Perception of Charlotte Nationwide

[krazeeboi]

I'm a bit confused. It's cool that Atlanta officials are coming to Charlotte to see what's been done here, but since the lack of state support has primarily been what's held Atlanta back, how is visiting Charlotte going to fix that? What also hurts Atlanta is that the region is highly balkanized; most neighboring counties simply don't want to have anything to do with MARTA. Even though I don't think that's the way things will shake out in this region once Charlotte's growth effectively starts to swallow up neighboring counties ala the Atlanta metro area, it remains to be seen how York, Union, Lancaster, Gaston, Iredell, Cabarrus, Lincoln, etc. will embrace regional mass transit.

[AuLukey]

Even though I don't think that's the way things will shake out in this region once Charlotte's growth effectively starts to swallow up neighboring counties ala the Atlanta metro area, it remains to be seen how York, Union, Lancaster, Gaston, Iredell, Cabarrus, Lincoln, etc. will embrace regional mass transit.

It seems that Cabarrus and Union should have good relations in the future of Charlotte mass transit without a hitch. Between MUMPO's planning and Cabarrus county's interest in LRT, it seems evident that they will embrace any future transit related plans. On the other hand, I have a feeling that Iredell is the least likely to embrace this idea due to their waning interest in the northern commuter rail.

[CLT]

Here is a moment all Charlotteans can be proud of:

Sue Myrick, Ric Flair, and TMZ!

Even Sue says Charlotte, NC!

[Raintree21]

Did she say WHOOO!? I didn't realize how much of a hand user Sue Myrick was.

[monsoon]

The Fine Living Channel is profiling a Charlotte condo in a segment of "What you get for the Money" this week. The loft condo is at 700 W. Trade. T

[Temeteron]

I think that it's really not a big deal if people in the media tag along the state after the city name....for ex. "Charlotte, NC", instead of just "Charlotte". There are only a few cities out there that the avg. Joe will know(note Americans are horrible with Geography), unless you put the state after the city. Everyone knows NYC, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston, and Chicago.....Even Washington has to have DC after it or else people will get confused. Other Cities such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Memphis, Richmond, Portland, Denver, Nashville, Hartford, Buffalo, Minneapolis, Tampa, Seattle, and even Atlanta sometimes are all places that the avg American may not know what state they are in.

Edited April 21, 2008 by Temeteron

[New Name]

I will always contend that the reason we get the "NC" is because of the trifecta of Charleston, WV, Charleston, SC, Charlottesville, VAbeing so close. It's just for clarity. It would be worse if they got it wrong and said Charlotte, VA. or something.

Edited April 21, 2008 by The Escapists

[HopHead]

Fortune released their Fortune 500 list. There are NINE Charlotte-based companies on the list:

1) Bank of America (#9)

2) Wachovia (#38)

3) Lowe's (#48)

4) Nucor Corp (#151)

5) Duke Energy (#204)

6) Sonic Automotive (#298)

7) Family Dollar Stores Ince (#358)

8) Goodrich Corp (#375)

9) SPX Corp (#466)

EDIT: Not sure why I keep using Forbes instead of Fortune

Edited April 22, 2008 by dbull75

[rjp212]

It irks me that here at Virginia Tech when I tell people that I am from Charlotte there are a few that ask why I didn't go to UVA. Then I have to explain to them I am from Charlotte, NC not Charlottesville.

[Mid South NC]

I think that it's really not a big deal if people in the media tag along the state after the city name....for ex. "Charlotte, NC", instead of just "Charlotte". There are only a few cities out there that the avg. Joe will know(note Americans are horrible with Geography), unless you put the state after the city. Everyone knows NYC, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston, and Chicago.....Even Washington has to have DC after it or else people will get confused. Other Cities such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Memphis, Richmond, Portland, Denver, Nashville, Hartford, Buffalo, Minneapolis, Tampa, Seattle, and even Atlanta sometimes are all places that the avg American may not know what state they are in.

I couldn't agree more!

Who cares whether NC is tacked on to Charlotte?

What an absurd thing to be concerned about!

There is no identity crises here in the QC.

One of the funniest movies ever was Road Trip, where they mixed Austin, Tx and Boston, Ma.

[HopHead]

It irks me that here at Virginia Tech when I tell people that I am from Charlotte there are a few that ask why I didn't go to UVA. Then I have to explain to them I am from Charlotte, NC not Charlottesville.

Wow, some people apparently slept through their geography classes in middle school or HS. Plain ignorance. I used to live in VA and I knew where Charlotte was when I was like 12...

