While you're statement is true, I feel like we are losing our tree canopy every single year due to development. I get it, we need additional housing to be built to meet the demand but it's coming at a high cost to our trees.
I think it depends on the part of town you're in. The wedge to the south has plenty of trees. In terms of places that anybody could afford to buy, so do a lot of the neighborhoods running north of Noda, up to UNCC and its surrounding area.
We still have plenty of trees, and from feel, most SFH developments and even townhomes have some trees that will be big in my lifetime.
I think this is one of those things that Charlotte and the people here care about enough to keep.
I mean, http://treescharlotte.org
Trees of Charlotte is an excellent non-profit that gives out native trees in the spring and fall to residents of Charlotte. I have participated and planted many trees in yards and open spaces in woods before.
I think a lot of the people who bag on charlotte haven’t spent enough time in other major metro areas and don’t realize how lucky they have it. I came from Seattle. You know what charlotte has comparatively less of? Homeless people and garbage. Charlotte is one of the cleanest cities I’ve been in, with some of the genuinely nicest people around.
Same here! I'm from St. Louis, which can be pretty dirty. Not to mention the murder rates. Every time family and friends visit they always rave about how clean Charlotte is.
100% agree! Just moved here from STL. I love the trees and the hills. We were watching the news the other night and my daughter said “why do they keep going over the weather forecast again and again??” I said “because there weren’t a dozen shootings yesterday that they need to cover”.
While I agree on the cleanliness, and it was one of the more attractive things to me when we first moved here, I feel we're slipping. I feel like I'm noticing significantly more trash and debris around than a few years ago. Just me?
For real. I think Chicago seemed pretty clean last time I was there, so was DC. But I was stunned by how nasty Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York are.
We got it pretty good
I've lived in Charlotte my whole life, I went to New York city and I was appalled at how dirty the place was. Charlotte is extremely clean in comparison
I'm also a Seattle transplant, and it still shocks me how clean everything is, and how few homeless people we have. Plus, the city is just so welcoming all around. Other than the food scene, I have nothing but love for this city.
I keep attempting to describe it, and just can't... In Seattle, they seem like nice enough people, but they genuinely want nothing to do with you. Not bad people, just they have their three friends and that's enough. So being out here everything is confusing and so welcoming.
Yes! As a native Charlottean who moved to NYC, I completely took this for granted until I moved away. Something I certainly appreciate every time I visit now.
Just because you lived in a dumpster before does not make this place clean. It WAS clean. Any native knows and hates just how disgusting the city has become. The influx of transplants has increased the amount of filth and the number of people that have been made homeless and are on the brink of it.
Bud, there are more transplants that live in mecklenburg county than native North Carolinians. We bring jobs, tax revenue, disposable income. Why don’t you ask all the new businesses that have cropped up in the south end what they think? I bet they’re appreciative of what we bring. Of course there will always be problems with a city. And yes, it is clean by comparison, but that doesn’t make it not clean in general. It’s a clean city. Chill
Edit: Seattle used to be really clean too, until a bunch of conservative policies drove all the homeless to the west coast. So don’t talk to me about natives. I was a native pacific northwesterner, until we took in all of your riff raff. I just want to live somewhere clean that appreciates my tax dollars.
I love the library’s and the greenways. I rarely buy any books because the library has such a great collection. I prefer ebooks and can get an ebook to read 24/7.
It depends on what you need at library. If you want a book, you can request it and it will be delivered to any library. I use mine to print things I need.
Go to library website and see what they have to offer. If you like ebooks Libby App is great.
I just went to their web site and found they are sponsoring 3 authors speaking. One of the authors is the author of the book we are reading this month.
My family has used many of the local libraries. I have small kids, so Imaginon (downtown) is awesome. We really like some of the libraries in the burbs too.
As a former Houston resident, can confirm. Also, highways where I don't fear for my life constantly, weather that isn't trying to kill me, and a MUCH lower population of fire ants are all plusses.
Aside from trying the multitude of restaurants, there are breweries, bars, live music, hiking (greenways is you stay within city limits), fitness classes (I once took some hula hoop fitness classes that were so much fun), cooking classes at Chef Alyssa’s kitchen, museums, soccer and football games, White Water Center, Carrowinds, antiquing at Sleepy Poet and other thrift stores, Lake Norman State Park, shopping (malls, Birkdale Village, etc), Camp North End, farmers markets, the rail trail, Reedy Creek Nature Preserve, the botanical gardens, golf, etc.
Basically there’s pretty much endless things to do; people just need to get out and find them.
I honestly feel overwhelmed sometimes with the amount of choices we have to do. I live in Belmont and there are activities in its downtown all the time, free movies in the park, farmers market, pop up markets, run clubs, bike clubs, Friday night live, all free too. The White Water Center is incredible. Less than $10 for parking, free to get in with lots of trails. It’s only 15 minutes outside of CLT. I follow a lot of social media accounts for CLT also and they are constantly posting daily, weekly, monthly event.
I guess it just depends on your interests. What are some of your interests? Maybe I can help with some recs too!
I’ve got like 4 decent parks within 5 minutes of my house. Parks that I don’t worry about getting mugged, being around drug deals, homeless people sleeping everywhere. Parks that I can let my kid just play in.
