Bordering on Bliss|Fort Mill

April 17th, 2010 categories: Charlotte Lifestyle, Fort Mill homes for sale

Fort Mill Lifestyle- South of the NC Border

Do you want to make a run for the border?  Is your mouth watering thinking of sinking your teeth into that delicious, meaty taco?   Well. . . you’re thinking of the wrong border.   The border that I’m talking about is the South Carolina border and the town of Fort Mill, SC.  Fort Mill is nicely nestled right next to Charlotte, NC.

Check out this YouTube video for a tour of Fort Mill.  Fort Mill has a lot to offer so you could be bordering on bliss if you lived there.

If you still aren’t sure about venturing south of border, here’s an incentive.  Baseball is already there.  Baseball may or may not return to Charlotte.  If you lived in Fort Mill, you would be in the hometown of The Charlotte Knights, a minor league baseball team.   What baseball fan would not enjoy the prospect of seeing a professional team on a regular basis during baseball season? Plus, you can always stop at the local Taco Bell in Fort Mill on your way to the baseball game to satisfy your taco craving.

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Convenience-Affordable-Great Schools-Arboretum in Charlotte, NC

April 15th, 2010 categories: Arboretum, Charlotte Lifestyle

Arboretum Homes in Charlotte

Spring has sprung and we can see the green without parting with our green! What I’m talking about is living near The Arboretum for a great price! As you know, an arboretum is defined as a garden of trees or an area heavily populated with trees. That can actually describe most of South Charlotte, but when you look around The Arboretum area , you’ll notice that extra effort has been taken to preserve trees. In fact, there are a few entrances to the greenways and several parks down here that I’ve mentioned before. So who knows maybe you may even find Greg and Christy at the Arboretum!!

Currently, there are some fantastic Charlotte properties for sale in The Arboretum area at or below tax value. For example,8329 Cricket Ln (MLS#: 910739) is an updated Charlotte townhome in Raintree Country Club within walking distance to The Arboretum (Check out the Go Green feature on the Search. ) It has three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a large covered porch with a handsome slate floor and a composite deck (no sealing treatments every year!) that overlooks a wooded lot. The kitchen is filled with light, has an open plan, breakfast area, and crown molding. The great room sports a fireplace and the formal dining room opens to the covered patio for outdoor dining. The master bedroom is large with a private bath and TWO walk-in closets! For all of this in 1,860 square feet of living space, you’ll pay just $144,500.

Looking for an even lower price with the convenience of Arboretum living in Charlotte, NC? How about a $75,000 condo 10243 Rose Meadow DR # 5010with two bedrooms and two bathrooms in Raintree? There’s also a cathedral ceiling in the living room along with a bay window. This amazing offer is a third floor unit overlooking a private pool and golf course. Raintree initiation fees are waived for property owners, as long as they apply for membership and pay the monthly dues.

And Even More..Charlotte Properties

There are reasons other than trees and greenways that make it so convenient to live at The Arboretum. Dining and shopping are two of the main reasons. The schools in the area are something I could write a whole other blog about (which I will in due time), but everything you need for yourself or your family is literally within a one mile radius of The Arboretum. Across Pineville-Matthews road is a medical complex with numerous specialty doctors such as: gastroenteritis, cardiac specialists, laser eye specialists, orthodontists, dentists, a weight loss clinic, and the ever popular Urgent Care Clinic.

Great Restaurants at The Arboretum in Charlotte

Then, at The Arboretum itself are plenty of places to shop for things like life’s staples: groceries at the all night Harris Teeter, drugstore needs at Rite Aid, and everything under the sun at the 24 hour Walmart. For the rest of the shopping you’ll want to do, you can go to: The Gap, Kid’s Place, Kirkland’s, Omega Sports, Rack Room Shoes, Barnes and Noble Books, Bed Bath and Beyond, a Wild Birds Store, a few jewelry stores, a music and arts store, Michael’s Craft store, and many more places of commerce! You can even get a massage at Massage Envy after a rough day of work or shopping. Then, for dining you have everything from drive-thru joints like McDonalds, Chik-Fil-a, Taco-Bell to “go in and sit down quick bites” such as, McAlister’s Deli, 5 Guys Burgers, Noodles & Company, Smoothie King, and Firehouse Subs. If you want more than a quick bite but don’t want to spend a whole lot of money, you can go to Chili’s, Avanti’s Italian, Good Ole’ Days, or the Cajun Yard Dog. For a bit pricier meal that is well worth the price try a steak and wine at Mickey and Mooches’ one of my very favorite steak houses in Charlotte, NC. Vinter Wine Market has a kitchen and they make some tasty gourmet meals and items to take with you, too.

The Arboretum area can give you the luxurious green we all crave of walking and living among trees and gardens, the other green we all crave – saving money, and you can even BE green by saving fuel and walking to all the conveniences of anything you could possibly need. So what are you waiting for?  Let’s check out homes near the Arboretum!!

