Quote:
Originally Posted by crystalology
Thank you all for the insight.
What is the east side of Charlotte like? Are there areas to avoid there?
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This is my slightly inebriated take...
There are parts of east (and north) charlotte that are super hip... these areas are mostly limited to within 4 miles of trade and tryon.
Namely areas like NoDa, Plaza Midwood (Merry Oaks or otherwise near Central and inside of Arnold and south of Shamrock), Chantilly, Elizabeth, Oakhurst etc. As you get to Cotswold the feeling gets decidedly more family-oriented and vanilla. All of the aforementioned hoods have really unique personalities that really appeal to certain types of folks. There are other neighborhoods like that in this area that I'm forgetting (Sheffield, eastway park?, other smaller neighborhoods tucked in corner of larger neighborhoods).
As you move further south and east there are places like Sherwood Forest and Shasta Lane that are definitely worth checking out if you want an older home in a well established neighborhood that has awesome tree canopy, lots of old-charlotte types and biggerish lots. In that vein there are tons of places like that everywhere between that area and Myers Park.
Myers Park proper is/was the example of old-south urban grandiosity. This is the place to be if you need the old-school best of the best. We're talking swim club, tennis club, golf club, brooks bros/polo/izod popped collar classic south types with the means but not quite the luck to make it into Eastover, which is the really-real ultra elite hood of Charlotte.
Move a little further west and you run into an area that I tend to think of as "The Land West of Little Sugar Creek but still East of South Blvd." There are some cool little areas sprinkled around this area, for sure... which in my mind is bounded by Tyvola Road on the south and Ideal Way on the north. This area is very similar to some parts of east charlotte, but is closer to the light rail and has a slightly less edgy feel. Grocery store manager types.
North of Ideal Way to 2-77 (and east of South Blvd) is Dilworth. This place is the more liberal Myers Park. Lumbollo once described this neighborhood as for the folks that can't quite get into Myers Park. I'm not sure I agree with this sentiment, but I'm not sure I disagree either. As you get closer to town and Kenilworth and CMC the area gets younger and more walkable.
If you're into cookie-cutter stuff Steele Creek is your huckleberry. Except for closer to town where it's really crappy. And the places on large lots that have been there forever, and those places are more rural-feeling or enclave-ish. The new stuff is rife with transplants and new-comers. This might represent a great way to meet folks you have something in common with, but old-charlotte types aren't likely to search out these new areas with the possible exception of the palisades and/or sanctuary and maybe berewick. Some will (rightly) point out that those areas aren't really in the steele creek watershed but honestly, who cares.
I'd recommend staying as close to center city as you feel comfortable with within whatever enclave you feel suits you best. In my mind this will expose you to the least risk.
Good luck!
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