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Is Charlotte really North Carolina?


monsoon

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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Let me throw this out purely for discussion....

I just think that some Charlottans (wow that sounds bad) Charlottonians feel supreme to the rest of the state and almost have a complex about their treatment. Bear with me...I don't want to sound condescending, it's just been an observation. There have been some comments from the legislature that may have led to that thinking, but I don't see the need in some (mind you) people's attitudes towards the rest of the state. I don't think that decision makers' attitude is what should dictate attitudes expressed here - maybe demographics, geography. etc. I commuted every weekend to Charlotte for a year, and in my experience there, Charlotte was beatiful, upscale in some areas, and bustling with people. It felt like a bigger Raleigh, Winston, Gboro, except without the NFL, NBA or NASCAR. I love Charlotte and am proud for it to be in my state!

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Charlotte is most definately N.C. It is in the way people talk, dress, love for BBQ, the shag (not seen much in town), joke and socialize. People from outside seem to assimilate well. Charlotte is like any big city that has drawn people from other states and countries, but, nevertheless it is still North Carolina through and through. Just because a city is international and has great ethnic restaurants doesn't mean it can't be a true N.C. city

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to me Charlotte feels north carolinian, but cities/towns such as winston-salem, high point, ashville, boone, edenton, and outerbanks seem more "nc" than charlotte, but i guess its all what youre used to. having lived in winston and charlotte i can say i love the small town feeling of winston and consider it my hometown but that doesnt mean i wouldnt move back to charlotte if i got the chance.

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Larryfla makes a valid point in that all metros are that way really. Some people call the Triangle "A slice of Massachusetts in NC". Transplants make the place feel more cosmopolitan and urban in nature than the rural areas in a state. Great ethnic restaurants, dance, theatre, etc., add to this feeling. Step outside this world that the developers and marketing people want you to buy in to, though..and you'll find the original character of a place. Same could be said for any Portland, OR or Austin, TX.

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Larryfla makes a valid point in that all metros are that way really.  Some people call the Triangle "A slice of Massachusetts in NC".  Transplants make the place feel more cosmopolitan and urban in nature than the rural areas in a state.  Great ethnic restaurants, dance, theatre, etc., add to this feeling.  Step outside this world that the developers and marketing people want you to buy in to, though..and you'll find the original character of a place.  Same could be said for any Portland, OR or Austin, TX.

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When I am in Raleigh/Triangle...I get this laid back/intellectual vibe from it (granted when I visit, I tend to be in the Southern Raleigh/Cary/RTP area). I also get the feeling that the Triangle is much more unifed than the Triad.

The Triad seems to be very rural for its size (not necessarily a bad thing), and GSO and W-S seem to be fighting each other (as opposed to the feeling I get from RDU/Chapel-Hill).

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I think most of us SC folks would suggest that much of our opinion of NC was based on Charlotte, especially growing up in Rock Hill. Now there are parts of NC that I prefer more - like Pisgah forest, and other elements that seem genuinely 'NC' such as vinegar based bbq or the Tarheels. But Charlotte is the entrance into NC for many South Carolinians.

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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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Not confusing at all...I like your use of the term "vibe". The variety and diversity of North Carolina is what makes it so attractive to me at least.

A good question might be is there, and what is it, that are common threads for the state and its cities.

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Charlotte to me is part of the state. Each section of North Carolina has its own feel and Charlotte is no different. That diversity is what makes North Carolina such a great place to live. I am proud to call North Carolina home and have Charlotte part of the state.

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Charlotte is definitely a part of North Carolina. The city adds to the unique flavor the state has to offer. True, its the only place in both of the Carolinas that is really being pushed into the international/major city threshold, but nonetheless.....its culture is still deeply rooted in North Carolina soil.

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These are just a few observations from a native NC guy.

1. Charlotte is a good distance from other large cities in NC.

2. The city itself is the largest urban city and that is not saying much since NC is largely rural (although NC does has a few larger cities).

3. The city has folks from all over the world so that also lends a big difference.

4. And too maybe most folks compare rural NC to Charlotte which is not at all comparing apples to apples. Maybe comparing Raleigh to Charlotte would be a better comparison.

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All states are mostly rural - save for maybe Hawaii or Deleware - but NC has more medium-to-large sized metro areas than many other states do, especially in the South

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Most of Hawaii & Deleware are rural / undeveloped too - so you can indeed safely say all states are mostly rural.

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Most of Hawaii & Deleware are rural / undeveloped too - so you can indeed safely say all states are mostly rural.

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There's DC, which is kind of like a state, but among the regular states New Jersey has the highest percentage of urbanized area. There's not a whole lot of rural anything in New Jersey.
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There's DC, which is kind of like a state, but among the regular states New Jersey has the highest percentage of urbanized area. There's not a whole lot of rural anything in New Jersey.

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25 years ago the state was mostly rural, but even now the Pine Barrens of south central NJ are very rural. Additionally the northwest corner with Penn. is rural with the mountains.

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Having lived in various NC cities...including Charlotte...and spent a lot of time in the mountains and the coast of NC for the past 28 years...I can say whole heartedly that Charlotte does have a different feel than the rest of NC.

If you go to Asheville, G'Boro, Raleigh, Winston, or Wilmington...they all feel like NC...they have the same smells, the same people, and a lot of similar architecture.

Charlotte is the only major NC city that is not part of the I-40 corridor.

This is not a good thing or a bad thing...its just the way it is.

I think a lot of it has to do with Charlotte tearing down most of its history with the urban renewal of the 50s and 60s. If we had kept a lot of those historical buildings...then I think maybe we would have felt more NC than we do today.

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This isn't a dumb question.This is one of the things that make NC great.It has almost everything.From countryside to beaches to ghetto urban areas.To me, every state has a city that doesn't belong.I've been to over 10 states, and every time I go, there's a city that doesn't belong.And i'll admit, my first visit to charlotte blew my mind.I'm from W-S, and Charlotte is way different from W-S.But still, Charlotte is part of NC.If you say it isn't, that's like saying ATL doesn't belong in GA or Miami doesn't belong in FL.

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This isn't a dumb question.This is one of the things that make NC great.It has almost everything.From countryside to beaches to ghetto urban areas.To me, every state has a city that doesn't belong.I've been to over 10 states, and every time I go, there's a city that doesn't belong.And i'll admit, my first visit to charlotte blew my mind.I'm from W-S, and Charlotte is way different from W-S.But still, Charlotte is part of NC.If you say it isn't, that's like saying ATL doesn't belong in GA or Miami doesn't belong in FL.

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Can't argue with that. Particularly those that brag about their city being nothing like the home state or even the region. Such as Birmingham being the 'Pittsburgh of the South', fact is - Birmingham AL is the way it is BECAUSE it is in Alabama & in the south. Definitely the same for Atlanta.

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The pittsburgh of the south comes from steel making.  Both cities used to have significant steel making industries.  It didn't have anything to do with the look or feel of the place.

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:rolleyes:

Yes, I'm aware of that. But I can see I didn't make myself clearer, so I understand your confusion.

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