Opinions on Charlotte, NC area?

[Sad, little man]

Considering a possible relocation...

[thesameguy]

Expensive real estate, from my understanding.

[George]

Compared to California (and Colorado) real estate, it's dirt cheap. Or was.

I lived in Charlotte from 1980 - 1986 and 1990 - 2004. I'll be happy to answer any questions I can if you don't mind almost 10-year-old information.

What kinds of information are you looking for? I can write a ten-page essay on "opinions of the area" but those will be my opinions and not necessarily yours.

[Sad, little man]

Meh, zillow says the median home value is $146,000. Even coming from dirt cheap Michigan, I'm hardly shocked by those numbers.

I dunno... What are the people like, what's the culture like? Is anyone going to shove a bible down my throat? I've spent very little time down south.

[George]

Is anyone going to shove a bible down my throat? I've spent very little time down south.

Not literally, but well-meaning new neighbors, co-workers, etc. may ask you where you go to church upon first meeting you or very soon thereafter. I think they think it's a polite topic and not intrusive. I was in outside sales for several years traveling the Carolinas, Georgia, and southern Virginia and I quickly learned to have a smile and a ready answer for this question.

Culture...well, let's see....

To be polite, it never hurts to say "yes sir" or "yes ma'am" to those older than you or in positions of authority. This will sound racist and I freely admit that it is, but I used to make a point (in my own mind, not outwardly) of saying "yes sir" or yes ma'am" to older black (African American) people in particular. You must remember that anyone who has lived in the south who is older than 55 or 60 personally experienced segregation and I always figured these nice folks deserved a little courtesy and respect.

Funny story - I moved to a smaller town north of Charlotte with my parents in 1978 and I learned to say "yes sir" and "yes ma'am" not from adults but from a friend my age who was appalled when I replied affirmatively to his mother with a "yeah", instead of "yes ma'am". The kid who corrected me was about 10 or 11 years old, as was I.

Gentlemen still hold doors open for ladies in the south. Ladies do not wear white shoes or belts after Labor Day nor before Memorial Day. When I lived in Charleston SC in between my two stints in Charlotte, they even printed it in the Sunday newspaper on Labor Day weekend - something like, "remember ladies, today is the last day to wear white!".

Cheerwine is a non-alcoholic soft drink that tastes a little bit like Dr. Pepper. It has no alcohol.

Have at least a passing knowledge of what goes on in NASCAR for discussion. It's big business in Charlotte and you're either a fan or you can fake it well enough to get by.

A bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit from Bojangle's restaurant (a fast food chicken place) is about as good as breakfast gets. Put mustard on it.

Go to Brooks' Sandwich House on North Davidson street in the "NODA" neighborhood and get cheeseburger. It will come with chili, cole slaw (always called simply "slaw" in the south), chopped onions, and mustard. You will thank me.

There a lot of trees in Charlotte. Newcomers to the area ALWAYS comment on that and how pretty the city is. They're right, of course, but having come to Colorado from there, I'm completely amazed at the wide-open spaces and being able to see for untold miles off in the distance almost all the time. I have heard westerners come back form the east and complain of feeling claustrophic there, and I understand now.

There are two kinds of weather in Charlotte: 33 degrees F and raining, which coats the tree branches and power lines and causes power outages and skating-rink-roads, or 95 degrees and 95 percent humidity. There is only one hotter Hell On Earth that I know of - Columbia SC. Don't go to the Carolinas unless you like to sweat. A lot.

When I lived in Vermont and now Colorado, there was a saying: "Don't like the weather? Wait fifteen minutes." Equally true is this saying of the southestern USA: "Don't like the heat and humidity? Just wait seven more months."

You can get to Charleston area beaches in three hours. Wilmington beaches will set you back four hours. Three hours will get you to Asheville or Boone. Despite what some people think, there is okay snow skiing in the the area - Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain in NC and one just over the border on I-77 in West Virginia that I liked - you could get to WV by interstate as fast as Boone by mountain roads.

There are rivers and streams and lakes and reservoirs everywhere. Lots of good fishing there - freshwater close to home and saltwater a few hours south and east.

