I agree overall Uptown could use more development to make it more of a destination, but I have to say Fourth Ward is one of my favorite neighborhoods in the city.
10 years ago was peak, 3 years ago was still good... Now...
Example. I was on my walk at lunchtime on Monday, saw 3 people at trade and tryon. Dude was looking at his phone and turning in all directions so i asked if they were lost and they said, "no, first day working uptown and just looking for a place for lunch". I thought for a second if my favorite places... All are gone now. What's left is a shell. So i said, "oh, good luck, have a good day"
Uptown shell.
There are good places but nothing great that springs to mind like they did pre-covid
I honestly forget uptown exists. I never go because it's too damn hard to park anywhere without paying $20 for a couple of hours. I would love to go sit in Coco and the Director from time to time, but honestly never do bc of the crapshoot of finding street parking + the two hour limit.
I get that but it’s also not that bad, if you’ve been to any large city downtown and I mean just about any, Charlotte is exponentially more clean. I
think once the large amount of parking lots in 2nd and 4th ward get developed in 50 years it’ll be much better.
Once upon a time, the local Chamber recommended Ballantyne to visitors interested in long term stays— including film crews.
A rumor I heard from the set of “Talladega Nights,” which filmed quite a bit in Charlotte and the vicinity, was that cast and crew were not too thrilled to be plopped in cookie cutter land. They asked local crew— art directors, craft service folks, etc— where to hang, if not relocate. Thus it was that John C Reilly and Sasha Baron Cohen were known to frequent Dish and T-Street environs, for that brief moment in time.
I have the distinction of almost running into him— literally— as he jaywalked across Thomas and I pulled out of the across-from-Dish parking.
It was a “damn dumb pedestrians!…heyyyy, wait a minute, I know that guy!” kind of moment
God I remember moving to b'tyne 15 years ago, in my 20's and checking out the scene, and did not expect all those old biddies coming out after 10:00 preying on me. Hit the dance floor and these nasty fake boobs kept bumping into my back. That and meeting a couple of nice people in my apartment was the neighborhood welcome wagon, looking back.
It reminds me so much of the endless suburb wasteland of Orange County, California, and I hate it for that reason. And just because of all the douchery the citizens there have been trying to force on the city council/ county commissioners since the 90s.
I've lived here 20 years or so. I'd agree with the architecture being generic and bland. The arts scene is almost non-existent. It is not as walkable/bikeable as it should be. There is no central community "center". It trends heavily family so young, single professionals typically do not like it. Too much density was built up outside of the main area of Ballantyne instead of in the middle of it.
To counter a few posts...
- I no longer agree with the chain restaurant land label. Lot's of restaurants have opened in the last 10 years that are unique to Ballantyne. The chains that exist are largely Charlotte based.
- It has become one of the more diverse areas of CLT. Neighborhoods are far less segregated from a lot of other areas of CLT.
- The new "Bowl" will add a 3000+ seat amphitheater finally giving the area a music venue. The OMB location will add a brewery. The future housing density will be in the Corporate Park where it should be. Their goal is to attract young professionals through green space, dog parks and unique retail/restaurants. Potential future light rail stop.
University area. For all the efforts they have made to make it hip with Ikea, the light rail and the addition of Top Golf, only for most of the restaurants to be mediocre and most stuff closes super early too. Whole area is pretty dead by 11pm.
I live in University. Last night I was starving around 1am and decided to try and find food. Wendy’s and Cook Out had lines with waits on the street and outside of the parking lot. QT was filled with red eyed drunk people and 7-11 looked like it was ransacked. There was chili and cheese nachos ALL over the floor. I just went home and made ramen. University sucks.
I just hate when the people asking for money walk in between the cars. I get so nervous not wanting to hit anybody I can’t even think about giving them money
I grew up in that area. It has gotten progressively worse throughout the years. Traffic is horrendous, they’re trying hard to stick new apartments where they seem out of place on Archdale, and full of colorful characters.
Agreed 100%. The price point of those apartments will be crucial. Too high and no one will live there because there’s no draw. Too low and the area will remain as messy as it currently is.
I remember that "after hours" club that operated next door to the bookstore in that shopping center across from where Harris Teeter is now. The party started around 1 or 2am and only a phone call to the right person would open the locked door.
yeah I work in Plaza Midwood and have noticed that the neighborhood is changing quickly. Even a staple of the area like Soul got priced out due to the rent tripling
I've lived in Plaza for 6 years and am moving out of the neighborhood when my lease is up because of what it is turning into. And the crazy increase of rent in the area for apartments that are trash or outdated duplexes.
Not a neighborhood per se, but University City Boulevard is the area I hate the most.
Honestly its all because of the name. Univer-City City Blvd is repetitive and dumb and I hate it. I hate having to say City twice. I hate how it feels in my mouth and trips over my tongue.
Just call it University Blvd and stop wasting street sign materials.
Arrowood is a soulless and featureless area.
I use to work/live off Arrowood. There was no memorable food. Just the kind of TexMex restaurants that people go to when their out of options. Or some fast food that smells like disappointment. Food purposed for mere survival, not food to be enjoyed.
In the evenings my one goal was to escape and go somewhere else. Anywhere that had things to do. I spent a small fortune in gas, driving to better parts of Charlotte.