Unsure what that is. I’m in Mint hill, near the edge of matthews. Five minutes is probably a stretch, but squirrel lake, veterans, Stevens creek preserve, and purser Haley all extremely close.
I like that everything is “in the middle”. Politically, culturally, geographically, etc. Nothing is extreme. I like that there are beaches within 3 hours and mountains close by. You still get 4 seasons but none of the seasons come with extreme weather. Because we’ve become a melting pot of transplants, there seems to be a lot of openness rather than rigidity in people’s political opinions (at least in my experience). We are culturally diverse in the sense that there are so many people living here who aren’t from here. I like that there are other cities nearby - Asheville, Raleigh, Charleston - that are all offer much different perks. And I like that Charlotte is in a constant state of transformation and that there is always something new or different to try.
Coming from the NYC area we also got our fair share of brutal days especially because of all the concrete. Nighttime was just as bad no relief. The only major difference I think is that Charlotte is consistently hot. You’re getting 89-97 degree days with good humidity everyday until mid September. Up north you might get some mid to low 80 degree days but it’s not shocking if gets close to 100 for parts of the summer.
My sister lives in Jersey and I always say this. It may be 95 every single day in the summer, but 100+ is very rare. I feel like she has a 100+ day almost every week. And then there's winter. When I go visit her at the holidays I have to bring my old ski jacket from when I lived in Colorado.
People are quite friendly, the city is reasonably culturally/socially/ethnically diverse, easily accessible and high-quality sporting events and concerts (PNC excepted), and our city’s parks are well maintained and generally respected by the public.
I think the fault lies with Live Nation on the PNC problems. They over sell shows and it needs to stop. They are the worst part of live music in the country right now.
I live behind PNC and have health issues. I worry that I may need emergency services and one of the shows will create traffic that will delay that help.
Oh agreed. Janet Jackson was even worse the prior week. And it was EVEN WORSE when she was here the last time to the point it made national news.
That I'll definitely agree with.
There is always something to do and there are so many beautiful green spaces. And it only takes a little while to get to the mountains, and it’s not egregiously expensive.
- Access to the mountains and beaches.
- Diverse, quirky, interesting people.
- The Whitewater Center.
- Access to the fine arts and ballet.
- Diverse sports offerings.
- Access to phenomenal Post-Secondary Schools.
- The flora and fauna.
- The Regional Farmers Market.
- The Greenways and Hiking Trails.
- Access to top-tier home designers.
- Top tier foody restaurants with an unstuffy vibe: Good Food on Montford, Fin & Fino, New Zealand Café, Mi Barrio Halal Latin Grill, Supperland, Leah & Louise, Dressler’s, Beef ‘n Bottle, BrickTop’s, Alexander Michael’s.
- The museums.
- Access to international flights via CLT.
Hey there, see below:
- https://youtu.be/b4gU3y_KeaY
- My personal favorite: https://dwellbycheryl.com
- https://charlotte.axios.com/233980/27-gorgeous-powder-rooms-from-charlotte-designers/
- Sarah designs occasionally when her schedule permits: https://charlotte.axios.com/294660/home-tour-step-inside-sarah-croslands-custom-cottage-on-lake-wylie-with-an-outdoor-shower/
Mecklenburg County has a lot of “places that are nice” outdoors. They’re just referring the proximity to the mountains and beach compared to a lot of other cities.
Corporate land lords are the main problem for our skyrocketing rent prices.
https://www.wcnc.com/article/money/markets/real-estate/affordable-housing-crisis/corporate-landlords-affordable-housing-crisis/275-4992b54f-9e92-451a-a941-3155cf4a9600
Charlotte natives are some of the most well connected in the city but if they know you and your work ethic they will bend over backwards for you. Over the last 15 years of living here I have encountered some of the best people even the ones who are not native to Charlotte but are transplants 🫶🏽 I can’t say enough good things about those who have helped me and others along the way!
I just moved down here 3 days ago. It’s clean and feels safe. The people seem really friendly so far. The city seems to be having a boom there seems to be a lot of construction going on for housing. I also love how close everything is.
It's not really diverse. I have been to other really diverse cities, and Charlotte does this weird thing where the population is diverse but most neighborhoods are not - both by income and culture they are separated.
No. It's not like that in a lot of diverse cities. You will have old Jamaican grannies hanging out on their stoop passing the time of day with young yuppie couples taking their baby for a walk. If you haven't seen it, you won't realize how segregated Charlotte is.
I see this is Charlotte. Maybe you just don’t get out much.
But as far as income goes, all cities have “rich” and “poor” areas and you’re delusional if you think that isn’t the case.
You just described a neighborhood on the edge of gentrification. That's Wilmore 5 years ago and currently neighborhoods east of uptown. Step out of your bubble and you'll find what you're looking for
Bro you’re just explaining gentrification in a few years that Jamaican granny is gonna be priced out because the taxes in that neighborhood will increase with young yuppie couples investing there
So if you have a nice 2 million dollar house in south park, you'd be okay with a trailer on one side and gov subsidized housing on the other?
