Charlotte, North Carolina is the ninth fastest growing big city in the United States in terms of population, and it’s a heck of a place to call home. But, what kind of things make Charlotte and its citizens recognizable? We asked three area agents – Julie McGee Sharpe, Marcy Prentiss, Jill Moyer – to identify some charming characteristics of their home city. Here are 20 telltale signs you live in Charlotte, or you need to move there.
1. Sports are a year-round obsession …
“We have the Charlotte Hornets, Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Knights and Charlotte Checkers to help sate our year-round sports obsession,” said McGee Sharpe.
Your future home is just a tap away
Explore homes with the Redfin app anytime, anywhere.
2. … And yes, that includes NASCAR
Your future home is just a tap away
“We love NASCAR in Charlotte,” said Prentiss. “After all, it’s the home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame and all but a handful of NASCAR teams are still based in the area.”
3. Yelling “Keep Pounding” at a football game isn’t weird at all
“Every city has their own football chants that they hold dear, and ours just happens to be ‘Keep Pounding’ at Panthers games,” said McGee Sharpe. “This is in honor of the late Carolina Panthers player and coach Sam Mills.”
4. Symphony Park is your second home in the summer
“Symphony Park has so many fun year-round activities,” said Prentiss. “My favorites are seeing the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra or attending events like the beer and bourbon festival and the great grapes, wine, art and music festival.”
5. Live music reigns supreme
“There are so many opportunities to see live music in Charlotte, and we have a lot of great music venues,” said McGee Sharpe. “There’s PNC Music Pavilion, NC Music Factory, Time Warner Cable Arena and the Uptown Amphitheatre to attract bands of all kinds.”
6. You’ve eaten at Price’s Chicken Coop and ordered seafood
“Don’t get me wrong, the fried chicken is second to none,” said Prentiss. “However, the fish and shrimp dinner is a must try.”
7. You’ve celebrated an anniversary or special occasion at the McNinch House
“It’s a time-honored spot for people to eat, with wonderful Continental dishes and some of the best decor in the city,” said Prentiss.
8. It has always been the Charlotte Hornets
“Many fans still wore their old 90s Charlotte Hornets gear in public, hung Hornets posters from their walls and even wore it to Bobcats games before they made the switch back to the Hornets in 2014,” said Moyer.
9. Any mention of professional wrestling includes Ric Flair
“Wrestling used to be huge here before it became mainstream, and there was no bigger star around these parts than Ric Flair in his hayday,” said Moyer.
10. You don’t waste your time with layovers
“Charlotte is one of the national hubs for American Airlines and US Airways,” said McGee Sharpe. “Our airport seems like it is always under construction because it’s constantly growing. But the perk is we can get anywhere via a plane and there’s a good chance it will be direct!”
11. You know there is no downtown
“We’ve always called downtown uptown,” said McGee Sharpe. “If you say downtown here you’ll immediately be identified as an out-of-towner!”
12. Move over Budweiser, craft brews reign supreme
“We love our craft beer in Charlotte,” said Prentiss. “There has been an influx of new breweries opening, along with time-old favorites like Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, NODA Brewery and Triple C Brewing.”
13. You still consider Michael Jordan a hometown player
“Many people remember him for his Bulls or UNC days, but Jordan owns the Charlotte Hornets and is a prominent figure in our business community,” said Moyer.
14. Beef ‘N Bottle is your go to steak spot
“Beef and Bottle has an old-fashioned atmosphere with amazing steaks and an impressive wine list,” said Moyer. “It has been a go-to destination for decades.”
15. You take BBQ VERY seriously
“There’s no room for weak BBQ in Charlotte,” said McGee Sharpe. “Many homes have a smoker and a barbeque pit in the backyard and we have awesome establishments like the Mac’s Speed Shop, Midwood Smokehouse and Bill Spoon’s Barbecue.”
16. You’ve watched Homeland for the sole purpose of recognizing people and places
“Homeland’s first three seasons were shot right here in Charlotte,” said McGee. “It’s always fun to watch for people or places that you recognize during the show. I even showed the ‘Homeland’ house when it was on the market!”
17. You appreciate a good tree-lined street
“Our tree lines give the city its soul,” said Moyer. “They also help us keep track of the seasons aside from humid, very humid and Christmas.”
18. Long weekends to Asheville are commonplace
“Asheville is a beautiful escape,” said Moyer. “You can hike the Blue Ridge Mountains, take a day on the Asheville urban trail or take a day trip to DuPont where they filmed the Hunger Games!”
19. You’ve bought a season pass for the Carowinds … and used it twice …
“It’s known for having amazing, and pretty scary, roller coasters,” said Moyer. “My family has always been fond of the mazes there, as well!”
20. … But when you do go, you will call the rides their original names
“We will always refer to rides by their original names, like ‘Top Gun’ instead of ‘Afterburn’ or ‘Scooby Doo’ instead of ‘Woodstock Express’,” said Prentiss.
For all the Charlotte people out there, which “signs” did you like the best, and what did we miss? Please let us know on Twitter, Facebook or in the comments below. To find a home in Charlotte, visit our website or contact a Redfin real estate agent.
United States
Canada