Provisions (Or Where to Find Mozzarella)

There's no shortage of food shopping choices in Charlotte. There are still some specific items that aren't available, or not of the same quality we were used to, but for the most part you can find what you need.

The supermarket scene is dominated by Harris Teeter ("the Teeter"). Down on the south side, between Ballantyne and Matthews, it seems like there's a Teeter every few blocks. Personally, I think they are solid stores, with good prices and selection. Some (like the one on Providence at Ardrey Kell) are open 24 hours a day. The one downside, for us, is the meat and fish selection. This is just personal opinion, but the beef isn't very good. Oddly, their house brand roast beef in the deli section is very good.

Lowe's Foods is another nice supermarket in the area. It's slightly more upscale compared to the Teeter, and has an excellent wine selection. They also seem to have a better seafood selection than the Teeter. They aren't as common however, and are a bit more pricey.

Other choices are Food Lion and Bi Lo, depending on where you are located. Both are fine, with a smaller selection and cheaper prices.As for smaller, specialty markets, there are a number in the area worth checking out. I'm sure there are others that we haven't discovered yet, but these can be vouched for!

The Fresh Market has a few locations in Charlotte including the one we visit on Pineville-Matthews Road. They have a good bakery section, as well as sandwiches, meats and seafood. They carry some harder-to-get items like Spainish chorizo, an array of cheeses and coffee beans. It's not cheap, but everything is of a high quality.

EarthFare has a more organic bent to it, but is a full-size market in the Ballantyne area on Johnston Rd., just north of 485.

Trader Joe's just opened two stores in Charlotte, including a store on Rea Rd., just south of Highway 51. It's been a madhouse there with long lines on the weekends, but if you like their stuff you know why! The chocolate ganache cake is great, as are their chocolate covered pretzels. Their frozen foods are quite tasty considering they are, well, frozen. There is parking in the back that no one seems to no about.

Dean and Deluca has two shops in Charlotte. One in Stonecrest and the other at Phillips Place.

Ferrucci's Italian Market is an oasis for those on the north side of town. Located off Exit 28 on I-77 in the Shops on the Green. It is a bit of a drive, but well worth it. They have a fresh meat section, prepared Italian delicacies, fresh mozzarella, sausages, pasta and cannoli, among other items. They also make excellent sandwiches and cater.

Pasta & Provisions on Providence Road has fresh pasta and deli meats, along with prepared meals and other Italian type fare. The food is good, but it has a reputation as being snooty and expensive. It's a place where the ritzy Dilworth crowd seem to go.

For the more adventurous types, some of the best meat we've found in the area is at a gas station. Seriously. Well, okay, it's a market attached to a gas station. The Peach Stand, in Fort Mill, SC, just over the state line on Highway 160, has an excellent butcher counter, along with fresh produce, pies and preserves. Until we found the place mentioned below, this is where we would go to get steaks to cook on the grill. Ask them to season them for you before they wrap 'em up. As they name implies, they also sell fresh peaches, preserves and pies too.

For the really adventurous meat-lover, there is a wholesale butcher shop in Waxhaw where you can get anything you want. Except veal cutlets, which are apparently not a very southern thing to eat because they are really hard to find here. (The Teeter recently started carrying them, but, they don't look too good and are often stringy.) Anyway, Frontier Meats is at 8303 Lancaster Highway. They're closed Sundays and Mondays, and cut meat from 7AM to 2PM on all other days. You can pick up strange cuts of meats here, such as ox tail, rabbit and tongue along with the usual stuff. The NY strip steaks are good, and the filet mignon is buttery and only $11 per pound. Everything here is very cheap, but quality. It doesn't hurt if you can speak some Spanish, as all the meat cutters are hispanic and very friendly. It gets very busy on Saturday, but is definitely worth a trip out in the country.

Bring a cooler and some ice and stock up!

Bon appetite!

Homeowner's Association (HOA) Hell

When you buy your new home in Charlotte, you're going to have the option to choose a neighborhood that either has a Homeowner's Association (HOA) or doesn't. I have had the pleasure--and displeasure--of both options.

When I first arrived to Charlotte, we lived in Providence Country Club in South Charlotte for two years. In the middle of our time there, a new board was elected to run (or should I say rule) the neighborhood. Almost immediately, this new nazi board enforced every single rule in the neighborhood handbook to the extreme. Almost immediately, a slew of people on my particular block got letters for what the new board felt were a variety of infractions. For example, a bunch of them got nasty correspondence about their swingsets that might be in view of the driveway.

My immediate neighbor had a swingset for his three boys that had been sitting in the very same spot for 10 years, and it was also the regulation wood tone that the neighborhood requires. One morning I'm sitting in my home office and I see a car stop right in front of my driveway with a telephoto lens pointed at my neighbors yard. I had no idea what was occurring at the time, but it did feel like I was witnessing a case of espionage happening. Several days later I hear from my neighbor that he'd received a letter along with a photo explaining that he had to move his swingset out of view and screen it with shrubbery. Folks, the thing had been there 10 YEARS! He was so aggravated that instead of moving it, he took it down and sold it.

I got a letter about my garbage pails while living in PCC. You see, you're not allowed to have your garbage cans in plain sight either. Heaven forbid anyone in the neighborhood has children that actually go on swings or that we make garbage! What a horror! In the winter, I have no problem keeping my garbage can in the garage--but come summer, no one wants that stinky thing in a 125 degree garage. So, out it goes right next to the house. And there came a lovely letter citing chapter and verse from the PCC bible on the Architectural Committee's view on garbage pails: "Thou must not have a garbage can that may be seen from the driveway, and it must be removed from the street within 16 minutes of the garbage truck picking up your filthy mess." Of course, I'm exaggerating a bit, but you get the picture.

Neighbors got letters because they had their boats sitting in the driveway while getting ready to take them to Lake Norman, and they got letters about their lawns. When I moved there, I purchased a home that was a foreclosure and the lawn had not been maintained for close to 2 years. It was nothing more than patchy crabgrass. So, we immediately set upon turning it around and hired a landscaper to do weekly cuttings and Lawn Doctor to start killing the weeds and planting seed. Now, those of you who are gardeners know that you can't turn a lawn around in two weeks. It can take a season or two to make an impact. Well, wouldn't you know that we got a letter right after moving in to tell us to hurry up the process.

I immediately responded to the nazi board with my own letter explaining that we'd just moved in and were trying to fix the lawn that had been completely neglected by the previous owners for years, and that this process would take time. I also provided receipts for the services that I had retained to repair the lawn as proof that I was spending money to make improvements. I wrote that they would simply need to be patient while the lawn regenerated. I never heard from them on that subject again, and by the following season I had one of the prettiest lawns on the block.

The PCC monthly newsletter was a hoot, too. Each month, the residents had a finger wagged in their faces by the writers who proceeded to tell us what bad people we were. We were told that if we sold our homes we HAD to lease ($150!!) one of the For Sale signs available at a local sign shop or else! We were told that our fences had to be wood or iron or the god's would strike us dead. If you had a tree or shrub die in your landscaping, you were admonished if you did not replace it with exactly the same variety that had just perished. Imagine what would happen if you replaced that holly bush with a crape myrtle? They'd probably splash your face on the front page of next months newsletter with a big red X across your face! Matt was even ready to put out an anti-PCC newsletter where he mocked all the nonsense they wrote about each month. Needless to say, we finally decided to just move because the HOA was so insane at Providence Country Club.

