Is Charlotte really welcoming to newcomers?

Yesterday I spoke to a group of about 25 women at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Ballantyne. Most of them have been here just a few months, all of them less than a year, and they are taking a class called Moving On After Moving In. (A dozen or so churches around here offer the program, so call yours or the one you are thinking of joining to find out if it does.)

Anyhow, the women seemed upbeat and mostly happy to be in Charlotte. They were a really fun group. (Thanks for having me, ladies.) But two of the women spoke very honestly. One said that people here are "friendly but not welcoming." Another said she was denied membership to a moms club (she thinks it might have been too crowded but she said she didn't get a real explanation or suggestion for alternate club).

I like honest answers. Tell me about your experience. Did you feel welcomed to Charlotte? And if you have been here a while, do you feel differently now than you did to start?

Charlotte a good value?

Forbes has released its list of best value cities and worst value cities. Charlotte make the best value list. Click here to read the report, which says a home in New York is "three times less affordable" than in Charlotte, and for list of cities.

I'll get straight to it because as a colleague, just said, pretty soon Forbes is going to put out a lists of top lists and he's getting "weary" of it. It's simple: Agree or disagree that Charlotte is a good value?

Hey, Charlotte, get some better signs!

Getting around Charlotte can be a pain, because the signs here are either non-existent or just not good. I recently wrote -- in blog and column form -- about confusing and inconsistent signs for I-485. (See my Oct. 6 entry.) By the way, earlier today I got on the wrong loop AGAIN. And before that I had MapQuest issues with one of our Queens Roads! Grr...

But today I want to give a shout out to two people -- a colleague and a reader -- who point out issues with our city's signs.

First, check out a column today by my coworker Mark Washburn. It's about Wells Fargo execs visiting Wachovia today.

Mark just hoped they made it uptown, writing, "First off, under no circumstances, are they to drive themselves around. We do not need them motoring out of the airport seeing welcome signs in 13 languages, but nothing pointing the way uptown. By the time they find their way back from Rock Hill, they'll be convinced we're drooling imbeciles."

Right on, Mark. When I first moved here I dreaded having to go to the airport, unsure I'd find my way back. It shouldn't be this hard to get from the airport to Dilworth (where we were living at the time), I remember telling my husband.

There must be something in the air about roadway signage today. When I got back from speaking to a group of newcomers (read about that here tomorrow) I had an e-mail from a frustrated Charlotte driver. She's lived here 10 years. Here's what she had to say.

"In the last few months I have found myself extremely aggravated with this place. It's almost like Charlotte is allergic to signs! Recently, I was anxiously looking for the children's ER at Presby with my 3 year-old daughter vomiting in the backseat at 10 p.m. Being a healthy adult with no family in town I've never HAD to find a hospital in Charlotte, let alone a children's hospital.

I live in the Mountain Island Lake area. I zoom down Brookshire toward uptown. I see a GIGANTIC billboard for Presby's children's hospital, but they didn't bother to put an address, or directions on the darn thing ... nothing. I see a blue "H" sign. I follow it, then another... I exit at 3rd & 4th (streets) and POOF! the "H" signs disappear ... I never did find Presby. I wish I had. I heard they are fast and I wouldn't have been at (CMC) for an eternity in an empty ER with a vomiting 3 year-old...

This example is just one of many. Try finding a street address on Fairview!! There's an adventure. When you travel our interstates you have no idea what attractions Charlotte has to offer and if you did, good luck finding them. You would never know that we have museums and art galleries and theaters.

This town is filled with newcomers, isn't it about time that we start pointing people to our attractions? Making addresses clearly visible?"

Not too late to register to vote

Oct. 10 was the official deadline to register to vote in N.C. Didn't make it? Don't worry. It's not too late.

From Thursday (Oct. 16) through Nov. 1, you can register and vote at early voting sites. You must bring a current driver's license or other proof of address. Public libraries are popular early voting sites. For a list of early voting venues by county, click here.

Are you a newcomer voter? I want to talk to you for a story. Please e-mail me your name and daytime phone number. Thanks!

Who has best steaks in town?

Today's question: Who has the best steaks in town?

Inspiration for today's question: Charlotte is going through an upscale steakhouse boom. The latest to the scene is Fleming's, which opened late last month uptown. And my husband and I are slowly working our way through them. I say slowly because we reserve big-ticket dinners for special occasions, especially now that we have one child and another on the way and big-time economic downturn going on.

On Saturday night, we went to The Palm in SouthPark. It was our anniversary and we had a coupon. The steaks were delish -- right up there with our last steak splurge at Morton's uptown.

After Morton's and The Palm our next faves are probably McIntosh's and Sullivans. We also really like Beef 'N Bottle and it's throwback 1958-style brat pack atmosphere -- think Sinatra and deep red leather booths and waitresses who call you "hon."

This place is for the birds. Seriously.

Yesterday I interviewed the new president and CEO of the Carolina Raptor Center in Huntersville. Check out my profile of newcomer Joy Braunstein, who moved here in late August from Pittsburgh, later this month in the Observer. I'll put a post up here to remind you.

I took Lucy with me to check out the injured and rehabilitated birds of prey. Lately my toddler is pointing out every bird she sees. The eagles, owls and falcons delighted her.

If you've never been, you should go. There is a walking trail of birds and rehab center. And there are staffers trained to hold the birds on their arms. Click the link above for more info on the center and it's 20+-year history.

Later this month the center is also hosting an event called "Halloween Hoot 'N Howl." It's Oct. 25 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be live raptor presentations, hay rides, pumpkin painting, cooking decorating and more.

After our Raptor Center visit, Lucy and I grabbed dinner someplace I have long been meaning to go to while in Huntersville: Friendly's. Growing up in Ohio, where the ice cream and diner-style food chain has a distribution center and lots of restaurants, I went there a lot. The chain started in Massachusetts and is popular in the Northeast too. Our waitress was from New York and appreciated my appreciation for this being the only location in Charlotte. The next nearest Friendly's is 110 miles away in Lumberton.

So, yesterday, since we were up there and I am pregnant and was having a craving for the Fishamajig sandwich -- an original menu item -- Lucy and I went. And I am happy to report the Fishamajig and ice cream were as yummy as I remembered.

Registered to vote?

Tomorrow is the deadline for registering to vote in N.C. Your registration form must be postmarked by Oct. 10. (The S.C. deadline was Oct. 4.)

If you want info on how and where to register, click here for the N.C. State Board of Elections.

You can also get a form e-mailed to you from JustVote.org.

If you are a newly registered voter -- either because you are a newcomer to the Charlotte region or newcomer to the election process -- I'd love to talk to you for a potential story. Please e-mail me. Thanks.