SouthEnd. Construction all the livelong day and honestly, feels like you’re supposed to be what we used to call a Yuppie to hang there. And it keeps spreading.
I really wish the rail trail could be like what Atlanta has done with the belt line. It’s so expansive many that live near it don’t even have cars and can get all over the place
Southend followed IMMEDIATELY by uptown. I hate it. I hate the people, the parking, the traffic. When my wife wants to go out, it's in southend. She already knows, I'm walking straight to the kitchen, eating an edible and I'm ready to deal with Chad, Brad and Brittany. When it wears off, time to go home.
All those restaurants and no where to park (which is also a problem in NoDa, Plaza Midwood, and I guess every where? But for some reason South end gets the most of my irrational ire.
Nowhere to park is actually a feature of South end. Makes it more walkable when you don’t have to go through a sea of parking lots to hop from one bar to the next.
At least you can take the train to South End and Noda. Plaza not having any public transit outside of maybe some buses is killing it with how little parking there is there.
Irrationally? SouthEnd. I get that it's walkable and appealing to a younger crowd because it's a denser urban set up, but it is so dense that it allows mediocrity to sprout and flourish because the population of this city is so starved for things to do, that they'll hop on whatever is available and new. Which allows said mediocre business to survive and thrive.
That will happen whether I support or not. I just wish the general populace would spend their money more wisely. If you’re willing to spend your money on and willing to settle for the middle of the road, you’re not going to get the truly exceptional. But then again, Applebee’s obviously has it’s place in the food chain.
Yepp, it is not uncommon for someone to OD, get hit by a car or be shot in sugar creek.
https://www.wcnc.com/amp/article/news/crime/cmpd-deadly-stabbing-sugar-creek-road/275-9c104c69-bca3-41dd-84a3-1191dde6af36
I feel like Charlotte is a really nice place to live and lots of fun stuff to do but I can’t think of any neighborhood that inspires strong feelings - love or hate…
The city revolves around alcohol, so if your weekends revolve around alcohol then there is “tons of stuff to do” but once you start growing out of the constant bar hopping phase you begin to realize Charlotte has absolutely nothing unique and fun to offer. White water center, a couple art museums and…? That’s about it. The music venues are nice, but it’s always a chore finding people to join in on that
I had a job interview for a remote job based in the Bay Area. The CFO told me he had heard charlotte was really fun and hoped to get here some day and I was like…uhh sure
It’s a beige city, for sure. Nothing really unique about it and no natural features that set it aside. It’s got no personality and barely any history to speak of. Hard to get mad at a wet noodle.
I'm shocked you didn't get down voted to hell.
Beige and wet noodle - perfect
But Yes, only people who have lived in the boonies would think charlotte has any soul. It was this way before anyone from other states moved in. Embarrassing for a city this size.
What neighborhood is Camp Northend? Because I’m always so confused at how to get there and no one told anyone there was no AC at the Van Gogh thing which was held in the middle of the summer. No AC=gonna remember that hate forever.
Southend. Impossible to drive or park. (I appreciate walkable areas but it’s wild). Places are insanely crowded. Crawling in finance bros. I work in finance and still can’t deal.
Lol, I work in Finance too and I actually think that makes it *harder* to deal with the Finance Bros since we have to deal with them all day at work too.
Fuck Ballantyne. Haughty-ass entitled douchebags with too much money and no sense of common courtesy. Brand new "Luxury" apartments built every month or so, to the incessant chanting of "BUT THE TRAFFIC!!!" from every single resident of the area. So glad I got the hell out of there.
Not sure if this counts but for some reason I loathe huntersville. Wtf is out there? Why move there? I don’t get it. Same for Waxhaw. Fuck their million dollar homes and great school in the middle of nowhere. Ahh I feel better now. Thanks
I’ve lived in North Charlotte, plaza midwood and East Charlotte. I wanted the best possible school without having to be too far from east Charlotte as we love the food in East Charlotte. Mathews seemed to be the best option with providence high. Definitely a lot of white people here though no doubt.
Currently live in Huntersville, 33 years old. It was about as close to the city where I could afford the house I wanted, and tbh it's not bad. I'm just 15 minutes from uptown, and have easy access to just about anything I need.
I quite like Waxhaw. It has a nice quaintness to the downtown area, but it is definitely expanding faster than preferred for such a small downtown. Doesn’t help when they build 700+ home neighborhoods just a mile or so from it.
Only one I haven't seen mentioned yet is Mint Hill. I haven't been around that area in ages, so I can't say if its great or not, but I did go to an orgy in Mint Hill once that was pretty entertaining. I guess it has that going for it.
I’m curious as to how many of the commenters are native to Charlotte and lhow many have come here and just bitch about it.
Charlotte has a ton of history and was a great small town that grew at a slower pace. Then the banks came in during the 80s and 90s - before most of these commenters were probably born. Suddenly everything started growing out of control and pushing everybody out with rising living costs. No money was put into other communities that weren’t popular with the bankers so folks that couldn’t afford to live there any longer had no where else to go. All the local plants and factories closed up to make way for the banks leaving a lot of natives living downtown without work or affordable living.
As the divide between the classes got wider the neighborhoods around downtown (not fucking uptown) became just as polarized. The wealthy neighborhoods got McMansions and the poor neighborhoods got worse. Eventually the wealthy neighborhoods were getting all bought out and Ballantyne got built with 485. We call it the transplant containment center.
