1. The Community
Charlotte is a big city that never lost it’s small town charm. When you’re in town you will realize just how passionate everyone is about making Charlotte a great place to live, and how hard people work to keep it that way. The comfortability that comes with Charlotte is something you will feel right away walking the streets of Uptown. Be prepared for welcoming greetings from the locals who don’t know you and will soon become your friend. Charlotte is large enough to meet new people everyday, and still regularly run into the same people too! One of the best parts of the Charlotte community is the passionate sports fans. It’s tough not to notice just how passionate people are when it comes to the Carolina Panthers, The Charlotte Hornets, The Knights, and even NASCAR!
2. The People
There is plenty of room for everyone with the space and the number of jobs available. The people you meet in Charlotte are one of the best parts of living here. You’ll notice the energy and the vibe are different than most places. People in Charlotte are seemingly happier than in most other cities and that could be a direct result of the pride people have in where they live. Ranked as the #14 best city to live in the U.S, the community is welcoming because most of the folks have relocated themselves looking for a better quality of life and more opportunities to afford the life they want!
3. The City of Charlotte Jobs
The city of Charlotte is one of the best places in the United States for jobs. Whether it’s banking jobs, human resource jobs, or a job in general. Bank of America and Wells Fargo are two of the top employers in the Charlotte area. Lowe’s and American Airlines are two other large organizations that provide a lot of jobs to Charlotte residents with their company headquarters in the area. Charlotte’s job market is heavy in the Finance and Insurance field, what most people don’t realize is that Health Care and Social Work actually is #1 when it comes to total employment numbers. Tech is becoming much more a focus in Charlotte with companies like Amazon putting huge warehouses in the area.
4. Affordability
The median home value is significantly less than the national average. In recent years the homes in Charlotte have started to increase in price far more dramatically than they did in the early 2000s. This is in line with the rest of the United States, with Charlotte appreciating a bit faster. Here, land is affordable! Because there is room to build homes, new builders can take advantage of the affordable land prices and build products that are of high quality for an affordable price. Homes in desirable, built-out, locations are far more expensive than you would expect. Those coming from the Northeast will see their real estate taxes decrease dramatically. Some people will pay less for their mortgage than they had in their taxes up in New York or New Jersey.
5. The Neighborhoods
With so many great neighborhoods in Charlotte, it can make it difficult to narrow your home search to a select few. If you have any questions or want to tell us more about what you’re looking for, we can help guide you in the right direction. Check out our Neighborhood Guide!
6. The Beverages (Coffee, Wine, & Beer)
Charlotte is a great place for coffee lovers, plain and simple. If you’re a local uptown coffee enthusiast a few of your local favorites are likely to include Corkscrew (also a wine bar, BONUS) RUSH, and Not Just Coffee which has several locations, as well as Coco and the Director. A lot of these coffee shops offer great remote offices for those of you who want to skip the office.
Charlotte is largely committed to the beer and wine scene with seemingly hundreds of breweries, excellent vineyards, and some unique experiences you wont find anywhere else. a handful of the breweries you have to check out include: Blue Baze, NoDa Brewing, Legion Brewing Triple C Brewing, Catawba Brewing, and Birdsong Brewing. A few of the Charlotte area vineyards that are worth exploring include Dennison Vineyards, Vesuvius Vineyards, and Stony Mountain Vineyards. Of the great things about North Carolina, there is an affordability factor you can’t find in many other states which allows small businesses to succeed.
Check out the Best Breweries in Charlotte!
7. The Food
Restaurants in Charlotte are part of what makes the city such a great place to live. Charlotte has a whole Restaurant week that makes for a great way to explore all of the amazing dining experiences Charlotte has to offer! Some great restaraunts to try include Chima Brazillian Steakhouse, The Fig Tree Restaraunt, or Midwood Smokehouse!
8. The Weather
Charlotte has all four seasons and some absolutely stunning foliage in Autumn. The Winter months are relatively easy when compared to the north. It’s not often it snows, though we typically see snow once or twice per year. If you love snow skiing or the Mountains you don’t have to go far for a great day of winter sports! With Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and Boone not too far away you can enjoy a great day on the slopes. If the beach is more your style, Lake Norman is a 25-minute drive north of Charlotte and is one of the most popular spots in North Carolina. Summers in Charlotte can get a little hot at times, but nothing like the blazing heat found in southern states like Florida or Texas
9. The Education and Schools
One reason a lot of folks settle on Charlotte for their relocation as opposed to other cities is due to the level of quality of education their children will receive. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, the largest school district in the Charlotte area, includes 169 schools and around 150,000 students K-12. Check out our guide to the best Schools in Charlotte! The city values education and with colleges like Davidson, UNC-Charlotte, as well as Duke, UNC, NC State, Wake Forest all within a couple of hours’ drive, it’s no wonder. These in-state colleges all offer great value.
10. The Sports
The Carolina Panthers, The Charlotte Hornets, The BB&T Knights, NASCAR, and more, make Charlotte a great city for sports. Check out our page all about Sports in Charlotte!