We wanted to make sure that in our next neighborhood there was absolutely no HOA. I'm all for rules that are reasonable, and we wanted a community that still had protective covenants that the residents would abide by so that property values would be retained. For example, you shouldn't park a semi on your front lawn; you shouldn't keep a ratty old sofa on your stoop for 6 months, and you shouldn't be allowed to keep 17 howling dogs in your backyard. The grass on your lawn shouldn't hit your knees, and if you decide to paint your front door purple with pink polka-dots your neighbors have every right to give you hell about it.

Finally, after much searching we found our current neighborhood in Union County with no HOA. I can't be happier to have my sanity back--and my garbage cans are proudly sitting in their rightful spot beside my garage as they should be. And I no longer fear checking my mailbox for a damned HOA letter!

So, hopefully you'll be lucky enough to live in a neighborhood with a reasonable HOA board, but I'm not willing to take that chance ever again. Don't let your realtor advise you about the antics of the board either--remember, they're just looking to make a commission. And no one knows better than someone who lives in the neighborhood itself, so get out of your car and knock on some doors and inquire about the sanity of your HOA board before you buy that beautiful home.

Better to find out now, than in a letter!

Getting Your North Carolina Driver's License

One of the inconvenient and daunting things about moving to North Carolina is getting your driver's license, because you have to take the written test along with an eye test. I'm not sure if that's the norm in other states, but when I moved from NJ to NY I just had to provide proof of residency and my current license.

I say "daunting" because although I have been driving for 24 years (and quite well if I may say so) I can't say that I have all of the laws and rules memorized. How many feet away from a stop sign can you park? How many points do you get if you get a speeding ticket for going 20 MPH over the limit? Those kinds of questions. Luckily, you can download the driver's handbook from the DMV website. Here's the link. Definitely spend a few hours going over it. If you're looking for the cliff notes version of the handbook, there's also a handy cheatsheet that has been put together with a collection of questions that have appeared on the actual test. You can check it out at: http://www.jaytomlin.com/NCDMV/2006/09/study_guide.html.

That being said, the process wasn't that bad, and actually quite amusing. They have DMV offices all over town that specialize in driver's tests, so your wait won't be terribly long. I don't want to get anyone in trouble so I won't say which one I went to (Shhh....Monroe), but the people there were quite helpful. My examiner was a friendly woman with a great sense of humor. I had to do a double-take to make sure I was actually at the DMV.

After the eye test, they use the same little optical machine to test your knowledge of road signs. They show you generic signs with no words or symbols, and you have to identify them by shape and color. In other words, you'll see a red octagon without the word STOP in it. I was doing fine until I came to one and drew a blank--it was just a yellow circle. I sat there a minute trying to come up with the answer, and my examiner whispers to me, "Chooooo choooooo......." Railroad crossing! After the sign test she sent me across the room to a kiosk where I would take the written test at a computer terminal. As I was heading over she said to me, "If you have any trouble, just raise your hand and I'll come help you out." Well, that sort of takes the pressure off! As it turned out I didn't need her help and passed the test on my own.

Another thing in North Carolina, is that when you register your car you pay a tax for road usage. I don't remember exactly how much it was, but it was over $100. It serves to take the place of toll roads here, which is fine by me. I'd rather pay all my fees in one lump sum than have to actually go through one of those pesky toll machines that do nothing more than create traffic on the road. The rest of the country should learn a lesson from this smart NC feature.

Happy motoring!

Getting A Job in Charlotte

There's three types of job seekers that move to Charlotte. First, you have those that are lucky enough to be transferred or relocated with their existing jobs. Good for you lucky dog! Second are those that try to find a job before they get here. This is no easy feat since most employers aren't interested in your resume once they see the Middletown, New Jersey address. Last, is the bold adventurer who says 'the heck with it! I'll find something when I get there!' If you can swing it financially, give this idea a whirl.

Matt and I were a combination of the first and last options. The wireless company I was working for in Jersey allowed me to haul myself over here and work remotely. I'm removed from my team and all the social aspects of work--which is a blessing some days and lonely on others. Matt, on the other hand, gave up his IT job with a company he'd been at for 13 years. He attempted to find a job while we were still in the northeast, and flew down here a few times for interviews. No luck. Once we got down here, he interviewed like crazy and he nailed a job in about 6 weeks.

I'm in human resources, and have been in recruiting for over 15 years--so I do feel pretty qualified to offer some advice on this subject. First off, if you'd like to start your job search while living elsewhere, I offer two recommendations: get yourself one of those pre-paid cell phones (I recommend Virgin Mobile), and sign up for a local 704 Charlotte phone number which you can pop on your resume. It will give some semblance of being local. Also, if there's any way for you to tap into a Charlotte address, you're even better off. Maybe you've got friends or family here that already have a local address you can borrow. Matt used both these tactics, and successfully got recruiting calls. BUT, you have to be prepared to back up your address smoke-and-mirrors by flying yourself to Charlotte if you get to the interview.

Make sure you get your resume on every possible web board you can think of. Do not ignore the web--human resources uses it to find resumes! Monster, Hotjobs, Careerbuilder, Dice, etc. are those that you need to post your resume on and mine for jobs as well. Also, tap into the local recruiting agencies as well (be warned that they will want to meet you, so if you're not here, they won't work with you). Perhaps in your area search to Charlotte, you could line up a bunch of interviews with the recruiting agencies. Let 'em know you'll be in town for a few days and you're interested in meeting them to get the first screening out of the way. Maybe you can successfully see a bunch in just a few days--don't forget your suit!

Chasing newspaper classifieds is for the most part of waste of time in my view, unless you are looking for an hourly or laborer job. You'll see just several pages of jobs in the Sunday Charlotte Observer. Visit the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce site, which will give you pages of the names of companies here. This may be hugely time consuming, but you could visit the career sites of each of these companies and see what types of jobs they are recruiting for.

Charlotte's got several major industries. We are the 2nd largest banking center after New York City. Bank of America and Wachovia are headquartered here. Do not think for a minute that you'll get into either of these two companies unless you have previous banking experience. Banking is very incestuous, and it's very difficult to nab a job there without a previous banking work history. So, make sure you have realistic expectations. There's plenty of healthcare jobs here in an number of hospitals (Presbyterian and Carolinas Medical Center are the bigees, and there's a few smaller ones), plus there's more doctors, dentists and other small medical offices than you can shake a stick at here. Education is a big field too. You've got all the regular old public and private schools, plus UNC.

