But success won't come just from capital and hard work. Expect to volunteer. Business in Charlotte is very much a social activity, and the people with power and money expect newcomers to pitch in on community service, just as they do. That means Charlotte is a city of joiners. Joining a church, a professional association and civic groups is essential for access to potential customers, employers, colleagues, future friends and even spouses.
Newcomers can get to be insiders pretty quick if they intuit the rules.
But Charlotte does have a certain associational exclusivity. Many people seem to be at exactly the same life stage. More diversity is coming slowly. But Charlotte remains decidedly less diverse than cities like Atlanta, Cincinnati and Denver, much less San Francisco and Seattle. But we do have money and opportunity.