Garages in the south aren't as common as in colder parts of the country, and very few homes have basements, except perhaps very expensive homes that I have no experience with. Most homes are built on concrete slabs or above a crawl space.

You'll find spiders, slugs, snails, roaches, 'tater bugs, water bugs, skeeters, no-see-ums (tiny skeeters that you don't see but you'll feel their bites), chiggers, ticks, and skunks in abundance. Finding a roach in your house once in a great while doesn't mean you're living in squalor; it means you're living in the wet and warm and humid south.

Uh...what else...

College basketball has an equally rabid fan base as NASCAR. If you're like me and find no redeeming value in basketball, prepare to just grit your teeth and wait until March Madness ends each year. It eventually does.

Lots of companies are closed on Easter Monday instead of Good Friday. This is a particularly North Carolina-esque concept and if I remember my folklore correctly, it started when state legislators wanted the Monday after Easter off to watch basketball. I might be wrong but that's what I remember.

The correct beverage to consume with a Moon Pie is a RC Cola, but it's pronounced "arruh see cola", not "are see cola".

There is no good BBQ in Charlotte - none - but lots of good BBQ in surrounding cities and towns. Which kind of BBQ is superior in the south is a hotly contested item and you're best to stay out of this argument until you have eaten enough to have at least a 40" waist size or you'll be ignored as a wanna-be.

Charlotte is a banking and insurance town. Half of everyone you'll meet either works for a bank or an insurance company, or at least that's how it used to be.

Well, there's some stream-of-conciousness typing. Will do more if you like or if you have specific questions.

Bottom line: despite my personal preferences, Charlotte is a very nice city and a perfectly fine place to live and enjoy life. We just got tired of it, but that doesn't mean it's a lousy place to be.

[Alan P]

Because Racetrack?

[Sad, little man]

No garages!? That does not appear to be compatible with ownership of a Lotus.

[George]

You put the Lotus in the rusty metal toolshed in the backyard that is halfway overgrown with Kudzu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudzu).

I forgot to mention Kudzu. You will get to know it well.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Kudzu_on_trees_in_Atlanta%2C_Georgia.jpg/800px-Kudzu_on_trees_in_Atlanta%2C_Georgia.jpg

[Sad, little man]

That will not happen.

Anyway, what about the road conditions? Lots of potholes? I know you haven't been there in 10yrs.

Also, I don't get this comment...


There a lot of trees in Charlotte. Newcomers to the area ALWAYS comment on that and how pretty the city is. They're right, of course, but having come to Colorado from there, I'm completely amazed at the wide-open spaces and being able to see for untold miles off in the distance almost all the time. I have heard westerners come back form the east and complain of feeling claustrophic there, and I understand now.

Westerners coming back from the east?... Huh? What feels claustrophobic, Colorado or NC? Either way, I think that either measure of feeling claustrophobic would pale in comparison to southeast MI. This place is dead flat with perfect grid roads extending out for 100 miles in all directions.

[George]

Oh, and I see now I wrote, "Garages in the south aren't as common as in colder parts of the country, and very few homes have garages..."

What I meant to say was, "Garages in the south aren't as common as in colder parts of the country, and very few homes have BASEMENTS".

Sorry 'bout that.

[George]

Clarification:

People used to come to Charlotte and say how pretty the city was specifically because of the trees.

I never paid it any attention because that's all I knew living in the east but then came to CO where the only trees on the plains are those planted by someone, other than scraggly cottonwood trees growing where there's a little water.

While living here, I've met two people who went east on vacations or business trips and came back to CO and said they felt claustrophobic from all the trees.

[Sad, little man]

Oh, well trees don't bother me... Unless maybe when they're extremely close to the outside edge of a sweet turn or something.

[FaultyMario]

An offer/opening "doing electronics stuff for like racing cars and stuff" at the Ford Racing Affiliate, I'm guessing?

[George]

I guess my advice was from the perspective of a young man trying to fit in to a new place.

Thinking about it as an adult, Charlotte is a fine place to live if you can stand the heat and humidity.