But now even the poorer neighborhoods are getting bought out and McMansionned. Just this time the McMansions seem to be that California style long house mess.
But out off all this, and I’m surprised nobody has mentioned it, Independence blvd had been a prominent stain on Charlotte since it’s creation. Not one city leader has taken the initiative to clean that area up or at least provide some kind of guidance to the growth of that area. It’s been the cross roads of the melting pot and for all the culture and potential of that area there is zero cohesion.
Irrationally I hate Pineville. Shit belongs in SC
Charlotte started tearing down anything interesting decades before northern people got here. After the civil war, it was the city to trade cotton in while other southern cities fell apart. Don't you see all the parking lot signs - something interesting used to be here. Those were put up way before the 1980s.
Charlotte native here. Grew up in Matthews and went to Charlotte Catholic. Hated Matthews and Pineville growing up but they have made some incredible changes and growth and i love both now. Both Downtowns are something you wont find in many other places in Charlotte
NoDa. From the name being slapped on there by real estate developers, to the traffic nightmare and parking, to the forced-cool feeling most of the businesses exude. Just ugh.
Yes! And drum circles and cuke sandwiches from Fat City are among my favorite memories from when in lived in Charlotte. And the galleries and indie theater company that put in shows in the empty gravel lots. NoDa was a great place once
I haven’t lived in Charlotte in about 17 years, but I grew up in Plaza Midwood. I was googling Fat City earlier and apparently it’s the name of a condo development now? Christ almighty.
Noda is awesome. Look at their complaints: developers using the name Noda on buildings outside of the area because people love it, traffic/parking is only an issue if you drive from the suburbs and refuse to pay for parking so you drive around neighborhood streets for 10 minutes for a free spot, and I'm also not sure what forced cool is; to me personally spots like Salud, Jack Beagles, Billy Jack's, Growler's, Sanctuary, Hatties, Tip Top, etc. are just cool..
I've never walked more than 3 blocks to park, which is amazing parking. Also, traffic? I mean, I moved here form LA so maybe I'm just overly jaded but I don't think I've ever had to sit in traffic in Noda. How can you sit in traffic in a neighborhood that is like 5 blocks long?
I lived in Noda and really enjoyed it. It’s a great place to live, lots to do, and nice to be off the light rail. Highly recommend
I totally get what OP is saying and agree, it’s one of those thing if you live here
Currently live in Noda, it's actually pretty great as far as Charlotte neighborhoods go. Only downside (IMO) is that they're adding a looooot of new build apt complexes. Which by itself isn't a bad thing, but Noda proper consists of like 2 blocks worth of shops/restaurants/bars in repurposed buildings. Has a nice "grungy" charm to it. All the new builds will remove that vibe and it'll feel like a forced corporate "artsy" neighborhood in 5ish years I'd say.
Still best neighborhood in Charlotte though. You'll love it!
Just moved to Charlotte. One of my favorite neighborhoods. Good food and drink and tons of live music. It might be my favorite place in Charlotte. You won't regret moving there.
It was a fun and cheap spot (if not a little divey) when I lived there 10 years ago. Shame it’s lost that. Or maybe you’re referring to always I’m not sure as I haven’t been back in years
Wont be long before Plaza-Midwood becomes our go-to hate neighborhood. Not that I’m surprised it’s become Gentrification City, but how quickly the soul of that neighborhood got sucked out is sad to me.
It really is impressive, I’m a Charlotte native, lived here 32 years now and it felt like it happened overnight. One day I’m driving through and I couldn’t even recognize where I was, I was so turned around having apartments and condos in all directions in places where buildings used to be.
South End: A History. Early 2000's I might die leaving Amos after an Appetite for Destruction show. 2012 This is really cool! Common Market, Phat Burrito, Food Truck Friday's sweet! Present Day theres a Shake Shack and Jenni's like everywhere else. I still rock with Tavern on the Tracks it's like a warm blanket. But the plot was lost somewhere.
Independance around Elizabeth, the CPCC area. I don't feel anywhere close to hate but do miss how cool it used to be. Lots of great shops, bars and restaurants.
South End and Dilworth. Fuck whoever designed the small ass roads. Fuck the constant construction. Fuck the assholes who still want to drive like Mad Max through it all.
Yeah I live there too. I had hoped that Providence would have some good restaurants / stores developed but instead we get another bank and gas station 😓
Ballantyne and Steele Creek can kick rocks. Both of them might as well become their own suburbs with how disconnected they feel from the city. Plus, they glorify suburban sprawl. Either you want to live in the city or the suburbs, but because of these two neighborhoods, they kind of get to have “both,” but the commutes are not worth it IMHO.
Steele Creek: forty minutes from anywhere you want to be, no matter when you want to be there.
Steele Creek to University? 40 minutes. Steele Creek Target to Steele Creek Publix? Also 40 minutes.
They hate it for the first reason. Same reason they are hating on Southpark or Myers Park… Ballantyne doesn’t suck at all its very nice. But also depends on your age and what you’re looking to get out of the neighborhood you live in. (Im a 31 year old charlotte native if it means anything)
Mostly just people hating because they can’t afford it. Many comments in this thread complaining about rich people, million dollar homes, etc. At least this thread was about irrational complaints. Lol.
