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Perception of Charlotte Nationwide


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I was only referring to perceptions, not stats. We all know the actual numbers. Combine that with the metro area of Raleigh and the various cities included in it and the fact that it is the capital of the state, it doesn't surprise me that on some maps that only include a city or two from any given area that Raleigh is present. This is, by no means, a Raleigh vs. Charlotte thought to me, just facts. Nothing to ruffle feathers in either place -- merely giving my opinion as to why someone saw Raleigh on a Weather Channel map that didn't include Charlotte!! sheesh. I am far from being worried about whether one is "better" than the other, my dad lives in Durham, I live here, I have lots of family in Raleigh. Why is it a big deal anyway?

As someone whose entire experience in Charlotte consists of a lay over at the airport (nice NASCAR Cafe BTW) and a trip through at midnight from Atlanta to DC, I can tell you that if the stories of Charlotte were introduced into the American lexicon it would have a greater place in history. Places like New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans have their own literature written by residents that chose to recount their lives. If Charrlotteans (msp?) were to get some scripts to float around Hollywood or even talk about the historical events of the region, it would make for a much more intriguing location. Although this is just one man's opinion...

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Fair or not NASCAR does have a country tinge and Charlotte is considered the NASCAR capital so I agree that it does color regional and national perspectives of us. Our banking prominence is a huge asset and for obvious reasons FT picked up on that. As our city continues to grow I think our image will diversify but it's going to take decades. Having elite universities and a bio-tech hub automatically makes the Triangle progressive and a vibrant center of arts and social action. We will always be different but not less. It's just hard for newer cities like us that don't have those assets already in place to carve out a niche. Related to this question, I just received an email about a free public discussion affiliated with Point8 and Civic by Design at The Levine Museum of the New South. It's tonight at 5:30 ( a horrible time when most people can't go :dontknow: ). The topic will be about carving out an identity for Charlotte and encouraging a more artistically interesting and creative vibe. Parking at 7th St. Station will be validated by the museum. No RSVP needed.

Edited by voyager12
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As someone whose entire experience in Charlotte consists of a lay over at the airport (nice NASCAR Cafe BTW) and a trip through at midnight from Atlanta to DC, I can tell you that if the stories of Charlotte were introduced into the American lexicon it would have a greater place in history. Places like New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans have their own literature written by residents that chose to recount their lives. If Charrlotteans (msp?) were to get some scripts to float around Hollywood or even talk about the historical events of the region, it would make for a much more intriguing location. Although this is just one man's opinion...

It would be nice if our story got out. Charlotte has quite a bit of history but unfortunately, I've only seen it summarized in small, 50-75 page paperback books at Barnes and Noble; besides of course, the small blurbs in the NC History textbooks in the public schools.

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  • 1 month later...

Forbes has named Charlotte as the nation's 13th best city for young professionals in its "Best Cities For Young Professionals" ranking. More good press for the city, but what irked me was that in the slideshow for the cities that had made the list, most cities had skyline shots, but here's what Charlotte got. Like, were they serious????

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Forbes has named Charlotte as the nation's 13th best city for young professionals in its "Best Cities For Young Professionals" ranking. More good press for the city, but what irked me was that in the slideshow for the cities that had made the list, most cities had skyline shots, but here's what Charlotte got. Like, were they serious????

yeah... that picture doesn't exactly say "Best Cities For Young Professionals". I guess we drew the short straw :dontknow:

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yeah... that picture doesn't exactly say "Best Cities For Young Professionals". I guess we drew the short straw :dontknow:

