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I just moved back to Ohio via Florida after being down there for a few years, I had to come back up and help out with some family issues. I've been back for 3 months and I"m ready to leave. I always wanted to live in NC and since i'm still young and single I'm going to move again. I have some friends in Charlotte and just wondered how would you compare Charlotte to any Ohio city?
What's the winters like?
How bad is the traffic? Say i live in Matthews would it be possible to commute to most sides of the city within an hour?
I just moved back to Ohio via Florida after being down there for a few years, I had to come back up and help out with some family issues. I've been back for 3 months and I"m ready to leave. I always wanted to live in NC and since i'm still young and single I'm going to move again. I have some friends in Charlotte and just wondered how would you compare Charlotte to any Ohio city?
What's the winters like?
How bad is the traffic? Say i live in Matthews would it be possible to commute to most sides of the city within an hour?
Lived in Ohio 52 years, 2 years in Concord NC it's on the outskirts of Charlotte. It's actually where the racetrack is.
Not one city in Ohio compares to Charlotte. Not one. Think of Columbus....Charlotte is Columbus, but on steroids.
Winters are good here, traffic is horrendous, and so are the drivers.
They have some laws here that we did not have in Ohio. You are allowed to drive a scooter type little motorbike on the roads. You are allowed to do U-turns. No one stops at stop signs...they kinda roll thru. They do not allow a careful distance between cars, and are constantly over the speed limits, many times dangerously so. Expect to be cut off daily, cussed at, and given the finger. They are also allowed to talk on cell phones while driving, whereas in Ohio many of the major cities have disallowed this due to the accidents they cause.
You could commute to both sides of the city within an hour, unless there is the normal daily flux of wrecks here. I-77 manages to close down at least once a week. It ain't the same I-77 you get in Ohio.
But the weather is great. Ohio especially the Northern parts had snow storms and wrecks...here it's if it rains, it's bedlam. It actually amazed me at first, but now I just sigh...and hope I make it home in an hour and half or so.
Just moved from Cleveland Heights 3 months ago. Love it here so far, weather is great and I'm looking forward to not having to brush off my car every day for 3 months straight.
I also wouldn't compare Charlotte to any city in Ohio. The constant quote I here from visitors is "Everything looks so nice and new".
I'd say you can make it just about anywhere in Charlotte in an hour. The traffic can be bad in places. If you're from the Cleveland area I would compare it to a little worse than driving from the west side to the east side during rush hour. Let me know if you have any other questions.
I'm actually from Youngstown(don't laugh) but lived in Tampa for a while so i can deal with traffic, it doesn't bother me at all as long as the commute isnt over an hour...what field are you in BCC? I'm actually considering moving before getting a job to get out of OHio by October, i figured i can have enough saved up to live a while and would have an easier time finding a job living down there....
I grew up in NE Ohio and now live in Charlotte. There are a ton of Buckeyes down here.
I would agree that Charlotte is much like Columbus but, sadly, without the university community (I really don't count UNCC). Also, most Ohio cities have a definite immigrant presense (ie - neighborhoods that were originally strong Italian, Polish, German, Irish, etc. communities that still reflect some of that). You get none of that here. I do miss that.
The weather is fantastic except for July and August, but we just plan our family trips back up to the Great Lakes then.
Hi--born and raised in Cleveland, then lived in Columbus, then Denver, CO and now 5 years in Charlotte. I know all about winters! So I can vouch Charlotte has mild winters. Lots of different folks here. One in four is a transplant. Charlotte looks like NE Ohio but lacks the ethnic character (and wide variety of ethnic offerings/festivals). Charlotte feels like Columbus (plenty of shopping and American restaurants and new housing developments), but lacks the university spirit. There is a lot of wealth concentrated in Charlotte and surrounding area compared to the rest of NC/SC. In Ohio it is spread out over the three C cities. Charlotte's strength lies in its location (between mountains and beaches) and the wonderful weather! It is mild until, at least, Halloween. Trees start budding end of February-March. You plant impatiens/petunias in April and hardy pansies in the fall--yes fall! If you stagger plantings you can eat fresh tomatoes until November. But beware of the iron-rich orange dirt--the stains are impossible to get out of clothes! Soo--it does get cold in the short-lived winter--but it is very bearable--and you only need a light coat, not a heavy down parka!
Yes, there are a bunch of us Buckeyes that have moved to the Charlotte area. I have lived around the Lake Norman area for a little over 2 years and have grown to love the area. The traffic is a problem that I wish the transportation system would pay more attention to. There is a light rail system that is being built in downtown Charlotte that will help improve the traffic flow, but there needs to be continued work to help prevent the traffic congestion.
I would also agree that Charlotte does lack the ethnical heritage the Ohio offers. Being from NE Ohio I miss the Irish neighborhoods of west Cleveland and the heritage of the cultural and people from that area. I also miss the strong influences on food and different festivals that Ohio offered; Polish, Italian, Greek, and German to name a few.
However, Charlotte is a beautiful city and has a great surrounding. There are numerous buildings and high rises being built (regardless of the week economy throughout the US) that is making for a beautiful city sky line. The “Uptown” area of Charlotte is a lot cleaner then any major city that Ohio has to offer. People here are happier, healthier, and kinder; more educated, and have a more sense of purpose.
You can travel 3-4 hours west and be in western Carolina’s, enjoying the scenic views that the mountains have to offer. Travel 4-5 hours east and be walking on the sunny beaches. Travel 3-4 hours south and be in historic Charleston, SC or Savannah, GA ((Savannah, GA is a must see for St. Patrick’s Day... )) Travel 6 ½ hours north and be in Columbus watching a OSU game, or travel 8 hours north and be at the Cleveland Browns Stadium routing for the team that you grew to love and hate throughout your life time….
Charlotte is a great city to live in and has so much to offer as it continues to grow!
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Charlotte is sooo much better than Ohio cities
)) Travel 6 ½ hours north and be in Columbus watching a OSU game, or travel 8 hours north and be at the Cleveland Browns Stadium routing for the team that you grew to love and hate throughout your life time…. 