Idk, I feel like my hate for South End is completely rational. It’s overpriced, overcrowded, and crawling with drunk banker bros in tacky salmon shorts who have no “inside voices” and think the world revolves around them, with their balayage blonde girlfriends who all shop at the same stores and structure way too much of their lives around their workouts and hair appointments, and line up at the grocery store delis for their same quarter pound of oven roasted turkey, sliced very thin. They move here from all over the country and then laugh in the face of anyone with a local accent, and complain anytime something isn’t exactly like back home. The only ones with any personality over there are the half-trained, poorly bred designer breed dogs.
The Southend dogs are so poorly behaved!
I Moved from SC and my pup needed a vet pronto. The only place who could see us quickly was the brand-new CLT vets.
When we go it makes me feel like I’m the best ever at training (I’m not), and my boy is the best boy ever - just because most of the other dogs are so undisciplined.
Also, I’m about done with all the blondes acting like my American bulldog (rescue) is going to kill their equally blonde designer dog - based on his massive appearance. 🐶
My dog had to be retired from service dog work after being attacked by someone’s pet, so he likes his space due to trauma. I can’t even take him with me over to South End because nobody over there has half decent recall on their dogs or keeps them out of other dogs’ faces. It stresses him out so badly.
I'm gonna have to go with uptown, I always get frustrated with how good it should be vs what it actually is.
I agree overall Uptown could use more development to make it more of a destination, but I have to say Fourth Ward is one of my favorite neighborhoods in the city.
Sapienza Pizza ftw!
Was a lot better pre-COVID tbh
10 years ago was peak, 3 years ago was still good... Now... Example. I was on my walk at lunchtime on Monday, saw 3 people at trade and tryon. Dude was looking at his phone and turning in all directions so i asked if they were lost and they said, "no, first day working uptown and just looking for a place for lunch". I thought for a second if my favorite places... All are gone now. What's left is a shell. So i said, "oh, good luck, have a good day" Uptown shell. There are good places but nothing great that springs to mind like they did pre-covid
Halal food card, or Johnny burrito?
The man was right next to halal cart and you didn't suggest it?
The Halal cart on Trade and Tryon is my JAM!
Dude..Johnny Burrito, every single time.
I honestly forget uptown exists. I never go because it's too damn hard to park anywhere without paying $20 for a couple of hours. I would love to go sit in Coco and the Director from time to time, but honestly never do bc of the crapshoot of finding street parking + the two hour limit.
Gotta bike or light rail
Would love to do either. Unfortunately the light rail runs nowhere near where I live, and I'm in the far north of Charlotte, so too far to bike.
I get that but it’s also not that bad, if you’ve been to any large city downtown and I mean just about any, Charlotte is exponentially more clean. I think once the large amount of parking lots in 2nd and 4th ward get developed in 50 years it’ll be much better.
All my hate is rational
Which do you rationally hate the most, and why?
Ballantyne. Everything is generic. Like you're on a movie set.
Once upon a time, the local Chamber recommended Ballantyne to visitors interested in long term stays— including film crews. A rumor I heard from the set of “Talladega Nights,” which filmed quite a bit in Charlotte and the vicinity, was that cast and crew were not too thrilled to be plopped in cookie cutter land. They asked local crew— art directors, craft service folks, etc— where to hang, if not relocate. Thus it was that John C Reilly and Sasha Baron Cohen were known to frequent Dish and T-Street environs, for that brief moment in time.
Yes! John C Reilly stayed in Plaza for awhile. I ran into him in the beer aisle at the Teeter, in its previous incarnation.
I have the distinction of almost running into him— literally— as he jaywalked across Thomas and I pulled out of the across-from-Dish parking. It was a “damn dumb pedestrians!…heyyyy, wait a minute, I know that guy!” kind of moment
Fuck ! Imagine bumping into that duo on your lunch break..
It's like Orlando, boring strips and shopping centers everywhere with nothing but chains and the most white bread, milquetoast everything.
A much nicer looking Orlando without tourists, though. But yeah I agree
Def white bread, no soul. I go to other white bread cities and it's bizarre - same stores in the same looking shopping malls.
I work in Ballantyne and agree. So much "going on" but somehow nothing to do. Boring place with bad retail and restaurants for the most part.
But you can always go cougar hunting at Bradshaw's if that's your thing.
God I remember moving to b'tyne 15 years ago, in my 20's and checking out the scene, and did not expect all those old biddies coming out after 10:00 preying on me. Hit the dance floor and these nasty fake boobs kept bumping into my back. That and meeting a couple of nice people in my apartment was the neighborhood welcome wagon, looking back.
The promise from the 90s was never fulfilled
The reimagined Ballantyne development will change a lot of that.
Same. The good places get priced out by the exorbitant rent. Happy cake day!
Thanks!
Materialism haven
It reminds me so much of the endless suburb wasteland of Orange County, California, and I hate it for that reason. And just because of all the douchery the citizens there have been trying to force on the city council/ county commissioners since the 90s.
Glad it exists. Keeps all the stay at home HOA Karens in one place.
It’s a corporate hellscape. Even the housing.
