Indianapolis or Charlotte? (Atlanta, Orland, Economy: 2013, apartments, home)

[theurbanfiles]

In the mountain regard I agree. But then again that is just one element of living in a city. I live in Florida and enjoy going to the beach (though my interest has waned) or relaxing in springs, but because I generally have a busy schedule and it is at least a 40 minute commute to both, I find that I may only do these things every couple months, which doesn't allow for the every day enjoyment that having something within 15-20 minutes is more likely to provide. And this is even coming from someone who travels frequently and has a love for adventure. I would say I get out in the local Orlando community or travel more often than 98% of people I know.

Personally, I enjoy green spaces even if it isn't spectacular or breathtaking like certain parts of the Smokies or the Western US. There is unique charm and beauty in high density of deciduous tree cover (something many from other regions of the country considered more desirable envy), rolling hills, valleys, etc. Plus those are often much less harsh and usable than other areas. There have also been a few national parks that regrettably felt more like theme parks where you basically got out of your car, walked to a spot, took a picture and went back. Hardly an interactive experience compared to some of the more basic but yet pretty scenery offered in a place like Indianapolis.

[LosHogan]

Originally Posted by indy_317

Is our parkland acreage really all that though? I recall a few years back that the city was trying to offload a lot of tiny inner city parks. I just looked at the Indy Parks map and it shows a ton of smaller parks. While the acreage might be impressive, my guess is that the bulk of park visitors only use a handful of the larger, popular parks. There are places listed I never knew existed. The other downside is that while yes, this might mean more distance for hiking and such, it really isn't anything great. Most of these areas are fairly flat, and you might get a creek side hike in or something, others are just nothing more than playgrounds.

I don't really have a ton of knowledge on your park spaces, so it's possible that from a national standpoint, they are sub-par. I just know that in comparison to Charlotte's impressively bad parks and rec system, you are likely much better.

Now that said, we are doing A LOT of great things in trying to improve that. The truth of it is that Charlotte was just a small, sleepy southern city up until about 1970 and now it's trying to quickly figure out what to do with all these people everywhere! Hopefully it'll come with time, I know we hired a guy from Minneapolis last year specifically to come in and improve our biking and greenway infrastructure. One thing I love about Charlotte is that it doesn't sit still. It's the little city that could.

[snowchaser2002]

Charlotte has grown so fast, I don't go there often but when I do it seems there is a new high rise. I love the downtown area with it's impressive skyline, I think it rivals Atlanta as far as that goes. But the thing about charlotte is that since it's grown so fast IMHO it does not have the character Indy has. I would stay in Indy because I think the weather is better in the winter, but OP might not like the cold and snow. It just depends on what you like.

[LosHogan]

Originally Posted by snowchaser2002

Charlotte has grown so fast, I don't go there often but when I do it seems there is a new high rise. I love the downtown area with it's impressive skyline, I think it rivals Atlanta as far as that goes. But the thing about charlotte is that since it's grown so fast IMHO it does not have the character Indy has. I would stay in Indy because I think the weather is better in the winter, but OP might not like the cold and snow. It just depends on what you like.

Very true. We are a brand spanking new city and as such, are rather soulless and innocuous (sadly). Indy has a fantastic stock of older architecture that I just admire the crap out of it. Maybe 100 years from now, someone will offer ghost tours of Charlotte's 1990's era abandoned buildings in and around uptown. We do have some really interesting 60's era architecture right outside of uptown that I think we do a rather poor job of highlighting, but oh well.

[theurbanfiles]

So I just got a chance to look at Indy's park system more closely. So as far as nature preserves go it's decent , perhaps better than Charlotte, but not great. Greenways though.. My goodness (massive amount). It rivals Copenhagen at this point. There has to be a massive bike culture in place there which is cool.

As far as your community, it's humorous but likely more accurate than you believe. I think construction materials are more cheap now though so it may be that the turn of the 21st century buildings and planned develipments you mention may already be outdated and dilapidated, and the Scandinavian Postmodern which is starting to show up as being trendy now will be considered way overdone and "cookie cutter" then. Perhaps by then, they will even figure out a way to duplicate projects using cheaper materials and still give them that desired, vintage look.

Who knows : )

[ischyros]

Originally Posted by LosHogan

Very true. We are a brand spanking new city and as such, are rather soulless and innocuous (sadly). Indy has a fantastic stock of older architecture that I just admire the crap out of it. Maybe 100 years from now, someone will offer ghost tours of Charlotte's 1990's era abandoned buildings in and around uptown. We do have some really interesting 60's era architecture right outside of uptown that I think we do a rather poor job of highlighting, but oh well.

