Charlotte, NC

[lycsky]

I have been admitted to UNC Charlotte now, and I want to know more about this city and also university.

Does anybody have experiences or comments about it? Thank you sincerely for your reply!

[coyabean]

On 3/20/2010 at 11:53 PM, lycsky said:

I have been admitted to UNC Charlotte now, and I want to know more about this city and also university.

Does anybody have experiences or comments about it? Thank you sincerely for your reply!

Charlotte is my home. I grew up in the University area. The school is not in the center of the city and public transportation is not great at connecting the University to the rest of the city. I strongly suggest a car. However, you can make it without one but it won't be convenient and you'll miss a lot of what the area can offer. Uptown (what we call the center city or downtown area) is really popping these days. You'll find lots of great food and entertainment there. The EpiCentre has become the center of the nightlife. It's a collection of bars, entertainment and restaurants. I suggest Whisky River on Saturday nights for laid back, hi energy kind of fun. For more grown-up fare try Therapy Cafe further down the way on Tryon Street. Actually you can start at Trade and Tryon -- the center of Uptown -- and fan your way out.

Closer to the University you can find some bars and such on Harris Blvd that cater to the local students.

Housing I'm not very familiar with on campus. I think I've heard there aren't many grad housing choices on campus. But you'll find tons of apartments around campus. Some are within walking distance like UNC Walkwhich is also all-inclusive. You'll want to search apartment guides for Harris/Hwy 29/Hwy 49. I wouldn't go past the 485 loop if you don't have a car. You should be able to get a very nice, close-in one bedroom for $650 if not less with leasing specials.

Things to do:

Catch the annual Greek Festival in August! Ahhhhh, I miss it.

Speed Street is held uptown in summer; it's race country, don't fight it.

The CIAA is a major basketball tourney held in March that brings lots to do

Southpark Mall for high end (window) shopping

The Plaza Midwood and the North Davidson or NoDa Arts District for more off beat, casual fun. If you like live music I highly recommend The Evening Muse

Um...get the pad thai at Mama Fu's for me!

[lycsky]

On 3/21/2010 at 12:10 AM, coyabean said:

Charlotte is my home. I grew up in the University area. The school is not in the center of the city and public transportation is not great at connecting the University to the rest of the city. I strongly suggest a car. However, you can make it without one but it won't be convenient and you'll miss a lot of what the area can offer. Uptown (what we call the center city or downtown area) is really popping these days. You'll find lots of great food and entertainment there. The EpiCentre has become the center of the nightlife. It's a collection of bars, entertainment and restaurants. I suggest Whisky River on Saturday nights for laid back, hi energy kind of fun. For more grown-up fare try Therapy Cafe further down the way on Tryon Street. Actually you can start at Trade and Tryon -- the center of Uptown -- and fan your way out.

Closer to the University you can find some bars and such on Harris Blvd that cater to the local students.

Housing I'm not very familiar with on campus. I think I've heard there aren't many grad housing choices on campus. But you'll find tons of apartments around campus. Some are within walking distance like UNC Walkwhich is also all-inclusive. You'll want to search apartment guides for Harris/Hwy 29/Hwy 49. I wouldn't go past the 485 loop if you don't have a car. You should be able to get a very nice, close-in one bedroom for $650 if not less with leasing specials.

Things to do:

Catch the annual Greek Festival in August! Ahhhhh, I miss it.

Speed Street is held uptown in summer; it's race country, don't fight it.

The CIAA is a major basketball tourney held in March that brings lots to do

Southpark Mall for high end (window) shopping

The Plaza Midwood and the North Davidson or NoDa Arts District for more off beat, casual fun. If you like live music I highly recommend The Evening Muse

Um...get the pad thai at Mama Fu's for me!

O(∩_∩)O~

Thank you for all the details! Best wishes to your study~

[BionicKris]

I moved to Charlotte in '05 to begin my undergraduate study and I've come to love this city. I agree with the previous post - you will definitely want to get a car. Charlotte is trying to update their public transportation, but it's an extremely slow process. Please be forewarned - driving here is atrocious. I've never encountered so many terrible drivers as I have in Charlotte, NC. On another note UNCC is a wonderful, beautiful campus. Every time I visit it seems like they've added something new or done something to benefit the overall lives of their students.

