Although nothing is final I am contemplating moving to the Charlotte, NC area. Any suggestions on nice barns. It does not have to be dressage based or a show barn, but access to a trainer would be nice. Quality care and a well run facility is most important.
What are the Pros and Cons of living in the Charlotte area. People have told me the bugs are horrible. Like to hear from those who live there. What they like, what they don’t.
Thanks!
Come check out the Charlotte Area Equestrians group on Facebook. I have my horses at Stonebrook Equestrian Center, which is in Gastonia, just west of Charlotte. If you haven’t picked. A place to live yet, depending on where you are workin, traffic can be horrible. Coming into downtown Charlotte from Belmont or Cramerton in Gaston County is much faster than living in South Charlotte.
the heat and humidity is back with a vengeance this week. The bugs have not been so bad this year at our barn.
Yes, the bugs can get pretty bad, from swarms of gnats in the springtime to the HUGE Buzz-bomber flies in the late summer.
The answer is good fly spray, ear nets, fly-whisks, and the Amigo Fly-Rider fly sheet for use while riding. Good fly control helps too, but many farms around here raise beef cattle and they have their own fly problems!
The summers are usually hot and humid, and if not in a drought there tend to be afternoon thunderstorms, which do cool off the area somewhat. Low lying areas are often prone to flash floods. These thunderstorms occasionally spawn low scale tornadoes. The bugs, of course, are at there worst in summertime. The humidity is the worst thing about this area, it never ceases, stepping out of the door in the summertime feels like stepping into a sauna. The drought years are bad with the vegetation drying up and the ponds, lakes and rivers shrinking though they are a little less humid.
Springs are simply divine here, springs are why I never want to move away from this area. The flowers are gorgeous, the trees bud the delicate green baby leaves, the grass greens up, it is simply wonderful down here in the springtime!
The winters vary. Lately they have been warmish with cold snaps down to the lower 20’s F at night. Most winters the snows are minimal, but other winters we do get whopped with 12"+. Snow closes the place down, snow predictions are guaranteed to cause shortages of bread and milk in the grocery stores, and it is good to have a stash of bottled water. Many winters we get ice storms, which can wreak havoc, breaking tree limbs, bringing down power lines, making the roads unsafe, and closing the whole place down for a day or two. If there is frozen winter precipitation it is better to stock up on food, water, batteries, your medicines and STAY AT HOME as much as possible because the drivers down here often do not know how to drive safely in the snow or ice.
Falls are quite pleasant, the main worry is that a hurricane on the east coast of NC may pass by bringing heavy rain and flooding of low lying areas. Direct hits from a hurricane are RARE, there was Hugo in the late 1980’s but no repeats.
Charlotte NC is VERY proud of its tree canopy. Home owners may have to get permission to remove a tree. In the neighborhoods with the older, bigger trees, falling tree limbs and falling trees often cause difficulties like power outages,downed power lines, downed phone lines, damage to houses and cars, blocked roads and the ensuing noise of all the chain saws cutting them up.
Springtime in Charlotte makes up for the rest of the year!
Traffic in Charlotte can get truly horrible, horrible like DC, where the interstates become parking lots during rush hour. Remember this is Nascar country, and many drivers seem to emulate their favorite race drivers on the roads. Drive defensively!!!
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