A CITY TO DEEPLY CONSIDER BEFORE MOVING
-
6/18/2010
CHARLOTTE IS A CITY THAT CAN BE VERY ATTRACTIVE WHEN LISTENING TO A RESIDENTS’ SCRIPTED SPIEL. “CHARLOTTE IS A GROWING CITY WITH A GREAT JOB MARKET… IT’S HEADQUARTER OF BANK OF AMERICA…IT HAS PROFESSIONAL SPORTS (NASCAR, NFL, NBA AND MORE)…AFFORDABLE HOUSING…AND IT’S ONLY 2 HOURS FROM THE BEACH AND 2 HOURS FROM THE MONTAINS”. IT REALLY SOUNDS LIKE THE PERFECT PLACE TO LIVE UNTIL YOU HAVE SETTLED IN AND LEARNED THE REALITY OF THE LAND OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND VINYL SIDING. AFFORDABLE HOUSING MEANS YOU ARE LIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IN AN ISOLATED SUBDIVISION IN MIDST OF REALLY BAD URBAN SPRAWL. THESE AFFORDABLE COMMUNITIES WERE BUILT WITHOUT THE CONSIDERATION OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY CONNECTING AND LIVING IN COMMUNITY. ONE SHOULD REALLY CONSIDER WHERE THEY ARE LIVING IN RESPECT TO THE THINGS THEY VALUE. WITH CHARLOTTE BEING SO LARGE IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF IN AN AREA THAT IS LACKING ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF COMMUNITY. LET’S LOOK AT THE UNIVERSITY AREA FOR EXAMPLE. THE SUBDIVISIONS CAME FIRST AND THEN THEY DECIDED IT WAS PROBABLY BEST TO BRING SOME ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF COMMUNITY LIKE A LIBRARY, COMMUNITY PARKS, SIDEWALKS, CENTRALIZED MEETING SPACE, ETC. BUT WHEN THESE ELEMENTS ARE CONSIDERED AFTER THE FACT, THEY ARE OFTEN SCATTERED AND PLACED AS THEY FIND LAND AVAILABLE. SO INSTEAD OF BEING ABLE TO DRIVE A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO THE LOCAL LIBRARY, YOU END OF DRIVING 7 TO 8 MILE TO A LIBRARY THAT WAS THROWN OFF OF ONE OF THE BUSIEST HIGHWAYS IN THE AREA. DON’T THINK ABOUT WALKING TO A NEIGHBORING SUBDIVISION. MY MOTHER LIVES LESS THAN A MILE AWAY FROM MY HOME BUT THERE IS NO SAFE WAY TO WALK TO HER NEIGHBORHOOD. FINDING AN AFFORDABLE HOME IN CHARLOTTE MOST LIKELY MEANS LIVING IN AN “URBAN SPRAW” COMMUNITY. DON’T BE FOOLED BY THE NEWEST OF THE COMMUNITIES, CHARLOTTE IS AN AREA THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED WITH A LOT OF RESEARCH…AND NO, THE BEACH ISN’T 2 HOURS AWAY…IT’S MORE LIKE 4.5 HOURS. IF YOU WANT TO GET A BETTER PICTURE OF CHARLOTTE, DO A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THE AFFECTS OF ISOLATION DUE TO URBAN SPRAWL. EVEN THOUGH THERE IS MONEY TO BE MADE, I BELIEVE IT COMES AT VERY HIGH COST IN OTHER AREAS OF LIFE, QUALITY VS. QUANTITY.
MARIE | Charlotte, NC