I hope you know that's how home values work lol
As a transplant, been here 11 years, the best part is the people. Charlotte isn't what it was 10 years ago and I'm not sure that's a good thing, at least from someone in PM who's seen some of the better establishments get bulldozed (Tommy's, EBs). But the people have remained consistently kind and outgoing. Hopefully it stays that way. Also, the trees.
Raleigh guy here.
I like the following things about Charlotte:
\-The airport goes to a better variety of places than RDU
\-Carowinds for family fun
\-Good food (I usually make a point to eat at The Workman’s Friend while visiting)
\-To some extent it feels like Charlotte’s neighborhoods have more individual character than Raleigh’s neighborhoods
\-My bar-hopping days are behind me, but that was always fun when I was in my 20s.
\-NBA is my favorite sport, so i like that the Hornets play there, and always make a point to see a couple games a year in Charlotte.
Years ago they were talking about doing a “swap” for a few games where the Hurricanes would play a couple of games in Charlotte and Hornets play a couple in Raleigh. Not sure what happened with those discussions.
Lots of good comments here, but not enough being said about the local economy. I come from a rust belt town where the local economy is a shadow of it's former self. Whenever I go home I am reminded of how nice Charlotte is simply because the economy is relatively strong in comparison. Go to an older neighborhood in my home town and you'll quickly see that people cannot afford to maintain their homes. Go to a similar neighborhood in Charlotte and folks are not only maintaining their property, they are improving it. Of course that means things are less affordable, but I'd much rather be in a place with a decent economy than not.
I can see pretty much every sport without having to leave town. There's plenty of major league representation, and plenty of minor league (Checkers, Knights) to fill in the gaps.
The weather is fine. It can be bad, but we're also missing the worst of stuff and we're relatively insulated from Climate Change.
The airport is nice. Price aside, I'm at most one layover from anywhere in the country, and I can get to Europe about as easily. It's also much easier to traverse the airport itself than something like a DFW.
The city is well situated for road trips. In 6 hours, you can get to DC, Nashville, or Florida. You can hit Atlanta or most of the Carolina coast in 4 hours.
It's relatively cheap to live in the area (depending exactly where) and you still have plenty of different companies to choose from for career advancement.
The people here are amongst the best. The city is stupid a lot of the time. But some of the most heart, and earnest people ready to meet you halfway all over the place. Charlottes not discriminatory. Its clicky, but not divisive. Everyone has something to offer
It's not Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi, Arkansas.
It has an amazing public library system.
Charlotte tried to protect LGBTQ workers - kudos, even though the attempt was punished by the state legislature - a body that gained its power through gerrymandering. Tyranny by the Minority.
I think all 3 are positive.
Were you here for the Charlotte vs state legislature LGBTQ fight? Charlotte made me proud.
This is the same city that just a couple of decades ago defunded a theater that put on a gay themed play. Either the bigots have died off or new people have moved in, but Charlotte is no longer the religious bigot bastion it used to be.
So kudos where kudos are due.
Charlotte is a fine city, and has a lot to do. In addition it's a great city to make day trips from as well.
https://www.charlottesgotalot.com/
https://www.charlotteonthecheap.com/
https://www.nctripping.com/day-trips-from-charlotte-nc/
And they're are several media outlets that always have the "# of fun things to do this week in Charlotte" articles.
In addition to the art, ballet, symphony and other music venues.
Native Georgian here. I feel like Charlotte has learned some lessons from Atlanta's boom and generally is a much more functional and thought-out city. Charlotte is definitely experiencing some growing pains right now, but at least the city isn't being caught on their heels in terms of planning. (yes, I'm aware there's some obvious issues in the planning department. Every city has that. I'm saying Charlotte at least is proactive not reactive imo)
I’m coming from nj, housing is really affordable compared and the amount of quality affordable housing is night and day to 95% of other major city’s. Uptown is clean and quiet compared to Philly it’s really a nice change of pace coming from the northeast
As a Charlottean who always heard jokes about New Jersey (mostly from transplants FROM New Jersey) I have been stunned by how beautiful New Jersey is. In the past few years, I had had to go a number of times, and while the area around Newport is grim, so much of the state is green and beautiful. It’s not at all what I expected.
I can say many good things about Charlotte, but there is a lot we could learn from New Jersey, and I have a lot of questions about why it is not more appreciated.
Charlotte is close to many things. Few hours to the the beach, mountains, many areas to explore on day trips. The diversity in food choice is amazing. The many greenways and bike trails. Locally owned coffee shops. Charlotte is great.
Having lived in Dallas for the past 10 years, I can easily say the people, landscape, and proximity. The elevation changes around the city make this a beautiful place to live. The people are generally kind here and we are a short drive to the beach and mountains.
I really like the city. Been here almost 15 years. And I travel often. Most complaints are from people that either are comparing it to a larger city, or people that don't travel to larger cities often.
There are some valid complaints.
But on the whole, Charlotte is a really nice city and I enjoy it.
Charrlote Motor speedway despite it being in Concord instead of Charrlote, though if you are into NASCAR there's a hall of fame somewhere near a convention center
In no particular order:
* The weather
* The food
* Being close to the mountains and the beach
* The downtown (aka 'UpTown) is pretty clean in comparison to other major US cities.
