Where to go

[italian lady]

I will be moving to the charlotte area within the next few months and need to know which area would be considered the best (crime, cost of living, amenities, schools, etc). I've been looking at very affordable homes int he 28214 zip code, but the prices almost seem "too good to be true" and I never trust a realtor who just wants to make a sale by saying the the area "seems" nice. I've lived in South Florida the last 10 years so I've seen my fair share of crime but I'm over it and am looking for a place where I can walk my dog at night without having to look over my shoulder. Any opinions?

[VanZant]

I lived in 28214. Its not a bad area for the most part but there are some parts of it to be careful about. The property values are generaly lower on the west side of town due to the proximity to the airport, the large industrial areas around the Brookshire Freeway and the lack of development in the area. With I-485's recent opening, the new Whitewater Center, the new Wal-Mart and the higher-end development around it on Brookshire, I think the area is set to boom.

Generaly, the closer you get to downtown Charlotte, the worse the neighborhoods will be. Stay further outside the city and away from the bus line and you'll be ok.

[italian lady]

Thanks for the info! The area was called Running Deer. These are newer homes (<10 years), so I am hoping that this newer will boast less trouble.

[VanZant]

Running Deer is in the subdivision known as Forest Pawtucket off of Little Rock Rd, near Moore's Chapel, correct? Its a mid-range neighborhood with mostly middle income families. There are less expensive condoes around the old golf course there that have some problems from what I hear. The neighborhood has gotten worse over the past few years due to some lower-income development on Little Rock and Moore's Chapel roads but its definately not as bad as some of the other areas closer to Freedom Drive and Tuckaseegee.

[Katie]

We too, are considering a move to Charlotte (from Los Angeles) and visited some friends in Charlotte recently. Some areas we liked were Marvin and Weddington. There are a lot of nice housing developments in the Weddington area. Also, since Weddington is part of Union County, you have lower taxes and a better school district (although they continue to build schools to keep up with the influx of people moving there). Another concern we have is the commute from that area into Uptown. There are some small two-lane roads there that could be nightmarish given the number of people continuing to move in to those areas.

[larry]

said:

We too, are considering a move to Charlotte (from Los Angeles) and visited some friends in Charlotte recently. Some areas we liked were Marvin and Weddington. There are a lot of nice housing developments in the Weddington area. Also, since Weddington is part of Union County, you have lower taxes and a better school district (although they continue to build schools to keep up with the influx of people moving there). Another concern we have is the commute from that area into Uptown. There are some small two-lane roads there that could be nightmarish given the number of people continuing to move in to those areas.

Not providing a way, for those who refuse to live within a mile of the city of Charlotte, to get into the city, is the City of Charlotte's way of punishing those of us who live outside the crime and problems in Charlotte.

Look at the Murders in Charlotte/Mecklenburg. Only two were outside the I485 loop. These two were the mentally ill father killing his two daughters.

The murder rate in Union County is very low and the fact people are cramming themselves into this area is a testament to its safety.

[RMU]

If it is 28214, I would guess that's near or on the west side and I would stay clear. It all depends on where you will be working. I live in Waxhaw (Union County). I really like it out there, but the draw back is the nasty commute. The housing developements go from the $130's all the way up to over $1,000,000 out my way. The schools are good too. Like everyone else said... I-485 is heavily congested in the morning if you're headed west, but if you work in the Matthews area or anywhere going east on the loop life is much easier. Actually, there are quite a few business parks going up in the Ballantyne area too and that does not involve any 485 travel. Most of western Union County is growing like mad, so the job market keeps getting better for those who want to stay away from Charlotte.

[christydh2515]

i am 28210 and in the 28210 area it depends on where u go i live in a nice area over here near south meck high but it will be bad over here before long. i lived in south west fl for about 5 years and i moved baCK here 6 years ago. i been here all my life just be careful its not like fl