Authored by Donna Johnston | Discussion: Your Comments Please »

YES-You Can Buy Happiness in Charlotte! Just ask Bo!

April 4th, 2010 categories: Charlotte Lifestyle, Promenade on Providence

South Charlotte Shopping

The infamous star of the movie, Ten, Bo Derek once said, “Whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping.” I say they must not live in South Charlotte either, because there are so many great places to shop, it makes living in the area a true joy!

One of the neatest little nooks to stop in is the Promenade on Providence off of 485 at the intersection of Providence Road and Ballantyne Commons Parkway (just before BCP turns into McKee Road). There are some nice locally owned boutique shops, a few larger chain stores, restaurants, a gas station, and some service type offices such as a dentist, a tanning salon, a vision center, and a massage spa.

The larger chain stores are places that we often need in our daily lives like Home Depot. During this time of year, you might end up there a few times each weekend if you’re like me and trying to do your spring cleaning, yard work, and the outdoor home repairs that have been  put off all winter. Their nursery is in full bloom and the temptation to buy every lovely flower and fully grown bush that the yard will hold is a strong urge to overcome! Sometimes buying a package of seeds and nurturing them into full flowers or plants can be even more satisfying than buying those that are already mature.

There’s also a Lowe’s Foods grocery store. You can find very fresh meat, fish and seafood, poultry, and pork here. There are also some items at Lowe’s that you don’t seem to find at other stores. Some of their products are from companies that are more into natural ingredients and recycled materials. Sure they have the regular pre-packaged cupcakes and lunch meats we all use for the occasional quick bite, but there are some unique things there as well. I can’t always put my finger on it, but there is something different about this store.

Stein Mart has a branch here which has everything from clothing and luggage, to stationery and home decorations. Another home store, Linens & Things provides an array of interior needs for the bedroom, bathroom, and more. Kirkland’s is on one of the corners of the shopping center and they have so many interesting pieces of art, statues, paintings, rugs, and off beat gift items that it’s easy to lose half a day and still not see everything in there.

Promenade on Providence Restaurants

Food is really varied at Promenade on Providence. You can go to a small version of Wolfgang Puck’s to dine in or get something to go, Sushi 101 is self explanatory, Carolina Bakery pretty much is too…some of the yummiest pastries and coffee you can find, even though right next door is a Starbucks! A Macaroni Grill sits on the corner of Providence and Ballantyne Commons right across from an On the Border Mexican restaurant. A place called the Q Shack is a place for barbeque and for dessert, you can always hit the Cold Stone Creamery for ice cream. There are even more places to eat and shop but I just can’t name all of them! You really need to see it for yourself, especially on weekend nights in May when the live music starts up again. People watching is fun to do and the music is always entertaining. Folks dine outside or go sit around the fountain while kids dance around and meet new friends. Don’t get me wrong, adults meet new friends, too. Especially at Arooji’s Wine Room (My Favorite- try the mushroom ravioli!) where the food and wine are always outstanding!

Living close to this shopping center is easy to do. There are several Charlotte neighborhoods around the Ballantyne Commons/McKee Road area where Providence Road intersects.  If you’re coming up Ballantyne Commons, you’ll pass Raintree Country Club on your left.  There are so many different types of residences to choose from if you want to live in Raintree! You can opt for a traditional Charlotte condominium, which is where you own just from the walls inward and do not have a yard. Or, you can find a nice Charlotte townhome with a small plot of land to dig in yet still not worry about mowing. Then there are homes that range in size from 1,500 to 4,000 square feet. If you were coming from the opposite direction down McKee Road, you might come across the Deerfield Creek neighborhood, which also has several Charlotte homes for sale. These are mainly transitional style homes with full brick exteriors and generous lot sizes of one-third to one-half acre. For a 3,000 to 5,000+ square foot home, you’ll pay between $400k and $600k.

On Providence Road there are a couple of lovely Charlotte neighborhoods worth mentioning close to the Promenade, one is Berkeley Subdivision, which is almost right across the street from Providence Spring Elementary school. Houses in this subdivision tend to range between $275k and $544,500 for three to four thousand square feet of living space.

Then, going further down Providence Road and crossing over Ballantyne Commons Parkway, past the Promenade, crossing over 485, a little closer toward Weddington, you’ll find the Providence Plantation neighborhood. There are some gorgeous Charlotte homes for sale right now in the Providence Plantation neighborhood with prices ranging anywhere from $239,900 to $899,000.

The Promenade at Providence Road and Ballantyne Commons where 485 intersects has even more than just stores to generate the happiness that Bo Derek says comes from shopping. There are restaurants,Charlotte life services, and many different styles of homes to live in! You know, there are some things that money can buy that just don’t fit into a shopping bag…

Authored by Donna Johnston | Discussion: Your Comments Please »