Continuing Our Tour of Charlotte, North Carolina

Last week I discussed the "city center" of Charlotte.

And I promised this week to tell you about the neighborhoods surrounding Charlotte, the communities outside Charlotte, and some areas that are not so mainstream, but are right near Charlotte, and I feel may have some great potential.

Some of these can easily be a best place for you to relocate or retire to in the Carolinas!

So, let's get started.

The South End is the older "historic" district just south of the City. The neighborhoods of Dilworth, Myers Park, and Elizabeth form a semi-circle just south of the City going from west to east.

I found some of the most beautiful, charming housing stock in these areas. The streets are lined with big, beautiful, mature trees, and each house had more elaborate landscaping than the next. There are lovely parks interspersed within the neighborhoods providing people with a place to sit for a few minutes (or more), for a quiet respite. And it's all within easy striking distance of Charlotte.

The Elizabeth area is an area in which Forbes magazine said prices had declined 37%. This is a pretty upscale area and many such areas have seen the biggest price declines in the country, but housing prices are still pretty pricey there.

In the South Park area, further south of the center of Charlotte, you start to see many bigger, new homes characteristic of the McMansions of the boom years! It's not my thing, but they're beautiful areas, just 10-15 minutes outside Charlotte.

Route 485 is a beltway that runs around Charlotte, so people don't have to get caught up in all the City traffic to get where they need to go. It connects with Interstate 85 which is a really major road through out the Carolinas, and continues into Virginia and Georgia. Its furthest point is about 20 miles from Charlotte.

Areas like Pineville, Ballantyne, and Matthews are located off the Interstate. There's more open, rural, country out there. There's many Planned Communities featuring "resort style living"…the golf course, pool, clubhouse, health club, tennis courts are all on site.

Areas Further Outside Charlotte

I always like telling you about areas outside major metropolitan areas, because I feel they're usually more affordable and you can get more value for your money!

Also, many people like to have the best of both worlds. They like to live in small, quaint, towns that have their own services, that are just far enough away from the City to avoid its congestion, but close enough to take advantage of it, when they want to.

Here's some I would suggest…

Route 77 runs due north from Charlotte. Along it, you'll find the communities of Huntersville, Cornelius, and Mooresville. Mooresville is the home of the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame. You'll also find an incredibly beautiful lake in these areas, Lake Norman. Don't miss visiting it!

To the northeast are the communities of Salisbury, Kannapolis, Concord, and Albemarle.  After relocating to Salisbury, a number of my subscribers have written me and said they love it there. Kannapolis has created a buzz by having developed a major Research Campus there, and is being transformed from a sleepy little textile town.

Due to Charlotte's close proximity to the South Carolina border, many of my subscribers have considered relocating to the towns of Rock Hill, SC and Fort Mill. As a matter of fact,  several have and told me the price of housing is more affordable, and the cost of living in South Carolina is less, which is something that's important to all of us considering relocating or retiring to North Carolina or South Carolina.

Southeast of Charlotte is Indian Trail and Monroe, North Carolina. Monroe is about 30 miles from Charlotte, but serviced by a good network of roads taking you directly into Charlotte. The area is more rural and more open. Monroe is the county seat of Union County, which is the fastest growing county in North Carolina. Many people have made Monroe their best place to retire or relocate to in the Carolinas.

To read more in depth reviews on these places click on Best Places NC at www.placesofvalue.com.

Next week, I'll be finishing my Charlotte posts by discussing how you can find the really good deals in an area, and discussing three such areas outside Charlotte!