Retail and restaurants have plenty of need in terms of hires, and there's a fair amount of technical type jobs at places like IBM in the University area and every other company that needs qualified technical folks. Construction is going on in every corner, so if you're a skilled carpenter, bricklayer, etc., you'll have no trouble at all. The good thing about Charlotte, is that there is great variety in terms of industry. Again, just don't get cocky about salary and you'll do fine. Also, be open to a temp-to-perm situation. Matt's job started off as a temp gig and then it quickly converted to a perm thing once he proved himself. In this job market, there's lots of companies testing the waters in terms of candidates. The likelihood is that if you don't screw up, they'll probably hire you full-time.

Another issue you need to think about is commuting. For God's sake, try to get a job that's within a 30 minute commute to your home. Unfortunately, we bought a home first in South Charlotte and then Matt landed a job---in Mooresville! Ouch! That means an hour commute for him. It's now 10 minutes longer now that we've moved into Union County. If there's anyone looking to hire a talented IT Director, please do give me us a shout! Matt's itching to shrink his commute and get closer to home. Highway 77 is a beast during rush hour, and 485 is no prize either. So, do us all a favor and live closer to your job so you can help reduce the traffic clogs.

Speaking of expectations, if you're coming from places like New Jersey, New York or California, you better not be too attached to the current numbers on your paycheck. Expect to make an average of 15% less than you are earning right now. In fact, Matt is probably earning 45% less than what he was earning in Manhattan because although he's in an IT job, he's in the educational field which pays less. He's got a cake-walk job in comparison to the high-stress NYC one he had. Luckily, I still have my Jersey salary, so that more than makes up the difference.

But honestly, the cost of living is so much less that you'll be just fine. You have to figure out what's more important to you--is it a high priced salary or is it a better way of life? If your answer is the former, than you might as well just stay in your high-powered NYC job. If you're looking for a balanced life where you can live well, pay less property taxes and you're willing to take a pay cut to get some sanity in your life, then welcome to Charlotte!

If you have any specific job hunting questions or would like me to review your resume for a second opinion, give me a shout. Good luck on your job hunting adventures!

That's Racin'! NASCAR in Charlotte.

Some of you may have noticed that in my previous entry on the sports scene in Charlotte, I conspicuously omitted discussion of NASCAR. That's because it's so big down here it needs its own post!

I was never much of a racing fan when we lived up north. It seemed boring to me--cars going round and round for hours. But since I've been down here I've started to follow NASCAR more (it's hard to avoid) and I'm starting to like it. I'm still not ready to commit four hours on a Sunday afternoon to watch a whole race, but I definitely flip over to check out what's going on, and I usually try to catch the last 25 laps if I can.

If you're not that familiar with it, NASCAR has its roots here in the South, and the Charlotte area is home to many race teams. Some of the larger tourist draws to Charlotte are the tours of the race shops. You'll find a lot of shops up in the Mooresville area, and also down towards Concord, near the Lowes Motor Speedway.

The Speedway hosts two major NASCAR races every year. The Coca-Cola 600 in May, and the Bank of America 500 in October. The All-Star race also runs at the Speedway the week before the Coca-Cola 600, and that creates a festival of motor sports called Race Week. People come from all over the country to spend the week here, many of them traveling in motor homes and camping at the Speedway for the week. If you're a fan of Jeff Foxworthy or Larry the Cable Guy you have an idea of what that week is like!

Besides the major races, you'll find things going on at the Speedway all year. Car shows, truck races, even school bus races! The fact that the track sits right across I-85 from the Concord Mills Mall doesn't hurt either. The mall is actually the largest tourist attraction in the whole state of NC (which is a little sad if you ask me.)

Charlotte was recently chosen to be the home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame and construction of the site is underway in Uptown. It will supposedly be a spectacular facility when it's finished in late 2009 or early 2010, and will be a big boost to the economy of the city.

NASCAR is a huge part of the culture here and you'll see plenty of hats and bumper stickers with 3 (the late Dale Earnhardt), 88 (Dale Jr.) and others all over the place.

It'll grow on y'all!

New vs. Older Houses in Charlotte

One thing that surprised me about Charlotte is the overall lack of southern looking architecture in most houses being built. I was expecting to see those gracious front porches supported by wood columns and beautiful fern leaves swaying in the wake of the breeze provided by an outdoor fan. I was expecting live oaks gently shading that front porch as well. Well, that's not the case in Charlotte--most everything is new here and is built in a transitional style. If you want formal southern architecture, you'll have to move to Charleston. The Dilworth neighborhood, and those surrounding Uptown do still sport homes with typical southern design, and you will catch one here and there around town, but it's pretty rare.

Neighborhoods in Charlotte are mostly called "subdivisions," or what us non-natives might refer to as a "development." Most of Charlotte is not built on a grid of blocks like NYC, it's simply a series of subdivisions--and each one tends to be named. There's places like Providence Country Club, High Gate, Sunset Park and Heron Harbor. You tell your realtor about these named neighborhoods that you like, and they can search for you in this manner.

You'll see two scopes of buildings here--brand spanking new or a bit older. Here's the pluses and minuses of each:

New:
Heck, it's new! No one has lived in your brand new house before you, or maybe there was just one owner. You're probably getting an open floor plan, big closets and modern stainless appliances tucked into granite countertops. I call these "insta-neighborhoods," where you may have a community pool and playground surrounded by many cul-de-sacs. Houses tend to be really close together, and yards are puny. The developer has likely cut down every precious tree on the land to make way for many more houses than should be placed in any one place. Builders put four houses in the spot where there should be one. You better like your neighbors, because you're going to be really, really, close to 'em. If you get into a Hatfield-McCoys situation in this setting, you could just stare at each other through your side windows and make faces in the heat of battle.

Homes in these neighborhoods tend to look very much alike to their neighbors, with a slight variation of color or design. Its perfect for folks with kids, as they can ride around with their bikes in a safe manner and its easy for them (and you) to make friends. Some neighborhoods have taken this form a living to new heights. For example, the very popular Birkdale Village in Huntersville (Area 9) has adorable southern styled homes on .12 size lots. There's cute shopping right near all the homes, and it's almost like a little town onto itself.

There's a few amazing neighborhoods, however, that are not so extreme such as Ardey in Area 5 (South Charlotte). The builder has put together a collection of pretty southern inspired homes with front porches and alleyways in the back for cars. They are painted in marvelous Charleston colors like pink, teal and Georgia peach. It really is a stunning community, and the builder took care to really put together a design that gives variation to the homes.

You can find newer neighborhoods in golf communities or even lake communities. You can have tons of amenities where you may not even have to leave your subdivision (Sun City at Carolina Lakes for 55+ adults). Or, you can have a bare bones inexpensive place where the homes are pretty much cookie cutter.

Older:
Most of these will be built from the 1960's to just a couple of years ago. 90% of these will have siding versus any of the brickface or hardi-plank newer homes are wearing these days. Small or non-existent closets are the norm, and most likely everything will need some updating. You may not see the 10 foot ceilings that the new homes have, and there's less bathrooms. On the flipside, you get land, lush trees and privacy. You also tend to get a bargain in terms of a sale price of these homes, but you'll only plow it all back in to update the darn thing. But, at least you get to fix it up the way you want it. It's also likely that you won't be subjected to a Home Owners Association (HOA)--that's a blessing as far as I'm concerned.