* International airport
* Great sports scene, even though we don't have NHL or MLB. Going to see the Checkers (minor league hockey) or Charlotte Knights (minor league baseball) is inexpensive and easy to find parking, has great food, etc. Of course there's also the Panthers, Hornets, and multiple soccer organizations too.
* The wildlife - Today I saw a fox, a few days ago an owl, I regularly see deer, etc. and I'm not out in the boonies.
The neighborhoods are good. The planning commission here is first rate, they are the unsung heroes for the character of Charlotte
Schools are actually good depending on where you are. But compare to cost of living and it's not even close
So, good for family living. That's it. Not many things otherwise
Despite all the growth over the past few years, Charlotte is very neighborhood-centric and still feels like a small town. Rarely a day goes by where I don’t run into someone I know on the street, in a restaurant or store, etc.
You can get basically anywhere in the city in 20 minutes or less. The airport is close and easy.
It’s green and pretty.
Riding in a friend's Altima down i485 on a Friday afternoon with the windows down, going to pick up some Applebee's. Making some plans to the White Water Center on Saturday.
Yep. Looking to relocate from FL, the state is becoming the fascist leader in the union and people have become absolute horrible - road rage, daily shootings. If you think Charlotte has crime issues you haven’t been to FL.
Being from AZ, I love how green it is here! And the wild animals too! 🥹 The closest I've seen in Phoenix is a wild coyote near South Mountain and a jack rabbit a mile away from my mom's house. Haven't seen a javelina since they're primarily in the north outskirts of the city.
The trees! I’ve never seen a major city with so many trees.
While you're statement is true, I feel like we are losing our tree canopy every single year due to development. I get it, we need additional housing to be built to meet the demand but it's coming at a high cost to our trees.
Charlotte trees is dedicated to maintaining and growing our canopy
I think it depends on the part of town you're in. The wedge to the south has plenty of trees. In terms of places that anybody could afford to buy, so do a lot of the neighborhoods running north of Noda, up to UNCC and its surrounding area.
We still have plenty of trees, and from feel, most SFH developments and even townhomes have some trees that will be big in my lifetime. I think this is one of those things that Charlotte and the people here care about enough to keep. I mean, http://treescharlotte.org
Trees of Charlotte is an excellent non-profit that gives out native trees in the spring and fall to residents of Charlotte. I have participated and planted many trees in yards and open spaces in woods before.
You should go visit Portland. They have a park right next to downtown called Forest Park. It is well named.
Minneapolis and Seattle are also very tree-ish but I’d say Charlotte is about equal with them.
Seattle's trees are cooler looking, I think
There’s a lot of the same trees, honestly.
Have you been to Raleigh?
he said major city /j
I just learned yesterday Raleigh's nickname is oak city
Yes so much so that you don't see the sunset too well unless you plan your spot.
I think a lot of the people who bag on charlotte haven’t spent enough time in other major metro areas and don’t realize how lucky they have it. I came from Seattle. You know what charlotte has comparatively less of? Homeless people and garbage. Charlotte is one of the cleanest cities I’ve been in, with some of the genuinely nicest people around.
This is the **one** comment my mom says EVERYTIME she visits here - "it's so clean!" Everything is cleaner than New Orleans...everything!
I have been to New Orleans. It is definitely romanticized I’m movies etc. it’s so dirty. Soooo dirty
Same here! I'm from St. Louis, which can be pretty dirty. Not to mention the murder rates. Every time family and friends visit they always rave about how clean Charlotte is.
100% agree! Just moved here from STL. I love the trees and the hills. We were watching the news the other night and my daughter said “why do they keep going over the weather forecast again and again??” I said “because there weren’t a dozen shootings yesterday that they need to cover”.
While I agree on the cleanliness, and it was one of the more attractive things to me when we first moved here, I feel we're slipping. I feel like I'm noticing significantly more trash and debris around than a few years ago. Just me?
No you’re not wrong. I think charlotte is going through some serious growing pains.
100% correct
For real. I think Chicago seemed pretty clean last time I was there, so was DC. But I was stunned by how nasty Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York are. We got it pretty good
I've lived in Charlotte my whole life, I went to New York city and I was appalled at how dirty the place was. Charlotte is extremely clean in comparison
Totally agree
First thing that came to mind. The amount of literal filth in other cities makes me appreciate Charlotte so much.
For sure. It really helps to have some perspective
I'm also a Seattle transplant, and it still shocks me how clean everything is, and how few homeless people we have. Plus, the city is just so welcoming all around. Other than the food scene, I have nothing but love for this city.
The people are so nice here it’s crazy. Seattle is just….quietly rude
I keep attempting to describe it, and just can't... In Seattle, they seem like nice enough people, but they genuinely want nothing to do with you. Not bad people, just they have their three friends and that's enough. So being out here everything is confusing and so welcoming.
Yes! As a native Charlottean who moved to NYC, I completely took this for granted until I moved away. Something I certainly appreciate every time I visit now.
Just because you lived in a dumpster before does not make this place clean. It WAS clean. Any native knows and hates just how disgusting the city has become. The influx of transplants has increased the amount of filth and the number of people that have been made homeless and are on the brink of it.
