OT: Bullshitting at the Barbershop

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Speaking anecdotally, in my office of approximately 25 people, none are originally from Charlotte. Of those, some 25% are transfers from one of our other offices, all high cost areas. Another ~50% were in the industry in a city other than Charlotte but moved to Charlotte prior to joining our company, mostly those same large cities. Most of them moved to Charlotte when they started having kids.

When people ask me about moving here I tell them that Charlotte will never qualify as a cultural capital. It's really something of a soulless city with manufactured "neighborhoods" where we force non-organic names on the areas to try to make them sound like NYC or London. For example, "that shitty section of South Blvd." became "Lower South End" (it's several miles removed from South End, so the naming is nonsensical to start with), which became "LoSo" when developers stared pushing it in construction sales pitches. Our music, theater, arts, and restaurant scenes (pre-Covid of course) are mediocre at best.

But if what you value is cost of living and being able to have a little space from your neighbors, while also having a city with a strong economy, easy access to more exciting places (two hours to Asheville, three to the Smokies, four to the ocean or Atlanta, plus one of the busiest airports in America), it's a good place.

Its to each their own - some people really really want that special city vibe, I know I did when I was younger. Today I want nothing at all to do with a city.

And at least they didn't call it "Lower South Village"; that's when you know it was a true shithole before. The word village has lost all meaning to me lol.

^This is exactly why I am in Columbus. Not terribly long drives to Chicago or Toronto, easy access to Western Ontario, The pretty side of Michigan, the lakes, Western PA/MD mountains. The longest I have ever taken to get through Airport Security is 10 minutes. Hour flight to DC/NYC. 2-3 to Florida. And for 60 grand less, my house here had 6 rooms the one I left didn't.

Just wish I was closer to the ocean. That drive sucks.

That's the great thing (no pun intended) about the Great Lakes areas. They may as well be oceans for most things. Less the sharks, jellyfish, hurricanes, and Floridians.

Winters aside, Toronto was about as great as it could get on that half of the country. You could catch a flight at the island airport to basically anywhere on the eastern seaboard or midwest in 3 hours or less and only have to show up an hour max before the flight. Plus ON is blessed with some pretty awesome wilderness.

I was super excited 4 months ago moving west that by the end of the year I'd hopefully be able to get down to WA, OR, ID etc. and explore. I signed up for a minimum 3 years out here and I'm honestly wondering if the border will be open at all during that time haha

 

[dash]

That's what I love about island life, I'm five minutes away from putting my kayak in the ocean, 2 1/2 hours away from skiing, and traffic aside from the Malahat is no issue. Been working remotely since the middle of March, so no ferry rides to the mainland which is also fine by me.

 

[forty_three]

That's the great thing (no pun intended) about the Great Lakes areas. They may as well be oceans for most things. Less the sharks, jellyfish, hurricanes, and Floridians.

And waves. I would rather sit on the dunes and take in Lake Michigan, but the is no ability to play in the waves. I miss that.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Its to each their own - some people really really want that special city vibe, I know I did when I was younger. Today I want nothing at all to do with a city.

And at least they didn't call it "Lower South Village"; that's when you know it was a true shithole before. The word village has lost all meaning to me lol.

That's exactly it. Lots of people who spent their single years in the city and then moved here to raise families.

And that's just one of the bad examples. My other personal favorite is what they're trying very hard to brand as MoRA, or Monroe Road Area, which is a mish-mash of unrelated neighborhoods that are all capped by an expressway.

 

[puckhead]

 

[Comeds]

View attachment 254670

 

[thedddd]

I can't believe I been missing this! Thanks for bringing this into my viewing pleasures.

 

[Comeds]

I can't believe I been missing this! Thanks for bringing this into my viewing pleasures.

Lol, he still gives a daily weather report too.

And crafting:

 

[dash]

 

[puckhead]

was it at this zoo?

 

[thedddd]

 

[puckhead]

so, sandwich cake?
remember when Pringles went to court to argue that their chips were not made of potato (another tax related case)

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Does it work with corn?

/asking for Michael Buble and comeds

 

[puckhead]

Does it work with corn?

/asking for Michael Buble and comeds

He couldn't afford an actual hot dog bun?

 

[puckhead]

 

[Comeds]

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

View attachment 254840

Think it’d be like the end of The Leftovers - you see that your family / spouse has moved on without you and you accept it and move on.

You might ask for a taco, though.

 

[dash]

Think it’d be like the end of The Leftovers - you see that your family / spouse has moved on without you and you accept it and move on.

You might ask for a taco, though.

Substitute Doctor Strange for Doctor Who.

 

[Comeds]

Think it’d be like the end of The Leftovers - you see that your family / spouse has moved on without you and you accept it and move on.

You might ask for a taco, though.

Original wife would suddenly be 5 years younger so that might be something to think about during the taco negotiation.

 

[puckhead]