Greensboro vs. Charlotte North Carolina - which is better for Guzzi riders?

[PJPR01]

My two Italian Guzzi rider friends from very close to Mandello and are writers for MotoTurismo have relocated to North Carolina for his work.  They are 35-40 years old, so looking for decent activities to do when not working besides Motorcycling also.  They are trying to decide between Greensboro vs. Charlotte - I am not familiar with these 2 towns.  Anyone know much about either and can provide a recommendation?

Simultaneously they are looking for a Stelvio and a Griso or Norge to be able to ride while in the U.S., and will join up with other Guzzi riders as well once they settle in...so they're hunting around, I've provided them links to some of the bikes for sale here.

Thanks!

[Dilliw]

They are two hours apart for reference.

As for "things to do when not motorcycling" it is no comparison.  Charlotte has a lot more of everything but is still small enough that living here is not outrageous.  Plus Charlotte has an International Airport with direct flights to Rome, Munich or CDG.  Charlotte also has a Guzzi dealer.

For "motorcycling" Greensboro or better yet Winston Salem would be a better pick.  The traffic in Charlotte really spoils it for motorcycles and there are traffic pinch points created by Lake Norman and Gaston County.  You will still be 1 1/2 hours from the really good stuff but the trips to and from will be much much nicer.

[elvisboy77]

They are two hours apart for reference.

As for "things to do when not motorcycling" it is no comparison.  Charlotte has a lot more of everything but is still small enough that living here is not outrageous.  Plus Charlotte has an International Airport with direct flights to Rome, Munich or CDG.  Charlotte also has a Guzzi dealer.

For "motorcycling" Greensboro or better yet Winston Salem would be a better pick.  The traffic in Charlotte really spoils it for motorcycles and there are traffic pinch points created by Lake Norman and Gaston County.  You will still be 1 1/2 hours from the really good stuff but the trips to and from will be much much nicer.


Very well said, I agree completely.  I must say that Greensboro does have plenty to do for activities etc but it is not a "big city" like Charlotte.   

Tell them to check out Raleigh - Durham, too- I can show them around here!

[PJPR01]

Thank you both...I will pass on the guidance and offer for help!  Much appreciated!   

[PJPR01]

Thanks Dusty...actually I did make that same suggestion to her, but apparently they have to choose between the other 2 options at this point.  I've heard nice things as well about Asheville, would like to take a trip out to N. Carolina at some point and explore the state.  The Griso I am fostering which belongs to my friend, may end up in their garage in N. Carolina, so we may make a trip out of it and trailer it out there for them if she decides to buy it...we'll see. 

[Dilliw]

Was gonna suggest Asheville , but apparently the metro area has grown to a half million  Not the bucolic burg of memory .

 Dusty

It's gotten expensive too.  Still a cool place though- where the avant garde meets the hipsters, meets the LGBTs, meets the rich, meets the Appalachian redneck..  and it works!

[rocker59]

  cool place though- where the avant garde meets the hipsters, meets the LGBTs, meets the rich, meets the Appalachian redneck..  and it works!

Sounds sorta like my town...

[rocker59]

They are two hours apart for reference.

As for "things to do when not motorcycling" it is no comparison.  Charlotte has a lot more of everything but is still small enough that living here is not outrageous.  Plus Charlotte has an International Airport with direct flights to Rome, Munich or CDG.  Charlotte also has a Guzzi dealer.

For "motorcycling" Greensboro or better yet Winston Salem would be a better pick.  The traffic in Charlotte really spoils it for motorcycles and there are traffic pinch points created by Lake Norman and Gaston County.  You will still be 1 1/2 hours from the really good stuff but the trips to and from will be much much nicer.

I think Charlotte for the airport, considering they're from Italy, and may want easy access to flying home.  Not to mention, having that airport's access to so many points within The USA.

I've not lived there, but I have flown through Charlotte.

Neither of those places would be on my list for motorcycling. 

[PJPR01]

Thanks again for the suggestions - airport is probably a good reason to choose the larger town, in this case I think they'll be willing to live in a town which has great features, and then do the trek to more interesting places to ride from there.  Moving from Italy to the USA, they'll probably want to be close to a Guzzi dealer since they are long time Guzzi riders, she has a Griso with 170K km and he has a Norge with 150K km, so that's an important item for them.  Sounds like the larger town may be interesting, I've forwarded everyone's feedback to them so they can explore it this weekend.

