Charlotte nc or Austin Tx best place to live!

[teshadoh]

Real World was taped in Austin....and since when is Ikea coming to Charlotte?

I think he was meaning Austin - he did originally state he picked Austin over Charlotte.

And krazeeboi - I'm not completely a consumer whore, but I do dig IKEA.

[Minneapolitan]

I've had a chance to visit both and I would choose Austin over Charlotte.

Reasoning:

-Austin seems more progressive

-Music Scene: so much live music, Austin City Limits Music Festival

-South by Southwest

-6th Street

-better public transportation

-University of Texas - Austin

[teshadoh]

In defense of Charlotte - the public transporation will soon be lopsidedly on Charlotte's favor. They are constructing a massive light rail system (for a city it's size). But you may still be right - a good quality bus system goes a long way, as even I rarely use the MARTA rail line but the instead the bus system.

[Minneapolitan]

Yes, I know about Charlotte's light rail line.

[Eastwestrob]

I personally think that Raleigh/Durham would be a better comparison with the Austin Area. Government,College, Hi-tech,and not to mention a closer skyline comparrison.

[Tre 4]

I personally think that Raleigh/Durham would be a better comparison with the Austin Area. Government,College, Hi-tech,and not to mention a closer skyline comparrison.

Me to When you come to think about it

[Greens!]

they mountains and the beach may be within a days drive from charlotte but in my opinion, austin still wins for its local nature.

Barton Creek Greenbelt in Austin

from www.technoetic.com

from www.sw-center.org

Barton Springs

[simms3]

I agree with Eastwestrob that Austin/Durham would be a better comparison considering the similarities, and also Charlotte is just plain different and already bigger than AUstin. All three are growing at astonishing rates, so let's take the two metros with equal size (Austin vs. Raleigh/Durham) and leave the metro with slightly more people to be compared to another locale.

[krazeeboi]

Austin and Charlotte are more comparable that Austin and the Triangle according to population. Here are the 2004 figures for each city:

City of Austin: 681,804

Austin MSA: 1,412,271

City of Charlotte: 651,101

Charlotte MSA: 1,474,734

Furthermore, Austin's MSA, like Charlotte's, basically only has one city as the locus, unlike the Triangle. And the Triangle has been broken up into 2 MSA's, Raleigh-Cary and Durham-Chapel Hill. The Triangle's CSA (1.46 million) would compare well with Austin's MSA. The city of Austin is about twice as large as the city of Raleigh.

In terms of economy, Austin and the Triangle compare well, but according to population, Austin and Charlotte are more comparable.

[Greens!]

Austin and Charlotte are growing at about the same pace as well

to my favorite numbers

2000-2004 MSA growth numbers

Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury, NC-SC + 170,776

Austin-Round Rock, TX + 162,508

Minneapolis-St. Paul-St. Cloud, MN-WI + 165,576

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL + 191,970

[mrchris386]

I'd have to assume that he does not know too much about Austin and he is basing his assumptions on the pictures you posted of Austin. This is of course my speculation, seing how he came about posting pictures of the Charlotte skyline.... If thats the case, Austin doesn't have quite as TALL buildings, but downtown Austin is pretty vibrant too. The pictures that were previously posted of Austin were more of the beautiful terrain surrounding Austin around the outer edges of the city....

Here are some pretty good "city" pictures of Austin:

My vote would be for Austin... Maybe because I'm a Texas native, but I do believe that it is a very vibrant, rapidly growing city in an excellent geographical region.

[Mobuchu]

I usually just stay out of these threads but I would like to say that is one awsome picture with moon in the skyline. The lights, water, moon, skyline...great pic. Im a sucker for night shots

[Minneapolitan]

Austin and Charlotte are growing at about the same pace as well

to my favorite numbers

2000-2004 MSA growth numbers

Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury, NC-SC + 170,776

Austin-Round Rock, TX + 162,508

Minneapolis-St. Paul-St. Cloud, MN-WI + 165,576

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL + 191,970

It's the Minneapolis-St.Paul-Bloomington MSA. St. Cloud is part of our CSA.

[Greens!]

yeah i did post photos of the natural surroundings but those spots, (barton springs and the greenbelt) are in the Austin city limits

some city shots

mrchris386, the bridge in the foreground in your first photo (i think) is the congress st. bridge home to 1.5 million bats.

[ncguy06]

I like that last shot of Austin, very nice!

[Rwarky]

Austin.

[Greens!]

this one is a shot of the skyline that i found online

and this one looking northwest from the UT tower

[Greens!]

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/58154718/original

here is a nice pano of the whole city

[Southernyank]

What is this? An Austin photo thread now

[UrbanCharlotte]

If you're going to say a reason for choosing Austin because it is rapidly developing, then you need to give me some evidence of how it is developing faster. Outside of Miami, i'd personally say Charlotte is one of the fastest developing cities in the SE. Aside from competition though, both cities are virtually equal. They both have the same amount of advantages over the other. It's all up to personal choice on where you want to live. You won't get an educated answer from many people on here because of their loyalty to their city.