Sorry for all the nostalgia.

[FaultyMario]

What's the music scene like? Are there specialty vinyl shops? Venues that get some touring attention from not-yet-arena acts?

Are there twisty back roads, where one could stretch a British sportcar's legs?

[tigeraid]

My only opinion on North Carolina:

http://deansomerset.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/ric-flair.gif

[George]

^^^ Ric Flair's wife, "Big Mama", owned a flower shop on South Boulevard for decades. She probably still does.

[George]

"What's the music scene like?"


It was awesome for me in the '90s and first couple years of the '00s when I played in bands in the crummiest (and later, a couple of the best) venues in town...well, for small local hobby-rock bands, anyway.

"Are there specialty vinyl shops?"

There were. My favorite was Repo Records on Central Avenue. I'm pleased to report that the internet says they are still in business: http://www.reporecord.com/

"Venues that get some touring attention from not-yet-arena acts?" My favorite was this place, and I was fortunate to play here twice. http://www.doubledoorinn.com/

"Are there twisty back roads, where one could stretch a British sportcar's legs?"

Oh my, yes. From back roads in and around Charlotte to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Mountains, there is lots of great driving to be had. The interstates are full of billboards and roadside litter (compared to Vermont and Colorado where those things don't happen, at least not on the same scale) but there are tons of roads to explore.

Another neat thing (and something I miss) about Charlotte is you can jump in the car on a Saturday morning and go have a fun weekend in a lot of cool places without driving for eight or ten hours like in the western states. There's a lot in a three to five hour radius. West Virginia had become my favorite just before we left. I'd live there without complaint.

[Sad, little man]

One small stumbling block may be how to register the Miata in an emissions state. It's a 1996, so it requires emissions testing in half the counties in NC, but it has no means to communicate with emissions testing equipment at this point.

I think the only viable answer may be to attempt to register it as a custom or specially constructed vehicle. The rules seem to be extremely vague as to what qualifies, but re-engineering the whole fuel delivery and induction system would hopefully qualify.

Then again, I have no idea how it would be insured at that point.

[FaultyMario]

I got 99 problems but registering a track bitch in NASCAR country ain't one.

[FaultyMario]

Maybe you should ask if it qualifies as a Custom-built vehicle. (http://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/vehicle/title/vehicles/)

[Yw-slayer]

Does Muggsy Bogues still live there?

[Dicknose]

Meh, zillow says the median home value is $146,000.

Holy hell - thats cheap.
Sydney is at 660k (and thats including a lot of areas I wouldnt want to live)

Hmm - must look at my suburb...
Last 12 months North Ryde activity
Last updated 08/05/2014
Houses in North Ryde
116 houses sold
$819,250 median sale price
72 average days on market
Units in North Ryde
17 units sold
$720,000 median sale price

Not surprising its above the Sydney wide numbers.
150k would be lucky to get me someones garage.

Im sure Slayer could say how my prices wouldnt get a garage in Hong Kong!

[Mirage]

One small stumbling block may be how to register the Miata in an emissions state. It's a 1996, so it requires emissions testing in half the counties in NC, but it has no means to communicate with emissions testing equipment at this point.

I think the only viable answer may be to attempt to register it as a custom or specially constructed vehicle. The rules seem to be extremely vague as to what qualifies, but re-engineering the whole fuel delivery and induction system would hopefully qualify.

Then again, I have no idea how it would be insured at that point.

Move to Fort Mill/Rock Hill or somewhere on the South Carolina side of things. Guaranteed not a problem with emissions/inspections, sometimes I wish for vehicle inspections to get the unsafe crap off the road, but you can pretty much drive anything in any form, which is why we have a high number of RHD imports rolling around in this state.

[Yw-slayer]

LOL, USD146K will buy you (maybe) 2 parking lots here in the suburbs, or 50% of a parking lot in an urban area.

[George]

That's why there are so many "McMansions" in Charlotte. Folks sell a $300K house somewhere else and let's say they have $100K in equity. Now that becomes their down payment and they pay the same mortgage payment they're used to but now they have a 4000 square foot house instead of a shack in California or New York for the same money.

