1. Charlotte Is Chill
Cities like
Los Angeles pretend to be chill, but I guess they’re too busy sitting in traffic to look the word up.
Charlotte doesn’t pretend, though. One trip here and you’ll see what chill really is.
No one is in a rush to go most places. And while there are things to do, it’s a pretty quiet city. So, if you’re coming from a major metro, prepare for a the shock of it all.
2. You’re Literally In The Middle Of Everything
Charlotte is perfectly located. You have the luxury of living in a city with all of the amenities that come with that, but you’re also the perfect distance between the mountains and the ocean. So, everything you need is always close by and vacationing is a breeze.
3. North Carolina Is Like The California Of The East Coast
If you want to argue that
North Carolina has the best weather of the East Coast, you’re going to lose. Located in a way where Charlotte experiences all four seasons, the major perk is that they’re all relatively mild. Summer rarely gets too hot and February is the worst month for winter and even that doesn’t usually get too bad.
4. Charlotte Is Basically Brand Spanking New
Charlotte is a pretty new city. The good news about this is that the city is really clean. The downside to this is that even the downtown lacks a rooted history.
5. North Carolina Is The Reigning Barbeque Champion
If people could worship food then barbeque would be the biggest religion of Charlotte. You’ll go to backyard barbeques, barbeque festivals, you’ll eat it in restaurants and chow down on it in parking lots while you’re tailgating.
Life is hard but somebody’s gotta do it. And remember, the more of a dive the spot is, the better the barbeque is.
6. The City Shuts Down For The CIAA Tournament
Charlotte is a basketball city. And it’s primarily a college basketball city. You have the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke University Blue Devils rivalry that the area thrives on. By the time it’s all done with, everyone’s like, “Oh yeah, the Hornets…”
7. Avoid Moving Here Or Making Any Major Plans In Charlotte In Mid-October
Or you should, anyway. Otherwise, you’re in the wrong city. Only slightly less important than basketball in Charlotte is NASCAR. Race Week rolls around every mid-October and turns the city into wall-to-wall NASCAR coverage and everything gets crowded. Make sure you set your schedules around it.
8. The Cost Of Living Reflects Charlotte’s Growth
You can live in Charlotte for a lot less than you can a lot of other major cities. But, Charlotte is growing fast and the cost of living keeps edging up higher every year.
9. Know Your Charlotte Neighborhoods
Charlotte is approximately double the size of
Atlanta, which still isn’t extremely large in comparison to other cities. But it’s still plenty of room for them to have diverse range of neighborhoods.
Dilworth is the most historic area you’ll find, while the South End has the farmer’s markets and art galleries. There’s somewhere to go here for everyone’s budget and lifestyle preference.
11. Intown Is More Affordable Than Uptown
Uptown is the more walkable business district with easy access to a lot of things. So naturally, you’re going to pay for it. Moving intown gives the luxury of paying less while still living in close proximity to everything.
12. Keep Your Car Doors Locked
The crime rate isn’t anything to brag about in Charlotte. Of course, if you’re coming from a city like
Chicago or
Philadelphia, it won’t make much of a dent in the way you think.
13. If You Don’t Already Have GPS, Get It
No, really. Even lifelong residents of the area have trouble getting around in Charlotte. Use your GPS and save yourself the hassle.
14. You Should Think About Ditching Your Car
Charlotte’s monorail is called the Lynx Light Rail and they have a decent bus system. And yet, no one uses it. Rush hour sucks in Charlotte so more people should. Give it a try before completely ditching your car, but you should definitely think about it.
15. The Bible Is Unavoidable
Billy Graham’s Library and the mega-church Elevation are located in Charlotte. If you’re not religious, get used to seeing a lot of it. And if you are, you’re that much closer to heaven.
16. If You Work In Finance, You Probably Have A Job Here
And you’ll probably work at Bank of America, Wells or Red Ventures. They’re all here and they bring a lot of work to the city.
17. It’s Not Just You, Charlotte Can Sometimes Feel Like A Ghost Town
If it’s not in the middle of the CIAA or Race Week, Charlotte can feel pretty dead. And don’t even think about finding something worthwhile on Sunday. The city is all but shut down.
18. Kids Love Charlotte
With yearlong sporting events, great parks, friendly neighborhoods, and awesome things to do like Discovery Place, Charlotte is a great city to raise a family in.
19. White Water Rafting In Charlotte? Why Not?
You can’t go whitewater rafting in many cities but Charlotte is one of them. The US National Whitewater Center is located right in the city. And if the rough water isn’t your thing, there is plenty of calm nature to love about Charlotte, too.
20. Even The Kids Play Golf Here
With world-premiere golf courses, championships, and tournaments (not to mention the weather), Charlotte is one of the best cities to love golf in. Get yourself a set of clubs and make Sunday your golfing fun day.
21. Cheers To You, Charlotte
If you’ve decided on making Charlotte your new home, congratulations and welcome. Now kick back and grab yourself one of the city’s awesome craft beers and strike up a conversation with someone in town. Everyone is friendly here and most of them are transplants, too.
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