Bel Air, MD? Charlotte, NC?

[Brian in VA]

Anybody know anything about either of these places? To live in or near I mean

[pavulon]

The fresh prince lived in the former and the king raced in the other.

[Brian in VA]

Oh yeah, that's why Bel Air sounded so familiar! Hahaha

[pavulon]

yup...those places are flush with royalty!

[plumb4u2]

Brian, I live in Bel Air, was born and raised here (35 yrs)

How can I help?

[Brian in VA]

Cool, that's why I love this site. Well, just wondering about the basics, how's the weather, outdoor fun, housing costs, how's the local economy, etc. I don't know much about it except from looking at citydata and what I could google. Thanks Justin

[plumb4u2]

Well if you are in VA like your name says weather is basically the same, lots of great outdoor activities, I am a golf addict and member of a club here and there are many other great courses real close by (if you're a golfer)

When I was a kid here (born 78') Bel Air was a very small town with mainly farms however now we have just about anything you could want as far as dinning outdoor whatever

Baltimore is 30min from here and so is Philadelphia so it is a great location

[plumb4u2]

housing costs are all over the place around here, so it depends on what you are looking for

Personally I own the typical single family home 3,800sf 11yr old 2 car garage postage stamp lot, worth about $450,000

My wife and I bought our first house in 99' (townhouse) for $110,000 sold it in 04' for our current home for $215,000. That was at the height of the market but prices have not come down that much. Real estate around here seems to be going up a little

[cashman]

I live 25 minutes west of Charlotte. Been here 5 years. Moved from Pa. You'll have 3 months of 90+ degree weather in the summer. There is a lot to do. Within a 30 minute drive I can go to an NBA game, NFL, AHL, see a concert, take our boat on the lake. Fly out of a major airport. The kicker is, All with very limited traffic! Also NASCAR and our local DE track is only 1 1/2 hours away. Closest beach is Myrtle or Charleston which is about 3 1/2 hours away. Mountains with small skiing is 1 1/2 hours north. Colleges are tough to beat. UNC, Duke, NC State, Wake Forrest, Davidson, App State. What's not to like?

[BReif61]

Originally Posted by plumb4u2

housing costs are all over the place around here, so it depends on what you are looking for

Personally I own the typical single family home 3,800sf 11yr old 2 car garage postage stamp lot, worth about $450,000

My wife and I bought our first house in 99' (townhouse) for $110,000 sold it in 04' for our current home for $215,000. That was at the height of the market but prices have not come down that much. Real estate around here seems to be going up a little

To piggyback on this; if you live outside "Bel Air Proper" you can get a slightly better deal on a house as well. The farmlands of Harford and Baltimore county are readily accessible and beautiful (and fun to drive through). Even in the few short years I've lived here, Bel Air has seen significant development.

As for the weather, it seems like winters can be cold, but snow is infrequent at best. My non-meteorologist view on that is due to the proximity to the Chesapeake.

There are several very nice state parks within a short drive of Bel Air as well. If you're a boater there is a ridiculous amount of places to do that as well nearby.

[Chocaholic]

One big difference....great weather vs well, the opposite.

North Carolina is the prettiest state in the union. Amazing mountain roads dotted with small towns on the west end of the state, and the Atlantic Ocean lapping it's waves on the Outer Banks. Wife and I hope to retire there one day. NC or MD...really? That choice is a no-brainer for me.

[Halm]

Born here in Charlotte. Did the corporate transfer thing for 25 years and decided to move home. Pretty big Porches community here. Especially good DE group with VIR just 2.5 hours north and CMP 1 hour south. Very large Cars & Coffee, and active PCA.

PM me with your phone number and I can answer most questions you might have.

[berettafan]

Have family in Bel Air, Kingsville, etc. and lived several years nearby in Perry Hall. IF I were to move back to the wrong side of the (Bay) bridge I'd look very hard in just a few areas including Frederick, Bel Air & Westminster. Common element being somewhat rural areas not totally inundated with box stores and mass housing. All have that but you can escape it to a degree.

You are certainly looking at two great places.

One last benefit of Bel Air...you will become a mandatory O's fan and as such you will learn why you heard the big 'O' from the crowd during the national anthem at the super bowl.

[berettafan]

oh, forgot to mention great trout fishing nearby as well.

the boating, imo, not something i'd look on as a positive but i'm spoiled by living 8 miles from the OC inlet and don't have to tow 6k lbs through nasty traffic to get there.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by berettafan

oh, forgot to mention great trout fishing nearby as well.