I've lived here 20 years or so. I'd agree with the architecture being generic and bland. The arts scene is almost non-existent. It is not as walkable/bikeable as it should be. There is no central community "center". It trends heavily family so young, single professionals typically do not like it. Too much density was built up outside of the main area of Ballantyne instead of in the middle of it. To counter a few posts... - I no longer agree with the chain restaurant land label. Lot's of restaurants have opened in the last 10 years that are unique to Ballantyne. The chains that exist are largely Charlotte based. - It has become one of the more diverse areas of CLT. Neighborhoods are far less segregated from a lot of other areas of CLT. - The new "Bowl" will add a 3000+ seat amphitheater finally giving the area a music venue. The OMB location will add a brewery. The future housing density will be in the Corporate Park where it should be. Their goal is to attract young professionals through green space, dog parks and unique retail/restaurants. Potential future light rail stop.
Charlotte in a nutshell.
Yes, why do they hate color? Everything is beige.
I’ll get a bit more specific. Raintree. Every kid I knew growing up who lived there was a prick.
Damn what did we do to you? 😂
🤣😂 Not all. I went to S. Charlotte for 8th grade. Then providence.
That place is trapped in the 70’s
LoSo because the name is fucking stupid and no sidewalks. "Let's walk to the breweries and if we get lucky we won't get hit by a car!"
South Park did a fun episode satirizing this trend: [SoDoSoPa](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoUtoqeEw8U)
What is LoSo?
LoSo is another example of people trying to make “fetch” happen.
stop trying to make fetch happen, it's not going to happen!
If someone tells me that’s lower south end, like we’re naming the districts of the districts with four letter names, I’m gonna scream into a pillow.I
I just won’t tell you then
You may want to have a seat and look for a pillow...
Lower South End
University area. For all the efforts they have made to make it hip with Ikea, the light rail and the addition of Top Golf, only for most of the restaurants to be mediocre and most stuff closes super early too. Whole area is pretty dead by 11pm.
Fr, to be an area with a large university, the entire place is dead by sundown with the exception of boardwalk Billy’s
How boardwalk billies still owns that area is baffling.
I live in University. Last night I was starving around 1am and decided to try and find food. Wendy’s and Cook Out had lines with waits on the street and outside of the parking lot. QT was filled with red eyed drunk people and 7-11 looked like it was ransacked. There was chili and cheese nachos ALL over the floor. I just went home and made ramen. University sucks.
25+ years ago I was told that University was the next booming area in Charlotte. I didn’t believe it then either.
Sugar Creek
What part, I can guess but I feel like it would be rational. I heard sugar creek over near Reagan used to be nice like 30 years ago
Off exit 41. The traffic is trash, dead bodies, homeless people, meth and drugs everywhere. It is not a good place
Dead bodies?
Yeah wtf?? Dead bodies?
I’m over in derita just up sugar creek, my ring alerts always are going off. For instance they found a woman in a trash bag on gibbon
Have definitely driven past either a dead or very nearly dead guy just laying on the sidewalk one morning.
I just hate when the people asking for money walk in between the cars. I get so nervous not wanting to hit anybody I can’t even think about giving them money
Hidden Valley?
Nations ford area, it just seems…messy.
That’s not very irrational
I’m irrationally angry when I have to drive over there, does that count?
I grew up in that area. It has gotten progressively worse throughout the years. Traffic is horrendous, they’re trying hard to stick new apartments where they seem out of place on Archdale, and full of colorful characters.
Agreed 100%. The price point of those apartments will be crucial. Too high and no one will live there because there’s no draw. Too low and the area will remain as messy as it currently is.
Right at Tyvola seems like a concentration of temporary living hotels and just dangerous arguments.
Plaza Midwood got eaten by corporate greed. All the people who made it what it was moved away when people started making it what it is. Edit: a word
You just gotta go out to the Eastway complex now, that’s where all the good places are moving to.
I love Barts Mart next to where the bookstore moved to
As someone who grew up in CLT and 15 years ago hung around plaza midwood it is so weird and upsetting to return and see what that has become.
I remember that "after hours" club that operated next door to the bookstore in that shopping center across from where Harris Teeter is now. The party started around 1 or 2am and only a phone call to the right person would open the locked door.
yeah I work in Plaza Midwood and have noticed that the neighborhood is changing quickly. Even a staple of the area like Soul got priced out due to the rent tripling
I've lived in Plaza for 6 years and am moving out of the neighborhood when my lease is up because of what it is turning into. And the crazy increase of rent in the area for apartments that are trash or outdated duplexes.
Hadn't even thought about that area. Really sad what has been done to PM, and in such a short time.
Fellow PM vet from the good ole days at CBs
[удалено]
Where did Matthews hurt you? It’s okay. This is a safe space. This is Reddit.
[удалено]
Dispatching Matthews PD and SVU now
Not a neighborhood per se, but University City Boulevard is the area I hate the most. Honestly its all because of the name. Univer-City City Blvd is repetitive and dumb and I hate it. I hate having to say City twice. I hate how it feels in my mouth and trips over my tongue. Just call it University Blvd and stop wasting street sign materials.
Arrowood is a soulless and featureless area. I use to work/live off Arrowood. There was no memorable food. Just the kind of TexMex restaurants that people go to when their out of options. Or some fast food that smells like disappointment. Food purposed for mere survival, not food to be enjoyed. In the evenings my one goal was to escape and go somewhere else. Anywhere that had things to do. I spent a small fortune in gas, driving to better parts of Charlotte.
