Charlotte Now Over 750,000

[desertpunk]

Originally Posted by jam5

By this definition, shouldn't Washington, D.C. (surrounded by its sprawling suburbs) be classified as a southern city? If not, why not?

A lot of people would agree since D.C. has historically had a Southern orientation in many ways and like so many other great Southern cities, really 'grew up' during and after WW2. Yet like its Northern cousins, Washington D.C. lost large numbers of residents to the fast growing suburbs after the war. I think there are solid arguments either way.

[CNB30]

Originally Posted by desertpunk

A lot of people would agree since D.C. has historically had a Southern orientation in many ways and like so many other great Southern cities, really 'grew up' during and after WW2. Yet like its Northern cousins, Washington D.C. lost large numbers of residents to the fast growing suburbs after the war. I think there are solid arguments either way.

I would even say Richmond has twice as much in common with a city in New York, than North Carolina.

[Durhamite]

Originally Posted by CNB30

I would even say Richmond has twice as much in common with a city in New York, than North Carolina.

What are you high on? I need some of that stuff. Culturally, Richmond is as southern as Raleigh/Durham, more so in some areas - nothing wrong with being southern, btw. Richmond has nice density in areas but NYC? Hell-to-no, it was the capitol of the confederacy with a statue on every corner to honor such....sure raised hell about the putting up that statue of Arthur Ashe, don't get it twisted. I like Richmond and all but you're off your rocker, Richmond is very much the damn south.

[spencer114]

He never said NYC.
Richmond is Southern (so are Baltimore and Washington) but it really has very little in common with Raleigh or Durham. Aside from the vegetation and love of Crepe Myrtles they don't share any aesthetics.

[Durhamite]

Originally Posted by spencer114

He never said NYC.
Richmond is Southern (so are Baltimore and Washington) but it really has very little in common with Raleigh or Durham. Aside from the vegetation and love of Crepe Myrtles they don't share any aesthetics.

Whatever, Richmond is the south, once the capitol of the confederacy....deal with it....it is what it is! The Richmond culture ain't nothing like NOVA, DC, Baltimore or MD...sorry dude..much less anything in NY state. When I think Northeastern corridor, I think DC/I-95 north. Sure, the city infrastructue has some northeastern style urbanity (so does Charleston, SC) rowhouses, etc. but it's southern at the core like Raleigh, Charlotte, Nashville, etc.

[Dale]

Can anyone explain why Charlotte's population is exploding with such a high unemployment rate ?

[desertpunk]

Originally Posted by Dale

Can anyone explain why Charlotte's population is exploding with such a high unemployment rate ?

Expats from Buffalo.

[CNB30]

Originally Posted by Durhamite

What are you high on? I need some of that stuff. Culturally, Richmond is as southern as Raleigh/Durham, more so in some areas - nothing wrong with being southern, btw. Richmond has nice density in areas but NYC? Hell-to-no, it was the capitol of the confederacy with a statue on every corner to honor such....sure raised hell about the putting up that statue of Arthur Ashe, don't get it twisted. I like Richmond and all but you're off your rocker, Richmond is very much the damn south.

Maybe 50 years ago, but things are definitely changing, no matter what you say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CNB30]

Originally Posted by Durhamite

Whatever, Richmond is the south, once the capitol of the confederacy....deal with it....it is what it is! The Richmond culture ain't nothing like NOVA, DC, Baltimore or MD...sorry dude..much less anything in NY state. When I think Northeastern corridor, I think DC/I-95 north. Sure, the city infrastructue has some northeastern style urbanity (so does Charleston, SC) rowhouses, etc. but it's southern at the core like Raleigh, Charlotte, Nashville, etc.

Quit spitting up BS

[desertpunk]

Can we not devolve into City vs. City crap? Thanx.

[Dale]

Any Charlotteans want to take a whack at my question ?

[spencer114]

Why is city on city action frowned upon? They are the most interesting threads on here. There is barely any other action around here anymore. The most updated thread of the year was that one about whether Atlanta had any tourism appeal lol.

What's the average family size in Charlotte? Are there a bunch of babies everywhere (like in Denver)? Is that a reason for some of the population gain?

