Charlotte is the Queen City of North Carolina. Though it doesn’t have the title “Capital,” like it’s neighbor Raleigh, it has quickly become North Carolina’s premiere city. Charlotte was founded in 1786 atop two major intersecting roads. The first road was the Great Wagon Road. This road was built by European settlers and once stretched from Philadelphia and Georgia. The other road was a major Native American trail. Today, these two roads are known as Tryon and Trade streets and their intersection is called Independence Square.
In this post, we will hit the highlights of what makes Charlotte special. I won’t dive into too many specifics, or this would quickly become a book, but I will touch on the main factors that contribute to Charlotte’s greatness and some fun facts along the way!
Job Market
Charlotte is brisling with opportunity right now. The city holds the rank of the #2 banking capital in the United States behind NYC. Bank of America has its headquarters here and Wells Fargos set up its headquarters of east coast operations in Uptown Charlotte.
In addition to Charlotte, being a major player in finance, Charlotte is very progressive. There are countless startups and new-technology businesses that pop up each and every day in Charlotte. The average age of Charlotte citizens is 34. Many millenials move to Charlotte out of college because of the great job opportunities here. This statistic is a great sign for the future of Charlotte, because millenials are the future leaders of our nation. This means Charlotte is poised to age well and become more of a world-wide influence in years to come. This influx of young minds and technology is part of the push that helped Charlotte explode and it is going to be part of the years ahead as Charlotte matures and grows.
Sports
The ability to enjoy live sporting events in Charlotte is not the only reason sports make Charlotte special. The sports in Charlotte inject millions and billions of dollars into the Charlotte economy each year. Teams such as the Panthers and Hornets and major speedways such as the Lowes Motor Speedway have made Charlotte a sporting destination. Hundreds of thousands of people come to Charlotte each year to watch sports and what do they do when they get here? They spend money! The eat out, stay at hotels and shop!
The 150,000 sq ft NASCAR Hall of Fame is located in Charlotte. In addition, the Lowes Motor Speedway is home to many major events like the “Coca Cola 500,” the “Bank of America 500,” and the “NASCAR Sprint All Star Race.” Many consider the Lowes Motor Speedway to be the best place to see the race.
Charlotte is the home of the Panthers NFL team and the Hornets NBA team. The Bank of America Stadium is the Panthers’ home field and the Spectrum Center is the Hornets’ home court; both of which are very close to Charlottes’ uptown. Here’s a fun fact, Did you know that in 1780, British General Cornwallis was marching his men through Charlotte and he encountered firm resistance from its citizens. He went on to call Charlotte “a hornet’s nest of rebellion,” which is where the Hornets got their name.
Outside of mainstream sports, Charlotte also has the US National Whitewater Center which is the largest man-made white water river and the Tryon Equestrian Center which is a newly-built billion dollar meca for equestrian sports.
All these sports in mind, Charlotte is a destination for multiple sports. This diversity is great for the city’s economy and it bodes well for the future of Charlotte.
Quality of Life
The quality of life in Charlotte is excellent which is why it has grown so much in recent years. The city has so much for so many different/diverse people. But, don’t take my word for it, Charlotte is “ranked 22nd in both the best place to live and the best place to retire.” This rank was based on the ability of jobs, overall value, amenities and safety of the community.
One of the best things about living in Charlotte is that there is so many options. If you want to have an urban lifestyle, there are condos and townhouses in uptown Charlotte, if you want more peace, there are dozens of quiet neighborhoods and Lake Norman has plenty of gated communities that serve as a wonderful retirement home. There is a place for everyone in and around Charlotte, NC.
Real Estate
The Charlotte real estate market has been crazy recently. Any half decent home can’t be on the market for a day without receiving multiple offers. The value of homes in Charlotte are up over 60% since 2012 and some areas like Noda (North Davidson) are up over 150% since then. It’s like the wild west out here.
Zillow named Charlotte as the 4th hottest housing market in 2018 and many real estate agents agree that Charlotte is likely to rank up even higher in 2019. That’s not to say that there isn’t anything to choose from in Charlotte. Inventory is low because homes are in such high demand right now, but if you are persistent and you team up with a good realtor, you can find a perfect home within your price range; whether you have $100k to spend or $1 Million.
In Conclusion...
Charlotte really is a great city and there is so much I didn’t get to cover in this post. Though I may be slightly biased, I tried to include statistics along the way to validate my opinions. But seriously, Charlotte is great and I’m pretty sure you would agree. If you are thinking of moving to Charlotte, give me a call and you can pick my brain even more. Consider me your insider contact in the Charlotte area!
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you have a great week!
Sincerely,
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