I've been on the newcomer beat less than a week and here's a question: What is a newcomer?
The answer no doubt varies by the person. So I want to hear from you. How long have you been here and would you still consider yourself a newcomer?
What will make you feel settled?
And if you are an old-timer, think back to the time when you no longer felt new around town. What was that turning point?
Please post your thoughts here. I might follow up in the paper with a column on the subject.
Oh, and what about me? Well, I'm not exactly a newcomer seeing as I've been here nearly five years -- the longest I've lived anywhere post college. But I don't feel like a native either.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Are you a newcomer?
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11 comments:
Tomorrow marks the 16th anniversary of my moving to Charlotte.
I think it took me about 6 years not to feel like a newcomer anymore. I'm pretty sure the phase change for me came when I started getting upset at all of the new people moving here and clogging up the roads. That's how you know you've 'gone native', when you start getting overly-protective of your home.
I moved here 20 years ago as a 5-year old. I've always considered myself native!
Moved here when I was 5 yrs old 16 years ago. I don't consider myself a native since I was not born here but this is where I feel the most at "home". I am proud to live here and proud of the growth that is occuring. The growth does not upset me at all. I think it is exciting and I think Charlotte is doing a lot of great things that will make it an even better place in the future.
I live inWashington State right now. Been here 23 years. But in all honesty, Charlotte's my home. I was raised there, after coming from South America and before then, Ohio which is actually where I was born. Because of Morningstar ministries I'm moving back to the area, hopefully soon.
I'm a Charlotte native, born here at Mercy Hospital, so I've always felt at home. I welcome growth, as long as it is controlled growth. But homebuilders don't seem to know what that means.
I was born and raised in Ohio most of my life and have lived here for about six years; If the weather was better in Columbus I would never have moved ; I have never seen this many People spying on the rest like it does here; The Religious faction run deeps here more than anywhere I've been; The MUSLIMS want a new life here , the Jews are good aout it the Christians are trying to understand ISLAM because this is a first in this Country . I dont block Church, Temples or Mosques so dont BLOCK me and HARRAHS CASINO that I go to. If I leave Charlotte Im going deeper South where Hospitality isnt forced on no one.
The problem with Charlotte is unlike Washington D.C. %50 percent of the People here are not from here ; On the other hand in WASHINGTON most citizens are Virginians. This town is like the story of " The Tower of BABYLON" Everybody wants to speak their language and keep their culture seperate while they build to the sky. I dont condemn this but thas what it reminds me of.
Eating places here have a problem with the city because they have so many CULTURES here that you have to serve many Masters in Charlotte. No UNIONS in the GOVERNMENT are hurting the city because the wages dont keep up with the housing and rising costs; To many APARTMENTS are going up all over and the majority of Apartments and in calamity with crime. Better to build farther out this is a better idea. In COLUMBUS we could build 15 miles from Dowtown and be safe.
When McCrory moves on to the Governors job I would like to be MAYOR and pay downtown slum lords an overvalue for their dumps and shovel off whole city blocks and redevelop it for housing; We give People with houses falling apart $200,000 dollars to move out into better surroundings and then put headquarters on the grazed land.
It a WIN WIn for everybody. And thats what I'll try to do when Im MAYOR.
I have been here 10 years, and do not consider myself a newcomer.
In 10 years I have seen a lot of change in this city, have established strong roots, met my wife here, got married here, and like it here.
At the same time I don't consider myself a native - that title I reserve for those born here.
Charlotte is my hometown.
native here, born 1972 Presbeterian hospital. I moved to Wilmington in 1993 and back here in 1996. couldnt believe how much it changed in 3 years. fast foward to 2004 I moved to Columbia(ugh..)for work. Just moved back here and cant believe how much has changed again in the last three years. I felt like a newcomer for about a week or two but since Im a native I will never be a newcomer :)
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