Many thanks!

[Dilliw]

Thanks again for the suggestions - airport is probably a good reason to choose the larger town, in this case I think they'll be willing to live in a town which has great features, and then do the trek to more interesting places to ride from there.  Moving from Italy to the USA, they'll probably want to be close to a Guzzi dealer since they are long time Guzzi riders, she has a Griso with 170K km and he has a Norge with 150K km, so that's an important item for them.  Sounds like the larger town may be interesting, I've forwarded everyone's feedback to them so they can explore it this weekend.

Many thanks!

If renting, and I wouldn't have recommended this even a year ago, I would get them to look at the North Davidson (Noda) area.  It's one of those urban revitalization areas that didn't take off at first but is finally coming along.  Right now they are building the Blue line extension that should be finished in 2017 and then you will be 3-4 stops from downtown one way and 3-4 stops from the University area the other way.  It's big with the hipsters and has a few restaurants, bars, etc.  The blue line stop is at 36th and Davidson I believe.   Renting there won't be cheap but it's not out of line with the rest of the city and with the rail  they could potentially make it without a car year round.

[Jerryd]

Sounds like they want to be near a dealer.

[bobbyfromnc]

That Dealer is Matthews Fun Machines in Charlotte area... 704 847 8485

[PJPR01]

I think that would be a selling point for Charlotte indeed!     I know they were trying to import their Guzzis, but may not be able to, so they are looking at options to buy here in the U.S. and leave their Griso/Norge in Italy for now...probably not a bad arrangement so they have something to ride when they go back to visit friends and family.

[redrider90]

Greensboro is a small average town in the middle of the Piedmont that is surrounded by outlet malls. It is just 30 miles west of me. It offers nothing as a place to live and just puts you farther from the mountains.
Charlotte is a large city with professional basketball and football teams. It is big city all the way.
Asheville Asheville Asheville is the place to live in NC. It is in the mountains and offers 8 solid months of good riding and an atmosphere of great food, arts and entertainment all sorts of entertainment and great people. I'd live in Asheville in a heartbeat.  It is not so far from Charlotte 130 miles that getting your wrenching done their is OK.

[PeteS]

Greensboro is a small average town in the middle of the Piedmont that is surrounded by outlet malls. It is just 30 miles west of me. It offers nothing as a place to live and just puts you farther from the mountains.
Charlotte is a large city with professional basketball and football teams. It is big city all the way.
Asheville Asheville Asheville is the place to live in NC. It is in the mountains and offers 8 solid months of good riding and an atmosphere of great food, arts and entertainment all sorts of entertainment and great people. I'd live in Asheville in a heartbeat.  It is not so far from Charlotte 130 miles that getting your wrenching done their is OK.

 :1: What he says. Near Asheville check out Brevard and Hendersonville. Smaller versions of Asheville right in the heart of some of the best riding in the US.

Pete

[PJPR01]

Thanks both...I have forwarded the Asheville recommendation verbatim to them as well.  Perhaps that strong recommendation might be enough to sway them to consider Asheville.  Then of course, we'll have to descend on N. Carolina for a little Guzzi reunion!!

[jackson]

I live 40 minutes south of Hendersonville and one hour south of Asheville.  Considered both of them when we decided to leave CA in 2005.  Both are great if you're an avid motorcyclist.  We chose to move to the northern side of Greenville SC because Asheville & Hendersonville get much more snow than Greenville due to both being at higher elevations.  We live at 1000 ft. above sea level and I'm only 15 minutes from the bottom of the mountain range so IMO, I get the advantage of the not-as-cold temps and a lot less snow & ice but still get great motorcycle roads.
Personally, I wouldn't consider living in Charlotte/Greensboro/Winston Salem/Raleigh, etc unless it was necessary for employment reasons,
Just my two cents.

[kirnma]

We just bought a house in Cornelius on Lake Norman, which is about 18 miles north of Charlotte.  It's a  nice area with lots to do, and it has Davidson College to boot if I want to go back to school (at 58, probably doubtful).  We don't live there yet so I can't comment on the commute to Charlotte.  The mountains and iconic Blue Ridge Parkway are about 80-90 minutes away, and the NC and SC beaches are a couple of hours the other way.   The cost of living is pretty reasonable, especially from someone from the Washington, DC area!

