Perception of Charlotte Nationwide

[Charlotte_native]

Travel & Leisure magazine readers have selected Ballantyne Resort as the best business hotel in Charlotte.

And Olive Garden as the best Italian Restaurant.

[Temeteron]

Most New Yorkers don't seem to understand that Boston is a large city...

Hahaha, very true! Not to stereotype, but alot of New Yorkers think the whole world revolves around NYC....

[Emma77]

its funny when i was in nyc i met many high schoolers from all over the world and many of them didnt know where charlotte was or didnt understand it was a large city...

I was out in Salt Lake City 2 years ago. The lady sitting next to me on the plane had never heard of Charlotte

seriously??

[Raintree21]

Charlotte has a mention in this week's U.S. News & World Report. Page 56 has an article titled "Barking up the Right Tree" that speaks about a couple who lives in Charlotte and their chocolate business here in Charlotte. The article also mentions that the wife used to work at UNCC and that they sell their product to Bonterra Dining & Wine Room.

[Raintree21]

Today's Get Fuzzy Comic. It appears in over 200 newspapers worldwide.

Edited September 6, 2007 by Raintree21

[uptownliving]

I was skimming Northwest Airline's website the other day for some travel deals and came across these vacation packages for Charlotte that I found to be hilarious:

Charlotte, NC: High-Rises in the Low Country

From cotton plantations to modern high-rises, Queen City is now second to New York as the largest banking center in the country. This city hosts a lively nightlife, good eats, and pro sports aplenty. Good to know: While you'll want a car in the land of NASCAR, you can also take the free electric trolley system around Uptown (which is really downtown).

For the kids or the kid in you: Ride the Carolina Cyclone or the Tidal Wave at Paramount's Carowinds, or check out the world's largest eyeball at Discovery Place.

You can view it for yourself here.

[Charlotte_native]

Last night on Bob Costas Live (NFL show on HBO) they were discussing some players union issues. They mentioned "an article in The Charlotte Observer" about one of the people involved and didn't add an explanation as to where Charlotte was or about the paper...

Edited September 6, 2007 by Charlotte_native

[krazeeboi]

LOL @ the Rock Hill comic strip

Now since when has Charlotte been located in the Lowcountry? I'm surprised they didn't mention the SC Aquarium or Fort Sumter.

[monsoon]

Uhh yeah and the trolley has been closed for close to two years. What does it say about a business that provides travel when they put out such a badly written travel magazine.

[davidals]

^

Maybe they think Charlotte just annexed South Carolina, or vice-versa.

[atlrvr]

I watched the Bob Costas Live and noticed that they made the Charlotte Observer sound like a big name source of information....they also had HOFer Joe DeLameleur on there being interviewed, but they didn't mention that he lives in Charlotte.

[Charlotte_native]

I watched the Bob Costas Live and noticed that they made the Charlotte Observer sound like a big name source of information....they also had HOFer Joe DeLameleur on there being interviewed, but they didn't mention that he lives in Charlotte.

I didn't realize he did. I actually didn't realize how many retired pro athletes currently live in Charlotte (until I worked with one), it is a fairly decent number. Higher than I thought.

[cityboi]

Here's a thought for you, compared to those places, Charlotte is small.

I agree. Charlotte is home to a few big banks, has major league teams and a nice skyline. But those features in of itself dont make a big city. I've been to cities like Chicago, Miami, ect and no city in the Carolinas comes close to those cities which have alot more cultural amentites and a greater importance in the United States and abroad. Charlotte is defiantly on the right track and is moving fast but isnt there yet. From people that I know outside of NC, they perceive Charlotte as being in the group of cities like Louisville, Indianapolis or Orlando and not among the likes of Boston, Dallas, Pheonix, Baltimore, ect. Its all relative and just depends on which cities you compare Charlotte to. If you compare Charlotte to Fayettville, NC yea its a BIG city. I know people that live in one stop light towns that look at Durham as the BIG city. It just depends on a person's perspective.

