I spent a lot of time living in NC. Charlotte is just meh. It's not a quick drive to beaches (hours) , and it's an hour or more from the mountains. The busin

I spent a lot of time living in NC. Charlotte is just meh. It's not a quick drive to beaches (hours) , and it's an hour or more from the mountains. The business culture is banking oriented, the downtown/city center is crime-ridden, and it's heavily suburbanized. The airport is good. That's it. Otherwise Asheville or Raleigh would both be better. Asheville is a non-starter due to it's small size though.