Just another example of how anonmynous Charlotte and NC is in the minds of people in this country. All of those years being humble has really set in the perception that there is nothing in between Virginia and South Carolina. Honsetly the average Joe could not tell you what the largest city in NC is. Let alone what city is the second city of banking and where it is located. As much as it pains me to say these things it is true. Take a trip and bring up NC and please reisit the urge explain the greatness of the state. You will find more people can identify with Carolina or Duke than any urban city in the state. There are exceptions though. Raleigh has some ring to it for some folk I work with but these people are used to travel and almost everyone has flown in to RDU. Heck the Coca Cola 600 doesn't even get the hype Daytona or Indy gets and the 600 is supposed to be NASCARs all star weekend. I agree with the earlier post. Charlotte needs something that stands out that appeals to a broad demographic. Names like Trump and Ritz are on the right track but the QC needs more ummph...an international village, concentrated shopping district, native carolinaian resturants row, art and entertainment block something that says I am the King Kong of the Carolinas and this is how we eat, entertain and educate ourselves. Why stop there. Blaze the Charlotte skyline all over TV in ads commercials hell paint the name on roads and signs...something to make the public stop and say where the hell is "Charlotte" and why am I so curious to go and see it. The main thing is take what the city is and run with it. Chalroltte and its residents can't be afraid of what will Raleigh think or we don't want to make ________ mad or we don't want to upstage _________. I want Charlotte to get a big head and never look back. That is the only way the city is gonna get over this complex. It has to take itself seriously before anyone in this country will. You gotta dream big to be big. OK I'm done.

Edited by NcSc74
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Just another example of how anonmynous Charlotte and NC is in the minds of people in this country.

I tend to agree with some of what you said, but I've found that the more educated the people the more knowledge they have of Charlotte. I mean people in California, know ever well where Charlotte is because we took their prized BofA. People from Boston are well aware, people in Chicago, aware. I'd say the one area that may be lacking is the South West and even though I lived in the North West for a while, I find those areas maybe aren't so keen on what Charlotte is about. But really how many people know that much about Portland, "Ore"?

The one thing you said that hit the nail on the "head" was about Charlotte getting the big head and never looking back. Hell yes you're right on the money with that one. Getting over the complex some have would be awesome. This is a great place to live and I'd compare it to any place in the country.

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Just another example of how anonmynous Charlotte and NC is in the minds of people in this country. All of those years being humble has really set in the perception that there is nothing in between Virginia and South Carolina. Honsetly the average Joe could not tell you what the largest city in NC is. Let alone what city is the second city of banking and where it is located. As much as it pains me to say these things it is true. Take a trip and bring up NC and please reisit the urge explain the greatness of the state. You will find more people can identify with Carolina or Duke than any urban city in the state. There are exceptions though. Raleigh has some ring to it for some folk I work with but these people are used to travel and almost everyone has flown in to RDU. Heck the Coca Cola 600 doesn't even get the hype Daytona or Indy gets and the 600 is supposed to be NASCARs all star weekend. I agree with the earlier post. Charlotte needs something that stands out that appeals to a broad demographic. Names like Trump and Ritz are on the right track but the QC needs more ummph...an international village, concentrated shopping district, native carolinaian resturants row, art and entertainment block something that says I am the King Kong of the Carolinas and this is how we eat, entertain and educate ourselves. Why stop there. Blaze the Charlotte skyline all over TV in ads commercials hell paint the name on roads and signs...something to make the public stop and say where the hell is "Charlotte" and why am I so curious to go and see it. The main thing is take what the city is and run with it. Chalroltte and its residents can't be afraid of what will Raleigh think or we don't want to make ________ mad or we don't want to upstage _________. I want Charlotte to get a big head and never look back. That is the only way the city is gonna get over this complex. It has to take itself seriously before anyone in this country will. You gotta dream big to be big. OK I'm done.

I definitely can agree with your rant. However, somtimes it's nice to have this image. Why you ask? Becuase when people first come here, either driving down 77 or flying to the airport, their reactions are priceless. HOLY SH&*! I never knew how big charlotte was!! How tall is that building? One of my favorites was, "I was literally driving through what i thought to be cornfields, and i saw this massive city that seemed to appear out of nowhere". I love playing it off, but deep down in side it gives me a kick everytime I know someone is visiting the city for the first time.