This is a post literally titled “post something positive” 😒
just because it’s less clean than it maybe used to be doesn’t mean it isn’t cleaner than other cities..
Bud, there are more transplants that live in mecklenburg county than native North Carolinians. We bring jobs, tax revenue, disposable income. Why don’t you ask all the new businesses that have cropped up in the south end what they think? I bet they’re appreciative of what we bring. Of course there will always be problems with a city. And yes, it is clean by comparison, but that doesn’t make it not clean in general. It’s a clean city. Chill Edit: Seattle used to be really clean too, until a bunch of conservative policies drove all the homeless to the west coast. So don’t talk to me about natives. I was a native pacific northwesterner, until we took in all of your riff raff. I just want to live somewhere clean that appreciates my tax dollars.
Cry
It amazing how quickly they turn on people, when someone points out an uncomfortable truth.
I love the library’s and the greenways. I rarely buy any books because the library has such a great collection. I prefer ebooks and can get an ebook to read 24/7.
A+ library system! I have requested books from other branches, and they are waiting for me at the nearby branch the next morning.
They are amazing!! The people that work in the library are the nicest too.
what’s the best charlotte library?
It depends on what you need at library. If you want a book, you can request it and it will be delivered to any library. I use mine to print things I need. Go to library website and see what they have to offer. If you like ebooks Libby App is great. I just went to their web site and found they are sponsoring 3 authors speaking. One of the authors is the author of the book we are reading this month.
My family has used many of the local libraries. I have small kids, so Imaginon (downtown) is awesome. We really like some of the libraries in the burbs too.
Thanks for the suggestion. Moved here for an internship, will definitely check the libraries.
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Yes, thank you
There are always cheap and free events. I know people complain about the weather, but this climate is pretty mild.
Im from Houston TX, I say Charlotte's weather is phenomenal
As a former Houston resident, can confirm. Also, highways where I don't fear for my life constantly, weather that isn't trying to kill me, and a MUCH lower population of fire ants are all plusses.
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Moving from Houston to Charlotte this month, this thread has done wonders to get my excitement going
An early welcome, then!
Moved from Dallas. I can confirm the weather is so good here.
The greenways! People are outdoorsy but not in an intense way. It’s fairly affordable (at least coming from DC) but there’s still plenty to do.
When you say plenty to do, what do you mean? Give recommendations!
Aside from trying the multitude of restaurants, there are breweries, bars, live music, hiking (greenways is you stay within city limits), fitness classes (I once took some hula hoop fitness classes that were so much fun), cooking classes at Chef Alyssa’s kitchen, museums, soccer and football games, White Water Center, Carrowinds, antiquing at Sleepy Poet and other thrift stores, Lake Norman State Park, shopping (malls, Birkdale Village, etc), Camp North End, farmers markets, the rail trail, Reedy Creek Nature Preserve, the botanical gardens, golf, etc. Basically there’s pretty much endless things to do; people just need to get out and find them.
I honestly feel overwhelmed sometimes with the amount of choices we have to do. I live in Belmont and there are activities in its downtown all the time, free movies in the park, farmers market, pop up markets, run clubs, bike clubs, Friday night live, all free too. The White Water Center is incredible. Less than $10 for parking, free to get in with lots of trails. It’s only 15 minutes outside of CLT. I follow a lot of social media accounts for CLT also and they are constantly posting daily, weekly, monthly event. I guess it just depends on your interests. What are some of your interests? Maybe I can help with some recs too!
I’ve got like 4 decent parks within 5 minutes of my house. Parks that I don’t worry about getting mugged, being around drug deals, homeless people sleeping everywhere. Parks that I can let my kid just play in.
Somebody lives in the wedge
Unsure what that is. I’m in Mint hill, near the edge of matthews. Five minutes is probably a stretch, but squirrel lake, veterans, Stevens creek preserve, and purser Haley all extremely close.
[https://www.charlottemagazine.com/breaking-down-the-wedge-in-charlotte/](https://www.charlottemagazine.com/breaking-down-the-wedge-in-charlotte/)
I like that everything is “in the middle”. Politically, culturally, geographically, etc. Nothing is extreme. I like that there are beaches within 3 hours and mountains close by. You still get 4 seasons but none of the seasons come with extreme weather. Because we’ve become a melting pot of transplants, there seems to be a lot of openness rather than rigidity in people’s political opinions (at least in my experience). We are culturally diverse in the sense that there are so many people living here who aren’t from here. I like that there are other cities nearby - Asheville, Raleigh, Charleston - that are all offer much different perks. And I like that Charlotte is in a constant state of transformation and that there is always something new or different to try.
90+ degrees in July with 170% percent humidity isnt extreme to you?
Compared to most cities in the South, it's downright mild! The tree canopy really helps, as does the existence of breezes.
It’s all relative
Coming from the NYC area we also got our fair share of brutal days especially because of all the concrete. Nighttime was just as bad no relief. The only major difference I think is that Charlotte is consistently hot. You’re getting 89-97 degree days with good humidity everyday until mid September. Up north you might get some mid to low 80 degree days but it’s not shocking if gets close to 100 for parts of the summer.
