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I've read some great posts, but still would appreciate some more information from all of the helpful people on the board.
I'm considering a move to Charlotte in the next few months - right now I live in the Chicago suburbs and work in downtown Chicago. I would be working in downtown Charlotte as well - I'm in banking.
What are the best neighborhoods for a late 30's single professional female? I'm not into the bar scene, don't want a condo and can afford up to probably $450k. I also don't want a terrible commute - although can it possibly be as bad as Chicago (and before here I lived in the NYC area)? Is there public transportation?
I'd like to have a quieter neighborhood, relatively close to downtown but not all families & kid oriented. A mix is fine as I have no problem with families or anything like that.
When doing a RE search, I really don't understand how to pick one of the numbered quadrants - 1 - 9 and then 99 represents city center. Directionally, are there better areas of Charlotte (NE, SW, etc)?
I've read some great posts, but still would appreciate some more information from all of the helpful people on the board.
I'm considering a move to Charlotte in the next few months - right now I live in the Chicago suburbs and work in downtown Chicago. I would be working in downtown Charlotte as well - I'm in banking.
What are the best neighborhoods for a late 30's single professional female? I'm not into the bar scene, don't want a condo and can afford up to probably $450k. I also don't want a terrible commute - although can it possibly be as bad as Chicago (and before here I lived in the NYC area)? Is there public transportation?
I'd like to have a quieter neighborhood, relatively close to downtown but not all families & kid oriented. A mix is fine as I have no problem with families or anything like that.
When doing a RE search, I really don't understand how to pick one of the numbered quadrants - 1 - 9 and then 99 represents city center. Directionally, are there better areas of Charlotte (NE, SW, etc)?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Hi Misphasa - I am from the Chicago Burbs and I am actually heading down to Charlotte later this month to check things out.
With your 450K budget you can pretty much afford to live wherever you want to live down in Charlotte. There are two areas that I will be looking at when I am visiting down there, and one is the Unversity City Area, which seems to be where a lot of young professionals are living and it's not that far to get up to the Charlotte Uptown area. I am also looking South Park, which seems to be a very upscale type of neighborhood and it is not far Uptown as well. Lastly, the other area that I am checking out is Huntersville, they have this great place up that way called Birkdale, it looks like a town center. I am sure if you google it or do a search on this website you will find tons of information. SunnyKayak has an electronic new comers guide on here, you should really check it out.
Hmmm, I will let the other experts who actually live here tell you about the quieter neighborhoods close to the city, some of them are Elizabeth and Dilworth, but I believe there are others. Anyway, glad to see there is someone else from Chicago who is considering a relocation to Charlotte. Peace.
Hi Misphasa - I am from the Chicago Burbs and I am actually heading down to Charlotte later this month to check things out.
With your 450K budget you can pretty much afford to live wherever you want to live down in Charlotte. There are two areas that I will be looking at when I am visiting down there, and one is the Unversity City Area, which seems to be where a lot of young professionals are living and it's not that far to get up to the Charlotte Uptown area. I am also looking South Park, which seems to be a very upscale type of neighborhood and it is not far Uptown as well. Lastly, the other area that I am checking out is Huntersville, they have this great place up that way called Birkdale, it looks like a town center. I am sure if you google it or do a search on this website you will find tons of information. SunnyKayak has an electronic new comers guide on here, you should really check it out.
Hmmm, I will let the other experts who actually live here tell you about the quieter neighborhoods close to the city, some of them are Elizabeth and Dilworth, but I believe there are others. Anyway, glad to see there is someone else from Chicago who is considering a relocation to Charlotte. Peace.
This is great advice, I will just add one thing...The Plaza Midwood neighborhood. It sounds very much like what you are looking for and is right in your price range. And yes, we do have public transportation - nice buses as a matter of fact. You could catch the bus in Plaza Midwood and be uptown in literally 5 minutes, okay maybe 15 in morning rush
Only problem I have with the plaza midwood bus line it is a extremely busy bus line no 9 It does run more often due to its high volume but also expect alot of sketchy people on that bus and possibly standing waiting on a seat.
The bus does have cameras etc but I would not suggest as mode of transportation at night. I would use no 9 as last resort bus 17, 39 or 4 is your better options for more enjoyable ride.
Thank you all for your responses - and I'm sorry for calling Uptown "downtown"....
I've taken buses when I lived in the city of Chicago, so that's a great option. I don't have a good idea of how the people in the office get to work, like if there is a place to park. And Midwood looks wonderful!!
Robb - I'd be interested in any info you come back with from your visit, I've only been to Charlotte one time.
This is great advice, I will just add one thing...The Plaza Midwood neighborhood. It sounds very much like what you are looking for and is right in your price range. And yes, we do have public transportation - nice buses as a matter of fact. You could catch the bus in Plaza Midwood and be uptown in literally 5 minutes, okay maybe 15 in morning rush
Thank you all for your responses - and I'm sorry for calling Uptown "downtown"....
I've taken buses when I lived in the city of Chicago, so that's a great option. I don't have a good idea of how the people in the office get to work, like if there is a place to park. And Midwood looks wonderful!!
Robb - I'd be interested in any info you come back with from your visit, I've only been to Charlotte one time.
Miphasa - I will be taking my laptop with me on the road down to Charlotte, so you will be getting my impressions first hand. I am spending six days down there starting August 18th and I plan on visiting many of the popular subdivisions in Concord, Huntersville, University City, Uptown, Matthews, and Pineville. I have even decided to check out Ft. Mill, which a whole bunch of folks keep talking about. I must see this Union County. One good thing about living in North Charlotte and Sunny Kayak published a link to the park and rides is that there are express buses from all over the city and that is a plus. What this does is it creates flexibility if you decide to live in one of the burbs, whether north or south. You can just drive to one of the designated park and rides and read your morning paper and whatever you choose to do. When I lived in Atlanta, I did the express bus and folks who live in the New Jersey area have an express bus that gets them into Manhattan.
I think you should still have a car in this kind of city. They don't have the EL like we have in Chicago. Also, there are so many excursions you can take from Charlotte, such as Asheville, Wilmington, Winston-Salem. I'm just so excited! I can't wait to report back.
Welcome fellow Chicagoite/an whichever you prefer. Hopefully you're Cubs and Bears fans and we'll accept ya. Lots of nice places, If you want suburbia or old school quiet.. Huntersville is new suburbia chic, while palzamidwood and such are old school quant. I think you would like it here.. In 30's and having fun.
Welcome fellow Chicagoite/an whichever you prefer. Hopefully you're Cubs and Bears fans and we'll accept ya. Lots of nice places, If you want suburbia or old school quiet.. Huntersville is new suburbia chic, while palzamidwood and such are old school quant. I think you would like it here.. In 30's and having fun.
Well Whytewulf - actually a white sox fan - grew up on the south side of Chicago. However, I am a Chicago Bears Fan.
Huntersville, is definitely an area of interest, but I also have discovered South Charlotte - the Ballantyne area looks nice as well. Coming from Chicago, the developers have done a good job with creating varying price points for folks to live in nice areas down there. It's not the same here in Chicago because if you want a nice posh area, you are going to have to pay dearly for it. Very interesting concept of allowing the middle-class in. I think that was the intention of Chicago, but many of us who are professionals making good money are priced out of the housing market. Now, I just have to get my placed sold.
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