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Is Charlotte really North Carolina?

monsoon

By monsoon
in North Carolina

Does Charlotte feel like North Carolina?  

170 members have voted

  1. 1. Does Charlotte feel like North Carolina?

    • Yes
      74
    • No
      35
    • This is a dumb question
      61

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monsoon Gigalopolis

monsoon

Posted
Posted

Ok this is a real nebulous question. Interpret as you like.

For those of you who know people in other parts of the state, or spend time outside of NC have you ever noticed the "feeling" (for lack of better words) there is North Carolina, and then there is Charlotte?

(also feel free to chime in if you visit Charlotte from the rest of NC)

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DigitalSky City

DigitalSky

Posted
Posted

not at all a dumb question. I think after growing up in Charlotte then going to college in Greensboro and meeting people from all over NC, yeah it does seem different as a Charlottean... One of my friends from Southern Pines said when she visited charlotte that it was like a city that didn't belong in NC. If it doesn't belong in NC though, where does it belong, is the question

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raleightransplant Whistle-Stop

raleightransplant

Posted
Posted

Charlotte feels like NC, no doubt. Well it's about the best state around, so that's a great thing. Being so close to SC though, it does take on a different feel then something like the northern outer banks (more gentrified and southern then that part of the state)...The state is so different from place to place, it's a hard question really.

Charlotte, while a growing city, still is southern--which gives it a sense of identity. Go up to DC, and then tell me if Charlotte feels like it's in NC...it most certainly is.

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JunktionFET Hamlet

JunktionFET

Posted
Posted

North Carolina is extremely varied in "vibe", and Charlotte is no more different than the rest of the state. If Charlotte doesn't belong to the state, then no other part does either. Speaking in terms of our large metros, the Triangle feels like it is in a different state than the Triad, and the same relationship holds true for Charlotte. Charlotte is just a piece of the disjointed puzzle, and it belongs because it doesn't fit in, just like the other pieces. Err, that's confusing.

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archiham04 Burg

archiham04

Posted
Posted

North Carolina is extremely varied in "vibe", and Charlotte is no more different than the rest of the state. If Charlotte doesn't belong to the state, then no other part does either. Speaking in terms of our large metros, the Triangle feels like it is in a different state than the Triad, and the same relationship holds true for Charlotte. Charlotte is just a piece of the disjointed puzzle, and it belongs because it doesn't fit in, just like the other pieces. Err, that's confusing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

exactly my point

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TravisNC Unincorporated Area

TravisNC

Posted
Posted

I can kind of see where you're coming from. Not to be rude, but I think to most North Carolinians in the east that Charlotte isn't even on their radar so to speak. I remember when I took North Carolina history in 7th grade I was shocked to find out that Raleigh wasn't the largest city in the state and didn't have the largest skyline.

However, I don't think this lack of unity is any different than what happens in New York (NYC vs upstate), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh), or Georgia (Atlanta vs the rest of the state).

There's always going to be different opinions and feelings about different regions. I've never thought that San Francisco area seemed very much like California.

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Jerseyman4 Burg

Jerseyman4

Posted
Posted

It all depends on the person on where they are located in the state on how they view and/or feel if a city/town is part of the state or not.

When i drove around Duke University, NW Greensboro, Greenville and Edenton, it did not feel like NC to me.

This is because im from the central/SE portion of the state of which i am most accustomed to. NC is very diverse geographically. My NC consists of pines and sand while others in the state are used to being around decidious forests and clay soil. Asking someone from the outer banks what they think of Charlotte, they will probably think its not NC to them but if you ask someone in Charlotte if the outerbanks and Elizabeth City is a part of NC to them, they would think its more tidewater Virginia/Delmarva.

Since this is a Charlotte question, its very NC to me.

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keer5771 Unincorporated Area

keer5771

Posted
Posted

It absolutely does, and I know exactly what it feels like because I grew up in Louisville, where that feeling, in my opinion, is more prevalent than anywhere else in America.

There's Louisville, and then there's the rest of Kentucky. Not even in the same league, planet, galaxy, whatever. Lexington is close in size, but that's it.

And yes, we're HUGE snobs about it. I haven't been here long enough to determine if that's the case with Charlotte, but I get a feeling it is...

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ezcheese Hamlet

ezcheese

Posted
Posted

North Carolina is extremely varied in "vibe", and Charlotte is no more different than the rest of the state. If Charlotte doesn't belong to the state, then no other part does either. Speaking in terms of our large metros, the Triangle feels like it is in a different state than the Triad, and the same relationship holds true for Charlotte. Charlotte is just a piece of the disjointed puzzle, and it belongs because it doesn't fit in, just like the other pieces. Err, that's confusing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very well put! This is also the way I feel when I visit different parts of NC.

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OE-305 Whistle-Stop

OE-305

Posted
Posted

The Charlotte area is often referred to in a negative manner by State legislators as the "The Great State of Mecklenburg".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Haha, that's one I've never heard before. I think the state legislator makes fun of everybody except for the east. It's widely known that Chapel Hill is referred to as the NC Zoo (I believe the "great" Jessie Helms said that). He also went on to say that a large chain-link fence should be built around the college to keep the liberal monkeys in or something to that nature.

In my opinion, I think Charlotte has a love hate relationship with Raliegh (only b/c they're the capital) & NC. Don't get me wrong, we're very proud that our state has some of the most beautiful beaches and mountains in the world, as well as one of the best higher education systems in the country. However, CLT often feels as if we're not getting our fair share of attention and tax dollars back from the state. This might have to do with a little "localism" in politics and the perception that the state gov't. is dominated by easterners. When I went to UNC, I hardly ever heard any news on charlotte unless there was something really horrendous that had happened.

I'd bet though that the mountain communities feel even more isolated than we do.

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ChiefJoJo Town

ChiefJoJo

Posted
Posted

North Carolina is extremely varied in "vibe", and Charlotte is no more different than the rest of the state. If Charlotte doesn't belong to the state, then no other part does either. Speaking in terms of our large metros, the Triangle feels like it is in a different state than the Triad, and the same relationship holds true for Charlotte. Charlotte is just a piece of the disjointed puzzle, and it belongs because it doesn't fit in, just like the other pieces. Err, that's confusing.

I totally agree. I live in DT Raleigh, but I often work in Clt, and it definitely has a different feel. Of course it's definitely the largest city (very corporate and "major league") and has different interests than the rest of the state. You could almost say the same about Chapel Hill, Wilmington or Asheville only they are smaller. There's really no other places like them either--all very unique, but all very much a part of NC.

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