Edited September 7, 2007 by cityboi

[Miguel]

I agree. Charlotte is home to a few big banks, has major league teams and a nice skyline. But those features in of itself dont make a big city. I've been to cities like Chicago, Miami, ect and no city in the Carolinas comes close to those cities which have alot more cultural amentites and a greater importance in the United States and abroad. Charlotte is defiantly on the right track and is moving fast but isnt there yet. From people that I know outside of NC, they perceive Charlotte as being in the group of cities like Louisville, Indianapolis or Orlando and not among the likes of Boston, Dallas, Pheonix, Baltimore, ect. Its all relative and just depends on which cities you compare Charlotte to. If you compare Charlotte to Fayettville, NC yea its a BIG city. I know people that live in one stop light towns that look at Durham as the BIG city. It just depends on a person's perspective.

I think Charlotte by 2010 will be in the league of Philadelphia, Dallas, and Pheonix... unless we are talking about population...

[Skyline49er]

I didn't realize he did. I actually didn't realize how many retired pro athletes currently live in Charlotte (until I worked with one), it is a fairly decent number. Higher than I thought.

I was shocked as well. I've seen Ben Coates, a former New England Patriot Tight End where I work, and I have also heard Robert Parrish came into the store. Reggie White lived in Huntersville before he passed away, although he spent one year with the Panthers. That is all I can think of right now.

[krazeeboi]

From people that I know outside of NC, they perceive Charlotte as being in the group of cities like Louisville, Indianapolis or Orlando and not among the likes of Boston, Dallas, Pheonix, Baltimore, ect.

That's pretty accurate from an urbanized area and metro population standpoint.

I think Charlotte by 2010 will be in the league of Philadelphia, Dallas, and Pheonix... unless we are talking about population...

In what sense are you meaning that Charlotte will be in the league of those cities by 2010 if not population (which it certainly won't)?

[dubone]

I know these are just anecdotes, and there are plenty of stories of people chosing the opposite, but I figured it was worth sharing.

I was in Savannah (Savannah, GA ) for business recently and there was some discussion about a person who lives somewhere 'up north'. She was given an option to move to Charlotte or else give up her position. She opted to give up her job rather than move to Charlotte. I presumed she just was rooted and wanted to stay put. In a later conversation about the same woman, they talked about how she'd gladly move to Savannah, but there is no way she would ever move to Charlotte. She gave up her job and took a lesser position just to avoid moving to Charlotte, and it was NOT that she was too rooted to move. The others sort of went along with the conversation in an [of course she wouldn't want to move to Charlotte] vibe.

In another case, I've been hiring for a position, and I have not been able to find many resumes for the specific skills in Charlotte. I found someone, but she also refused to move to Charlotte. In the end, I hired her, and she will live in a different city and work from there.

I think these are perfect examples of why Charlotte needs to grow up more and develop an alternative to the standard suburban lifestyle. I think there are people who are excluded by the kind of city we've become. For businesses that are already rooted here, it is very beneficial to have those amenities that attract people, as it can be very costly to not have those people come here. We really need to avoid being taken over completely by the suburbanists who want to keep Charlotte a suburban city with nothing but sprawling neighborhoods and freeways. Until we arrive at a more urban image, we will be able to attract people here that expect that lifestyle.

[Raintree21]

So what exactly was her (and their) complaint? That we aren't urban enough? That seems like a pretty poor excuse. Were there any other excuses for not wanting to move to Charlotte? Seems like everyone else we hear about would love to move to Charlotte or fall in love with it as soon as they visit.

[voyager12]

I totally understand the woman's issue. I originally moved here for a web job from Charleston. After living in historical cities that have ideal urban cores it's a huge sea change to move to a sprawly New South metropolis and some people can't handle it. In order to make the transistion work for me I made a concerted effort to find an apt in PlazaMidwood and now here in Dilworth. That way I could emulate on a much more limited level unfortunately the walkable lifestyle I had in my previous hometown. I love Dilworth but East Boulevard gets very small after awhile and our other "walkable" neighborhoods are just as limited or smaller in scope. Charlotte has a lukewarm committment to responsible urban planning. A few developers "get it" but the City refuses to enforce or strongly encourage more uniform participation so a real ethic could take hold. Many potential newcomers expect a "city" to be a place where you don't have to use your car on a daily basis. Charlotte by and large refuses to offer the structure for that ideal urban lifestyle so some people will reject us.