Also, I have a red 2007 Norge with 18K in close to perfect condition if your friends are interested.  I've been toying with the idea of selling or trading my Norge for a 2014-2015 California Custom, but I'm lazy and haven't done anything about it yet.  It's stock except for a K&N air filter and MG rear case.  Send me a PM if interested.

Good luck to your friends. 

[PJPR01]

Damn guys...you're making me want to move there!!

I have passed along all this wonderful advice as well as the suggestion on the Norge!

Thanks again fellas!

[Chuck in Indiana]

We have friends that live on the airpark at Lake Norman, and have seen the Charlotte population explosion first hand over the last 20 years. Infrastructure is always behind. Traffic is not quite SoCal, but getting there. If I had the choice, I'd avoid Charlotte. YMMV, of course. Asheville is kool.

[saxontaylor]

If they are "foodies" which i suspect they are being italians... the charlotte restaurant scene would be a selling point.  Hundreds of restaurants & more every week.  Johnson & Wales University "college of culinary arts" is located here & has been a big influence.

[NC Steve]

Greensboro is a small average town in the middle of the Piedmont that is surrounded by outlet malls. It is just 30 miles west of me. It offers nothing as a place to live and just puts you farther from the mountains.
Charlotte is a large city with professional basketball and football teams. It is big city all the way.
Asheville Asheville Asheville is the place to live in NC. It is in the mountains and offers 8 solid months of good riding and an atmosphere of great food, arts and entertainment all sorts of entertainment and great people. I'd live in Asheville in a heartbeat.  It is not so far from Charlotte 130 miles that getting your wrenching done their is OK.

Rider, don't you live in the Raleigh/Durham area? if so, you must have Greensboro confused with Burlington, which is the smallish town 30 miles to your west, surrounded by outlet malls, offers nothing as a place to live, and is farther from the mountains. Greensboro has a population of around 275K, and is in the Triad metro area which has a total pop of under 2 Million. It's also closer to the mountains, has 2 major universities and 4 smaller colleges, and is very much an arts and music community. It has also consistently been rated as one of the best mid-sized cities to live within the United States.

Asheville is indeed a very cool place to live, with tons of fun, unique things to do and places to see, especially if you're into nature and 'outdoorsy' exploring. It has a large 60s-style 'hippie' population, as well as a big wealthy retiree community; a very interesting place. I lived there during my high school years, and my son and his wife live there now so I'm still there a fair bit. A very fun town, but also for some years has the highest cost of living in NC.

Charlotte is very much the big city in the state, with a metro area roughly the size of the OPs Houston, or a 'little Atlanta'. Great city living and a very large business hub, but nothing like Greensboro, or Asheville especially. NC is a very diverse state, and nearly 600 miles from the TN border to the Coast.

[oldbike54]

Charlotte is very much the big city in the state, with a metro area roughly the size of the OPs Houston, or a 'little Atlanta'. Great city living and a very large business hub, but nothing like Greensboro, or Asheville especially. NC is a very diverse state, and nearly 600 miles from the TN border to the Coast.

 Just a small correction Steve , the Houston metro area has well clear of 6 million residents , quite a bit larger than Charlotte's , or even Atlanta's metro areas .

 Dusty

[NC Steve]

Just a small correction Steve , the Houston metro area has well clear of 6 million residents , quite a bit larger than Charlotte's , or even Atlanta's metro areas .

 Dusty

Sorry about that!    I was thinking the population rankings were the ATL area,  Houston, then clearly Charlotte. Thanks for the fix! 

[oldbike54]

Sorry about that!    I was thinking the population rankings were the ATL area,  Houston, then clearly Charlotte. Thanks for the fix! 

