After visiting New York, here are 2 ways I think Charlotte can improve | Opinion
I’ve never been the kind of person who dreams of living in New York City. But I have many close friends who are, and the more I visit them, the more I can understand its appeal.
Don’t get me wrong: I love North Carolina, and I can’t see myself living anywhere else. Most of the time, I’m glad that Charlotte is nothing like New York. Still, there are quite a few areas in which Charlotte could stand to be a little more like the Big Apple, especially if our leaders want us to be a true “world-class city.”
I recently returned from a long weekend in the city, and while I was there, I often found myself thinking, “Wow, I wish we had this in Charlotte,” or, “Holy cow, I’ve been missing out this whole time!” In most cases, it was related to one of two categories: transportation or food.
Transportation
Let’s start with the airport. I’m sure no one has ever spent time in an airport and found themselves thinking, “Wow, I wish this place were more like LaGuardia.” Yet that is exactly what was going through my mind when I landed in Charlotte last week.
Flying out of Charlotte is usually just fine. No complaints. But flying into Charlotte? That’s an entirely different beast.
I live just under 20 minutes from the airport, but it took me an hour and a half to get home after deboarding the plane. The pick-up zone for arrivals is simply a nightmare. There’s nothing like stepping out of the airport to a massive snarl of cars and the ear-splitting lullaby of the traffic guard’s whistle. Ah, the sounds of home! The pick-up zone is just too small for the amount of traffic that it gets, and there’s no separate location for Uber pick-up like there is at other major airports. My Uber driver told me that because the arrival zone is so chaotic, she usually avoids it entirely and rarely accepts requests to pick people up from the airport. Perhaps that’s why the wait time for an Uber can be so long!
Don’t even get me started on the baggage claim, either. Why does it take so long? And why is it so hot down there? When I flew into LaGuardia, my luggage was already there waiting for me when I arrived at baggage claim and getting an Uber was a breeze (it was a long walk from the terminal to baggage claim, though).
Of course, it would be lovely if Charlotte had a public transportation system that was even remotely comparable to New York’s. Other than the Ubers I took to and from the airport, I didn’t ride in a car once in the four days I was there, and I don’t think I ever waited more than five minutes for the bus or subway. It was glorious.
Food
Despite all the jokes about New Yorkers relocating to Charlotte, we are sorely lacking in the bagel department. There aren’t many options for a true New York bagel, and most of them are pretty far north or south of Uptown. But in New York, there’s a bagel shop or deli on practically every block! (Don’t ask how many of them I ate while I was there.)
If anyone knows where I can get a decent egg and cheese bagel in Charlotte, please let me know.
And you know what else I haven’t been able to find around here? An Italian American spot that hits the same as it does in New York. Charlotte has lots of solid Italian options, but not as much to offer in terms of Italian American cuisine. I’m talking a saucy, cheesy penne alla vodka and Caesar salad with dressing that’s extra tangy and rich. Think Carbone or Arthur & Sons.
Of course, this isn’t to say that Charlotte doesn’t have perks of its own. By the time my trip was over, I couldn’t wait to get back to Charlotte, where my apartment feels palatial compared to a New York rental and I can stretch my paycheck much further.
And, for what it’s worth: I went to a Southern restaurant while I was in New York and it had nothing on Haberdish. Even New York doesn’t quite have everything.
This story was originally published January 22, 2024 at 5:00 AM with the headline "After visiting New York, here are 2 ways I think Charlotte can improve | Opinion."