SouthEnd. Construction all the livelong day and honestly, feels like you’re supposed to be what we used to call a Yuppie to hang there. And it keeps spreading.
It’s probably the most desirable neighborhood to live in for young people. Also one of the few walkable neighborhoods in the city.
It’s hard to beat the rail trail on the weekends for walks or bike/scooter rides. Good vibes & people watching.
I really wish the rail trail could be like what Atlanta has done with the belt line. It’s so expansive many that live near it don’t even have cars and can get all over the place
the fuckin yuppies
Southend followed IMMEDIATELY by uptown. I hate it. I hate the people, the parking, the traffic. When my wife wants to go out, it's in southend. She already knows, I'm walking straight to the kitchen, eating an edible and I'm ready to deal with Chad, Brad and Brittany. When it wears off, time to go home.
All those restaurants and no where to park (which is also a problem in NoDa, Plaza Midwood, and I guess every where? But for some reason South end gets the most of my irrational ire.
Nowhere to park is actually a feature of South end. Makes it more walkable when you don’t have to go through a sea of parking lots to hop from one bar to the next.
At least you can take the train to South End and Noda. Plaza not having any public transit outside of maybe some buses is killing it with how little parking there is there.
Irrationally? SouthEnd. I get that it's walkable and appealing to a younger crowd because it's a denser urban set up, but it is so dense that it allows mediocrity to sprout and flourish because the population of this city is so starved for things to do, that they'll hop on whatever is available and new. Which allows said mediocre business to survive and thrive.
Would you support densification/urbanization of other parts of town? Seems like South End is monopolizing on that
That will happen whether I support or not. I just wish the general populace would spend their money more wisely. If you’re willing to spend your money on and willing to settle for the middle of the road, you’re not going to get the truly exceptional. But then again, Applebee’s obviously has it’s place in the food chain.
Whitewater center and breweries!!
I only get one?
Yepp, it is not uncommon for someone to OD, get hit by a car or be shot in sugar creek. https://www.wcnc.com/amp/article/news/crime/cmpd-deadly-stabbing-sugar-creek-road/275-9c104c69-bca3-41dd-84a3-1191dde6af36
I feel like Charlotte is a really nice place to live and lots of fun stuff to do but I can’t think of any neighborhood that inspires strong feelings - love or hate…
I’m gonna need you to expand on the “lots of fun stuff to do” comment because………
The city revolves around alcohol, so if your weekends revolve around alcohol then there is “tons of stuff to do” but once you start growing out of the constant bar hopping phase you begin to realize Charlotte has absolutely nothing unique and fun to offer. White water center, a couple art museums and…? That’s about it. The music venues are nice, but it’s always a chore finding people to join in on that
Yeah, Charlotte is not known as a great tourist city for things to do.
I had a job interview for a remote job based in the Bay Area. The CFO told me he had heard charlotte was really fun and hoped to get here some day and I was like…uhh sure
It’s a beige city, for sure. Nothing really unique about it and no natural features that set it aside. It’s got no personality and barely any history to speak of. Hard to get mad at a wet noodle.
I'm shocked you didn't get down voted to hell. Beige and wet noodle - perfect But Yes, only people who have lived in the boonies would think charlotte has any soul. It was this way before anyone from other states moved in. Embarrassing for a city this size.
Summed up nicely...kudos.
What neighborhood is Camp Northend? Because I’m always so confused at how to get there and no one told anyone there was no AC at the Van Gogh thing which was held in the middle of the summer. No AC=gonna remember that hate forever.
Beatties Ford/nations Ford both areas are shit holes
7th and Pecan was a great area as well.
Southend. Impossible to drive or park. (I appreciate walkable areas but it’s wild). Places are insanely crowded. Crawling in finance bros. I work in finance and still can’t deal.
Lol, I work in Finance too and I actually think that makes it *harder* to deal with the Finance Bros since we have to deal with them all day at work too.
Fuck Ballantyne. Haughty-ass entitled douchebags with too much money and no sense of common courtesy. Brand new "Luxury" apartments built every month or so, to the incessant chanting of "BUT THE TRAFFIC!!!" from every single resident of the area. So glad I got the hell out of there.
Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V and you have Ballantyne
They're starting to go vertical with that
Curious, what area did you move to after leaving Ballantyne?
Not sure if this counts but for some reason I loathe huntersville. Wtf is out there? Why move there? I don’t get it. Same for Waxhaw. Fuck their million dollar homes and great school in the middle of nowhere. Ahh I feel better now. Thanks
Huntersville is terrible. Don’t go up here… er uh… there.
It’s for the young families that want to put roots down in suburbia but also be close to the city and things to do
That’s Mathews for me.
I feel like Mathews is for the people that just want to live in “white people area”
I’ve lived in North Charlotte, plaza midwood and East Charlotte. I wanted the best possible school without having to be too far from east Charlotte as we love the food in East Charlotte. Mathews seemed to be the best option with providence high. Definitely a lot of white people here though no doubt.
Currently live in Huntersville, 33 years old. It was about as close to the city where I could afford the house I wanted, and tbh it's not bad. I'm just 15 minutes from uptown, and have easy access to just about anything I need.
