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Metro wise Hampton Roads and Charlotte can go head to head and maybe Raleigh and Richmond.
Other than that, NC cities are bigger and better suited economically.
Everyone has different criteria. Richmond can't compete with the research triangle economically but is far ahead in other categories. Obviously this is about personal preferences but I'll take the arts, the history, and outdoor recreation Richmond offers over the economy of Raleigh or Charlotte. For me NC offers two great cities, Asheville and Wilmington.
Everyone has different criteria. Richmond can't compete with the research triangle economically but is far ahead in other categories. Obviously this is about personal preferences but I'll take the arts, the history, and outdoor recreation Richmond offers over the economy of Raleigh or Charlotte. For me NC offers two great cities, Asheville and Wilmington.
I shall not try to persuade you to think otherwise, but Charlotte actually offers much more history than what is portrayed on this forum. There are various artsy communities in Charlotte and it has a thriving public arts sector. There are various outdoor activities as well, from extreme bike trails, greenways, and the US National Whitewater center. We also just opened up our cultural campus that features several museums of modern art. Afro-american cultural center, cultural theater, and more. It is a common misconception that Charlotte lacks in arts, history, and outdoor activities. It may have a different manifestation than Richmond, but we do have it.
With that said, there is nothing wrong if you prefer Richmond. But I recommend you come visit Charlotte again before you make your final call and I'll give you some areas to visit when you come.
The only cities in NOVA that could hold their own is Alexandria and Arlington and many people in this area have in their mind that this area shouldn't be apart of Virginia. I have heard it many times and if you included those cities I still think NC has the edge because NC cities have not stop growing and will continue to grow while VA cities are more stagnant.
The only cities in NOVA that could hold their own is Alexandria and Arlington and many people in this area have in their mind that this area shouldn't be apart of Virginia. I have heard it many times and if you included those cities I still think NC has the edge because NC cities have not stop growing and will continue to grow while VA cities are more stagnant.
I see where you're coming from. I look at NoVa as one MSA for the sake of this comparison. So Alexandria and Arlington would be one area like Raleigh-Durham, or Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point. IMO, I sometimes wonder if Charlotte would be better off if it were not apart of NC. LOL! I'm not entirely convince either area is better off than another, their GDPs are just about even so it just boils down to aesthetics, and that is in the eye of the beholder. I almost give VA the edge because NoVa is a suburb to DC, which is a huge boost. But, IMO, there is nothing that VA does that NC can't do as well, even with the help of DC.
The manifestation makes all the difference IMO. I've visited Europe on several occasions and have an affinity for well lived in, dense, older cities that have "grown" into the surrounding geography. I think it's great you have a whitewater center but as a nature lover, it doesn't beat having the James River with natural Class IV rapids, big rocks to lay out and relax on while listening to the sounds of the river, watching eagles, ducks, ospreys, and herons flying by, and enjoying a beer... all within view of downtown
And I want to be surrounded by tangible history... I want to be able to touch the old bricks, walk on the cobblestones, marvel at a Capitol designed by Thomas Jefferson, walk in Civil War era churches where the wounded were treated, wander a beautiful cemetery where Presidents, war casualties, and City leaders alike are buried. History to me is walking/dining in the largest contiguous Victorian neighborhood in the country, not just gawking at a few scattered remnants of what used to be.
I've never mountain biked in Charlotte but I know the trail system in Richmond is boasted as being one of the best urban networks in the East, if not the whole country and most of it was done through the sweat and labor of volunteers. It's quite technical and not for novices.
We could argue point for point on many issues but it still comes down to what criteria you think are most important. Charlotte doesn't beat Richmond on every front nor is the opposite true. Richmond appeals to a completely different personality than Charlotte. People who like Richmond prefer a downtown where adaptive reuse is the rule as opposed to building anew (though I'd honestly like to steal a couple of your skyscrapers just to break the blocky look of ours) Brick, stone, and iron are still predominant in various downtown neighborhoods. You simply can't be a new, up and coming economic powerhouse AND have a good grasp on the preservation of your past. Places that grow too fast leave their past behind. Richmond has lost some of it's old architecture but it's held on to a great deal as well. It's this link to the past and an abundance of natural beauty that keeps me here.
The manifestation makes all the difference IMO. I've visited Europe on several occasions and have an affinity for well lived in, dense, older cities that have "grown" into the surrounding geography. I think it's great you have a whitewater center but as a nature lover, it doesn't beat having the James River with natural Class IV rapids, big rocks to lay out and relax on while listening to the sounds of the river, watching eagles, ducks, ospreys, and herons flying by, and enjoying a beer... all within view of downtown
And I want to be surrounded by tangible history... I want to be able to touch the old bricks, walk on the cobblestones, marvel at a Capitol designed by Thomas Jefferson, walk in Civil War era churches where the wounded were treated, wander a beautiful cemetery where Presidents, war casualties, and City leaders alike are buried. History to me is walking/dining in the largest contiguous Victorian neighborhood in the country, not just gawking at a few scattered remnants of what used to be.
I've never mountain biked in Charlotte but I know the trail system in Richmond is boasted as being one of the best urban networks in the East, if not the whole country and most of it was done through the sweat and labor of volunteers. It's quite technical and not for novices.
We could argue point for point on many issues but it still comes down to what criteria you think are most important. Charlotte doesn't beat Richmond on every front nor is the opposite true. Richmond appeals to a completely different personality than Charlotte. People who like Richmond prefer a downtown where adaptive reuse is the rule as opposed to building anew (though I'd honestly like to steal a couple of your skyscrapers just to break the blocky look of ours) Brick, stone, and iron are still predominant in various downtown neighborhoods. You simply can't be a new, up and coming economic powerhouse AND have a good grasp on the preservation of your past. Places that grow too fast leave their past behind. Richmond has lost some of it's old architecture but it's held on to a great deal as well. It's this link to the past and an abundance of natural beauty that keeps me here.
Alas! An agreement. LOL. But, like I saidm the history in Charlotte exists on the peripherary. I'm not going to pretend Charlotte has done the best job. It hasn't. However, you also have cities like the Triad metro who have done an extremely great job at perserving history. You can also go to the coast like New Bern and Wilmington or in the mountains like Asheville and Boone to see different histories of NC. But it comes down to what an individual is looking for. Some, may not care about the past architecture. Just a job to pay for their current architecture.
va cities are smaller in comparison to nc cities charlotte is larger than the two largest combined cities in va
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