I may have an opportunity to move to Charlotte from the Chicago area. Pros and cons from former/current residents?

I moved to Charlotte from Long Island ten years ago and basically love it. Of course, there are not as much things going on as in Chicago but even that has its advantages. The weather is great, not too far from mountains or oceans and there seems to be something going on uptown every weekend. Traffic is horrible but I'm sure you're used to that!!

Check out Money Magazine -- I think they had a feature on living in Charlotte a few months ago that might be helpful.

I am a native Charlottean.
Charlotte has most all of the problems of a growing big city, but also has many things to offer.
Arts, pro football, pro basketball - you can find out all about those things from the chamber of commerce and magazine articles.
Charlotte is also one of the most beautiful because of the trees - especially in the older more established areas.
We also on the average have snow about every 2 years.
If you have any other questions I would be glad to answer.

Becky

Noel,

I admit my bias upfront--I don't like living in Charlotte. My wife & I moved here a year ago after living elsewhere for 15 years. However, my wife grew up in Charlotte, and my family has remained here also--so we've watched the changes in Charlotte from afar for a while too. The primary reason I don't like it here is that we got used to living in a much smaller town in NC (Winston-Salem) and simply like that life-style better. To be more objective, here's my take on Charlotte.

Pro:
Four seasons, with absolutely beautiful Spring and Fall weather that can last for 6-8 weeks. Summers go from 80's to near 100, with July and August typically being very humid. Winters will make a Chicagoan like you smile--if we get ice or a few inches of snow more than once or twice a season, it's a big deal. Typical winter high temps are 40's to 50's--a very cold day is in the high 20's, and a very cold night may dip into single (positive) digits.

Pro:
Very friendly people. I'd guess that the majority of Charlotte's population came from somewhere else within the past 10 years, and they seem genuinely happy to be here. That makes for a generally positive attitude.

Pro:
Proximity to the beaches (approx. 3.5 to 5 hours) and a favorite hobby is developing one's own personal route to the ocean, as there is no real direct access via major highways. Mountains (blue ridge parkway, etc.) are approx. 2-3 hours west. Several lakes big enough to allow decent boating within 45 minutes of city center.

Pro:
Pro football--the Panthers will probably seem a lot like the Bears of late (rebuilding again). Pro basketball may have just taken a hit--we uncharacteristically just defeated a business-backed referendum for a new arena. There is talk of the Hornets moving to another city, something the current owners have actually pursued.

Pro:
Restaurants are very good--a wide range of low, medium, high priced offerings. You may not find a few of your former local favorites here, but overall the food scene is pretty good.

Pro:
Fast-growing residential areas downtown (condos of course) are creating a 24 hour, self-contained city center. Not there yet, but appears to be on a fast track.

Con:
Lack of soul/history. Although the city has actually been here for several hundred years, you'd never know it. Few, if any, landmarks or historical sites remain. And the sleepy southern culture that was here 15-20 years ago has disappeared as a general city characteristic. With the influx of folks from all parts, this is a city in search of a soul. What passes for that now is an unabashed self-promotion and boosterism, mainly associated with business development movers & shakers.

Con:
Doomed infrastructure. If you don't live close to work, get ready to enjoy the confines of your car in stop & go traffic--there are no effective bus systems and no trains (a light rail system is marginally planned to open in about 10 years). Water upgrades are constant. Urban sprawl is booming, worsening the load on the few arteries that lead into downtown.

Con:
Keeping up with the Joneses. Nice cars, big houses, big salaries from bank jobs. Of course not everyone has them, but the trappings of wealth seem to me to be prominently displayed.

Con:
Religious pressure? I have to question this a bit, as I have not really experienced it. But the stereotype is that, especially in business, one of the first questions asked of newcomers is where you go to church. Personally, I think the religious diversity in Charlotte is probably better than in other parts of NC.

If you move here, want to buy my home and facilitate my exodus?

Noel -- You don't mention whether you are single or married or whether you have kids. I lived in Charlotte from '94-97 (during my mid- & late-20s) & thought that if I were married with kids it would be a great place to raise a family, but as a youngish single person, I found it a little on the dull side (and I am not easily bored). It does have a lot to offer and others here have mentioned many of them. I personally loved the great hiking in the mountains a couple of hours west of Charlotte, and loved going to the beach -- but in terms of culture, it's a far cry from Chicago. The Mint Museum comes up short in my estimation. There are some decent restaurants, but not like Chicago. People are very friendly and welcoming. Obviously the weather is much better than Chicago's. I don't know what to tell you. I personally would not want to leave Chicago for Charlotte, but I like bigger cities more, so that's just me (I live in Washington DC now & love it). Part of it would depend on how great the job opportunity is. I don't know what field you're in and that might factor into the decision as well. Charlotte could be great for you if you're in banking, but lousy if you're in advertising (relative to Chicago, I mean)...