My wife and I owned a 1650 square foot wood frame 3-bedroom one-story house on a concrete slab. No garage. Very nice 1/2-acre grassy and wooded lot in a nice and safe neighborhood near Matthews NC, just barely inside the Charlotte city limits.

We sold it for $145-ish if I remember correctly, at the end of 2004. I just checked Zillow and they say it's worth $161K now.

[speedpimp]

^^^ Ric Flair's wife, "Big Mama", owned a flower shop on South Boulevard for decades. She probably still does.

Big Mama is Jimmy Valiant's wife.

http://www.nwalegends.com/2011mailorder/47.jpg
Big Mama bookended by The Boogie Woogie Man and Ms. Atlanta Lively.

[Phil_SS]

Wooooooooo!

[pl8ster]

My wife and I owned a 1650 square foot wood frame 3-bedroom one-story house on a concrete slab. No garage. Very nice 1/2-acre grassy and wooded lot in a nice and safe neighborhood near Matthews NC, just barely inside the Charlotte city limits.


I remember that place. The back deck made a nice smoking area!

[KillerB]

I never "lived" in the south, but I had corporate apartments when I worked there.

I would never live in the south*, no matter how cheap it is. Charlotte, is, I suppose, nice enough, but the economy there very dependent on the financial services industry.

*Excepting, perhaps, Asheville, NC or Austin, TX.

[Sad, little man]

So, you wouldn't live there... Because it's not nice? Elaborate.

[KillerB]

To be fair, I only visited Charlotte, but my commentary comes from experiences in both Richmond, VA and Greenville, SC, so Charlotte split the difference.

- The weather. Enjoy heat and humidity? Then this is the place for you. I don't. The absolute peak of a southern PA summer is about what you can expect for weeks at a time. But at least it's warm in the winter, right? Maybe compared to Michigan, it is, but the slight additional warmth over PA in the winter didn't doesn't make much difference. Less snow, so your winters will be brown, not white. When it does snow, however, you can forget accomplishing anything. They don't have the winter road equipment northern states do, so what would be a minor event in the north puts life at a standstill in the south. Also, you're in the "ice storm belt," which is about as fun as it sounds.
- One of the first questions your new neighbors will ask you is where you go to church. You will find it quite challenging to engage with your community if you're not religious. This one may not apply if you live in the more urbane bits of Charlotte.
- Get used to hearing "you're not from around here, are you?" Unlike in some other places where newcomers are regarded with curiosity, the general attitude toward someone who sounds northern seems to be, "so, when are you going back where you came from?" Under no circumstances should you mention that you were attracted by the inexpensive real estate. You will then be regaled with stories about how "it was a hell of a lot cheaper before you yankees started moving down here."
- The kudzu is apocalyptic. This one might be a matter of taste, but I hate the way it covers EVERYTHING in the sticks.
- Expect to hear about how everything is Obama's fault. I don't care for the guy, but this one grates on me to no end. This one I also have to deal with in certain parts of Orange County - I have certain coworkers I avoid making small talk with because of it. When I worked in the south, it was EVERYBODY.
- "What's the difference between a yankee and a damn yankee? Damn yankees don't go home."
- Bonus: Do you know why college football is so popular in the south? Because it's the only form of slavery that's still legal. ***DO NOT ACTUALLY TELL THIS JOKE***

On the plus side, Charlotte is a major US Airways (soon to be American) hub. So it's easy to go somewhere else.

I mean, look - you've got to go where the jobs are. But if you're looking to move somewhere for financial reasons, go to Texas.

[pl8ster]

I have family in/around Charlotte and finished college there but strangely, I have no real opinion of the place. I think that's because it has no real character. Every time I visit, more mini-cities have sprouted up with their own Harris Teeter-and-Lowe's mini-malls. But yeah, real estate is stupid cheap compared to the North. I stopped grabbing real estate magazines from the grocery stores there because it was too depressing to realize I could be living in a gated community for what I pay now. Not that I would want to live in a gated community, but I could.