I've lived in both of these types of homes, and I confess I'm partial to older homes. I've got 3 beautiful acres, with plenty of space between me and my neighbors. I've had to rip up everything in the house--kitchen, baths, etc., but you just can't find a 3,000 square foot house on a plot like mine in Union County for the price I bought it for. I got a bargain, in fact! There's also a bit more character in these older gals--if you consider that the house is mostly out-of-square character, that is. So, be sure to not ignore older homes in your search if you're looking for a steal in terms of real estate.

Basically, two things will determine the home you buy. The first will be money and the second will be the area you prefer to live in. Figure out that combination and just let your realtor know what you're looking for in terms of the house itself.

Oh, and I neglected to mention that when you house hunt here in Charlotte you'll be surprised to note that when you walk into houses it appears like all of them have been decorated by Martha Stewart. In New York, I was so used to walking into slummy looking homes for exorbitant prices, that I was totally shocked at the level of decor in the homes here. You're thinking to yourself, how can I compete with this?! But interior designers are inexpensive to work with around these parts, and every proud southern woman seems to use one. Good for them!

Happy house hunting in Charlotte!

Where to Live in Charlotte

There's lots of opinion here, but most people will tell you that if Charlotte is a circle and you drew two vertical lines about an inch apart from center--that you should stay in the middle of the two lines. Generally, east and west of city center is considered a bit shady--and those areas north and south of the city aren't. Of course, your pocket book will really dictate where you end up for the most part.

Those areas north and south are more expensive, and the areas east and west are dirt cheap. You'll see a map of the area is divided into zones called "areas." For example city center is called Area 99, Union County is Area 10 and so on. So, when you talk to your realtor, you basically tell them what zone you want to live in. It's living in New York and saying: I want to live in the East Village or Harlem. They are neighborhood areas.

Charlotte is spreading out quite a bit. Areas in the outer reaches like Lincoln County and Union County are growing like wildfire. Union County, in fact, is the fastest growing county in North Carolina and the 20th fastest growing county in the USA. Just a few years ago, it was nothing more than beautiful farmland. Today there are houses springing up where the cow patties used to lay. There are heaps and heaps of northerners living in Union County, there is also heaps of disposable income there. You will find everything from the simplest trailer home to multi-million dollar mansions. The dichotomy is truly amazing.

The schools in Union County are generally considered the best in Charlotte (and in some respects the state). You can review school data at www.greatschools.net if schools are a consideration for you. One caveat is that since everyone wants to move into Union County, the schools are overcrowded. You will find temporary buildings behind many of the schools. Weddington High School, for example, has more children in temp buildings than in the school building itself. It's not their fault--its ours. We keep moving moving here in droves with our kids and they can't keep up with adding new schools. Basically, Charlotte is having a hard time keeping up with the growth in terms of infrastructure thanks to all the newcomers. Schools and roads are bursting and they can't build 'em fast enough.

Up north there's Huntersville and Mooresville and other nice areas. It's NASCAR country, you've got the Lowe's Motor Speedway as well as Lake Norman--a beautiful man-made lake with many acres of shoreline and great for boating if you're so inclined. City center (called uptown by the natives) is hopping with newly built condos, and there's wonderful restaurants and bars that have popped up. They are building 10,000 new condos over the coming years, and Donald Trump is laying stake to putting up the tallest building in Charlotte too. Headquarters for Bank of America are here as well. Just 7 years ago, the area was a drug-infested area where no simple mortal would enter without a hefty set of cojones. Today, you've got the Discovery Place, Bobcat Arena and Panther Stadium.

Due east is the University area. IBM is located there, and its an easy commute. The area is considered convenient and accessible and homes are cheap. Most people with kids living there will tell you that they put their kids into private school, however. Just south of uptown is the beautiful Dilworth area, which sports pricey homes built in the 1920's on gorgeous oak tree lines streets. It has a more genteel southern feel that most people imagine when they think of this area. Huge columns on stunning homes, and a price-tag to match. Up and coming areas like NoDa have adorable craftsman homes that are being renovated. The area has an artsy feel thanks to all the artists that moved in and gentrified the area. Prices here are climbing as well.

If you really want dirt cheap property taxes, you cross the border to South Carolina and look in Indian Land and Fort Mill--two lovely areas just south of Ballantyne. Indian Land in particular is exploding since the opening of an enormous 55+ retirement community by builder Del Webb called Sun City at Carolina Lakes. That whole Route 521 corridor is set to explode with growth as that neighborhood becomes populated. There is a waiting list for homes in this village, and it has a huge golf course and its own shopping area.

There's something for everyone in Charlotte. Those in the under $200k price point would be better off in a townhome or condo. If you're in the $300+ range, you'll do fine in terms of finding a home. Set a budget for yourself and stick to it. You will find that you can get incredible bang for your buck in comparison to the northeast, and its very easy to blow past your budget when you see what you can get. I came here saying we weren't going to spend over $300k--we quickly bought a $429k home in Mecklenburg. Luckily, the house we sold in Jersey was $500k. (By the way, you could find the very same cookie cutter home we had there for $125k here). We had $10,000 property taxes on our house in Jersey, and the backyard was teensy. Here, I've got 3 acres and I pay $2,200. It's madness!

In terms of finding real estate here, I suggest you use the Charlotte MLS site www.carolinahome.com instead of realtor.com. You'll get much more info, great photos, and you can search by lots of criteria--including subdivision. I found this site terrific.

It would take me days to describe all the great areas to live in Charlotte, so explore the areas and be open minded. There's a place where you'll feel at home, no doubt.

The Charlotte Food Scene

Charlotte does not lay claim to a particular food item, like Philly does with the cheese steak, or Chicago with the hot dog and the deep dish pizza. We're not on the water, so fresh seafood is not abundant. We don't have the quantity or variety of restaurants that you'll find in NYC or San Francisco. We're not even the epicenter of our most famous food, BBQ (try Texas or Memphis.) Still, you won't starve here, that's for sure, and there are plenty of tasty options available.

Restaurants: More and more are opening each month, and the upscale places are spreading south with the housing boom. Johnson and Wales culinary school opened a campus in uptown and a lot of their graduating chefs are staying in the area to work, and opening interesting restaurants. From uptown to the South End, all the way down to the Ballantyne area you can find some great places to eat, in all price ranges. There is still a shortage of quality ethnic restaurants (Indian and Cuban come to mind,) but you'll find great sushi (try Nikko's in Ballantyne) and decent Thai food among the hordes of steakhouses. One of our favorite places for American food with a Southern flair is Sugar Magnolia's in the Blakeney shopping center. It's a bit pricey, but the food is excellent. We've found pretty good pizza (Tony's) and Chinese food, but you have to try a bunch before you find what you like.

Regional treats: Though not specific to Charlotte, you'll find some southern delicacies here you just don't see much up north. Fried okra, when done right, is amazing. Also, you'll find fried pickle chips on some menus here. TRY THEM. Fried green tomatoes are also common. Notice a theme here? My aunt always says "You can fry a piece of shoe leather and it would taste good." Another item that was new to me is pimiento cheese. It's kind of a spread, or sometimes a dip. Not my favorite, but worth a try. They also have a locally bottled cherry soda here called Cheerwine that is everything I always wanted Dr. Pepper to be.