[krazeeboi]

Originally Posted by spencer114

He never said NYC.
Richmond is Southern (so are Baltimore and Washington) but it really has very little in common with Raleigh or Durham.

But Winston-Salem is almost like a mini Richmond. Both are historic Piedmont centers of tobacco production with well-preserved evidences of their industrial histories within their urban cores; this gives both cities very nice contrasts of old and new. Also, both have large corporate bases given their sizes and were founded not too far apart from each other (Winston-Salem: 1766, Richmond: 1737). Richmond has a few colonial-era historic districts, and Winston-Salem has a notable one in Old Salem. Both have a similar number of institutions of higher learning as well and were once the largest cities in their respective states.

Originally Posted by Dale

Any Charlotteans want to take a whack at my question ?

Very large banking industry and ancillary businesses, plus people still moving there at a nice lil clip.

[CNB30]

Winston salem? hell no!! Richmond had nothing in common with ANYTHING in NC

[WeimieLvr]

Originally Posted by krazeeboi

But Winston-Salem is almost like a mini Richmond. Both are historic Piedmont centers of tobacco production with well-preserved evidences of their industrial histories within their urban cores; this gives both cities very nice contrasts of old and new. Also, both have large corporate bases given their sizes and were founded not too far apart from each other (Winston-Salem: 1766, Richmond: 1737). Richmond has a few colonial-era historic districts, and Winston-Salem has a notable one in Old Salem. Both have a similar number of institutions of higher learning as well and were once the largest cities in their respective states.



Very large banking industry and ancillary businesses, plus people still moving there at a nice lil clip.

Good point about Richmond and Winston-Salem...they aren't identical of course (not that you said they were) but they do have some similarities.

[Durhamite]

Originally Posted by CNB30

Maybe 50 years ago, but things are definitely changing, no matter what you say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lol, and things ain't changing in Raleigh/Durham?...puh-leez...stop acting like Richmond ain't southern because it sho is....

[Durhamite]

Originally Posted by CNB30

Winston salem? hell no!! Richmond had nothing in common with ANYTHING in NC

So Richmond's culture is more in line with Buffalo or Albany...the confederacy of the north....I get it, the same dialect..Roggg-chest-aaaa.....hey, mods go ahead and move VA to the northeast forum...too embarassed to be in this one.

[bayviews]

Originally Posted by desertpunk

There's nothing for anyone here to be defensive about. Southern cities (with the exception of New Orleans) lagged their fully-urbanized Northern cousins for generations until WW2. Thereafter, all US cities experienced sprawl. The difference is that while cities in the Northeast and Midwest lost density as residents emptied out into the suburbs, Southern suburbs sprang up around the fairly low density cities most which were growing also. There's little chance of Southern cities like Atlanta or Charlotte ever being as dense as Detroit or Chicago once were because no one would ever buy up whole neighborhoods of well-kept detached single family homes and replace them with denser development. Sprawl is encoded in the DNA.

The question is whether cities can control the pace and shape of growth or cede that to suburbs and unincorporated areas which thrive on being paths of least resistance for developers. Western cities which are very urbanized yet sprawling, keep annexing and growing for this very reason: the more control cities have over these issues, the stronger, more efficient and flexible they become. Cities like Buffalo and St Louis that remained constrained in small boundaries lost that ability decades ago and are commonly written off as "lost causes". Only 'Gateway Cities' like New York, San Francisco or Boston, or cities that are also global power centers (Washington DC) can escape that fate. Due to its airport, Atlanta arguably has a Gateway City characteristic. Charlotte was a financial power center but that's waned since 2007.

The primary characteristic of gateway cities is that they are indeed welcoming gateways for immigrants & other newcomers. Geographic size isn't as significant. Many compact cities like Boston, San Francisco, & Minneapolis/St. Paul have thrived owing to being magnets for immigrants. Meanwhile a sprawling place like Oklahoma City is still rather empty.

Cities like Buffalo, Pittsburgh, & St. Louis faded owing to ingrown cultures that weren't very open to immigrants & other newcomers.

[spencer114]

No one is ashamed of being Southern. The South is actually pretty nice...north of the NC/VA boarder

[WeimieLvr]

Originally Posted by spencer114

No one is ashamed of being Southern. The South is actually pretty nice...north of the NC/VA boarder

LOL!