[Sad, little man]

I dunno Joe, you seem very negative about it. As far as the people go, I think every region is going to have a certain population of very narrow-minded, culturally entrenched people. I guess I'll just learn to avoid hardcore southerners the way I've learned to avoid the lifetime Michiganders that think anything manufactured outside of the US is evil, and aren't willing to give the benefit of the doubt to anyone who's not caucasian. I kid you not, my neighbor from across the street casually pointed out that one of the nice features of my town is that it's 95% white, as if that was just understood and accepted to be a good thing. Looking back I wish for all the world I would have just directed him to get off of my property right then and there.

Maybe it's overly optimistic in regard to the south, but I feel that every area is going to have its people that are set in their narrow-minded ways, and others that realize that there is a world beyond their state borders.

I don't mind the heat. I just despise being cold. And who really cares that that area is ill equipped to deal with ice and snow when it's melted within days of it falling?

[George]

I remember that place. The back deck made a nice smoking area!

Ha ha! Did we? Probably.

We have a patio now instead of a deck. Come on out and we'll not break any laws in Colorado.

[KillerB]

Well you asked me to elaborate on why I didn't like it!

I guess the difference is that in both PA and California, I can see the narrowminded pricks coming a mile away... but those wily southerners would seem perfectly reasonable right up until they, apropos of nothing, totally drop a big steaming pile of weirdo extremist shit into a conversation.

Pro tip - the phrase "Bless your heart" is a huge insult. Passive-aggressiveness is the south's regional pastime. I much prefer the Californian equivalent... "dude... what the fuck is wrong with you?" Or, even better, the northeastern PA version... "yo, eat shit and die, ya fuck ya."

[Jason]

I haven't really liked anywhere south of DC so far. But then again, my natural home is the Rockies and west.

[pl8ster]

If you don't mind the heat and hate the cold, I can think of a lot worse places to live. I just really like the culture and history of New England, myself, so the sameness of Charlotte (and a lot of other places) doesn't do anything for me at all.

But as KB mentioned, it is true that it's a lot tougher to tell if a Southerner doesn't like you. And "bless your heart" is just another way of saying, "you're an idiot." :D

[KillerB]

Actually, it's really easy to tell if a southerner doesn't like you:

Q: Are you from the north?
A: If yes, then they do not care for you. Not one bit.

[speedpimp]

What's the difference between Indiana and Alabama? Indiana gets snow.

If somebody asks where you're from, tell them that you're from The North and here to remind them of their fucking place.

If somebody asks what religion you are, tell them that you're a Pescetarian and that you don't have much time to talk because you need to go and cast a line.

[KillerB]

My solution was quitting the job where I had to deal with them for another in California that paid a lot more.

[Conman]

Wow! I thought this board was full of culturally enlightened people who didn't stereotype. Guess I was stereotyping you guys then. Bless your hearts.

[21Kid]

How else would you describe it, if the vast majority is very similar and you were asked an opinion of it?

Just curious. :)

[Sad, little man]

So you're saying I'll be ok, Con?

[speedpimp]

That's pretty much what he's saying. In other words, don't be a dick to people and they won't be a dick towards you.

[FaultyMario]

Are you taking toto along?

[21Kid]

Afrika?

[FaultyMario]

His robotic toilet.

[Sad, little man]

Are you taking toto along?
Are you kidding? I spent like $900 on that thing, and frankly it would probably freak out potential home buyers rather than add value to the house. No way am I leaving that behind. I'm at the point where I almost refuse to shit without it.


Anyway, as always, this is all hypothetical at this point. Given my luck, you should all expect to hear me come in here in the next day or two and say "Well, nevermind, didn't get the job." :(

[speedpimp]

Take a tip from Magic Johnson and learn to be positive.

[pl8ster]

Take a tip from Magic Johnson and make sure he's wearing a condom.

Too soon?

Back to the point...yes, you'll be fine if you move to Charlotte. Almost everyone there is from somewhere else anyway. There are always some 'natives' that take pride in pointing out that they're native and you're not, no matter where you go.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Hmm, my group is undergoing reorg and might be relocated to either St Louis or Charleston or staying put or be laid off...