Where?

[Tervuren]

Weather in Charlotte....ahh, lol.

It can be freezing and raining in the morning, warm up to short sleeve weather, then by end of afternoon be snowing... If you like predictability and regular seasons - forget it.

[OffCamber00]

i moved from NoVA to Charlotte in 2006. Cannot be happier with our decision. Weather is fantastic - just as hot in summer but you get many more nice days in springtime / fall plus milder winters. However that benefit pales in comparison to how nice the people are here vs DC. Everyone is so freaking nice - i'm still amazed even six years later. I also love the fact that rush hour is actually only an hour and there is way less of a rat race here. Pace is slower and more chill. I'd never move back to the DC area. Ever.

Definitely talk to Halm he will give you the skinny.

[berettafan]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

Where?

Big Hunting Creek (not THAT far)
Gunpowder
Eldersburg (can't recall the stream name)
etc,

Yes, you do have to drive to get to those places but not far at all. Pa is also loaded with opportunities.

[Heel n Toe]

I don't know if you like to go out to hear live music or not, but Charlotte has a fantastic club I would love to have in our town... most weekends, it's top blues bands. I've made the drive many times. It has a great "well-worn with rough edges" feel... wood floors, great acoustics, cool all-ages crowds, great bartenders, reasonable cover charges. You couldn't ask for more in a club.

The Double Door Inn - Bringing Live Music to the Carolina since 1973

A Charlotte institution for good music and good times

On December 22, 1973 the Double Door Inn opened for business in the picturesque Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte, N.C. Owner Nick Karres’ original intention was simple: provide a comfortable and safe place for locals to hang out, have a drink and enjoy a good time. It wasn’t long before music made its way into the unassuming pub however, and as the saying goes: the rest is history.

At first the stage was a fertile ground for local singer/songwriters. Then Nick had the chance to host the Dixie Dregs and this would be the show that’d hook him. The Dregs would also contribute to the Double Door’s fame as a great room to play by spreading word of the new club to other artists.

Soon bands like The Nighthawks, The Thunderbirds and Roomful of Blues were regulars on the calendar and as fate would have it, blues music became the club’s niche. Others that would help lay the foundation for this local mainstay included Stevie Ray Vaughn, Willie Dixon, John Hammond, Junior Walker, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, and Bob Margolin.

One of the club’s most famous moments was in the early ‘80s when Eric Clapton stopped by after a show at the original Charlotte Coliseum and sat in with the Legendary Blues Band. But the stories about the Double Door Inn and the shows that have taken place there are endless…like the night that only six people showed up for Stevie Ray Vaughn’s first appearance in town!

The Double Door Inn also enjoys the distinction of bringing the first reggae and zydeco acts to the Queen City. Once the home to the "Americana Showcase" every Tuesday, the club has left its mark on the music scene by introducing local music fans to such acts as Dave Alvin, the Blazers, Alejandro Escovedo, Bill Kirchen, Deke Dickerson, Duane Jarvis, Ray Wiley Hubbard, Fred Eaglesmith, Wayne Hancock and the Drive-By Truckers among many, many others.

Presently, the Double Door Inn welcomes a variety of genres to its stage including soul, jazz, funk, bluegrass and fusion. Artists like Laura Reed & Deep Pocket, New Monsoon, Oteil and The Peacemakers, Col. Bruce Hampton and Zach Deputy have appeared, just to name a few.

Regulars that have entertained crowds on weeknights through the years include The Monday Nite All-Stars, Robin Rogers and the Bill Hanna Jazz Jam.

So much has changed in Charlotte since the Double Door Inn opened and as the city continues to evolve with each passing year, and the once quiet area known as Elizabeth continues to be engulfed by new development, one thing remains constant: that little white house that sits on Charlottetown Avenue where pictured covered walls could tell a thousand tales and the music you experience there still makes it feel like home.

[Rickysa]

Been in NC all my life and made it point when younger to travel to as many other places as I could in case I/we (wife) found somewhere else we liked better...still here.

We live in an area with a lot of military, which means lots of folks moving in and out...in our work, we meet many of these people (that have lived all over the world)...I can't tell you how many of them either retire here (from the military...i.e. young) or plan to return here when their time is up.

I'm an hour east of Charlotte...lot of small towns around it if you don't want to deal with the "big city" stuff...beach/mountains an easy drive...nice folks (unless you make the mistake of going to Cary) real BBQ ()...wouldn't live anywhere else.