BBQ: Pork rules here, but you'll find beef brisket and chicken too. Be aware, however, that the style of BBQ predominantly served is "eastern style" which means the sauce is vinegar-based, rather than tomato-based. Not my preference, but it's all good. On Saturday's it's common to see people on the roadside or in a parking lot with their smokers, selling home-made BBQ. Definitely worth a try. Down Highway 521 just across the South Carolina border is Southern Spirits--a liquor store where one of these pork purveyors sets up shop. He only sells whole cooked pork shoulders. You have to trim it and shred it yourself at home, but it is unbelievably good. I think we ate 3 meals from the one we bought.

Now, if we could only find good Italian bread and fresh mozzarella cheese everywhere, we'd be all set...[check Ferrucci's Old Tyme Italian Market in Cornelius for that].

Religion

They don't call Charlotte the City of Churches for nothing (by the way, it's also called the City of Trees). You will literally find a church on every other block around here--big, small, fancy or simple. Baptists dominate here, but there's every variation you can think of as far as Christianity goes, and there's a few Jewish temples too. Something for everyone if they're so inclined.

I was raised catholic, but I confess I'm non-practicing. However, I'm all for people gathering together to practice their faiths. To each his own, I say. But we're in the south, people. And the bible belt to boot--so church going is serious business in these parts. There is nothing more spectacular than passing a church on Sunday and seeing the parade of women in the fanciest, feathery hats of the most iridescent of colors. And the men are no slouches either in their suits. It's better than any easter parade I've ever seen. Many larger churches actually have police presence on Sunday to help guide the parishioners in. Calvary Church on Rea Road in South Charlotte is one of the largest in Charlotte. The claim is that it is so large you can see if from uptown. It actually has three-tiered stadium seating like a Broadway theater!

The native Charlotteans are passionate about their religion, and it is not uncommon to be first greeted by one asking: "What church do you go to?" within the first 3 minutes of meeting you. For us transplants, that question can take some getting used to if you're not a regular church goer or if you're used to be an anonymous New Yorker. I confess I've struggled with answers to this one, since I am essentially non-practicing. There has been once or twice where I have just said "St. Matthews," just to extricate myself from the situation. Meanwhile, I've never stepped foot in the place. God forgive me.

You'll find the natives largely conservative and highly respectful in most respects, with their adorable "yes ma'am" and "no sir." These people were brought up right! Kids here seem more behaved then where I came from.

One issue I have, however, is that the natives don't seem to drink. In a recent neighborhood BBQ, Matt and I were astounded at the fact that not one single adult had a single drink. Now, I don't know about you guys, but Matt and I are social drinkers. If there's a hotdog in one hand, there's no better accompaniment than a beer in the other. It's Americana. We assume its just part of their conservative, church-going nature--but in the bible, Jesus was turning water into wine on virtually every page. The last supper? There was wine in them darned goblets! Charlotte natives, however, don't seem to care to imbibe. And, Matt and I have a motto: don't trust anyone that doesn't drink.

When we moved to Charlotte and were seeking out potential friends in the neighborhood, we looked at our neighbors garbage to decide who we would be friendly with. There's no better way of learning about folks than by looking at their recyclables. The night before garbage pick-up, we'd cruise the recycling bins. One neighbor had prune juice bottles in there--not a fit for a friend. The next had laundry detergent and dishwashing soap filled to the brim of their bin--clearly a clean bunch of folks, and likely not social drinkers. Next bin: Absolut vodka bottles and beer cans--now we're talking! These are definitely people we can cozy up to!

So, good luck in finding an answer to the inevitable question about what Church you're attending. Perhaps you can answer legitimately and honestly, or maybe you're just going to be sitting behind me at St. Matthews next Sunday!

;-)

-Lisa

What About the Yankees?

No, not "yankees" as in all of us carpet-bagging northerners flocking here--the real Yankees. The Bronx Bombers. The greatest, most successful sports team that ever was.

I lived my entire life, including my college years, within 60 miles of Yankee Stadium. It was very comforting. So when we decided to head south, one of the things I knew I'd miss the most was going to the stadium. I figured I could get the YES network on satellite though, so I'd at least get to watch the games on TV. Well, I was wrong. The evil HOA where we first lived didn't allow satellite dishes. Seriously. They were deemed "unsightly." Now, those rules were probably written in the '80s when a satellite dish took up your whole yard and looked like something you bought from a NASA garage sale, but I was stuck.

As an alternative, I signed up for the MLB internet package, which let me watch the Yankees on my laptop. Not ideal, but at least I got to see the games. Most of them, anyway. Except the 19 - 20 games the Yanks play against Baltimore every season. You see, the Baltimore Orioles are the local American League baseball market in Charlotte. It doesn't matter that they are 440 miles away. They are the closest American league team and thus blacked out by MLB rules from the internet package. Ok, well, if they're the local team they must be on TV somewhere, right? Wrong. They were the first year we got here, but Time Warner Cable no longer carries MASN, the Orioles network, so I don't get those games at all. On the plus side, the Mets aren't on TV here either....

As for other sports, we have the Carolina Panthers in the NFL and the Charlotte Bobcats in the NBA right here in uptown (what everyone else would call "downtown") Charlotte, which is cool. The Panthers are huge here. I'm a NY Giants fan, but I have adopted the Panthers too. I know, I know...sports bigamy. But it's fun to go to the games. Because Charlotte is a smallish city, it's very accessible and getting to the stadium and the arena is a breeze. Because Panthers Stadium is right in the city, you don't have a huge parking lot to tailgate in like at Giants Stadium, but the atmosphere is still fun and there's a lot to do in the immediate area before games.

The Bobcats aren't quite as popular yet, for a variety of reasons, but mainly because of a lingering bitterness towards the ownership of the previous NBA franchise here, the Hornets. The Hornets were beloved and their owner took them away. Also, there was a referendum or something on building the new arena, and even though the citizens voted against it, it was green lighted (politics) anyway. So the fans aren't flocking to see the 'Cats yet, which is a shame because they have an exciting young team that should get better this year, and the arena is great.

There is also minor league baseball here with the Charlotte Knights. They currently play in South Carolina, right over the border, but there is a big push under way to move them to Uptown as well.

One thing I wasn't used to up north is the popularity of college sports down here, especially football. It's almost a religion. We're smack in the middle of ACC country and the SEC teams are close too. Charlotte doesn't have a big time college sports program of it's own (the UNC Charlotte basketball team plays in the A-10 conference and is over-shadowed by UNC, NC State and Duke, even though they are 2 hours away). The University of South Carolina and Clemson University are within 90 minutes of Charlotte and have huge followings here as well. Sure, people used to look at me a bit funny when I wore my Rutgers hat, but after we came into Chapel Hill and whipped the Tar Heels last season and went on to national prominence, my alma mater gets a little more respect now.