[NcSc74]

Wow, some people apparently slept through their geography classes in middle school or HS. Plain ignorance. I used to live in VA and I knew where Charlotte was when I was like 12...

You will be surprised at the ignorance the avg person has when it comes to geography. I like watching Jay Leno and his Jay walking segment. It is scary how clueless the public is. People didn't know who Benedict Arnold was so I doubt they even know where Charlotte is located. Especially those who live in the very large cities. Heck even you Charlotteans have a certain air of "center of the universe" attitude...

[HopHead]

Heck even you Charlotteans have a certain air of "center of the universe" attitude...

You must have us mistaken... It's the people from Atlanta that think that way

Agreed about lack of geography knowledge with some people. Though, I was thinking in terms of people that live in states right next to you. I wouldn't necessarily expect every person in Jackson Hole, Wyoming to know whether Charlotte or Raleigh is the capital of NC.

[AuLukey]

While sitting at the BoA coal lending protest writing out my paper today, I overheard a few people talking about Charlotte. Many of these people were from all around the country: San Fransisco, New York City, Clemson, Richmond, Tennessee, etc. After a long conversation about uptown and the rest of Charlotte it seemed that they all loved the city and were comparing it to a mini-NYC (financial district specifically.) Many of them had flown down from NYC yesterday after protesting Citibank, so it seems rational they would be comparing the two cities. I didn't really hear any gripes about there being little to do as it seemed they realized just how much construction is going on within just a few short blocks of Blumenthal where they were.

[cityboi]

Ali Vilishi, News anchor on CNN, refered to Charlotte as being a medium sized city. For some reason North Carolina seems to be the under dog and when our cities reach a new level, it takes time for the perception to catch up. It doesnt matter if its Charlotte, Raleigh or Greensboro. By all standards Charlotte is a major US city yet its still being refered to as a medium sized city. When I think of medium size city, I think of Raleigh, Greensboro or Richmond. Also the news anchors still attach North Carolina at the end of Charlotte. Why cant the national media just say Charotte? And when they refer to any other city in North Carolina they dont even say the city name. They just say "in North Carolina". But I think most know that Charlotte is in North Carolina. Bank of America is here, so you know the whole business world know where Charlotte is. Charlotte has over 600,000 people with a metro approching 2 million and is the sencond largest financial center in the US and its still labeled a medium size city? I guess Atlanta is a medium sized city then. Ive had friends who went to Charlotte for the first time and they were pretty surprised that Charlotte was actually a big city.

Edited May 6, 2008 by cityboi

[DCMetroRaleigh]

I would definitely think of Charlotte as a medium size city, not a big city. Most people judge a city's size not just by the city limits, but by its Metropolitan region. Cities that anchor metros in the top 15-20 often are called big cities, but beyond that, usually not. Charlotte is currently ranked 35th, which means there are 34 larger metro areas. I think people reserve big city designation to areas that approach at least 3 million or more people. Of course, for your average person, it's more about feeling and perception than Census stats. But even by that measure, Charlotte lacks the bustling hip vibe that you find in just about every place commonly called a "big city." Charlotte is still a very conservative place, even for a city its size. Charlotte has come a long way, but it still doesn't have a big city feel that you will find in the top ranked cities.

Edited May 6, 2008 by DCMetroRaleigh

[elvigy]

I kind of agree with cityboi in the sense that it irks me when people refer to Charlotte as medium sized. I think of it as a big city. But then I realize that it's a very subjective thing anyway. It doesn't surprise me that someone in Atlanta or NYC thinks of Charlotte as medium sized. To them, we always will be. But I can tell you that people in Mt. Holly, for instance, think of Charlotte as a big city. My company has an office in Mt. Holly and many of our staff and customers simply are not willing to drive into Charlotte to our main office because they don't like dealing with the traffic and crime of the big city of Charlotte. (As if they'd be mugged the minute they crossed the city line, but I digress).

Heck, by historical standards, Charlotte is actually massive. It wasn't until the modern era (say, the last 50-100 years) that city populations around the world started to skyrocket.

[NcSc74]

I would definitely think of Charlotte as a medium size city, not a big city. Most people judge a city's size not just by the city limits, but by its Metropolitan region. Cities that anchor metros in the top 15-20 often are called big cities, but beyond that, usually not. Charlotte is currently ranked 35th, which means there are 34 larger metro areas. I think people reserve big city designation to areas that approach at least 3 million or more people. Of course, for your average person, it's more about feeling and perception than Census stats. But even by that measure, Charlotte lacks the bustling hip vibe that you find in just about every place commonly called a "big city." Charlotte is still a very conservative place, even for a city its size. Charlotte has come a long way, but it still doesn't have a big city feel that you will find in the top ranked cities.