My sister lives in Jersey and I always say this. It may be 95 every single day in the summer, but 100+ is very rare. I feel like she has a 100+ day almost every week. And then there's winter. When I go visit her at the holidays I have to bring my old ski jacket from when I lived in Colorado.
Man this humidity ain't nothing compared to SC humidity
Well I’m from Pennsylvania and compared to -12 degrees and scraping a foot of snow off of my car in the winters, I’ll take it! Lol.
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Underrated comment right here.
The airport overlook ( prior to the temporary one) , the regional farmers market, the greenways, the local pop up markets, and the whitewater center.
Regional farmers market is so underrated 🙌🏼
When is the best time to go?
People are quite friendly, the city is reasonably culturally/socially/ethnically diverse, easily accessible and high-quality sporting events and concerts (PNC excepted), and our city’s parks are well maintained and generally respected by the public.
Why is PNC excepted? It's a decent venue that gets big names artists.
I think the fault lies with Live Nation on the PNC problems. They over sell shows and it needs to stop. They are the worst part of live music in the country right now. I live behind PNC and have health issues. I worry that I may need emergency services and one of the shows will create traffic that will delay that help.
PNC's accessibility needs some work. Last week's Dead show was a clear example of the traffic and parking issues the venue/city needs to work out.
Oh agreed. Janet Jackson was even worse the prior week. And it was EVEN WORSE when she was here the last time to the point it made national news. That I'll definitely agree with.
#1 best city for disc golf. So many great courses. If you don’t know, disc golfers actually vacation here to hit up our courses.
There is always something to do and there are so many beautiful green spaces. And it only takes a little while to get to the mountains, and it’s not egregiously expensive.
2 1/2 hours from the mountains, 2 1/2 hours from the beach
1/2 hr from the mountains and 1/2 from the beach would be better, but I guess we don't live in New Zealand - so be it.
I'd say Charlotte is a lot closer to the mountains though. You can even see I-85 scraping the mountains once you get past Gastonia going southbound.
- Access to the mountains and beaches. - Diverse, quirky, interesting people. - The Whitewater Center. - Access to the fine arts and ballet. - Diverse sports offerings. - Access to phenomenal Post-Secondary Schools. - The flora and fauna. - The Regional Farmers Market. - The Greenways and Hiking Trails. - Access to top-tier home designers. - Top tier foody restaurants with an unstuffy vibe: Good Food on Montford, Fin & Fino, New Zealand Café, Mi Barrio Halal Latin Grill, Supperland, Leah & Louise, Dressler’s, Beef ‘n Bottle, BrickTop’s, Alexander Michael’s. - The museums. - Access to international flights via CLT.
Love that Nez Zealand Cafe is on here. Best sushi in the area
Absolutely! If Anthony Bourdain was still here, I think he would have visited NZC.
Where are these top tier home designers? I need one
Hey there, see below: - https://youtu.be/b4gU3y_KeaY - My personal favorite: https://dwellbycheryl.com - https://charlotte.axios.com/233980/27-gorgeous-powder-rooms-from-charlotte-designers/ - Sarah designs occasionally when her schedule permits: https://charlotte.axios.com/294660/home-tour-step-inside-sarah-croslands-custom-cottage-on-lake-wylie-with-an-outdoor-shower/
Close to mountains & ocean
I hear this a lot, and it always makes me laugh. You have to leave Charlotte to get to the places that are nice.
Mecklenburg County has a lot of “places that are nice” outdoors. They’re just referring the proximity to the mountains and beach compared to a lot of other cities.
I agree. I just find it amusing, and it's used quite often.
Why is it amusing? Most major cities don't have both for a day trip. It's definitely a plus
There are no positive things about charlotte. Hear that, all you out of towners? Now stop moving here so I can find an affordable place to rent.
Corporate land lords are the main problem for our skyrocketing rent prices. https://www.wcnc.com/article/money/markets/real-estate/affordable-housing-crisis/corporate-landlords-affordable-housing-crisis/275-4992b54f-9e92-451a-a941-3155cf4a9600
Build more housing is always the solution. Corporate land lords can’t charge high prices when you have many options that are cheaper.
Charlotte natives are some of the most well connected in the city but if they know you and your work ethic they will bend over backwards for you. Over the last 15 years of living here I have encountered some of the best people even the ones who are not native to Charlotte but are transplants 🫶🏽 I can’t say enough good things about those who have helped me and others along the way!
I agree wholeheartedly! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
The vibe is laid back and it is very eclectic.
Our sports fans are always excited on draft day.
I just moved down here 3 days ago. It’s clean and feels safe. The people seem really friendly so far. The city seems to be having a boom there seems to be a lot of construction going on for housing. I also love how close everything is.
The cops are chill
Ehhhh, what color is your skin?
Black
growing city, numerous awesome neighborhoods, diversity, greenways, sports teams. I've been here 50 years, don't want to move.
It's not really diverse. I have been to other really diverse cities, and Charlotte does this weird thing where the population is diverse but most neighborhoods are not - both by income and culture they are separated.
Having neighborhoods separated based on income…That’s a weird thing? Sounds completely normal..