So, all and all, Charlotte is a pretty good sports town. The fans are a little reserved, especially at Panthers games. The season-ticket holders, especially in the lower-bowl seats are known as the "wine and cheese" crowd and have a reputation for leaving at half-time if the game isn't close. But I think my yelling and screaming GOTTA SUPPORT THE TEAM!!!!! may catch on just yet....

-Matt

There's Nothing Better Than Charlotte Weather

Never mind the cost of living, lots of people come to Charlotte for the great weather. I sure did. It used to be that the minute I saw the leaves changing color, I would head into a funk. It meant that 5 months of frigid temperatures were coming along with the possibility of snow. As a kid, you love snow because you get to stay home from school and play in it. Most employers I've had didn't enjoy giving me the day off just because its snowing out. So, as an adult--snow and wintry weather sucks.

It means you've got to commute in it, shovel it, and try to cross the street while hoping you don't get sloshed by the downtown bus. It means wearing heavy coats and a hat. It means not being able to go outside to enjoy a beautiful day. Brrrr!

Now, Charlotte doesn't really get snow. In the 3 years I've lived here, it has snowed exactly twice for approximately 4 hours each time. By the end of the day, there was not a single trace of the white stuff. And, most importantly, I don't own a snow shovel. The mountain regions to the north of Charlotte provide a wonderful buffer to that wintry stuff being shot down our way by those pesky Canadians. You can have many lovely winter days of 40 degrees where only a light jacket is required. It might be nippy in the early morning or evenings, but still nothing that requires the northeastern parka.

There is ice in Charlotte, however. Or at least, that's what I'm told. I haven't seen it once in the 3 years I've lived here, but I did hear that there was a mega ice storm the year before we arrived where many people in Charlotte lost electrical power for two weeks. Two weeks! I think Matt would murder someone if he missed two weeks worth of Sunday football on TV.

The caution here is that Charlotteans seem to completely freak out in poor weather. Several hours after one particular dusting of snow, I made my way to the Toys R Us off Pineville Matthews Road to grab my kid some diapers. The snow had long melted away and the sun was out, but there wasn't a soul on highway 485. I get to the store and there's a huge sign in the window that said: Due to the terrible weather, we have closed at 1PM. The employees were huddled inside and horrified that I was tapping on the glass door. They waved me away and shouted through the plate glass, "We're closed! The weather is really bad!!" I turned around to look at the completely dry pavement. I shrugged my shoulders and made my way to the Harris Teeter supermarket. I was confident they that had to be open, after all, it was a 24-hour store. Thankfully, they were, but the Teeter employees looked miffed--they were probably wishing they were Toys R Us employees instead.

Oh, and speaking of the supermarkets, the minute that TV weather personality begins to hint at the possibility of the white stuff coming--Charlotteans sprint to the Teeter as if the end of the world were coming. Milk, juice and toilet paper will fly off the shelves. Generators with 2 inches of dust disappear from every Home Depot and, yes, those snow shovels go too. And finally, the weather personality actually has something to report on. You see, most days in Charlotte are pretty much the same--sunny and lovely. Nobody pays attention to the weatherman because, well, its going to be sunny and lovely for the next six days in a row. Ho hum. But, snow gives the weather man something to crow about. Finally the spotlight is on him, and he's determined to really take that moment and run with it. He's going to instill the fear of God into all viewers. "Get thee to the supermarket and stock up on all dairy products! A blizzard is coming," he shouts at you through the screen. I'm convinced the weather man is getting a kickback from the Harris Teeter.

Driving in inclement weather in Charlotte is also an adventure. Considering how many of us who live here have come from places with truly nasty winter weather, I'm astounded at what happens to all of you when you get behind the wheel of a car--even when its only raining. Everything seems to come to a virtual crawl, and there's panic and white knuckles grasping every wheel. I mean, you just moved here from Albany two years ago, and you've driven through 16 feet of snow! What's happened to you now that you've moved to Charlotte and you're facing a quarter of an inch of snow? I don't blame native southerners for freaking out...but northerners, too?

Matt and I purposefully call our families in Jersey and New York when we see it's -25 degrees and snicker when they tell us how cold it is. Suckers!

Stuff You Might Miss--or Not!

Aside from the people you know and love, you might actually miss inanimate things that you're accustomed to while living in your new home town of Charlotte.

Matt misses the fact that there's no Temptee brand cream cheese here, for example. There's Philadelphia, but not Temptee. When we first moved here, there was no Wonder bread, but then 6 months later it popped onto the shelves. Hallelujah! For some reason, they do sell Thomas' English Muffins in the regular size, but not that bigger sandwich size. How do Charlotteans expect us to make a good London Burger without the proper sized english muffin?

But in the process of being here, I've discovered new things that I'd never known in the streets of New York. Hushpuppies, for example, are these marvelous bits of fried dough that accompany BBQ pork like nobody's business. Don't even get me started on fried okra--yum! I'm not a fan of grits, but Matt can't seem to get enough hot sauce on the stuff.

The first thing you'll notice about Charlotte is that people here are super friendly. You walk into any retail establishment and you'll get a cheery good morning from everyone in the place. You walk down the street in your neighborhood and you get a wave from most folks. People here are just far more polite that anywhere I've seen. You will usually have the kindest restaurant service you've ever had in your life, too. I certainly don't miss the surly, can't-you-see-i'm-doing-you-a-favor attitude that I was accustomed to up north. Heck, I was one of those surly people once!

At first you think you feel a little bit like a windmill just waving at every damn person you see, and say to yourself that you just can't do this every day. Let me be the first to tell you that you will get used to it really quickly. The first year we moved here, we had to go back to New Jersey for a family visit. Matt made his usual morning trek to the Starbucks and returned in a huff. He explained that he did not get a friendly morning smile from his Jersey barrista. He said that it felt like she was serving him just because she had to, and that she just plunked his change on the counter. Like I said, you do get used to the friendliness, and quickly take notice of it when it's missing.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are rude individuals everywhere on this planet--including Charlotte. We're essentially a bunch of transplants coming together from all over the globe with different perspectives on life into one place. I give the natives credit for having as much patience with us as they do.

There's lots of other things you might miss. If you're from the north, things like pizza and bagels will be high on your list of items to find. Folks from the west might be itching for good vegan/organic fare. Floridians will be hard pressed to find a decent Sandwich Cubano, I'm sorry to say. But more on these controversial subjects at a later time...

As I've mentioned before, I sure as heck don't miss the snow. On the other hand, I do miss the ocean. As you can see, Charlotte is not exactly nirvana if that's what you're thinking--but what place is? I mean, you've just left a place to move here because there was lots about it that you did not like, right?

I'd say Charlotte offers just enough of a balance of great new stuff blended in with much of the stuff you're used to. That way you don't miss home too terribly much.

-Lisa

You Moved to Charlotte, Now What?

Lots of people seem compelled to buy or build a house before officially getting to Charlotte and living in the place for even a minute. I sincerely encourage you to rent--even if it's just two months. There are plenty of month-to-month apartment complexes in Charlotte. We stayed at the Marquis at Carmel Commons (off of Route 51--also known as Pineville Matthews Road) for close to two months. It was a perfectly lovely place with a big pool, hot tub, and they accepted pets. It was also centrally located and you could easily get to shopping, restaurants and other parts of Charlotte.

