"Hey! Where'd you come from?"

[Rufus]

Raleigh born and raised (near North Hills). Found this site in 2004 when I was hoping to be an architect. Finally joined in 2005, right before I moved to Charlotte to attend UNC Charlotte for Urban Planning. Met some amazing minds (some that are on here), that continued to develop my love for all things urbanism. Some great minds are at UNCC -- Tink Moore, Bill Graves, & Heather Smith to be exact. Bill and Tink helped me appreciate NC and the amazing cities and urban history here. Heather helped me understand urbanism and how its shaped throughout the world. Loved the city, the vibe, and the little pockets of coolness. Left in late 2010 to return to Raleigh, before moving to NYC in 2013 to go to grad school for Urban Design.

My masters is in Urban Theory and Design from Parsons, with a focus on public space. Intrigued by how the street level and the "ballet of the sidewalk," contribute to the city -- both Charlotte, Raleigh, and NYC. 

Now I work for NYCDOT to transform underused streets/sidewalks into pedestrian plazas/public spaces, especially in low-income communities. 

My wallpaper for my work computer is a slideshow of various Charlotte and Raleigh images, and I am in NC every few month to see the family. I'm the only one in my family to live outside of the state, with one half in the Triangle, and the other down in Wilmington. Haven't been in Charlotte, aside from the Airport, since 2013, sadly. Hoping to get back soon. 

[formerly commoner]

Born in River Parishes, Louisiana.  Have lived here since high school, and raising two kids who were born at Presby in Elizabeth (though who believe they're honest to goodness New Orleanians) in downtown CLT.  I've owned homes in Southpark and worked in downtown and Southpark, alternately, since 2007.  Currently own my firm, and we're headquartered at 101 S. Tryon St.  Raising my kids to be downtown CLT residents with high expectations.  

[DH17]

Born in West Michigan near the lake. My family left Michigan during the '08 recession, landing in Virginia near Blacksburg/VT.  When choosing colleges I picked Chapel Hill over UVA and VT - I guess I wanted another fresh start and UNC's campus is just perfect in April.

Fast forward 4 years, and with a good job offer in Uptown and a sibling now living in the area, it made perfect sense to come here to start out. Over the past several years I have called Charlotte home, I've grown to love this place and see it as one that I could live in for a very long time. I'm not ready to truly settle down yet, but Charlotte is absolutely on a very tiny short-list of places I want to spend most of my career. I've both brought many friends (including my roommate) with me and met many new friends so far.

My next goal is to get my other sibling and my parents to move down here, with my local sibling and I having varying degrees of success with those two goals. I also will be in the market for a house in the near future if I don't decide on grad school first. We'll see what the future brings, but I expect Charlotte to be at least some degree of home for a long time to come. 

Edited March 13, 2020 by DH17

[Skyybutter]

Born at Forsyth Hospital in Winston. Maternal side of my family settled what is the town of King in Stokes Co. Paternal side settled area in York Co known as Sharon. So my blood is pure Carolina for sure.

  Moved to Rowan County in 1983. To Concord in 1994. Lived in NoDa in 1999 for a year.

   Went to work at USAirways and moved to Philadelphia in 2000. Lived in SW Philly and New Hope, Bucks County before moving back to Concord in 2011. Lived in DC for a year in 2008-09.

Love what Charlotte is becoming.  It can't be stopped at this point in the game imo. 

  However the Mountains are calling my name.  Looking at Marshall,  Burnsville, and Newland.  I'm a Snow lover and this winter almost caused me a nervous breakdown..lol... Will always live no farther east then Concord and NC will always be home!

[Windsurfer]

I was born at Presbyterian in the late 50s, as was my dad in 1925.  My mom was born in a log cabin that sat on  approximately 200 acres where Carmel Rd and Sharon Road intersect.  One of her uncles had a rock quarry where Mountain Brook swim club is. (is it still there?)  He was murdered by some co-workers by way of a stick of dynamite strategically placed. I'm not sure if he was a Civil War veteran but my mom (now 94) can still remember sitting on the laps of more than one Civil War veteran.  I don't know who wound up with ownership of the quarry afterward ;-)   Another one of her uncles became somewhat of a renown horticulturalist who provided boxwoods for the governor's mansion. He also had a hybridized strawberry named for him.  Both my mom and dad's side landed here in the 1740s.  Some of my dad's  mom came from Waynesville area.  Most of my dad's side was part of the Scotch-Irish migration from Pa,  Maryland, while my mom's was from a small migration that included the Furrs and Tuckers from "the Canton of Zurich" in 1740.  There was no Switzerland then.  That group landed primarily in Charleston, SC and Virginia.  I'm sure some of my dad's ancestors married some of my mom's hundreds of years ago.

When I researched my mom's side from Zurich, I came across a couple of entries from one of the two brothers who arrived and sent back letters to their church. In the "Kirchenbuchs" they encouraged other members of the congregation to come over the beautiful green land  of  Anson County.  Later, Anson was split and where they were describing is now Cabarrus County.  More precisely Dutch Buffalo Creek area.  Quickly becoming developed, sadly.

[SydneyCarton]

I started here:

 

Spent six great years here:

 

I’m now here in the true Athens of the South (i.e., not Georgia).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 21, 2020 by SydneyCarton

[SydneyCarton]

P.S.: While I'm a Duke fan, I have to admit that UNC's campus is over the top gorgeous!

 

 

 

Edited March 16, 2020 by SydneyCarton

[lit]

I’m also from upstate PA. My dad got laid off in the 80’s and came down here to work in a machine shop, actually lived in the Comfort Inn in front of Carowinds for about a year while we were trying to sell the house up there and figuring out what to do. We all moved down and settled here just in time for Hugo, been living in the same neighborhood ever since. 

[SydneyCarton]

Deleted

Edited March 16, 2020 by SydneyCarton

[KJHburg]

7 hours ago, lit said:

I’m also from upstate PA. My dad got laid off in the 80’s and came down here to work in a machine shop, actually lived in the Comfort Inn in front of Carowinds for about a year while we were trying to sell the house up there and figuring out what to do. We all moved down and settled here just in time for Hugo, been living in the same neighborhood ever since. 

Hugo was something for sure and despite gas and food shortages, most of the city county without power for weeks we made it through it and we will with this virus too.  

[nicholas]

Guess I'll share my story.  I was born in Raleigh, grew up south of Garner near the Johnston County line.  Been in Charlotte regularly since I was born, as most of my mom's family is in Charlotte (they go back generations here) and my some of my dad's family is here as well (he and his mom moved down here from Ohio when he was about 18).  I ended up going to CPCC a few years and got my Associates there, then went back to Raleigh and worked for a bit until I figured out what I wanted to do next.  Now I go to UNCC and am studying finance with a concentration in commercial real estate.

[JRNYP2C]

Born in Pittsburgh (proper).  Dad moved here in 1989, and i spent the summer here, pre-Hugo and a lot of development.  Got to know the city and area pretty well.  Spent a lot of time driving back and forth until I moved here in 2000.  I really enjoy living here b/c of how close it is to the ocean and mountains.  I don't miss the winters in PA, but miss fall and all of the colors.  I know, I need to head to the NC mountains in the fall, but it just doesn't seem as vibrant as up north.  I do NOT like spring here as I get older with the pollen and allergies.

In the 20 years that I have lived here, there has been a tremendous amount of growth.  It is exciting to see so much new, as opposed to where I am from, which can be quite depressing after all these years.  I have met people from all over that have moved to Charlotte for the opportunities, and it is great!  Plus the brewery scene is much more vibrant than in the 'Burgh.