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Don't get all crazy about this folks, this is all in fun:

This is an email forward going around that I thought you all might get a kick out of. I don't know how long it's been around, or really what it has to do with Urban Planet, but this is the Coffee House, so here ya go.

(PS don't shoot the messenger if this offends anyone!)

barga1.jpg

Mattel recently announced the release of limited-edition Barbie Dolls for the Metropolitan Charlotte market:

1 -"South Charlotte Barbie"

This princess Barbie is sold only at Southpark Mall. She comes with an assortment of Kate Spade Handbags, a Lexus SUV, a long-haired foreign dog named Honey and a cookie-cutter house. Available with or without tummy tuck and face lift. Workaholic Ken sold only in conjunction with the augmented version.

2- "Lake Norman Barbie"

The modern day homemaker Barbie is available with Ford Windstar Minivan and matching gym outfit. She gets lost easily and has no full-time occupation. Traffic jamming cell phone sold separately.

3- "Freedom Drive Barbie"

This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9mm handgun, a Ray Lewis knife,a Chevy with dark tinted windows, and a Meth Lab Kit. This model is only available after dark and must be paid for in cash (preferably small, untraceable bills) ....unless you are a cop, then we don't know what you are talking about.

4- "Myers Park Barbie"

This yuppie Barbie comes with your choice of BMW convertible or Hummer H2. Included are her own Starbucks cup, credit card and country club membership. Also available for this set are Shallow Ken and Private School Skipper. You won't be able to afford any of them.

5- "Mooresville Barbie"

This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler jeans two sizes too small, a NASCAR t-shirt and tweety bird tattoo on her shoulder. She has a six-pack of Bud light and a Hank Williams Jr. CD set. She can spit over 5 feet and kick mullet-haired Ken's butt when she is drunk. Purchase her pickup truck separately and get a confederate flag bumper sticker absolutely free.

6- "Gastonia Barbie"

This tobacco-chewing, brassy-haired Barbie has a pair of her own high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she chased beer-gutted Ken out of Mooresville Barbie's house. Her ensemble includes low-rise acid-washed jeans, fake fingernails, and a see-through halter-top. Also available with a mobile home.

7- "Dilworth Barbie"

This doll is made of actual tofu. She has long straight brown hair, arch-less feet, hairy armpits, no makeup and Birkenstocks with white socks. She prefers that you call her Willow . She does not want or need a Ken doll, but if you purchase two Point Breeze Barbies and the optional Subaru wagon, you get a rainbow flag bumper sticker for free.

8- "CMS Barbie"

This Barbie now comes with a stroller and infant doll. Optional accessories include a GED and bus pass. Gangsta Ken and his 1979 Caddy were available, but are now very difficult to find since the addition of the infant.

9- "No Da Barbie/Ken"

This versatile doll can be easily converted from Barbie to Ken by simply adding or subtracting the multiple snap-on parts.

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The trailer park thing got me a little offended.... But Then... I remembered last night at the fuel pizza when we were doing Karoke, a guy with one arm named PJ was singing aboutbeing drunk, and another chick was singing Redneck woman....

^_^ I love Gastonia.

All them development places in Mecklenburg and Union get on my LAST nerves {Beerwick, Brandon Oaks, ETC.}. That is one thing my relatives notice about the Charlotte region.

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The Observer has an article today about various Charlotte's rankings in different polls nationwide:

CITY FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS

Ranking: No. 7 on the top 10 cities.

FUN CITY

Ranking: 29th "Most Fun U.S. City" in a 2003 survey.

ADVENTUROUS CITY

Ranking: 9th of 50 most adventurous.

GRILLING

Ranking: No. 49 on top 100 cities to grill in.

RICH BACHELORS

Ranking: For finding single, wealthy men, we ranked No. 7 among the nation's cities with more than 500,000 people.