Trust me that you might end up making a different choice in which part of town you ultimately want to live in if you give yourself 6-8 weeks to just drive around and experience what's out there. You don't want to go plunking down money on a house and then discover 6 months later that you wished you would have settled down in Huntersville versus Mint Hill.

We initially moved into a great neighborhood in South Charlotte that was in close proximity to highway 485. Now, had I known what I know now, I would have moved straight into Union County (which is where I live now). I could have saved myself the time and expense of another move in the long run (granted, we did make a pretty penny on selling our house in South Charlotte though). But it was a hassle to move again.

Now I know what some of you are thinking, "But I don't want to have to move into an apartment, put my stuff in storage and then move again!" I recognize that it's no fun to move twice in a short period of time, but here's how I minimized the impact. We packed the stuff that we knew we would need at the apartment last, so the truck simply pulled up to the apartment and pulled off just exactly what we'd need to live with for 8 weeks. I put a bright orange tape on everything that we needed so it was clear what was staying with us and what was going back into storage. I suggest you use a moving company that has storage space, as it tends to be cheaper to house your stuff with them. I've also seen people use those PODS with great success for this process as well.

Your other option could be to stay in one of those extended stay hotels. You'll have all the furniture, plates and stuff you'll need without even needing to touch your own stuff. Just bring your clothes, toothbrush and move right in until you've found your dream neighborhood.
I know some of you will ignore this, plunk down your hard-earned cash on a shiny new house and just go straight for the pot of gold without this recommended interim step. I admire your boldness and I hope that you're happy with where you've ended up. I know that some of you will need to get your kids into school and don't want to disrupt their lives too much. I get it. I get it.
Now that its your first days here in Charlotte, what will life be like? You might feel pangs of homesickness and feel like you should just run back home. Fight the urge, people. This is a normal feeling and will temper after you've been here awhile. I'm here 3 years and there are days where I still have that feeling creep up on me. Humans are pack animals, we like the familiar contact of people who love us. Pick up the telephone or grab one of those little web cameras so you can hear and see your family whenever you like.

If you're anything like me, you might actually feel happy about being liberated from having to attend every single family function. No one is going to expect you to show up for Aunt Tilly's 75th birthday party if you live 700 miles away. Send Aunt Tilly a fabulous bouquet of flowers and box of chocolates and call it a day--without guilt.

As you sink into your every day routine in Charlotte, you'll find that your day-to-day is much like where you came from. Actually, I think it's better.

Lisa

Telling Our Family and Friends We Were Ditching 'Em

It's easy enough to find a place you want to move to and make the decision to go. The hard part is telling your folks and friends and actually getting the deed done. Some of you might try to convince others to see the light and move with you, however, if your family is anything like mine--get ready to be disowned.

My family is largely made up of immigrants that came to the US from Europe over 70 years ago and settled in New York City. I'm basically a first generation American. You'd think, based on these travels they've taken from another land all the way to Ellis Island, that they'd be understanding of family moving away and leaving everything they are familiar with behind. My whole family has essentially either all lived in the same apartment building in Chelsea or within a 10 block radius of each other for decades. I'm the first to have broken the chain.

When I first got married, I moved to Long Island for a short time, and my family reacted as if I had moved to another state--and I was literally just 25 minutes away from where the bulk of them lived. When I moved to New Jersey for a few years later, both family and friends really freaked out. They actually acted as if they might need a passport to cross the George Washington Bridge to see me. Whenever my parents came to visit me, my mother persistently complained about the traffic during the entire visit and talked about how they had to leave early because she heard that it was going to rain on the trip back.

So, when it came to telling them that I was leaving for Charlotte, I was ready for the fireworks. My mom is the passive-aggressive type and she holds a grudge better than anyone I know. She still hasn't forgiven me for leaving, and the first thing she said to me was, "Why did you give me grandchildren if you were only going to take them away from me?" Er, mom, I hate to tell you this, but I did not have kids purely to entertain you. My father, on the other hand, was overjoyed at the thought of an adventure. I seriously believe that if my mother was willing to move here, that he would move in a flash. Of course, my mother would NEVER move to Charlotte.

Matt's parents were also dismayed. They understood the reasons, but didn't want to hear 'em. Matt's mom literally compared moving to Charlotte as us moving to Switzerland. We tried to explain that it was only an hour and 20 minute plane ride from Newark to no avail.

We got them used to the idea about 3 months before we actually made the move. They weren't happy about it, but they finally accepted that we were going. Our friends had no issue understanding our desire to go. They told us that they wished they had the balls to leave too, and that they were sick of paying for sky high real estate and never getting any further in life thanks to the cost of living. Inf act, some seemed a touch envious.

There were two critical things we did, that I highly recommend each of you promise me you'll do. First, we did not allow any family members to throw us one of those bon-voyage parties. We knew that if we had that happen, the tears that would flow at such an event would have us guilt-ridden for years. Secondly, we did not all ANYONE to be with us as we pulled away from our old house for the last time. I remember clearly that it was about 11PM when we set out on the road in pure darkness that November 3 years ago, and there was no family there to cry and tug at us as we pulled away from the curb. These two points made it a heap easier for us to go, so I encourage you to do the same.

Have our parents finally accepted that we're here for good? I firmly believe my mother still thinks we'll be back (she's wrong), and she still holds a mega grudge. She doesn't like that I disrupted her universe one bit. We got her one of those computer cameras before we left so she can see the kids, and she actually refuses to set it up. My dad and Matt's dad are cool with it now. They've visited a bunch of times and acknowledge that its nice here, and that can understand that our lives are actually better here.

In the beginning there were days that we were homesick, but as we settled into our new place, that faded away. Do we miss our family and friends on occasion? Sure! That's natural--and expect to feel that way for awhile. Just keep in mind that you're here for a specific reason, and that's to live a better life for a more reasonable price.

One thing I don't miss at all is the sound of the snow shovel hitting the pavement, and every time it snows up north--you'll have a big smile on your face when you tell your family its 40 degrees and sunny in Charlotte.

;-)

You've Moved Here, Now What? Part II

Ok, it's my turn. First, a disclaimer: I love living here. Pros v. cons isn't a contest. The weather is great, the people are courteous and friendly, the cost of living is fantastic compared to the northeast, and there is a lot to do.

That being said... there are two things that I'm disappointed about:

First, I miss people with balls, pardon my language, but there's no other way to say it. I'm not sure if it's a vestige of "southern hospitality" or an innate reservedness, but people here seem incredibly reluctant to speak their minds. I'm not used to that. At first I thought it was charming, but after a while I started to find it annoying. Not a whole lot of "characters" around here.....