One thing Indy did right was when Circle Centre was built downtown, they preserved most of the old building facades to create the exterior of the mall while the buildings themselves were torn down. At least from the outside it still looks historic even if what's behind really isn't.

[theurbanfiles]

Out of curiosity though, how is the NoDa (North Davidson) area? Does it have a decent amount of character/walkability/good nonchain food?

[LosHogan]

Originally Posted by clevelander1991

Out of curiosity though, how is the NoDa (North Davidson) area? Does it have a decent amount of character/walkability/good nonchain food?

Charlotte's kind of weird. Uptown gets all of the buzz for being filled with huge shiny buildings, sports and nightlife which is all great, but the interesting parts of Charlotte lie in its ring neighborhoods, e.g. NoDa, Southend, Elizabeth and Plaza Midwood (among others). Most of these neighborhoods were built during the 1910's - 1930's and were Charlotte's "Street car" neighborhoods, or in the case of NoDa, mill neighborhoods built around our large textile industries.

NoDa is super walkable and offers non-chain restaurants, bars, breweries and retail. It's home to a number of our most interesting music venues as well (Evening Muse, Neighborhood Theatre, ChopShop) It's small right now (only about 3 blocks), but growing VERY fast. It also has a very dedicated community trying to ensure it stays unique and doesn't turn into every other part of Charlotte.

The light rail is currently under construction up through NoDa, including a stop right off the main intersection of "downtown" NoDa that is going to be a monster catalyst for development there. There were three large abandoned mills right in downtown NoDa that have all now been completely renovated into apartments, retail and breweries.

Old:


New:
http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-ge...HA-MILL-16.jpg




Plaza Midwood is also super walkable and offers a lot of the same characteristics as NoDa. It's southeast of NoDa and due east of Uptown along Central ave and will be served by our Street Car line which is currently under construction. P-Midwood is actually my favorite part of Charlotte and has most of our weirdos. It is chock full of old craftsman homes and "The Plaza" is one of my favorite roads in Charlotte.

Central Ave




Anyways, I could go on for days. But the point (like with many cities) is that Charlotte is much more than Uptown or Ballantyne. The most interesting parts of it are in its separate neighborhoods.

[theurbanfiles]

That's cool to see that it offers areas like that. Definitely gives me a much more favorable impression of the area. Sometime (since we generally drive about 2 days between Cleveland and Orlando anyways), I will have to spend a half day between the Polk house, the hike you mentioned and dinner/drinks in NoDa.

[lhcstl]

Originally Posted by clevelander1991

From an outsider:

Weather:
Perhaps Charlotte because I'm guessing Indianapolis has somewhat humid summer temperatures unlike those along Great Lakes, with Winter Temperatures around the same as Great Lakes Cities. Not a big edge here though. Charlotte summers are truly awful.

Arts/Culture:
Strikes me that Indianapolis has a big edge here. The Indianapolis Museum of Art is among the Top 12 in America and is free, and it is just one of several terrific museums and theaters within walking distance of what appears to be a livable and vibrant downtown.

Economy:
Charlotte's still might be better now on the basis of having BOA, but it appears BOA is currently in risky straits. Generally the best economy is a place where you can find relevant employment though.

Sports:
I give Indy the edge here because not only are sports a bigger part of the fabric of the community, but there are more opportunities for seeing college sports close at hand (including next week's Final 4), and I am sure that the Indiana High School Basketball Championship is the closest sports can come to being a religious experience.

Outdoors/Nature:
This one is kind of a toss up. I am quite certain that Indianapolis has a city park system which can blow Charlottes out of the water. However Charlotte does have mountains like closer, along with Lake Norman, and the OBX and Smokies can be weekend trips from there, so there's that. You could call this one a push then, though Indy still gives more opportunity for everyday enjoyment.

Location:
Indianapolis has much more of a proximity to other large cities, and sits as much more of a crossroads between regions of the country. I'd pick Indianapolis for this one.

History/Streetscape: I'd say neither city is the best, but Indy is a clear winner. I haven't personally been to NoDa in Charlotte, but it strikes me that Indy has longer established mom/pops, some nice Victorian neighborhoods, and an incredibly vibrant and connected downtown which wows visitors.

Traffic/Livability: I would guess Indianapolis is more affordable yet offers a decent amount of gainful employment, offers more higher education access close at hand, and has lower level of traffic.

To Charlotte's credit, the perks are being able to work in a corporate area at BOA, access to the Smokies, more moderate winters, and a high quality theme park near town in Carowinds.

Based on all these factors though, I'd still pick Indianapolis in a heartbeat if given a choice.

Thank you! I like your input. I think I need to spend sometime in Charlotte to feel how I like the city.