WALKING CITY

Ranking: No. 4, Best Walking Cities.

SIZZLING RESTAURANTS

Ranking: Among "Top 50 Cities that Sizzle" (no ranking).

SAFETY

Ranking: Eighth most dangerous large city in America in 2006.

BAD DRIVERS

Ranking: 93rd out of 100 cities. It got an "F" rating.

YOUNG SINGLES

Ranking: Failed to rank as a top metro areas for young singles. (Raleigh ranked No. 4.)

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Doesn't the Rich Bachelors category (#7) sort of contradict the Young Singles category (failed to rank)? I mean, apparently we have plenty of single young rich guys living here, yet on the other hand we aren't worthy of interest from single young people looking for a place to live. :rolleyes:

Also, much as I like Charlotte, I just have a really hard time believing we are the 4th best walking city.

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The walking city statistic is misleading in meaning, it isn't based on pedestrian friendlyness. It is actually based on scenic, safe, and comfortable places to walk. As well as the number of people who walk, places to walk, sq. ft of sidewalks, etc. South Charlotte is full of sidewalks, joggers and scenic paths, so it makes sense.

To add to their lists we are also one of the top 35 drunk cities.

Edited by Guest
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Oh boy let's not make this into another Charlotte vs Raleigh thread. Just a simple blurb here to sum it all up. Charlotte as a city is much larger than Raleigh, however, in the grand scheme of things, Charlotte as a metro is only a little larger than the Triangle metro. Their layouts and design are completely different so the perception of Raleigh in the eyes of a Charlottean is that it is much smaller.

One of our city's problems is that it doesn't really have one set thing that we stick out in. Not a lot of people (as in typical Americans) are going to care that we are the second largest banking city in the country. We are not a hugely marketable city because our name is not already out there.Vegas had casinos long before thousands of people started migrating there. People are migrating to both Charlotte and Raleigh because they are great places to live, there are a lot of jobs, the weather and environment are relatively tepid compared to most other parts of the country (ie few hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, earthquakes.) Despite the fact that this area is a great place to live, it still won't make Charlotte part of the everyday table conversation. Charlotte needs something to put it on the map for most people. Whether that is the NHOF, Quail Hollow, Trump, who knows? I think the same is true with Portland, Raleigh, Nashville, San Jose, and Columbus. They don't have something that sticks out to most normal Americans so even though they are large cities, they aren't perceived that way. We all know they are because we care to find out more than most people, but most people aren't going to take that time to learn about the lesser known large American cities.

I don't think Nashville should be on that list. I'm not from there and never visited but it's well known from the music industry. As far as Raleigh goes, they used to mention Raleigh on the Andy Griffith Show all the time. As far as Charlotte goes, here in Orlando over the last 2 years or so people mention it all the time in casual conversation and almost everyone knows somebody who has moved there recently or is/has considered moving there. Orlandoans didn't usually move to NC until retirement, but now there is opportunity to move to NC while still working age due to Charlotte's job growth. Also, my Puerto Rican friends have also discovered Charlotte and NC in general and it seems lots of them are moving up there, (2nd generation) as Puerto Ricans directly from the island continue to pour into Orlando. People in Orlando have always had an interest in NC, it's where the mountains are and where the landscape totally changes. The number one retirement state for Orlando residents has been NC forever, Boone, Maggie Valley, Asheville. The reason for the recent interest in Charlotte is Orlando and Florida have gotten to crowded and too expensive and Charlotte and Raleigh are good places to raise a family. The crime rate has gotten out of control here, there are massive traffic jams throughout the state and the growth continues non-stop. Personally, I love Orlando but I may end up in Charlotte to save my relationship with my Puerto Rican partner who is itching to get up there. If I leave Orlando it would preferably be for Ft. Lauderdale or Miami.

