or so minutes away from the heart of Charlotte, so if you want to go into town for anything you’ll have a bit of a jaunt.

I’ve only been a small handful of times, but I think you’re close to Concord Mills which is a big ole mall, so you’re close to shopping.

We are kinda lacking in museums other than the NASCAR Hall of Fame and a couple small art museums downtown. We do have the Panthers (football), Hornets (basketball), Knights (minor league baseball), and the Checkers (minor league Hockey). We have Discovery Place (interactive museum for kids but fun as hell as an adults) and, of course, NASCAR

We are 2 hours from northland skiing, about 3 hours (or so) from the coast/beach, 4 hours from Hotlanta, 4 hours from Savannah, GA, 3 and change from Hilton Head, and I think only 3 from Charlston, SC.

All that being said Charlotte is a small town pretending they’re a big city.

I am here all the time so post here or PM if you have any specifics!

9

Thanks a lot for the information. I was concerned about the religious thing as well. Especially as the president of the company who would be my husband’s boss is an evangelical type. He hasn’t tried to proselytize him (yet), but my husband is a little leery that it could become a subtly oppressive situation.

I can get into the minor league baseball, but for the others it’s strictly Indians and Browns. And my husband watches NASCAR on TV from a professional standpoint, but doesn’t care to actually go.

Charlotte is an old city but from the literature I’ve picked up, they don’t seem to have a sense of it. It’s the older houses that interest me, and they are the ones that seem to be out of our price range.

10

Oh jeez, yes, the potholes. North Carolina in general is known for keeping up its roads pretty nicely, there’s a world of difference there. I’ve also never seen a rusted-out vehicle down here.

You’ll find plenty to do outdoors-wise and sports-wise (both watching and participating) in Charlotte and its environs. Not sure about music there, **Sir T-Cups **can likely tell you more about that. You can also take a look at Creative Loafing to see what’s going on around town.

Cleveland’s real estate market has been so depressed for so long that the prices you are seeing here may seem like a lot to you, but compared to most other similar-sized places they are pretty good. And the interest rates on loans right now are incredibly low.

And since it’s been mentioned here a couple times already - I don’t think you have to worry about any sort of ‘religious vibe’ unless you plan on living out in a rural area. A lot has changed in the larger NC cities since the 90s, and if this concerns you, Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, and the Asheville area are actually pretty liberal these days (all of the counties those cities are in voted against the marriage amendment, for example).

All that said, it sounds like another concern you have besides the hassle of moving is that this is going to take you out of a long-standing comfort zone. Unfortunately there’s no way to know for sure, regardless of destination, how that is going to work out. These sorts of things are pretty much always a leap of faith, and a positive attitude going in goes a long way. I’ve found that for every thing I miss about an old location, I’ve found something else I like in the new one. For example, here I miss having the good old-fashioned mom-and-pop red sauce places like you find on Murray Hill, and the ability to pop into the grocery store and come out with a nice loaf of Sicilian bread. The barbecue, hushpuppies and biscuits here make up for that in a big way. :slight_smile: And it’s also spurred me to learn to make some of my favorite things at home, as well. I can now make a killer cassata cake!

11

Charlotte’s got a lot… of terrible drivers and bankers.

I know a lot of people love it, I’ve personally never seen the appeal to the place. There’s not a lot of “there” there. You can day trip to the mountains, though, which are lovely. Agreed upthread with whoever said it’s an old city that doesn’t seem to realize it’s old.

They do have a lot of good food though.

12

Truer words may never have been spoken.

– Signed, Seattle Seahawks fan with a raving mad Carolina Panthers fan for a son

13

Just moved from Charlotte after living there for 7 years. Best city in the south in my opinion (and I’ve lived in the South most of my life). Big enough to have everything a big city has (shows, sports, etc) but small enough to feel like a small town (negligible traffic, family homes 15 min from downtown “uptown”). It’s also been well taken care of and isn’t overbuilt. Cleanest downtown I’ve ever seen. Plus it’s set to grow dramatically over the next decade because it has the room to do so and mild winters.

The Southern culture is present but isn’t overbearing since there’s a lot of transplants due to the banks. There are two big lakes on the north and south so having a friend with a boat is a big plus.

Only complaint is there’s not much to show visitors (whitewater center… and nothing else), but that can’t be too much worse than Cleveland.

Frankly in moving to Charlotte you could do a lot worse and not a lot better.

14

This is advice that hasn’t been asked for, but…

This sounds like a recipe for disaster. Leaving a place that you truly love, with tons of support, to go to a place where you know no one? As an introvert? Plus, the evangelical boss WILL be a problem down the road. Money isn’t everything. Sounds like, with the boss situation, you quite possibly will both be miserable.

15

Yeah, I know. But he’s not happy at his current job, and there’s little to no chance of advancement. He has no real professional peers in his company. I could walk out the door of my job tomorrow (where I’ve worked 7.5 years) and forget I ever worked there. Zero attachment. I’d have to give up my freelance job, though, and that would hurt.

Meerkats, there is so much to show visitors in Cleveland I can’t even begin.

16

As a die-hard atheist, I am astounded by the anti-religious sentiment on this MB in general, and in this thread in particular. Jesus H. Christ, you’d be moving the North Carolina, not Saudi Arabia! Frankly, I think such a move is exactly what you need-- break out of your shell and experience something different. Why not rent out your house, and rent for a time when you get there. If it doesn’t work out, move back. But at least you would have tried something. I’ve had several friends who moved to NC from CA (SF Bay Area) and they all spoke highly of it, even if they preferred CA in the end-- hardly a fair comparison. And these folks are about as religious as I am.

17

We’re not against religion. We’re against people pressing it on us. Same with people who shove woo-woo medicine and miracle diets at us. We want freedom from interference.

18

Charlotte is okay.

There’s a LOT of theater.

There is no ethnic food.

No one’s overly religious.

People are outdoorsy, which is nice.

Huntersville is very suburban, lots of new construction. Traffic will suck. But you’ll be close to Davidson and Lake Norman.

Go Panthers. Sorry Browns.

Lots of Dopers here! Sir T-Cups is our leader.