Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Money magazine ranks Charlotte No. 1 Big-City Bargain

If you're looking to move and want a city that will give you good housing and cost-of-living value, Money magazine highly recommends Charlotte. Its newly released 2014 Best Places to Live rankings list has Charlotte pegged as the Best Big-City Bargain in the country.

The magazine ranked Charlotte No. 1 in that category. Phoenix, Fort Worth, Tx., Boston and Chicago rounded out the top five. The magazine created the list by studying metropolitan areas with more than 500,000 in population, and by analyzing housing affordability, economic strength, home price forecasts and livabililty data. The researchers also, in each city, singled out several "promising, well-priced" neighborhoods.

In Charlotte, they pointed out Plaza Midwood, calling it "an interesting mix of the gritty and the pretty" for its mix of tattoo parlors and antiques shops. Mountain Island Lake also earned a mention for being what local Realtor Francine Dupont called "a thrifty alternative to Ballantyne."

Charlotte didn't make the overall top 50 best places to live list, though. Cary came in 19th, Chapel Hill 36th.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Before we invite anyone else to live here, can we improve the roads first? Geez.

Anonymous said...

Yay, we matter...!

Anonymous said...

If you don't mind completely brain-dead culture...sure come on in.

Anonymous said...

12:47, I hear you on "brain dead." Certainly, that idiom exists in Charlotte. But it's not nearly as eye-glazing as it used to be. There's plenty of live music, theater, book clubs and even some interesting night life.

Don't give up. Have a look!

Anonymous said...

This is not an invitation for more Yankees to move down here. Serious inquiries only!

Anonymous said...

yay! we are the dollar store of Cities!

Anonymous said...

Being ranked by Money Magazine is about like being ranked by AARP- their main readership is over the age of 55.

So hooray, we beat out Florida...

Anonymous said...

Yankees did this town a favor. Learn to embrase it.

Anonymous said...

Embrase? Is that like setting it on fire?

Anonymous said...

What a bunch of snobs! Maybe we aren't brain dead. We just don't find the same things interesting as you do. And, by the way, if Charlotte is such a miserable place to live, don't let the screen door hit you on the behind as leave.

Anonymous said...

I was born and raise in Charlotte for the 23 years of my life. I live elsewhere now, but I always enjoy coming home to see how things have changed over the years.

Charlottean

Anonymous said...

"Yankees did this town a favor. Learn to embrase it."

The Yankees that embrace family life and community are cool with me. The Yankees who do not embrace this standard should stay up North. Now, this goes for Southerners as well. We don't want to be like Atlanta or Houston. We don't want people who just stay here. We want people who want to live here in order to make a contribution and not leech off the system.

Anonymous said...

Northener living in Charlotte, I have to say I like it, very pleasant place with plenty to do if you apply yourself, plus most Southeners that I've met are quite nice. Peace. let Charlotte thrive!!!

Anonymous said...

Charlotte is a wonderful mid-sized city with plenty of opportunity. I move her from the North and like it, plus the Southeners I've met are great! If you want more culture look around and find it,it's all around you. Let Charlotte thrive!!!

Anonymous said...

11:58, I thought we had a chance with McCrory but now his DOT wants to borrow money to build more rural bypasses and roads to nowhere. I'd be nice if we spruced up the roads in the urban centers occasionally.

Anonymous said...

Lived here all my life !! I like it,
I love it, want some more of it.....
Southern hospitality if the yankees
would understand it or just go back home.

Unknown said...

I bet if they looked at taxes, our ratings would drop. We pay too much in taxes.

Anonymous said...

ornery southerners, rude yankees, Belks, Denny's

Anonymous said...

I hate it when people bash the city they live in. Get the hell out if you don't like it!!!!

Anonymous said...


Also born and raised in Charlotte but at the ripe old age of 40, moved west... Sorry but out west is better than Charlotte. Great for retirees and family but if single...forget about it.

Anonymous said...

I've been a Charlottean my entire 41 years of life and I have found a few Yankees tolerable. Most Yankees I find rude and unbearable. I really wish they would move back up North and quit trying to make us Southerners more "Yankee rude like".

Anonymous said...

Lived here my whole life...jumped the boarder to Fort Mill as the Yanks have blue'd up the City/State to the point they can't elect a Mayor that isn't robbing everyone blind!

I hope they translate Money's article into Spanish and Yank...OH WAIT...NO NEED...They all already know how to get here. Now if we could just get'em all to find their way back home (and take your rotten arse kids too)!!!

I wanted YankeeGoHome.com but someone beat me to it...I hope they don't waste such a great domain name!

Anonymous said...

Sorry but Charlotte is for the birds.....No culture, conservative vibe, and not enough diversity. Definitely not a lot of to do. Look elsewhere.

Anonymous said...

@Anonymous 8:09.

What conservative vibe? This city is as blue as the sky. The suburbs are conservative, but Charlotte is a liberal playground.

Anonymous said...

I would like a description of the "Yankees" spoken about here. What does that even mean? To tell you the truth some of the southerns are the rudest, most pretentious, over consumerist, uneducated people I have ever met. I love Charlotte, except for all the rude southerns that spend so much money to keep up with the Jones that they ruin the entire economy (including their own personal growth).

Anonymous said...

Exactly, it's like they're still upset about losing the war, get over it

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Anonymous said...

You're a typical jersey idiot. There is a culture that people wish to see preserved. It is diluted when you come here and demand all the amenities of your socialist states. By the way, yes southerners are ornery. That "hospitality" turns to cursing your obnoxious entitled attitude the minute you exit the store/restaurant. True.

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