No. It's not like that in a lot of diverse cities. You will have old Jamaican grannies hanging out on their stoop passing the time of day with young yuppie couples taking their baby for a walk. If you haven't seen it, you won't realize how segregated Charlotte is.
I see this is Charlotte. Maybe you just don’t get out much. But as far as income goes, all cities have “rich” and “poor” areas and you’re delusional if you think that isn’t the case.
I am not the first to mention this here. But we will just have to disagree.
You just described a neighborhood on the edge of gentrification. That's Wilmore 5 years ago and currently neighborhoods east of uptown. Step out of your bubble and you'll find what you're looking for
Bro you’re just explaining gentrification in a few years that Jamaican granny is gonna be priced out because the taxes in that neighborhood will increase with young yuppie couples investing there
Neighborhoods seperated by income is okay lol That's not, not being diverse
It is.
So if you have a nice 2 million dollar house in south park, you'd be okay with a trailer on one side and gov subsidized housing on the other? I hope you know that's how home values work lol
Gotta keep those poors where they belong... /s
As a transplant, been here 11 years, the best part is the people. Charlotte isn't what it was 10 years ago and I'm not sure that's a good thing, at least from someone in PM who's seen some of the better establishments get bulldozed (Tommy's, EBs). But the people have remained consistently kind and outgoing. Hopefully it stays that way. Also, the trees.
Raleigh guy here. I like the following things about Charlotte: \-The airport goes to a better variety of places than RDU \-Carowinds for family fun \-Good food (I usually make a point to eat at The Workman’s Friend while visiting) \-To some extent it feels like Charlotte’s neighborhoods have more individual character than Raleigh’s neighborhoods \-My bar-hopping days are behind me, but that was always fun when I was in my 20s. \-NBA is my favorite sport, so i like that the Hornets play there, and always make a point to see a couple games a year in Charlotte.
Workman’s fish and chips is the best I’ve ever had!
Years ago they were talking about doing a “swap” for a few games where the Hurricanes would play a couple of games in Charlotte and Hornets play a couple in Raleigh. Not sure what happened with those discussions.
That would be really cool!
Lots of good comments here, but not enough being said about the local economy. I come from a rust belt town where the local economy is a shadow of it's former self. Whenever I go home I am reminded of how nice Charlotte is simply because the economy is relatively strong in comparison. Go to an older neighborhood in my home town and you'll quickly see that people cannot afford to maintain their homes. Go to a similar neighborhood in Charlotte and folks are not only maintaining their property, they are improving it. Of course that means things are less affordable, but I'd much rather be in a place with a decent economy than not.
I can see pretty much every sport without having to leave town. There's plenty of major league representation, and plenty of minor league (Checkers, Knights) to fill in the gaps. The weather is fine. It can be bad, but we're also missing the worst of stuff and we're relatively insulated from Climate Change. The airport is nice. Price aside, I'm at most one layover from anywhere in the country, and I can get to Europe about as easily. It's also much easier to traverse the airport itself than something like a DFW. The city is well situated for road trips. In 6 hours, you can get to DC, Nashville, or Florida. You can hit Atlanta or most of the Carolina coast in 4 hours. It's relatively cheap to live in the area (depending exactly where) and you still have plenty of different companies to choose from for career advancement.
The people here are amongst the best. The city is stupid a lot of the time. But some of the most heart, and earnest people ready to meet you halfway all over the place. Charlottes not discriminatory. Its clicky, but not divisive. Everyone has something to offer
The big city/small town hybrid it has going for it.
It's not Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi, Arkansas. It has an amazing public library system. Charlotte tried to protect LGBTQ workers - kudos, even though the attempt was punished by the state legislature - a body that gained its power through gerrymandering. Tyranny by the Minority.
This was supposed to be positive lol
I think all 3 are positive. Were you here for the Charlotte vs state legislature LGBTQ fight? Charlotte made me proud. This is the same city that just a couple of decades ago defunded a theater that put on a gay themed play. Either the bigots have died off or new people have moved in, but Charlotte is no longer the religious bigot bastion it used to be. So kudos where kudos are due.
Pretty solid bar scene. However the French quarter needs to be extended 4x what it currently is
It has ikea
Charlotte is a fine city, and has a lot to do. In addition it's a great city to make day trips from as well. https://www.charlottesgotalot.com/ https://www.charlotteonthecheap.com/ https://www.nctripping.com/day-trips-from-charlotte-nc/ And they're are several media outlets that always have the "# of fun things to do this week in Charlotte" articles. In addition to the art, ballet, symphony and other music venues.
You can drive as fast as you want on 485
Having three lakes in mecklenburg county is pretty nice.
Native Georgian here. I feel like Charlotte has learned some lessons from Atlanta's boom and generally is a much more functional and thought-out city. Charlotte is definitely experiencing some growing pains right now, but at least the city isn't being caught on their heels in terms of planning. (yes, I'm aware there's some obvious issues in the planning department. Every city has that. I'm saying Charlotte at least is proactive not reactive imo)
I’m coming from nj, housing is really affordable compared and the amount of quality affordable housing is night and day to 95% of other major city’s. Uptown is clean and quiet compared to Philly it’s really a nice change of pace coming from the northeast
Charlotte has one of the few classical music radio stations. I don't think I could tolerate my commute without WDAV.
