Charlotte named best big-city bargain by ‘Money’ magazine
Sep 23, 2014, 8:00am EDT UPDATED: Sep 23, 2014, 10:41am EDT
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“Money” magazine has named Charlotte the No. 1 big-city bargain on its annual “Best Places to Live in America” rankings.
Associate Editor/Online-Charlotte Business Journal
Money magazine is out with its annual rankings of the “Best Places to Live in America,” and North Carolina locales earned accolades across several categories.
Charlotte was named No. 1 among the magazine’s “big-city bargains”— a ranking based on housing affordability, economic strength, home-price forecasts and livability in cities with populations of more than 500,000, according to the report. Plaza-Midwood and Mountain Island Lake were singled out as two particularly appealing neighborhoods, offering easy access to the center city.
“Just 10 minutes by car from the center of Charlotte, this artsy, bike-friendly neighborhood is an interesting mix of the gritty and the pretty: You’ll see tattoo parlors alongside antiques shops and beautiful historic architecture,” the magazine says of Plaza-Midwood, noting that “a year-round calendar of public events, including concerts, road races, and a candlelight house tour” draws the community together.
And 20 minutes northwest of uptown, Mountain Island Lake is “a thrifty alternative to Ballantyne” where families can find “ ‘more home’ for a lower price,” the report says. Attractive features include the lake itself, a convenient location along the soon-to-be finished Interstate 485 beltway, community pools and parks, spacious homes and being “rated one of the most family-friendly neighborhoods in the state by real estate data firm NeighborhoodScout.”
Elsewhere in the state, Cary ranked No. 19 on the overall list of best places to live and No. 9 among the best places to find a job, while Chapel Hill was No. 36 overall.
Jen Wilson coordinates the Charlotte Business Journal’s online operations and social-media efforts, chronicles local events for CBJ Seen and takes photographs.