[Perception of Charlotte Nationwide]

Brianrri, thanks for the words of inspiration. I am moving to the lake area in a few months and it is refreshing to hear positive comments. I have visited Cape Town a couple of times and it is a faublous place. I drank several gallons of Castle Lager there. Additionally, I really like Providence. When I visit my cousin who teaches at Browns University and lives on Browns Ave. (I believe it is Ave.) we eat a Hemmingways on the water. Great place. Good luck to you and your wife.

You are welcome Larryfla, and thanks to all for the welcome! I lived in PVD on and off for about 30 years up until 2000 when we moved to Orlando and then to Cape Town in 2002. Yes Cape town was/is beautiful and I return often. Providence is nice and has come a LOOONG way from what it was when I was a kid but it still has a myriad of problems, especially with it's neighboods. The city poured tremendous amounts of money into the downtown area under Mayor Cianci but they really neglected the neighborhoods. I always thought it was wrong to spice up the guest areas of a home for show (downtown) but neglect the more private areas of the house such as the bedrooms (neighborhoods).

Charlotte though is a very "pretty" place all the way around. Providence has a nice area called the 'east side' but Charlotte has areas just as nice or better but on a much, much larger scale. I'm aware that there are some not so nice areas here but they are still not as bad as most places (I've been to 47 States). Race relations also seem to be good and opportunity seems to be available to all (Btw, I'm African-American). They used to tell us up North that the South is too rascist but we have been treated perfcetly well here by all races.

I am proud to live in Charlotte! I am also glad to have moved here during this time of unprecedented growth in the city. I have always been a fan of urban development and population statistics. I remember when Providence was on a development roll (although on a much smaller scale than that of Charlotte) and I would monitor the city's transformation with great eagerness.

Charlotte has the least amount of things that I dislike in comparison to any other place I've lived. One of my gripes is how littered the freeways can become sometimes. I feel that if they can keep the city interior areas as clean as they do why not the same for the interstates?

I would like to add that when my friends from South Africa and friends/family from up North come down here they are pleasantly surprised at how large a city it is and how beautiful it is. Many want to move here right away. Charlotteans have much to be proud of!

[Perception of Charlotte Nationwide]

Why would anyone compare Charlotte with any other city anyway? Who cares. What is wrong with being unique? I have lived most of my life overseas and have spent extended periods of time in many cities around the world. Trust me, Charlotte is a good city. It has good restaurants (very good Indian, my favorite), plays, cost of living, proximity to everything, and international airport, and it is easy to get around. I had no problems having great walks uptown or other parts of the city. It has so many gorgious neighborhoods that you should be proud to show off. I am moving to Charlotte in a few months (the Lake)after an intense search for a city to settle after leaving Florida from which I presently reside. Lake Norman is very nice and close to the city. I have lived in NYC, San Francisco, and Minneapolis. To be honest, the only one that I would even consider besides Charlotte would be Minneapolis and it is too far from the ocean. But that is only my opinion and I do love NYC and San Francisco. Charlotte is a growing city. In my humble opinion, it is as good as any other city and it doesn't matter how it compares. Comparing Charlotte to Louisville, Columbus, or anywhere else is like comparing Boston, Chicago, or New York City with London, they just don't compare. And, Charlotte is known worldwide. It is well known in Europe because of businesses and international airlines. I do believe that someone in Salt Lake City didn't know where Charlotte is, because unfortunately, most Americans know very little about geograpy or related fields of study. It doesn't mean that Charlotte is small, it means that some people are stupid. It seems that many people that live in Charlotte (Locals or other Carolinians) have been led to believe that Charlotte isn't a player in the major leagues, it is. Don't let some disgruntal, nagging transplant convince you otherwise.

I agree! I grew up in Providence, RI. Lived in Phoenix, Tampa, Orlando and, before moving to Charlotte, we lived for 3 years in Cape Town, South Africa. My family and I after leaving Cape Town (one of the world's most beautiful cities) travelled to Austin and Houston. We thought Austin was way over-hyped and that Charlotte was the kind of city we could settle down in.

My wife is very discriminating when it comes to complimenting cities, but she LOVES downtown Charlotte and it's neighborhoods. At first when exploring around I mentioned to my wife that Charlotte was very clean for a large city and some of the neighborhood were some of the best I have ever seen in the country. My children also love it here! We think it's a great place.

As I previously mentioned, I am from New England. Forty miles from Boston. But we much prefer Charlotte than back home.