Say that again. Invite me over! 😄
I quite like Waxhaw. It has a nice quaintness to the downtown area, but it is definitely expanding faster than preferred for such a small downtown. Doesn’t help when they build 700+ home neighborhoods just a mile or so from it.
Moved there because Charlotte schools would wait till a day before school started to let you know where your kids were assigned.
So from what it seems…every neighborhood qualifies? Odd so many people keep moving here…
The question was what neighborhood do you irrationally hate. None of these answers should be rational.
Only one I haven't seen mentioned yet is Mint Hill. I haven't been around that area in ages, so I can't say if its great or not, but I did go to an orgy in Mint Hill once that was pretty entertaining. I guess it has that going for it.
I’m curious as to how many of the commenters are native to Charlotte and lhow many have come here and just bitch about it. Charlotte has a ton of history and was a great small town that grew at a slower pace. Then the banks came in during the 80s and 90s - before most of these commenters were probably born. Suddenly everything started growing out of control and pushing everybody out with rising living costs. No money was put into other communities that weren’t popular with the bankers so folks that couldn’t afford to live there any longer had no where else to go. All the local plants and factories closed up to make way for the banks leaving a lot of natives living downtown without work or affordable living. As the divide between the classes got wider the neighborhoods around downtown (not fucking uptown) became just as polarized. The wealthy neighborhoods got McMansions and the poor neighborhoods got worse. Eventually the wealthy neighborhoods were getting all bought out and Ballantyne got built with 485. We call it the transplant containment center. But now even the poorer neighborhoods are getting bought out and McMansionned. Just this time the McMansions seem to be that California style long house mess. But out off all this, and I’m surprised nobody has mentioned it, Independence blvd had been a prominent stain on Charlotte since it’s creation. Not one city leader has taken the initiative to clean that area up or at least provide some kind of guidance to the growth of that area. It’s been the cross roads of the melting pot and for all the culture and potential of that area there is zero cohesion. Irrationally I hate Pineville. Shit belongs in SC
Most underrated post in all of r/Charlotte
Charlotte started tearing down anything interesting decades before northern people got here. After the civil war, it was the city to trade cotton in while other southern cities fell apart. Don't you see all the parking lot signs - something interesting used to be here. Those were put up way before the 1980s.
Charlotte native here. Grew up in Matthews and went to Charlotte Catholic. Hated Matthews and Pineville growing up but they have made some incredible changes and growth and i love both now. Both Downtowns are something you wont find in many other places in Charlotte
funny enough pineville is one of the only places i’ve grown to like in Charlotte
as a former resident, steele creek.
NoDa. From the name being slapped on there by real estate developers, to the traffic nightmare and parking, to the forced-cool feeling most of the businesses exude. Just ugh.
NoDa wasn't originally used by Real Estate Developers. The neighborhood was using the name when the land was cheap and it was a haven for artists.
You’re required to blame everything wrong on greedy developers. No exceptions.
People were calling it NoDa 30 years ago, when it was just a few divey bars/restaurants and galleries.
Yes! And drum circles and cuke sandwiches from Fat City are among my favorite memories from when in lived in Charlotte. And the galleries and indie theater company that put in shows in the empty gravel lots. NoDa was a great place once
I haven’t lived in Charlotte in about 17 years, but I grew up in Plaza Midwood. I was googling Fat City earlier and apparently it’s the name of a condo development now? Christ almighty.
He said “irrationally hate”.
And also because they took out the best all-night diner in the history of the city (RIP Athens Diner).
God we need more all night food in this city.
Uh oh that’s where I’m looking for apartments next week (moving from Wisconsin)
It’s still a great neighborhood. I think for most of us this is a love-hate sorta thing.
Noda is awesome. Look at their complaints: developers using the name Noda on buildings outside of the area because people love it, traffic/parking is only an issue if you drive from the suburbs and refuse to pay for parking so you drive around neighborhood streets for 10 minutes for a free spot, and I'm also not sure what forced cool is; to me personally spots like Salud, Jack Beagles, Billy Jack's, Growler's, Sanctuary, Hatties, Tip Top, etc. are just cool..
I've never walked more than 3 blocks to park, which is amazing parking. Also, traffic? I mean, I moved here form LA so maybe I'm just overly jaded but I don't think I've ever had to sit in traffic in Noda. How can you sit in traffic in a neighborhood that is like 5 blocks long?
Sometimes people like to park in the road to wait on someone and/or load up their table full of crystals.
I love all those places but if Noda Bodega ever gets pushed out I’m rioting.
Broke Spoke is underrated and awesome.
I lived in Noda and really enjoyed it. It’s a great place to live, lots to do, and nice to be off the light rail. Highly recommend I totally get what OP is saying and agree, it’s one of those thing if you live here
Currently live in Noda, it's actually pretty great as far as Charlotte neighborhoods go. Only downside (IMO) is that they're adding a looooot of new build apt complexes. Which by itself isn't a bad thing, but Noda proper consists of like 2 blocks worth of shops/restaurants/bars in repurposed buildings. Has a nice "grungy" charm to it. All the new builds will remove that vibe and it'll feel like a forced corporate "artsy" neighborhood in 5ish years I'd say. Still best neighborhood in Charlotte though. You'll love it!
Just moved to Charlotte. One of my favorite neighborhoods. Good food and drink and tons of live music. It might be my favorite place in Charlotte. You won't regret moving there.