Anyway, looks like I should be able to fit right in at Charleston. When asked where I'm from, I can just tell them I'm originally from SC! :D

[Conman]

Yeah Billi, that will work. And then they will say "Bless his heart" to each other when you leave.

[George]

Charleston is a unique and very old (by American standards) city with interesting history, culture, beaches, cuisine, and much more to explore.

One nice thing about living in Charlotte is you can get to Charleston in about three hours. It makes a nice "what are we going to do this weekend?" option from Charlotte.

Charlotte is probably the better city to use as a stepping stone on the career ladder because it's more of a business hub (not counting the military and ports in and around Charleston), but Charleston wins in almost every other category to me, and I say that as a former resident of both cities.

[Conman]

Charleston is the bomb. About 7 to 1 girl to guy ratio, beaches, golf, fishing, watersports, great bars. It really is a single mans heaven. But only if you're a southerner. Everyone else, well lets just say, bless their hearts.

[Sad, little man]

:lol:

Anyway, moving to the Charlotte area just became significantly less likely today. However, the reason that it is now less likely is overall a benefit to me. I dunno, it's a sticky situation. I'm not sure how it's all going to shake out. Still a chance this might happen, but at this point there is a possible outcome that I would prefer to this.

[KillerB]

Unlike some folks, my generalizations come from working in the southeast for five years. I'm sure some of the response of the locals was due to the fact that the company brought in a bunch of outsiders to not just the area but to the company, to do a software implementation that, frankly, the current employees didn't have the expertise to pull off on their own. They paid us not unreasonable salaries to do it, but the company also didn't do much to help keep a lid on the fact that we were getting paid a lot better than the locals. However, our genuine efforts to connect and make friends were rebuffed, and were made to feel unwelcome and it made everyone's life (on both sides) harder in the process. The project would have been much easier had there been more of a sense of cooperation.

I stand by my depiction of the weather, though. There is an amount of money you could pay me to go back to oppressively hot and humid summers, cold, brown winters, and a third season I will simply refer to as "mosquitos," but it's not an amount of money that is forthcoming anytime soon. It's not like Michigan is any better in that regard, though - less hot, more cold, and bigger mosquitos.

[Sad, little man]

Have you ever made it up to Northern MI though? I'll admit the amount of time it's nice up there per year is pretty fleeting, but when it is, it's amazing. Absolutely pristine fresh water beaches that are all but deserted in places. Then of course you have this place, which isn't so much a beach as it is a real-life manifestation of what people probably used to think the edge of the earth was like.

http://gtxforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=551&d=1400038754

551

[KillerB]

I have not. But don't get me wrong, Pennsylvania had beautiful times of year, as does Madison, WI (a city I'd love to live in if it could be moved to the Pacific coast), but the fact that it's fleeting is the problem. I didn't come to California for the superficiality (there's plenty of that) or the endless suburbia hell (ditto), I came because I love being outside and want to live in a place that maximizes the amount of the year when it's pleasant to do so. I don't like being sweaty and I don't like being cold; I'm a wimp like that.

Places that are gorgeous for a few weeks or a month or two out of the year are the sorts of places I enjoy visiting, but that's about it. I'd like to do a road trip around the Great Lakes area at some point, but it sure as hell won't be in January! :lol:

[speedpimp]

SLM, that's Sleeping Bear isn't it?

[Sad, little man]

Yep.

[overpowered]

Horrified Man Suddenly Realizes He’s Putting Down Roots In Charlotte

http://www.theonion.com/article/horrified-man-suddenly-realizes-hes-putting-down-r-35102

[Cam]

Been through a few times. Big city with big city traffic. I can't offer more than that.

[drew]

Don't go into the "wrong" bathroom.

[21Kid]

That doesn't even matter... if the other person assumes you are in the wrong bathroom. :(

[drew]

Good point.

In other words, fuck North Carolina.

[drew]

More seriously (or less?), my gf said South Park is a good choice.

She lived there for a while in the 2006 range.