You sound like someone who has never been there and doesnt really have an opinion of your own. I'm from that area and can tell you that Charlotte is wonderful as a whole. Yes, there are negatives there just as there are in other larger cities in our country, and yes, the economy is hurting there as it is everywhere else. You complain about expensive flights to and from Charlotte, but fail to mention that travel is also expensive everywhere else in the country. You mention violent crime, but specify that it's a note from Forbes, who only surveyed a few cities. I'm in Indiana now, and hear every night on the news about the violence in Indianapolis this summer. Please dont think that Charlotte is the only town suffering, it makes you sound like you are living a very sheltered life. Finally, you note Charlotte's restaurant scene and make note of the "locals" who you talked to. Go there for yourself and see. Yes, there are chains, especially new steakhouses lately, but venture off the beaten path just a little and you will find out what Charlotte is made of. In parting, I will remind you not to judge what you dont know from your own experience. Sounds to me like you read a few bad articles and made up your mind about a wonderful place to be.

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Let's take a look at the glass which is more than half full from the perspective of someone who moved from another major city to Charlotte:

1) Sure it's hot 2 months of the year but what about the other 10? It is absolutely one of the nicest climates with 4 seasons in the country.
2) Why do I need to fly to Fort Myers when I can drive 3-4 hours to some of the nicest beaches around? I just booked a round trip to Chicago for $250 and had plenty of flight options.
3) Yes. We can drive, not fly, to beaches and mountains and we do it often. In addition, there is a huge variety of places to go for both.
4) Restaurants are popping up all over because we still have incredible development. The chains know to follow the disposable income which this area still has.
5) The city is sustaining housing prices in a tough real estate time for all which is not something most other major metros can say.

As with any burgeoning city, crime will follow...especially in harder economic times. There are areas to avoid but it doesn't define the city. The biggest concern is infrastructure. People love this area and are moving here. If not dealt with, it could be an issue but the commute is presently not out of line with other places.

People from all parts of the country have moved here and the friendliness factor seems higher than other places I've visited or lived. The "Queen City" should be given her honor!

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I've lived in Charlotte off and on since 1990 and I could not agree more with your assessment. I would also add to this that the dearth of educational diversity undermines the city's world class ambitions. The town is so overly-dependent on banking that the area colleges have all jumped on the MBA bandwagon to the detriment of science, technology and advanced liberal arts. In an global economy this creative diversity is going to be key for business and I think Charlotte missed the boat on creating think tanks, private-public sector alliances and hubs for innovation. It's a 'nice' town but it is very vulnerable to the global fluctuations we are seeing, and, sadly there is no leadership or communal desire to shore up those weaknesses. The great divide between the haves and are tryings is growing everyday. If you are in middle management at the Bank and living in Myers Park this could be ok - for now - but there is another middle class side of Charlotte that has been devestated by the credit crunch, lay-offs, a messy school system and limited retraining/eduacational opportunities. And you can't keep that kind of devestation in a bottle. It eventually spreads to other sectors.

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Cities that are "discovered" by Yankees and Californians always end up in decline or over development which is the same thing in my opinion.

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i have lived in the charlotte area for 17 years after relocating from northern california. to quote one of our presidential candidates : "you can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig" and virginia woolf : "there is no there there". of course virginia was talking about oakland, ca but had she ever visited charlotte, nc, i feel sure she would have felt the same. oakland actually has a lot more character, charm and culture and i have lived there too. there seems to be a real lack of glamour, excitement and personality. people are for the most part discourteous or at best, disingenuous. drivers are the worst i have seen any place in the country. newcomers come roaring in to the area ready to snatch up cheap homes unaware that the job situation has been very bad for several years and these individuals add to the general malaise by complaining about how bad things are here and how much better things were "up north". my response: you should have done your homework. we have this new invention called the internet. i know natives born and bred in charlotte who cannot stand the place and have moved elsewhere. i live in one of the lake norman communities now and only venture in to charlotte to go to the airport.

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I just moved to Charlotte within the last two months. I do NOT regret it one bit. It is a Great city that has a LOT to offer. As with any big city, yes there is crime. Charlotte has been named the #1 relocation city! So, I think that surely says something.

This came from here:
http://www.charlotterelocation.com/

Here is some basic info:
* Charlotte ranked #1 as "Best Place to Live" by Relocation America in 2008.
* Charlotte named one of the 10 most recession proof cities by Forbes magazine.
* Cost of living in Charlotte is below the national average.
* Charlotte is the 21st largest city in the country.
* The Charlotte region is the 7th fastest growing in the country.
* Charlotte has the 12th most active airport in the country.
* Charlotte generates over $13 billion in annual retail sales.
* Charlotte is 6th in the number of Fortune 500 firms with 328.
* Charlotte is 2nd best city for entrepreneurs.
* Charlotte is 4th best city for relocating singles.
* Charlotte is 1st most popular relocation destination.

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I would agree with the article and add that ALL of NC is overrated. I first moved there in the early 90s. At that time, all of NC was full of cool laid back southern charm. Now, Charlotte's population has exploded and the city has turned into a suburb of Atlanta. Asheville and the mountain towns have gone from relaxed mountain retreats to another upscale Hamptons or Martha's Vineyard tourist hell. And the Raleigh-Durham area....quadrupled in size and problems. I left three years ago and will never go back.

