I lived in Charlotte since 2000
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11/5/2006
Charlotte is a fantastic place to move to. There are plenty of jobs, especially for professionals. After all it is the banking capital of the US. The traffic is not too bad for a city (take a trip to Atlanta and you'll see what traffic really is.) The schools are good. The cost of living and housing are low. Finally, as with most cities, there is a rough section, but it is very small, and would be considered a joke compared to Philly or New York. Also it has an international airport, the Panthers, the Bobcats, and Lowes Motor Speedway.
Here is what it lacks. Charlotte is boring. It has very little culture. There is practically no music or art scene. What culture this area had, has been basically erased, because the city planners considered it to be too "redneckish". As you can imagine, forcing culture to develop does not work very well, especially in a city made up mainly of bankers. My wife and I are both musicians, so this has been hard for us, and we are looking to move next year to somewhere else (still looking for where). I should add, we both grew up in smaller towns in PA, and Charlotte’s music scene pales in comparison (horrible when comparing towns with a population a twentieth the size). If you like jazz, forget about it,unforutnately it's basically nonexistent here, but it really doesn’t matter what style you’re into. Other parts of the state do not suffer this same problem, like Raleigh and Ashville.
Overall, Charlotte is a great place to live and has a lot going for it. It would be a great city for a family, or a safe city for your first move. If you are into music, art, and a night life this is not the place for you.
Hope this helps someone.
Abhd | ,