Edited September 10, 2007 by voyager12

[Durhamite]

I know these are just anecdotes, and there are plenty of stories of people chosing the opposite, but I figured it was worth sharing.

I was in Savannah (Savannah, GA ) for business recently and there was some discussion about a person who lives somewhere 'up north'. She was given an option to move to Charlotte or else give up her position. She opted to give up her job rather than move to Charlotte. I presumed she just was rooted and wanted to stay put. In a later conversation about the same woman, they talked about how she'd gladly move to Savannah, but there is no way she would ever move to Charlotte. She gave up her job and took a lesser position just to avoid moving to Charlotte, and it was NOT that she was too rooted to move. The others sort of went along with the conversation in an [of course she wouldn't want to move to Charlotte] vibe.

In another case, I've been hiring for a position, and I have not been able to find many resumes for the specific skills in Charlotte. I found someone, but she also refused to move to Charlotte. In the end, I hired her, and she will live in a different city and work from there.

I think these are perfect examples of why Charlotte needs to grow up more and develop an alternative to the standard suburban lifestyle. I think there are people who are excluded by the kind of city we've become. For businesses that are already rooted here, it is very beneficial to have those amenities that attract people, as it can be very costly to not have those people come here. We really need to avoid being taken over completely by the suburbanists who want to keep Charlotte a suburban city with nothing but sprawling neighborhoods and freeways. Until we arrive at a more urban image, we will be able to attract people here that expect that lifestyle.

People are reluctant to relocate for a variety of reasons, but a city's walkability or urbanization would seem to be a bottom rung consideration except for a small percentage of urbanites. Having someone reject the idea of relocating to Charlotte versus Savannah is rather silly to me based solely on an urbanization image. Being raised in the Wilmington area and having spent substantial time in Charleston & Savannah, I understand the history & charm of both areas (love 'em both). Maybe this person has a need to be near the ocean or seeks something of a laidback small urban oasis, etc.

Both Savannah & Charleston have small historic urban cores (Alexandria, VAish) but limited in terms of travel options (either connect through ATL or CTL, etc), diversity and economic progressiveness.

Now, if one had been reluctant to relocate to Charlotte versus Washington, DC in search of an urban lifestyle that offers an abundance of diversity,etc., that would make sense.

[Charlotte_native]

It all boils down to what lifestyle and environment you want. I've had plenty of friends move from here that hated Charlotte and have friends now that have moved here and love it. People always talk about wanting to live in various places with an assumption that everyone wants to live in certain cities like they do. Atlanta, Miami, New York, Seattle, etc. I've been to them all would never want to live in any of them thought I love to visit -- personal, nothing against them at all. Wilmington, Toronto, Asheville, Denver, would love them all. It is just about what the individual wants -- it shouldn't surprise anyone that everyone doesn't like this place.

Edited September 10, 2007 by Charlotte_native

[Larryfla]

I was skimming Northwest Airline's website the other day for some travel deals and came across these vacation packages for Charlotte that I found to be hilarious:

You can view it for yourself here.

Don't quite get it, what was so hilarious?

[Larryfla]

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.

[davidals]

It doesn't mean that Charlotte is small, it means that some people are stupid.

There's a tough-as-nails marketing campaign waiting to be born. I want that (^) on a t-shirt.

[1979Heel]

It has so many gorgeous neighborhoods that you should be proud to show off.

I couldn't agree more. I have lived in Atlanta, SF, LA and northern New Jersey on the banks of the Hudson. Charlotte's neighborhoods, both historic in-town and new suburbs compare favorably with many cities/areas much larger. When I have toured people from other cities (New York, Washington) through Charlotte's Eastover, Myers Park and Dilworth they have been very favorably impressed. The classic mix of leafy and stately gets 'em every time.