[jliv]

I've been to both places plenty of times, and definitely prefer Austin as a place to visit. Part of it is the presence of UT near downtown, which gives the inner city a youthful buzz. Charlotte just strikes me as corporate and Baptist, without the hip, liberal environment of a college town. If you're raising a family and plan on attending church every Sunday, I'm sure Charlotte is a perfectly fine place. But in the national consciousness, the two do not compare. Everyone I've known who's moved to Austin continues to rave about it, while people who move to Charlotte are constantly having to apologize for it.

Not to say that Charlotte can't be a hip, interesting place, but a beautiful skyline does not make a city. It's all that stuff on the ground, and on the streets, that makes a city vibrant. Charlotte has some semblance of that in Plaza-Midwood, but it's an isolated pocket. Of course, in 10-20 years all of this may change, but it has no appeal to me now.

[MR-2]

Great Austin pictures! I've never seen Austin from most of those angles.

I would still consider Charlotte's proximity to Crowder's Mountain and the Uwharries a good asset, even if they're an hour drive from uptown.

[ncguy06]

while people who move to Charlotte are constantly having to apologize for it.

Thats not true at all. sorry.

[A2]

This to me can be summed up easy

For Business:

Charlotte

For Nightlife and Music:

Austin

I am torn since I am actually a banker and a musician.

(so I have to give both cities two big thumbs up for their respective strengths)

Skyline:

Charlotte

Geography:

Austin

(I am a sucker for Hills. Was born and raised in Birmingham and Atlanta. Both have a much more diverse topography than CLT)

Transit:

Charlotte

College Town:

Austin

UT (Hook em' horns)

However I am a HUGE Alabama fan so I almost have to say that typing that was blasphemous)

Weather/Climate

Almost a tie, but I vote for CLT because I like the Four Distinct, but mild seasons. I especially like the Fall in CLT. It is really hard to beat

Population Rank and Growth rates

Austin/Charlotte:

A virtual Dead Heat for city and MSA. However Charlotte takes the nod for being a more populous region by CSA

2005 Population Estimates for CSA/MSA over 1 million ranked

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. New York-Newark CSA 21,903,623

2. Los Angeles CSA 17,602,607

3. Chicago CSA 9,661,840

4. Washington-Baltimore CSA 8,125,658

5. San Francisco-San Jose CSA 7,168,176

6. Dallas-Fort Worth CSA 6,054,471

7. Philadelphia CSA 5,976,485

8. Boston CSA 5,804,816

9. Detroit CSA 5,428,000

10. Miami MSA 5,422,200

11. Houston CSA 5,380,661

12. Atlanta CSA 5,266,134

13. Phoenix MSA 3,865,077

14. Seattle CSA 3,806,453

15. Minneapolis-St Paul CSA 3,467,078

16. San Diego MSA 2,933,462

17. Cleveland CSA 2,931,774

18. St Louis CSA 2,840,179

19. Tampa St Petersburg MSA 2,647,658

20. Denver CSA 2,640,434

21. Pittsburgh CSA 2,478,883

22. Sacramento CSA 2,187,747

23. Charlotte CSA 2,120,745

24. Cincinnati CSA 2,113,011

25. Portland MSA 2,095,861

26. Kansas City CSA 2,015,282

27. Orlando CSA 1,997,437

28. Indianapolis CSA 1,958,453

29. Columbus CSA 1,936,351

30. San Antonio MSA 1,889,797

31. Las Vegas CSA 1,751,028

32. Milwaukee CSA 1,708,563

33. Virginia Beach-Norfolk MSA 1,647,346

34. Providence MSA 1,622,520

35. Salt Lake City CSA 1,586,740

36. Raleigh-Durham CSA 1,509,560

37. Nashville CSA 1,498,836

38. Greensboro--Winston-Salem CSA 1,490,886

39. Austin CSA 1,452,529

This to me is a dead heat if you average out the categories. But a city is what you make of it. I like both. For me I choose Charlotte because I am closer to family and I am partial to the East Coast as a whole.

Plus I Love the mountains and I am less than an 1hr and 15 minute drive to the highest peaks East of the Mississippi)

But others choosing Austin have their reasons too.

I think in the end we can all agree that BOTH are Great emerging cities and BOTH should be proud of what they have become and what they are evolving into.

In twenty years, both will play a LARGE role on the Global stage and will have notable recognition abroad. Charlotte with banking already does, and Austin with technology is ranked VERY high in the national and International spotlight.

I say cheers to Both:

A2

[dimebag1980]

I say cheers to Both:

I second this.