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Thinking of moving to the Charlotte area and already know we want to live in a small town. What is the best small town outside of Charlotte? Little town would be population 30,000 or less.. Thanks!
I live in Mooresville, thats Iredell county. It is much cheaper to live there than Charlotte, which is Mecklenburg county.. Mooresville is about 20 miles north of Charlotte, so its still easy to commute to a job in Charlotte, just cheaper to live in Iredell. Crime, school, shopping,rents and real estate very good. Check it out
If I were choosing a small town outside of Charlotte, I have no doubt that it would be Davidson as my first choice and Belmont as my second. Davidson, north of Charlotte, has certain advantages for me: Davidson College, proximity to Lake Norman. good schools, a charming "downtown," lovely (but expensive), homes, proximity to good shopping and a generally educated population. The big disadvantages of Davidson are the bad commute on I-77 and the high cost of housing.
Belmont, south of Charlotte is a charming looking town, but I know nothing about the schools, cost of housing, shopping or the commute to Charlotte. It does have Belmont Abbey College, which seems to get better each year, nearby, but I don't know anything about the interaction between the town and the college. In fact, I know very little about the town except for how much I like the looks of some of the houses and the main street which I travel on my frequent trips to the nearby Stowe Botanical Gardens - certainly a plus for the town. I'd certainly look into it if I were you. Good luck in your search. I would have loved to have had my kids grow up in one of these towns.
I love Belmont (west of Charlotte). Lived there in the 90's and loved it. Beautiful town, clean/green, close to everything, good schools, safe, great drive into Charlotte, growing at a very reasonable pace, and relatively affordable. There are some great towns in the Charlotte area, but, IMO, Belmont tops the list. It's a real hidden gem!
If I were choosing a small town outside of Charlotte, I have no doubt that it would be Davidson as my first choice and Belmont as my second. Davidson, north of Charlotte, has certain advantages for me: Davidson College, proximity to Lake Norman. good schools, a charming "downtown," lovely (but expensive), homes, proximity to good shopping and a generally educated population. The big disadvantages of Davidson are the bad commute on I-77 and the high cost of housing.
I live in Davidson now (renting.) Davidson is a nice little (very little) town. However, it's way too small for us. The real estate here is insanely expensive. A Davidson address seems to carry a 50% price premium over Huntersville in some instances! I don't understand the price premium on houses in Davidson. The downtown is VERY small. It's only a few blocks long. Until the new Harris Teeter opens (near I-77) you can't even get groceries in Davidson! If you like ultra-expensive, ultra-small towns, then Davidson might be for you!
Last edited by Cornerguy1; 10-14-2007 at 10:50 PM..
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If I were choosing a small town outside of Charlotte, I have no doubt that it would be Davidson as my first choice and Belmont as my second. Davidson, north of Charlotte, has certain advantages for me: Davidson College, proximity to Lake Norman. good schools, a charming "downtown," lovely (but expensive), homes, proximity to good shopping and a generally educated population. The big disadvantages of Davidson are the bad commute on I-77 and the high cost of housing.
Belmont, south of Charlotte is a charming looking town, but I know nothing about the schools, cost of housing, shopping or the commute to Charlotte. It does have Belmont Abbey College, which seems to get better each year, nearby, but I don't know anything about the interaction between the town and the college. In fact, I know very little about the town except for how much I like the looks of some of the houses and the main street which I travel on my frequent trips to the nearby Stowe Botanical Gardens - certainly a plus for the town. I'd certainly look into it if I were you. Good luck in your search. I would have loved to have had my kids grow up in one of these towns.
I have to say, I totally agree with this - Belmont or Davidson, either would get my vote as the top small town. Though frankly, 30,000 people is a small CITY, not a small town, lol. I think of a small town as 5000 people or so myself
I love Belmont (west of Charlotte). Lived there in the 90's and loved it. Beautiful town, clean/green, close to everything, good schools, safe, great drive into Charlotte, growing at a very reasonable pace, and relatively affordable. There are some great towns in the Charlotte area, but, IMO, Belmont tops the list. It's a real hidden gem!
I like Belmont, and i would add to that list, the 3 or 4 other small towns around: Mt Holly, Lowell, Mcadenville, not too familiar with Cramerton, or Dallas,but maybe look into it.
Thank you all for the posts, keep them coming. They are all great to read and is giving me a lot of information to research with is so very helpful. Beau
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