With a number of projects kicking off uptown that should change pretty soon. I would say Charlotte is on the cusp of the big city conotation. As far as metro areas go there are some that are the only large cities in there state or they are attached to a much larger metro area ie San Jose...Charlotte metro is an hour from another metro of almost equal size as of now. So I don't see metro area holding the big city tag back. That problem will handle itself with the type of grwoth the region is seeing. I think its the type of amenities that the city is working on to bring to the populace that is holding the city back. Once Charlotte becomes a true travel destination and build big civic projects and cultivate a culture of its own then we will see the QC step through the door. She has the skyline and the F500's now she just needs amenities to catch up.

[Andyc545]

I would definitely think of Charlotte as a medium size city, not a big city. Most people judge a city's size not just by the city limits, but by its Metropolitan region. Cities that anchor metros in the top 15-20 often are called big cities, but beyond that, usually not. Charlotte is currently ranked 35th, which means there are 34 larger metro areas. I think people reserve big city designation to areas that approach at least 3 million or more people. Of course, for your average person, it's more about feeling and perception than Census stats. But even by that measure, Charlotte lacks the bustling hip vibe that you find in just about every place commonly called a "big city." Charlotte is still a very conservative place, even for a city its size. Charlotte has come a long way, but it still doesn't have a big city feel that you will find in the top ranked cities.

I respectfully would have to disagree with this. How does Charlotte lacking a "bustling hip vibe" have to do with it being ranked as a large city or medium city? Actually, I've had a lot of people visit and Charlotte is the opposite of this. The amenities it offers to make it qualify as this statement are beyond the regular perception, and developers are taking note around the US, bringing recognizable nightlife that is on a level that some of the most famous cities for nightlife are seeing. I don't want to get into it anymore, but I question the ranking of the city, myself. I've heard it recognized as a mid to large city, which I think more accurately describes it. Certainly we aren't as large as Chicago, NYC, and Miami, but when a lot of different stats are looked at, like airport size and number of passengers traveling through, headquarter operations and investments, $ capital, our ranks in the banking industry, accreditations to the housing market, growth percentages and population changes, urbanized plans for development, and overall potential, Charlotte is much more than it is often perceived by the national media. Idea taken from another thread, but Atlanta will always be king of the south and Charlotte will be the queen city... In the coming years, this will become more apparent to the media.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

But then I realize that it's a very subjective thing anyway. It doesn't surprise me that someone in Atlanta or NYC thinks of Charlotte as medium sized. To them, we always will be. But I can tell you that people in Mt. Holly, for instance, think of Charlotte as a big city.

Yeah, but how many major media organizations are in Mt. Holly, compared to Boston, L.A., or NYC? Major media set the narrative. Everything is relative, so it is only reasonable that mass perceptions of what constitutes a big city would be based on a comparison with the biggest cities, NYC, Chicago, L.A., Dallas, Houston, Philly, etc.

Edited May 6, 2008 by DCMetroRaleigh

[peaceloveunderstanding]

Why is the size of the city important? Zurich is smaller than Raleigh but is, internationally-speaking, 'more important' than Boston, Houston or Atlanta.

I'm not arguing that Charlotte is an international player, it's not. But population isn't too important. It is however becoming important nationally.

Charlotte should be compared with its peers; and it compares well. It has a bigger economy, better infrastructure, and more growth than any of its peers.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Indeed, the important thing is that Charlotte has a rapid upward trajectory. It is a city to be envied by other cities. The excitement you find in Charlotte has its own value and cannot be found in cities much larger than Charlotte.

[Miesian Corners]

^I agree whole-heartedly. I just wish we would embrace our "medium-size citiness" and work on being the best in that category. Better to be a great medium-sized city than a crappy big one.

[nowensone]

^ Thats my take on it as well, we're so intent on being in that big city category that some things are falling to the wayside in the climb, like the justice and education systems. Taking a breather and getting these up to par would make the next growth spurt much smoother. Infrastructure/transit being the other more obvious ones.

[nowensone]

Don't place too much stock in these as they appear on Yahoo at least weekly from any number of sources, but we won Relocate-America's top spot: link. I think the shot they used is interesting as well. Makes us look like we have a delimiting body of water...