Thanks to all for the thoughtful replies. We have a 2 year old son and another on the way, and its actually a job opportunity that my husband is considering that has us thinking. We have lived in the Chicago area for about 6 years and love it (except for December through February!). Having never been there, the initial appeal of Charlotte for us is in the natural attractions (mountains, ocean) that are in relatively short supply in the midwest, along with the weather. Also heard there are some very nice, older, established neighborhoods close to "downtown". True or false? Thanks again and any further insights are appreciated.

We moved to the Raleigh area from Chicago, and we visit Charlotte from time to time. Perhaps the weirdest thing is the contrast between the Bible-belt mentality and the military-fringe-sex-shop-and-guns mentality, which coexist throughout the state.

We love the climate, although by the middle of Sept. you've had enough of summer. But we miss the cultural attractions of Chicago tremendously. Charlotte gets more than Raleigh in some ways, but the political climate is also more conservative. If you are yourselves somewhat conservative, it may bother much less. You may also have a problem with the NC schools which continue to lag behind the nation, although Charlotte has some of the state's stronger ones, and depending on where around Chicago you now live, there may or may not be a difference.

If what you like about Chicago is the midwestern small-town flavor that exists even though it's a city, then you may well enjoy Charlotte; but if what you like about Chicago is the urban life with art, museums, theater, and above all the music, you may have a tougher time getting used to Charlotte.

Being a transplant from the north myself 15 years ago, I can tell you that the culture shock was the hardest adjustment.

Charlotte itself is a wanna be world class city, that falls short.

Charlotte is in the Piedmont...no mountains or shore line...flatland.

Be cautious of the drivers in adverse weather conditions...do not adjust their driving speed to accomodate snow or ice.

noel

To answer your question about established neighborhoods near "uptown" (as Charlotteans of course call it), there are quite a few. They generally have houses, yards, trees, parks and are very convenient to restaurants, stores, bars. These are the nice "close-in" neighborhoods that come to mind: Myers Park, Dilworth, Elizabeth, and Plaza/Midwood. There are probably a few others, but the ones listed would be a good start.

Also, I disagree with Giggy's on-target comments only in one respect--I wouldn't characterize the Charlotte/Piedmont area as strictly "flatlands." You'll find quite a few rolling hills, though true mountains are several hours to the west. (Now east of Raleigh, the land's as flat as it gets, as I am sure Giggy has found out.)

As a native Charlottean who has lived in several parts of NC as well as San Francisco (now residing in Raleigh), I can tell you that the city is now choking on its own poorly organized growth. Massive sprawl has created a city of traffic gridlock. Don't get me wrong. Charlotte can be a great place to live, but the further you travel from the city's central neighborhoods, the more detached you feel from the city. An obvious statement, but if you have to commute to First Union downtown and you live in Fort Mill, SC, it will be a very
unpleasant existence.

And, to "Giggy" -- It seems some people are miserable WHEREVER they choose to relocate -- and please don't tell us how great East Orange, NJ was.

In terms of "nice, older, established neighborhoods close to downtown," there's Myers Park (most expensive, very pretty but a little on the stuffy side for my taste), Dilworth (this is where I lived, and I loved it), Elizabeth (also very nice). Also almost smack in the middle of downtown is Fourth Ward, although with kids I think I'd choose Dilworth or Elizabeth personally. Housing in Charlotte is higher than you might expect.

Now that I know that you are married with kids -- I think you might enjoy Charlotte. The weather's great, there's a nice sense of community in many of the neighborhoods, lots of nice little parks (Freedom Park comes to mind). It's not Chicago, but it's a very family-oriented kind of place.

Any other thoughts? Thanks a lot.

Sorry to hear that the Hornets might be moving! My father in law was the project manager for the building of the Charlotte Coliseum for the Hornets (so if you don't like the Coliseum, you can blame him <g>). At the time, they lived in Matthews (sp?)...and traffic was not bad at all. How is that area now?
BTilke

BTilke,

Kudos to your dad for the Charlotte Coliseum--it's held up well. The desire for a new coliseum has to do with the fact that Charlotte movers & shakers are jealous of newer/nicer skyboxes in other cities. I think the existing coliseum is fine--the acoustics were great when I saw Page & Plant there a few years back.

Matthews is really starting to grow, as the beltline (I-485) now extends there. If you lived AND worked in Matthews, traffic would be a piece of cake. If you live in Matthews and work downtown, there's a pretty hefty commute.

Thanks, Chuck, actually it was my father in law, not my father. It opened in the late 1980s, as I recall, and the only two major problems they had were when the scoreboard fell down (nobody was there, fortunately) and during one of the monster truck shows, a truck drove right into one of the support pillars. A small crack, but no structural damage.
BTilke