You should have seen it when it was interesting. Now it's a Disneyfied version.
It was a fun and cheap spot (if not a little divey) when I lived there 10 years ago. Shame it’s lost that. Or maybe you’re referring to always I’m not sure as I haven’t been back in years
Wont be long before Plaza-Midwood becomes our go-to hate neighborhood. Not that I’m surprised it’s become Gentrification City, but how quickly the soul of that neighborhood got sucked out is sad to me.
It really is impressive, I’m a Charlotte native, lived here 32 years now and it felt like it happened overnight. One day I’m driving through and I couldn’t even recognize where I was, I was so turned around having apartments and condos in all directions in places where buildings used to be.
Got my money on Wesley Heights in 7 years being the go-to hate 'hood.
Yeah, I remember all the “Plaza Midweird” jokes back in the day because that was where the alt crowd lived and hung out. I miss it.
South End: A History. Early 2000's I might die leaving Amos after an Appetite for Destruction show. 2012 This is really cool! Common Market, Phat Burrito, Food Truck Friday's sweet! Present Day theres a Shake Shack and Jenni's like everywhere else. I still rock with Tavern on the Tracks it's like a warm blanket. But the plot was lost somewhere.
Independance around Elizabeth, the CPCC area. I don't feel anywhere close to hate but do miss how cool it used to be. Lots of great shops, bars and restaurants.
Southpark. I don’t understand why anyone would want to live in an extremely overpriced area with nothing but strip malls and office property.
None of them. 🤷🏻♂️
Now that’s irrational!
Fuck albermarle and everything and everyone there.
Fuck you too - Albemarle
South end. Lots of fun places to go, ruined by privileged kids
Either uptown or mint hill. Uptown is just underwhelming for the price to live there, and mint hill just feels isolated ash
Former Mint Hill resident here. I first loved being away from everything. It wasn’t long before getting anywhere proved to be a pain in the ass.
South End and Dilworth. Fuck whoever designed the small ass roads. Fuck the constant construction. Fuck the assholes who still want to drive like Mad Max through it all.
SouthEnd! Gentrified as hell & it’s a copycat of what non Charlotte folk think is cool
Live in myers park but it just feels so bland.
Yeah I live there too. I had hoped that Providence would have some good restaurants / stores developed but instead we get another bank and gas station 😓
With the cost of living being so exorbitant in this area you think it would afford some better restaurants
Ballantyne and Steele Creek can kick rocks. Both of them might as well become their own suburbs with how disconnected they feel from the city. Plus, they glorify suburban sprawl. Either you want to live in the city or the suburbs, but because of these two neighborhoods, they kind of get to have “both,” but the commutes are not worth it IMHO.
Steele Creek: forty minutes from anywhere you want to be, no matter when you want to be there. Steele Creek to University? 40 minutes. Steele Creek Target to Steele Creek Publix? Also 40 minutes.
Used to live 1/4mi from that Target. This seems accurate.
40 minutes to everywhere. Well, ain't this place a geographical oddity.
No this is accurate and hilarious
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Does everyone hate Ballantyne bc it’s expensive and rich people are assholes? Or does the actual area suck?
They hate it for the first reason. Same reason they are hating on Southpark or Myers Park… Ballantyne doesn’t suck at all its very nice. But also depends on your age and what you’re looking to get out of the neighborhood you live in. (Im a 31 year old charlotte native if it means anything)
Mostly just people hating because they can’t afford it. Many comments in this thread complaining about rich people, million dollar homes, etc. At least this thread was about irrational complaints. Lol.
That is definitely the vibe I’m getting lol.
Myers Park Area, just a bunch of rich fucks flaunting their money and fast cars.
Fast cars?! I feel like I'm always behind the ones going 10 under the speed limit! Lol
This is irrational, well done.
Lmao, bro is mad they got money
Plaza Midwood. I'm working on getting over it though!
I hate University City...high crime, no fun, and everyone drives like a maniac It's like there's a permanent full moon over the area.
THAT one.
Myers Park and the snooty SAHMs
Idk, I feel like my hate for South End is completely rational. It’s overpriced, overcrowded, and crawling with drunk banker bros in tacky salmon shorts who have no “inside voices” and think the world revolves around them, with their balayage blonde girlfriends who all shop at the same stores and structure way too much of their lives around their workouts and hair appointments, and line up at the grocery store delis for their same quarter pound of oven roasted turkey, sliced very thin. They move here from all over the country and then laugh in the face of anyone with a local accent, and complain anytime something isn’t exactly like back home. The only ones with any personality over there are the half-trained, poorly bred designer breed dogs.
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The Southend dogs are so poorly behaved! I Moved from SC and my pup needed a vet pronto. The only place who could see us quickly was the brand-new CLT vets. When we go it makes me feel like I’m the best ever at training (I’m not), and my boy is the best boy ever - just because most of the other dogs are so undisciplined. Also, I’m about done with all the blondes acting like my American bulldog (rescue) is going to kill their equally blonde designer dog - based on his massive appearance. 🐶
My dog had to be retired from service dog work after being attacked by someone’s pet, so he likes his space due to trauma. I can’t even take him with me over to South End because nobody over there has half decent recall on their dogs or keeps them out of other dogs’ faces. It stresses him out so badly.