Second, and more important: Drivers. Now, what I don't get is that there aren't many native Charlotteans here. There are a LOT of transplants from all over the country, and that sort of rules out a cultural or geographic reason for bad driving, but the drivers around here are awful. Really, really awful. For example, when pulling out from a street onto a road with two lanes of traffic in their direction, they will wait until both lanes are free and clear, not just the lane they will merge into. I repeat, BOTH LANES have to be clear. Of course, this can take a while. And, since no one here knows what the automobile horn was designed for, it can take a long while.
The passing lane on a highway? It's not that well known here. Apparently that lane is for the guy in the pickup truck with his arm resting on the windowsill, doing 5 mph below the speed limit.
But the most egregious example by far are the rubberneckers. It's an art form here. Not content to merely glance over at the unfortunate person who got into an accident or is getting a ticket..not merely content to slow down a bit for a better look...no, this seems to require an almost complete stop--even on the highway, no matter how many cars are queuing up behind them. It's a freakin' epidemic.

On top of the drivers, the people in charge of naming the roads in the early days around here must have had some powerful peyote. In the older areas of town it's quite common to have multiple roads with the same name. Just north of Highway 51 near Matthews, you'll find yourself on the corner of Sardis Rd. and Sardis Rd. Further uptown you'll find the confusing intersection of Providence Rd. and Queens Rd. which doesn't behave at all like expected. These are just two examples of many.

But these are things you get used to and learn to live with, and part of the fun of discovering your new home.

-Matt

Why Charlotte Over Any Other Great Place?

Four years ago we made a list of what we wanted in a new city, and basically it looked something like this (in no particular order):

1. Quick plane ride away from family in northeast
2. Temperate weather--not too hot, not too cold (by the way it's 102 degrees here today!)
3. Good schools
4. Not in the boonies, so we'd still have access to amenities like restaurants, etc.
5. Not terribly far from the ocean
6. Cheaper cost of living
7. Jobs

We took out a map and started perusing every state east of the Mississippi. We discarded those that were more than 5 hours from the ocean instantly. We knocked out Delaware and Maryland quickly--still too chilly in the winter and way to close to where we were already living. Then we briefly considered Charlottesville, Virginia. It seemed like a hip and happening town with and artsy college feel. Unfortunately, the local school system wasn't great. Out!

We spent a few days thinking about Charleston, SC, which we'd visited and adored. Schools were disappointing and the only real form of employment there seemed to be retail or military based. Atlanta was another possibility, but we didn't want a place that was as busy as New York--so those fell off the list too.

Next we centered on Florida. We drove down to Punta Gorda on the Gulf Coast, visited Venice and that whole relative area. It was lovely, and we enjoyed being by the ocean. At the time real estate was booming and the prices were pretty high. We didn't find much by way of employment possibility for us, and schools were sketchy at best. Three months after our visit, Hurricane Charley all but decimated that area--so that made not moving there pretty easy.

I was willing to live in a more rural town, but Matt was horrified by the thought of not being proximate to a city. I could have sprawled out on a 10 acre plot with horses and chickens. Needless to say, I lost--and Matt was right in that we shouldn't put our kids in the sticks where they'd have limited access to kid stuff and activities. Plus, we didn't want them to be those kids that end up saying, "I gotta get out of this one-horse town and move to a great place like New York City!" Oh, the irony of that one would be unamusing. So, we had to keep looking.

North Carolina was on our radar a few times during this process. At the beginning, we were really centered on Raleigh. It has a variety of employment, diverse people, good schools and fit all the rest of our criteria. We took our trip down and were impressed. A few days later we visited Charlotte, and it instantly felt like home. So, why didn't we choose Raleigh?

First off, though schools are solid, Raleigh sports a school reassignment philosophy. In other words, just because you live in a particular neighborhood, it does not mean that your kid will end up in that school thanks to overcrowding. We also found Raleigh to be a little too spread out in terms of the landscape--it just felt like a big sprawling town with a puny little city center. And, finally, we felt you got better bang for your buck house-wise in Charlotte.

We visited Charlotte two or three times before we finally decided to move here, and we quickly gravitated to the South Charlotte area. We loved the look of the streets with their blooming crape myrtle's, easy accessibility to highway 485, pretty shopping areas that didn't look look like cheesy strip malls, and the schools were solid. We found that there were lots of northeasterner's in the area, too. Geez, this felt like home. It felt familiar. We loved it!

There were things we adored immediately: you could actually make a left turn when driving (those of you from New Jersey will be liberated from that pesky jug handle), the state actually lets its inhabitants pump their own gas (there truly is something to be said for the state of New Jersey not trusting its own people to use the pump), and you could buy a kick-ass house for pennies in comparison for what you could get in the northeast--with tiny taxes to boot. Truly it was hard not to just love everything about the place.

So, on our drive home, we decided that Charlotte was our new home-to-be. Now, we just needed to face our fear of telling our family that we were leaving 'em behind.

Why We Wanted to Leave NYC

Hiya Folks!


Matt and I are both from the northeast and have been living in Charlotte, NC, for three years now. I’m originally from New York City and Matt grew up in New Jersey. We’ve been hitched for a bit over 7 years and have always wanted to live somewhere outside of the NY/NJ metro region. Our most compelling reason for leaving was primarily cost. The thought of continuing to pay $10,000 property taxes for a $500,000 house with a property the size of a postage stamp got us increasingly livid.


To boot, we were commuting into Manhattan on a daily basis--and being subjected to the constant horrors of the train system, and the expense of it all. Then there’s the frigid winters to contend with! And there’s truly nothing like trying to contend with slush in the gutter as you’re trying to cross 14th Street and 7th Avenue while the bus is whizzing by and splashing you with that grey sloppy mess.


“Enough!” we said! There’s got to be a better way…a better place! And that’s when our adventures started.First off, you’ve got to get over the fact that you’re dumping your family and friends behind. Yes, there’s those of you that will try to convince others to run with you because you’re horribly scared to leave behind everyone and everything you know. There’s safety in packs! Heck, that means there’s not an inch of Christopher Columbus or Leaf Erickson in you! Going beyond a 10-block radius outside of your current living quarters gives you the willies. You probably live in Wayne, NJ, and moan whenever someone suggests dinner and a night into Manhattan. “Waah…that’s too far,” you whine. “There’s lots of traffic on the bridge!…Where will I park my car?….I can get mugged!….Waah!”


Well, this blog is for folks all around the country who have the chutzpa to ditch every thing and every one they know and make a bold move to somewhere new! In this case, we’re talking Charlotte, NC! Where it seems that everyone from NJ, NY, FL and CA wants to be these days.
We’ll tell you exactly why we came, how we did it, and what life is truly like for an out-of-stater in Charlotte. We’ll scoop you on what’s first-rate, what’s dreadful and why we’re still happy we made the decision to leave the madness of the northeast behind for a more civilized life in the south.


Sweet tea, anyone?


Lisa

About Me

Moved from NYC to Charlotte in 2004 because we were sick and tired of paying crazy prices for a house and property taxes. Wanted better weather. Wanted to still live near a city so that we could get all the benefits of good restaurants, amenities, good schools and normal human beings. Oh, and my Hubby asks me to mention the fact that there are local, major league sports teams, too.

House in Union County. Three kids. Left our families behind (not necessarily a bad thing). Happy we made the move to Charlotte.