The social life here is what you make it. There are a lot of great Broadway plays that come to town ( I am personally looking forward to seeing Wicked next month). Bars/clubs close at 2 am and as with any other place some are great, others not so much. One thing that I love about Charlotte is that there is always something going on. They have something called Charlotte restaurant week during which a great many of the more upscale restaurants offer discounted dinners. It's great! Around Halloween a cornfield maze opens up on the northside of town. I went this past year and absolutely loved it. The local news (Channel 14 News) does a pretty good job of keeping the community informed about local goings on.

Housing is sufficient - there are oodles of apartment complexes here. If you don't mind driving a bit out of your way to get to class I definitely recommend The Retreat or Cheswyck. When I lived at The Retreat a 2 Bed/2 Bath was about $740 give or take. Auston Woods is also a great place (I have friends that live there). I wouldn't recommend living in East Charlotte (pretty much any apartment complex off of Independence Blvd - aka the 74 - are out). I also recommend finding a place on Harris blvd. Auston Woods is one of those places (they should definitely pay me for these shameless plugs).

Shopping - which is something I absolutely love - is actually pretty great here. Northlake Mall is a decently priced mall and it has a bookstore (Borders) which may or may not be important to you. Carolina place mall is nice as well, but is located farther away from UNCC on the southside of town. Concord Mills is a great place to shop, go to the movies or hang out at Dave and Busters. I've probably been to Southpark once in my entire 5 years here. It is the place you go if you want to be reminded of how little money you have as a grad student.

If you're the sort that likes amusement parks, Carowinds is very close by. It's probably a 10 min drive for me and I live in the south side of town. I'd say it's maybe a 30 min drive from UNCC depending on which route you take.

All in all I'd say that Charlotte is a great place for graduate study. There's not so much going on that you can stay focused, but there's not so little that you feel like you don't have a life.

Please let me know if you have any more questions. I'm happy to help in any way I can. I'm moving to Indiana for grad school and I am avidly searching for someone to give me the same information that you've requested here. If you've got any questions about crime, the cost of utilities, general atmosphere - please feel free to let me know. Good Luck!

[U4RiiA]

Charlotte's a great city. I have some friends who lived in an apartment complex within walking distance of campus for about $300/month. The units were 4 bedroom/4 bath (each set had its own locking door) with a shared kitchen and living room. You may have to call around, but some of the units are reserved for graduate students and provide a quiet, studious atmosphere. The complex is literally right across the street from the campus.

There's always something to do. The city has a great parks system. You can usually find plays for pretty cheap, if you're into that. There's also a decent music scene.

Congratulations on your acceptance, and enjoy Charlotte!

[letigre]

I am looking for a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment or condo. I am on a very small budget. Can anyone recommend some specific places to look for affordable housing, either in the University area or uptown?

[gdfr7]

I need more info about the city of Charlotte and the University of North Carolina Charlotte...... Can any body help?

[letigre]

I might be able to....what are your questions?

[Seattle2012]

Hey all,

Thanks for your comments so far- I've been poaching some of the information. I'm looking into UNCC for a graduate study in Health Psychology and I've seen extremely mixed reviews about the school. Most of the information I've seen in in regard to the undergraduate program, from students who claim to be extremely bored and are being taught by faculty who "could care less about their students." The general claim seems to be that undergraduate teachers care so much about research that they've neglected teaching the students.

Can anybody who has pursued a PhD at UNCC shine some light on the quality of education here AND if Charlotte is a good place to settle down and have a family (where you'd be living reasonably close to campus).

Thanks!

[beajae]

Bump

[Wicked_Problem]

UNC Charlotte?

[C&C]

Anyone else here an incoming student to UNC-Charlotte this Fall? 

[Domino]

I am!