 Yeah , easy mistake . Most folks don't realize what a monster the Houston metro area has become  Heck , didn't realize how large the Atlanta metro has become , so a learning experience for both of us 

 Dusty

[redrider90]

Rider, don't you live in the Raleigh/Durham area?
 I live in Hillsborough (an  historic antebellum town original capital of NC)  which is 10 miles west of Durham and 22  miles east of Burlington. Greensboro is just 12 miles down the road form  Burlington and 32 miles from where I live. No I am not confused. Elon University (6000 students) borders Burlington and as for outlet malls they start around Burlington and just keep on keeping on all the way through Greensboro and into Winston Salem. Although Winston Salem has a big city feel there isn't that much difference for me from Burlington to Greensboro. Sure Greensboro is bigger but it does not offer much more than Burlington as quality of living if you are living in a town.  Guilford College in Greensboro has 2000 students in an old Quaker school. The Triad  is huge at 6000 square miles and 1,600,000 population. Greensboro/Burlington anchors the eastern edge and is the least of the 3 cities that make up the Triad.
I live on the western edge of the "The Triangle" which comprises Raleigh (the Capital), Durham and Chapel Hill with a population of 2 million making it the 2nd largest cosmopolitan area in NC.
I prefer my 10 acres on the Eno River but the RDU, Research Triangle Park overs more arts, higher education, entertainment,  housing, food, diversity of population than the Triad. In a more compact area. That said I'll still rather live in Asheville.

[redrider90]

Asheville is indeed a very cool place to live, with tons of fun, unique things to do and places to see, especially if you're into nature and 'outdoorsy' exploring. It has a large 60s-style 'hippie' population, as well as a big wealthy retiree community; a very interesting place. I lived there during my high school years, and my son and his wife live there now so I'm still there a fair bit. A very fun town, but also for some years has the highest cost of living in NC.

Both Raleigh and especially Chapel Hill have a higher cost of living than Asheville by far.
Even Carrboro "The Paris of the Piedmont" and a mini Asheville and also sister town to Chapel Hill is costlier than Asheville.

The cost of living in Carrboro is 22% higher than the North Carolina average.
The cost of living in Carrboro is 17% higher than the national average.
The cost of housing in Carrboro is 62% higher than the national average.

 Asheville The cost of living in Asheville is 5% higher than the North Carolina average.
The cost of living in Asheville is 1% higher than the national average.
The cost of housing in Asheville is 3% higher than the national average.

The cost of living in Chapel Hill is 26% higher than the North Carolina average.
The cost of living in Chapel Hill is 21% higher than the national average.
The cost of housing in Chapel Hill is 75% higher than the national average

RaleighThe cost of living in Raleigh is 7% higher than the North Carolina average.
The cost of living in Raleigh is 3% higher than the national average.
The cost of housing in Raleigh is 10% higher than the national average.

[NC Steve]

I know Hillsborough, it's a very pretty, historic area. If you have 10 acres on the Eno, you clearly have the rest of us beat! But in Greensboro, don't forget UNC-Greensboro with its 16,000 students, or A&T University with 11,000 more, or the smaller Greensboro College & Bennett College, or Guilford Tech Community College (GTCC) with another 13,000 more. The Triangle metro area is the 2nd largest in the state, to the Triad's 3rd place, but it also offers much more infrastructure and traffic issues, and a larger crime problem. But, all said, everyone has their own opinion, and I agree with yours; I'd rather live in Asheville too

[NC Steve]

And as far as all of the statistics, guess I've unintentionally rocked the boat with you, my apologies. When we get down to it though, the OP wasn't asking about Asheville, or the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill et all areas either, and I personally would never live in Charlotte; it thinks it's Atlanta, but isn't. Hopefully his friends would have the time and ability to visit various areas of NC, with the cities and beautiful small towns, mountains and flatlands. It's a beautiful, very diverse state to live in, with cities, countryside, oceans and mountains, plus plenty of beautiful rivers and lakes. My personal druthers would be to live at the coast, around Morehead City, or New Bern, maybe Wilmington. In my will, I've asked that my ashes be scattered into the marina at Carolina Beach...

[PJPR01]

Guys...thank you again for all the great suggestions...I've forwarded them on to my friends and given that they are avid Guzzisti, and if the job permits, I hope they pick the best spot to enjoy their time here in the U.S. while living in NC.  Hopefully once they are settled in, they'll make the rounds on whatever Guzzis they pick up here (Stelvio, Norge or Griso are their preferences). 

So much great information here, I think a trip out east from Houston to explore in more detail would be warranted in the near future...if I head that way, beers on me for all who have graciously helped with their recommendations.

Thanks again!