Charlotte Lands On The Best Cities To Live In List

We live in a huge country and if you’re trying to decide where to live, all the options can make the choice more complicated. U.S. News & World Report released a list of the best cities to live in. I'm happy to say Charlotte landed at #5 on the best cities to live in list!

I'm a good person to speak on this topic. I grew up in northern New Jersey then launched my radio career with stops all over the country. I lived in Little Rock, Arkansas Tucson, Arizona Sacramento, California Memphis, Tennessee and finally Charlotte, North Carolina.

But “U.S. News & World Report” is helping to simplify that with their annual list of the Best Places to Live in the U.S.

Raliegh and Greenville, South Carolina are also on the list but who cares about them! Haha!

(Click here to see the complete list of 150 )

Looking to have some fun this summer? I am sure you are already planning up some fun places to go, new restaurants to try, picnics, and so much more. Well,  Charlotte is the perfect place for all of those things but it's also a great place to enjoy a festival. That's right, some do not realize that Charlotte has quite a few festivals happening in the area. It's the perfect opportunity for you to get out of the house, meet new people, and try new foods. When the weather is great outside there is no reason to be in the inside. Get out and have some fun.

One of my bucket list items for this year was to visit and try new things in the city I live in. This will only be my second summer living in Charlotte, so I want to be able to really enjoy and explore. I took my time last year, but this year... we're outside! I have heard of so many events and things happening in Charlotte and I want to try it all. New festivals, hanging out with friends, day dates with my boyfriend, and a great chance to see new vendors as well. I found a list recently of a few festivals happening in Charlotte this year and I was quite surprised. There were a few places that I had never heard of, so I am excited to learn more about them. But, for those who are not completely sold on visiting these festivals, I created a list right here. Check out a few festivals happening in Charlotte this year and why not plan your next family outing? I will give you all the information I can find, but if you want to see the full list for all festivals happening this entire year, click here.

First up is the Coca-Cola 600 happening in May. This event celebrates the iconic NASCAR race that happens at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It happens Memorial Day weekend, with this year being the historic 65th year. There will be tons of things for the entire family to enjoy from the race itself, military appreciation activities and performances, and a pre-race concert with driver appearances. Get more information and ticket details here.

Up next, is a festival for all of our foodies. Happening the first weekend in June is the Taste of Charlotte Festival. This is Charlotte's largest food festival and the perfect opportunity for you to grab a great bite to eat! This three-day food festival features dozens of restaurants from around the area, performances, and many activities and vendors to choose from. Purchase festival coins to taste food and beverages throughout the festival or just swing by for FREE admission and see what's out there. For tickets and details, click here.

Are you a Harry Potter fan? Then this one is for you! Check out the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone LIVE in concert on June 7th at the Belk Theater. You can relive one of your favorite movies like you're really there. See the wand choose the wizard, your favorite characters, and all aspects of your favorite movie come to life with this live orchestra performance. Get more and your tickets here.

Let's head Back to the Future with the musical! Coming to Charlotte this July is the Back to the Future Musical at the Belk Theater. The Broadway musical is coming to Charlotte and you can see the story come to life. When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown. See the story come to fruition in this musical production. Click here for more information.