[Whisky-with-a-Y]

Hey guys. I used to live in Charlotte for a while so I feel it is my responsibility to shed some light on the area for those who are planning on moving. Charlotte is a beautiful city with many things to do. The city itself is clean and kinda boring, the only thing to do is eat. There is panther NFl football and a new AAA baseball team with beautiful stadium. The college itself is under construction building a transit metro train to take students from the college to the city, an awesome idea and prevents drinking and driving. There are a ton of places to live ranging in all sorts of prices. I recommend getting out of the immediate university area. That is where I lived and it is over populated and there is nothing to do. There are a wealth of two homes but they are starting to turn to crap and you might live next to people you'd rather not. For instance, my neighbor is an excellent drug dealer, but the neighborhood is still nice.lol. I recommend going south if you can afford it and pay gas. Also, west is nice. Areas to avoid is anything of 74 which can be rough and super busy. If you are the hippie type check out plaza mid wood or NODA area which all have cool fancy lofts. If you want a nice apartment in a fun neighboorhood anything around the immediate city if fun, but be carefull, some can be rough. If I had to do it again I'd live outside the city limits to avoid the high taxes and live in mint hill or Matthews. Also, if you move here, you have to eat at Cabo Fish Taco in NODA. You will thank me. The best fish tacos you will ever eat, we're on food network. Get the BBQ Mahi Mahi, classic. Hope this helps

[jaaaayciee]

I'm looking into applying at UNC Charlotte, and I'm just generally curious about the city and the campus. I'm an extremely liberal person as far as politics goes, but I also have a Christian faith that I would like to get stronger with. 

With the recent passing of the NC bill regarding bathrooms, I'm a little off-put about the conservativeness of the North Carolina government. I'm not sure how much I would like living somewhere that was so different than my views politically, but maybe it isn't that bad.

Also, what's the weather like? I'm born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, so I'm used to the dry heat for most of the year.

[mis-dreavus]

On 5/2/2016 at 3:26 PM, jaaaayciee said:

I'm looking into applying at UNC Charlotte, and I'm just generally curious about the city and the campus. I'm an extremely liberal person as far as politics goes, but I also have a Christian faith that I would like to get stronger with. 

With the recent passing of the NC bill regarding bathrooms, I'm a little off-put about the conservativeness of the North Carolina government. I'm not sure how much I would like living somewhere that was so different than my views politically, but maybe it isn't that bad.

Also, what's the weather like? I'm born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, so I'm used to the dry heat for most of the year.

I've lived in Charlotte for years and also go to UNCC. The campus is pretty but we have a ton of construction going on right now. While you're here, a good portion of the middle part of campus will be under construction, as I believe a big project to replace the university's former centerpiece, Belk Tower, starts in fall 2017. There are also minor construction things going on around campus as well and it gets to be pretty inconvenient. That said, it looks like they got a good bit done this year and I don't think there will be any more road work going forward. 

The city's great. It's growing and there are a lot of cool places coming up. I think the light rail will be connected to campus in fall 2017, if not sooner. Until then, and probably even after, a car is absolutely necessary. Parking passes are expensive at around $450 a year, so be aware of that. There are a lot of great restaurants and shopping opportunities and there are a lot of sporting events to go see, if you're into that. The Knights are a lot of fun to watch and the Panthers have been good recently as well, so they get a lot of attention. As far as housing goes, there are plenty of options around campus and in Charlotte and many are new. 

Most people here are religious but I'd say most of them lean pretty liberal as well. Not much around campus has been said about the bathroom law, but I know plenty of people against it. It is actually a pretty diverse campus, even though we're situated in the south. Like most campuses, we have "crazy preachers" come and stand and preach all kinds of disgusting things (not sure if it's a joke or not, but it grabs people's attention). There, you'll see that while we have a large Christian population, no one agrees with what's being said and everyone there is there for the right reason. Not saying we don't have our bigots, but we're a more liberal population than the rest of the state. I'm not religious myself, but there are a lot of churches around and plenty of church groups on campus for you to get involved in. CRU's a popular one. 

The weather is humid and hot, in that order. Being that you're from Vegas, you'll have to get used to it. It's hell in August; you'll start sweating buckets the moment you live your door. Fortunately, the winters are mild and we do sometimes get snow (and very commonly snow days). Spring and fall here are great though. We definitely get all four seasons, whether that's good or bad. 

[jaaaayciee]

20 hours ago, mis-dreavus said:

I've lived in Charlotte for years and also go to UNCC. The campus is pretty but we have a ton of construction going on right now. While you're here, a good portion of the middle part of campus will be under construction, as I believe a big project to replace the university's former centerpiece, Belk Tower, starts in fall 2017. There are also minor construction things going on around campus as well and it gets to be pretty inconvenient. That said, it looks like they got a good bit done this year and I don't think there will be any more road work going forward. 