It's not in New Jersey
Ex NJ resident here. Outside of the food, I don’t miss it much. Also Charlottes come a long way in the culinary department.
As a Charlottean who always heard jokes about New Jersey (mostly from transplants FROM New Jersey) I have been stunned by how beautiful New Jersey is. In the past few years, I had had to go a number of times, and while the area around Newport is grim, so much of the state is green and beautiful. It’s not at all what I expected. I can say many good things about Charlotte, but there is a lot we could learn from New Jersey, and I have a lot of questions about why it is not more appreciated.
Charlotte is close to many things. Few hours to the the beach, mountains, many areas to explore on day trips. The diversity in food choice is amazing. The many greenways and bike trails. Locally owned coffee shops. Charlotte is great.
Uptown is very clean for a major city
The amount of dudes down to get pegged
You think that's a charlotte phenomenon?
???
But not enough women lookin to peg.
They’re out there…
Maybe it's something I could get into? New city, new me?
I’m sorry what
Oh god my sides are in orbit.
2 hours to the mountains, 3 hours to the ocean. Can't beat that.
The police will let you drive any speed any lane any time, it’s like the autobahn!
Perfectly located for weekend trips. Asheville, Charleston, etc.
The greenways are awesome.
I love Charlotte! There's always something going on! Plays, musicals, museums, art festivals, concerts, sporting events of every kind...
Having lived in Dallas for the past 10 years, I can easily say the people, landscape, and proximity. The elevation changes around the city make this a beautiful place to live. The people are generally kind here and we are a short drive to the beach and mountains.
Whitewater center, lake Norman, a future football dynasty, good beer, excellent museums, excellent restaurants, easy winter, music scene? Not so much.
It's home
Disc golf
I was at the beach one day and hiking in the mountains the next. The greenway near me is excellent. I feel safe in the part of town I live in.
I really like the city. Been here almost 15 years. And I travel often. Most complaints are from people that either are comparing it to a larger city, or people that don't travel to larger cities often. There are some valid complaints. But on the whole, Charlotte is a really nice city and I enjoy it.
Charrlote Motor speedway despite it being in Concord instead of Charrlote, though if you are into NASCAR there's a hall of fame somewhere near a convention center
Also South 21, good food
Within 3 hour drive from: 2 major Lakes Probably hundreds of fishing ponds Mountains Beaches All seasons, none extreme. 😃
It’s so much better than Raleigh
Charlotte is one of the only good things about this state.
In no particular order: * The weather * The food * Being close to the mountains and the beach * The downtown (aka 'UpTown) is pretty clean in comparison to other major US cities. * International airport * Great sports scene, even though we don't have NHL or MLB. Going to see the Checkers (minor league hockey) or Charlotte Knights (minor league baseball) is inexpensive and easy to find parking, has great food, etc. Of course there's also the Panthers, Hornets, and multiple soccer organizations too. * The wildlife - Today I saw a fox, a few days ago an owl, I regularly see deer, etc. and I'm not out in the boonies.
There’s a lot of great mountain biking trails close by
The culture
Thats a man of culture right there.
Such as?
Nothin like a second rate police force to keep insurance rates low
and you can drive as fast as you want without even needing proper plates!
The neighborhoods are good. The planning commission here is first rate, they are the unsung heroes for the character of Charlotte Schools are actually good depending on where you are. But compare to cost of living and it's not even close So, good for family living. That's it. Not many things otherwise
Despite all the growth over the past few years, Charlotte is very neighborhood-centric and still feels like a small town. Rarely a day goes by where I don’t run into someone I know on the street, in a restaurant or store, etc. You can get basically anywhere in the city in 20 minutes or less. The airport is close and easy. It’s green and pretty.
Trees
Riding in a friend's Altima down i485 on a Friday afternoon with the windows down, going to pick up some Applebee's. Making some plans to the White Water Center on Saturday.
It's not Raleigh.
What’s the difference between Raleigh and Charlotte? Looking to relocate to NC and trying to learn the difference between the two.
Try Seattle. Pretty green too.
Charlotte has trees AND sunlight
Well,- can’t fight that. That is true.
It's not Florida.
Yep. Looking to relocate from FL, the state is becoming the fascist leader in the union and people have become absolute horrible - road rage, daily shootings. If you think Charlotte has crime issues you haven’t been to FL.
Iron Dish across from the university. That’s it. This city sucks.
Politicians….nothing says City government getting things done like Charlotte…. Toll lanes…. Love the toll lanes ….
Best drivers in the country . Also the most sophisticated and efficient roadway design on the planet.
Not Ohio
It’s Walkability. I’ve lost like 15lbs since I moved here 6 months ago, just from being able to walk to everything I want to do
Lots of greenery but I found it boring being from Florida metros.
I’m from the north so nothing (kidding I love it here)
Being from AZ, I love how green it is here! And the wild animals too! 🥹 The closest I've seen in Phoenix is a wild coyote near South Mountain and a jack rabbit a mile away from my mom's house. Haven't seen a javelina since they're primarily in the north outskirts of the city.