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North Carolina native, 30-year resident. Charlotte, eh. Like Cary, it's not for me, but I can understand why some people would enjoy it. I highly recommend Durham if you're the type of person who'd rather make biscuits from scratch than pop them from a cardboard tube.

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Brett,

you should do your homework on crime...citizens hiring their own security?...You didn't get the speicifcs obviously...they were talking about an area called "Dilworth"...there is no "HOA"...Charlotte is an incredible place where I have lived for over 11 year's and all my life in the south and have seen the growth and the transplants who tell me they love the southern kindness and people who actually speak to you like "neighbor's"...you all are all welcome to Charlotte with open arms.
Mike in Charlotte

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There is truth in aspects from the previous posts. I moved here 6 years ago from Alabama to try and get into PR in NASCAR. Had I not had some issues happen in my life to make me get off the pot so to speak I wouldn't be here at all. At any rate, I experienced some success, but NASCAR isn't what completely drives Charlotte. Mooresville, Huntersville, Concord and Statesville are where most of the teams and their shops are headquarted. Our economy is precariously poised to fall victim to the economic woes experienced by our country -- just pick up the Observer and you will have seen the way lay-offs from US Air, Wachovia, BOA and some others over the years make the economic waters ripple with the banks taking center stage in recent months. The city was woefully short-sighted to act on the need for increased infrastructure that their own studies noted 25 years ago or more would be needed here now. Couple that with the fact that the state government in Raleigh still seems to hold a grudge against a city that supplies its coffers with the most sales tax revenue in the state and it can tick you off a bit when you drive around I-77 in darkness for the entire time you are here before the state starts replacing the lights along the highway.

It isn't that hot here in the summer, okay. Head further south and then you can deal with extreme humidity. I agree with the statement that a lot of the locally owned restaurants are overpriced, but it depends on which section of the city you are in. It is a nice city, the surrounding area is visually appealing, and a lot of the people are friendly. However, I found that if you didn't know anyone here before you moved, weren't transferred in by your company or had no ties to any of the state's universities it can be a very hard job market to crack. That may be the case in other places as well, but I am speaking from my experience as well as that of others I have spoken with over the years-- so I started my own company. I certainly don't think it to be a Garden of Eden by any stretch of the imagination, but Charlotte and the state have a lot of positives. I still don't intend on staying here the rest of my life, though because home is where your heart is.

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As a 3 year resident, you are overblowing the weather element (ever spent a steamy summer in Manhattan or Philly?) and just plain snobbish on the food scene- lots of good eats here. You don't need to fly much, as great beaches are 3-4 hours away and the mountains 2.

However, you are dead-right on the crime here. It is horrendous, and doesn't look likely to ebb anytime soon. In part, some of the same people who have relocated here from the NE to avoid high-taxes and crime are implementing the same failed policies that made the NE corridor so edgy.

Overall, Charlotte is pretty nice except for the virulent liberalism slowly choking the city to death.

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Hey, Mike... doesn't sound like you have much 'southern kindness' at all. Maybe you should pack up and move to NYC where you're better received. By the way, you need to do your homework as well; years and neighbors aren't needing apostrophes!

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I've lived in Charlotte for 11 years and yes, crime has increased. But, I moved from Memphis where you wouldn't even think about going out after dark by yourself and this feels like Mayberry! Have you ever walked the streets of downtown Atlanta or Birmingham after dark? I did and wouldn't attempt it again. Here you can actually enjoy the city after dark without worrying about whether or not you'll make it home alive or with your wallet.

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I moved to Charlotte from Pittsburgh 26 years ago. I have witnessed an unbelievable amount of change and growth.

There is a growing problem with illegals in the area. Violent crime, etc.

I feel that Charlotte has weathered the economy crisis fairly well. However I have my doubts that it will remain so.

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I moved to Charlotte from Fort Lauderdale 4-months ago. Yes, at first it seemed like the employment stats were horrible. I am a paralegal and it took me 3 months to find employment; but, I did not leave because I absolutely believe Charlotte is one of the most wonderful cities in America. It is growing, there are jobs (mind you, you must be patient); but the salaries are very competitive; the people are wonderful, and the downtown area has so much to offer. The arts are huge. The mountains are close and the beaches are not that far away. This city has so much to offer in comparison to the rest of the country. I have family in Michigan and that is an economic nightmare; South Florida is overpopulated and overpriced. It is refreshing to call Charlotte my new home.

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Take it from someone who lives in Metro Detroit......... Charlotte's economic boom paradise will be in for a big reality check before long. Your home values will drop 40 percent just like ours have done. Just a matter of time.......

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I lived in the Charlotte area from 1998 through 2004 and although I enjoyed living there, I find it really hard to believe all the hype I hear about the housing market. We had to sell our houes to move to another state and I have never had such a terrible experience in my life. Our lovely 2900 sq foot home sat on the market for well over a year only because builders were building new homes all over the place selling them for less than we paid 6 years before. 2900 sq feet was deemed too small for the Charlotte crowd...even couples without kids wanted a house twice the size. We finally had to take the house off the market and rent it only to be sued by our realtors who wanted a comission once the house was sold to the renters two years later!!!! We sold the house for 10 percent profit over what we had paid 8 years earlier. Hardly a hot real estate market.

Other than that, it's an okay city. Lots of transplants coming in changing the Southern feel but that may not be a bad thing.

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