The city's great. It's growing and there are a lot of cool places coming up. I think the light rail will be connected to campus in fall 2017, if not sooner. Until then, and probably even after, a car is absolutely necessary. Parking passes are expensive at around $450 a year, so be aware of that. There are a lot of great restaurants and shopping opportunities and there are a lot of sporting events to go see, if you're into that. The Knights are a lot of fun to watch and the Panthers have been good recently as well, so they get a lot of attention. As far as housing goes, there are plenty of options around campus and in Charlotte and many are new. 

Most people here are religious but I'd say most of them lean pretty liberal as well. Not much around campus has been said about the bathroom law, but I know plenty of people against it. It is actually a pretty diverse campus, even though we're situated in the south. Like most campuses, we have "crazy preachers" come and stand and preach all kinds of disgusting things (not sure if it's a joke or not, but it grabs people's attention). There, you'll see that while we have a large Christian population, no one agrees with what's being said and everyone there is there for the right reason. Not saying we don't have our bigots, but we're a more liberal population than the rest of the state. I'm not religious myself, but there are a lot of churches around and plenty of church groups on campus for you to get involved in. CRU's a popular one. 

The weather is humid and hot, in that order. Being that you're from Vegas, you'll have to get used to it. It's hell in August; you'll start sweating buckets the moment you live your door. Fortunately, the winters are mild and we do sometimes get snow (and very commonly snow days). Spring and fall here are great though. We definitely get all four seasons, whether that's good or bad. 

Thank you for your response!! It makes me much more interested about going to the school, or at least visiting the city. 

[Pouria.k]

Hello guys,
I am offered a Teaching Assistant from NC Charlotte Uni and they are going to give me 1700$ for each month (Tuition & Student fees are waived). I just wanted to ask, is it enough ? Can I save money or not ?

Thanks for your answers :-)

[firefoxquantum]

On 3/21/2010 at 12:10 AM, coyabean said:

 

Charlotte is my home. I grew up in the University area. The school is not in the center of the city and public transportation is not great at connecting the University to the rest of the city. I strongly suggest a car. However, you can make it without one but it won't be convenient and you'll miss a lot of what the area can offer. Uptown (what we call the center city or downtown area) is really popping these days. You'll find lots of great food and entertainment there. The EpiCentre has become the center of the nightlife. It's a collection of bars, entertainment and restaurants. I suggest Whisky River on Saturday nights for laid back, hi energy kind of fun. For more grown-up fare try Therapy Cafe further down the way on Tryon Street. Actually you can start at Trade and Tryon -- the center of Uptown -- and fan your way out.

 

Closer to the University you can find some bars and such on Harris Blvd that cater to the local students.

 

Housing I'm not very familiar with on campus. I think I've heard there aren't many grad housing choices on campus. But you'll find tons of apartments around campus. Some are within walking distance like UNC Walk which is also all-inclusive. You'll want to search apartment guides for Harris/Hwy 29/Hwy 49. I wouldn't go past the 485 loop if you don't have a car. You should be able to get a very nice, close-in one bedroom for $650 if not less with leasing specials.

 

Things to do:

 

Catch the annual Greek Festival in August! Ahhhhh, I miss it.

 

Speed Street is held uptown in summer; it's race country, don't fight it.

 

The CIAA is a major basketball tourney held in March that brings lots to do

 

Southpark Mall for high end (window) shopping

 

The Plaza Midwood and the North Davidson or NoDa Arts District for more off beat, casual fun. If you like live music I highly recommend The Evening Muse

 

Um...get the pad thai at Mama Fu's for me!

 

Accepted into UNCC and this is a goldmine of a comment. I love ya man! Hope you're still active and see this message ahaha

[motor_ed]

I was just accepted into an MA program at UNCC. I am familiar with the Charlotte area, but I am having trouble finding apartments in my price range in a good area. I am looking for a one bedroom apartment anywhere in Charlotte (except south Charlotte), it does not have to be in the university area. Does anyone know of any non-student housing apartments in Charlotte I can look at? Thanks!

[Norse_Medievalist]

So, with Charlotte you typically have some really pricey apartments. What has been an alternative for some people was to live in the surrounding areas and commute to the school. Rock Hill, SC has some really nice housing available. Where have you looked so far? If you still need help looking maybe I can help.

That goes for anyone else currently looking or housing around the Charlotte area as well.