**Oh, and as far as those comments from those women from Jacksonville, I suppose they need someone to try to bully with that "Jax is a big city" crap since they've given in to the rest of the Florida and have had to realize that they are the smallest "big" metro area in the state by a long shot. I don't know much about Charlotte but I would hope that it has much more to offer than Jax, which is extremely boring. I love retail (one reason I want to stay in Orlando) and retail-wise, Jax is terrible.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Metrowester, I agree that Nashville shouldn't be lumped into cities with identity problems.

And on Jax vs. Charlotte, I've lived in both. Jax could not compete with Charlotte (except in football) 10 years ago and it certainly can't now.

For having no name recognition and no hook except banking, Charlotte seems to be creating its own hook -- not too big, not too congested, not too polluted, not too crime-ridden, not too hot, not too cold, not too poor, not too rich (oops, we're getting there). Just right -- for now.

Of course, we have to figure out light rail and schools. Nobody's perfect.

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I just got in from an incredible night with some of my buddies from back in my college years. This was their first time in charlotte, they came up to go see widespread panic with me at Verizon, which they were not impressed by. While the show was weak for widespread, the city shined brightly. One friend is from Cary and the other baltimore, and they were completely blown away by everything I showed them in charlotte. We began the first night at Charlotte City Club, then we went to Madisons, Bentleys, the Alley Cat, and then my place, jackalope jacks. They were thoroughly impressed as an interior designed and an architect. My friend from Baltimore actually thought charlotte was a suburb of raleigh, but boy does he know differently now. They were very impressed with the Hearst tower the most, they could not get enough of it. I showed them all around Myers Park, Eastover, Plaza Midwood, Dilworth, NoDa and everything between hear and there. They wanted me to put a great review on here for them. They had made plans to move to LA to get their business started, but after seeing charlotte, and experiencing charlotte they want to move here, after just one visit. Before they leave town tommorrow they said they want to Drive around in the morning and take pictures of everything i showed them, I'll post my pictures from charlotte and widespread panic tommorrow.

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^ Glad we got a good review in their eyes. I can't believe your friend thought Charlotte was a suburb of Raleigh though lol. "Charlotte Hornets", "Charlotte Bobcats" - not many suburbs have pro teams named after them, with maybe the exception of Anaheim, CA.

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I just got in from an incredible night with some of my buddies from back in my college years. This was their first time in charlotte, they came up to go see widespread panic with me at Verizon, which they were not impressed by. While the show was weak for widespread, the city shined brightly. One friend is from Cary and the other baltimore, and they were completely blown away by everything I showed them in charlotte. We began the first night at Charlotte City Club, then we went to Madisons, Bentleys, the Alley Cat, and then my place, jackalope jacks. They were thoroughly impressed as an interior designed and an architect. My friend from Baltimore actually thought charlotte was a suburb of raleigh, but boy does he know differently now. They were very impressed with the Hearst tower the most, they could not get enough of it. I showed them all around Myers Park, Eastover, Plaza Midwood, Dilworth, NoDa and everything between hear and there. They wanted me to put a great review on here for them. They had made plans to move to LA to get their business started, but after seeing charlotte, and experiencing charlotte they want to move here, after just one visit. Before they leave town tommorrow they said they want to Drive around in the morning and take pictures of everything i showed them, I'll post my pictures from charlotte and widespread panic tommorrow.

Sounds like you and I had similar weekends. Exchange Verizone and Widespread for restaurants, otherwise they were about the same. I had a client come to town from Miami with his fiance. She had never been here, he had been once. They stayed downtown at the Mariott. They got here thursday and we started with Live After 5. We ate at Sonoma, Carpe Diem, Ruth's Chris, Picassos, Dish (twice -- they loved that place). Went shopping in Plaza-Central, watched 2 bands at Alley Cat, and ended up dancing at Forum. Finished Sunday with a pool party that was thrown at my building this weekend (230 S. Tryon). The investment end for business was already sealed, funny part, they are considering moving here now.

Edited by Charlotte_native
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