Definitive Guide to Analyst Housing in Charlotte
I've gotten a number of PMs about analyst housing in uptown Charlotte, so I thought I'd consolidate my responses and post them publicly for everyone's reference. Hopefully this helps all you incoming BofA/WF analysts looking for places to live.
I'm assuming if you want to live uptown, you also want to be walking distance to bars as well as work - the center city is going to be best for you. I would recommend looking for a condo rather than an apartment, since the apartment buildings are a bit of a longer walk to both bars and the banks.
The two nicest buildings in town are the Trademark (333 W Trade St) and the Avenue (230 S College St). Both are your typical "high rise" stylistic condos - metal and glass, wood floors, stainless appliances. The Avenue has slightly nicer amenities. Both buildings will probably run you in the $1400 - $1600 range for a singe, or about $2100-$2400 for a double, depending on how high up and what floor plan. Both are within walking distance to BofA HQ and Wachovia One, as well as the Epicenter and all the uptown bars.
I would also strongly recommend the 5th and Poplar complex as well (300 W 5th St). It's only 8 stories (but a bigger footprint), it has a really nice courtyard in the center of the building, and you can usually get more square footage for the money. They even have a couple 2 story condos on the 7/8th floors which are really awesome if you can snag one. You'll still also get the wood floors and stainless appliances in many units, but not all.
Those are really the "big 3" in terms of nice condos downtown, but there are a few smaller buildings with amazing locations. Literally the best address in town (IMO) is the Iveys, which is right at the corner of Tryon and 5th (127 N Tryon), and the only building with units that overlook the Trade and Tryon center city. Also literally across the street from BofA HQ. The units are HUGE, with really high ceilings. The only downer is no amenities/pool, but I think it's worth it because the places are so great. A bunch of Panthers and Bobcats players live here. Units here are pretty hard to find though and can be expensive, since there just aren't that many in the building.
Another one to consider - there's a relatively new building called the Catalyst (built by the same developer as the Avenue I believe). It was just getting completed when I moved away from Charlotte, but a realtor friend invited me to the grand opening and I took a tour through the demo unit. It looked really nice, similar to the Avenue. I think most of the apartments are equipped with one of those internet-based systems that lets you control the lights and AC online too. The location is a slightly longer walk to bars and BofA than some other buildings (definitely doable though, more like 5-10 minutes, rather than just across the street), but would be convenient for WF analysts. All in all a nice building, but I've never been anything but the demo unit.
You can also checkout 230 Tryon which is the most convenient of all for WF analysts and has all the amenities, but is usually astronomically priced.
The best way to find a condo is to look on Craigslist - since they're all owned by people, there is no leasing office for any of these properties you can walk in to. Just keep checking the Charlotte Craigslist daily, they will pop up and they go fast. The other strategy that works really well is to call a realtor. They have their finger on the pulse of all the rental properties and will definitely help you out (free to you). Just look to see which realtors typically post on Craigslist, then send them an email asking for more general help finding a place.
I would highly recommend that you do get in contact with a realtor, then make a trip to Charlotte to see all these places in person. Even if there is not a unit available when you go, the realtor can show you the model unit and all the amenities so you can get a feel for the building.
All of the above condo buildings are great for analysts - very nice inside, an easy walk to work, and very convenient to bars.
If you really want to look at apartments, a few to look at that are a bit longer walk (but still doable) are Camden Grandview, Camden Cotton Mills, Post Gateway, and Post Uptown.
I think that about covers the uptown living landscape. Let me know if you have specific questions about buildings - I've lived in or had friends that lived in all of them.






Great stuff... any
Great stuff... any experienced SF/PA/Menlo folks care to provide a similar guide?
this is great... are there
this is great... are there any UBS/RBS folks who can help with similar info for Stamford?
Thx a ton for this! I'm
Thx a ton for this! I'm looking specfically at the apartments because they are cheaper. Out of the ones you noted is there any particular one you would recommend? I heard Camden Grandview is nice.
Can you possibly write a
Can you possibly write a guide for NYC for those BoA/WF and other BB guys who will be working in Manhattan?
WegmansTuna wrote: Thx a ton
Thx a ton for this! I'm looking specfically at the apartments because they are cheaper. Out of the ones you noted is there any particular one you would recommend? I heard Camden Grandview is nice.
Actually often you can get a condo for the same price as an apartment - make sure you look into it before you make the decision to write off the condo buildings. If you're set on an apartment, Camden Grandview is probably the nicest, but the location really isn't walkable to bars or BofA (I guess you could walk to Wachovia One if you had to). Camden Cotton Mills has the best location, but I'm not a fan of the inside (concrete floors, exposed ducting, etc).
- Capt K -
"Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
Bravehart wrote: Can you
Can you possibly write a guide for NYC for those BoA/WF and other BB guys who will be working in Manhattan?
Never lived in NYC dude...
- Capt K -
"Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
bracelet19 wrote: this is
this is great... are there any UBS/RBS folks who can help with similar info for Stamford?
Funny coincidence how both of the banks there (UBS and RBS) are doing the worst out of everyone. Stamford is definitely haunted. Therefore you should check out Fox's new show "Most Haunted Places" and look for some cheap housing.
Very useful for Charlotte
Very useful for Charlotte folks. Anyone want to do a Houston one for incoming newbies? I'll provide credits of course.
grandpabuzz wrote: Very
Very useful for Charlotte folks. Anyone want to do a Houston one for incoming newbies? I'll provide credits of course.
Live in Midtown or Montrose. If you work downtown and want to live downtown there's always the Post Rice
I can comment on Houston, I
I can comment on Houston, I interned there before moving to NY...
Don't live in Montrose (too many queers), live in downtown or midtown. It is really a matter of whether you want to walk or drive to work. Midtown is 5 minutes from downtown (2miles or so), and it is where most of the trendy bars are located (some are located by the galleria or the heights area).
In downtown, you can live at the Post lofts, or there are multiple places on main st which are fairly nice and affordable. Only problem is that downtown houston can be sketchy at 2am. My advice is to live in midtown at the Post Midtown, or any of the mid-rises there. There are quite a few midrises in midtown that have late-dining options on the first floor...
my 2c...
CaptK wrote: WegmansTuna
Thx a ton for this! I'm looking specfically at the apartments because they are cheaper. Out of the ones you noted is there any particular one you would recommend? I heard Camden Grandview is nice.
Actually often you can get a condo for the same price as an apartment - make sure you look into it before you make the decision to write off the condo buildings. If you're set on an apartment, Camden Grandview is probably the nicest, but the location really isn't walkable to bars or BofA (I guess you could walk to Wachovia One if you had to). Camden Cotton Mills has the best location, but I'm not a fan of the inside (concrete floors, exposed ducting, etc).
Looking at 2 bdrm apts vs. condos it seems like apts are going for roughly $1,400-1,800, whereas (as you noted) condos range $2,100-2,400. That's the $300-400/month difference I'm looking to save.
I'm going to be moving to
I'm going to be moving to Charlotte to work for WF. Do you know where/how long the training is? When should I move into the city? Do I need a car?
bear wrote: I'm going to be
I'm going to be moving to Charlotte to work for WF. Do you know where/how long the training is? When should I move into the city? Do I need a car?
I don't have any WF specifics, let's keep this to Charlotte in general. If I were you, I'd come probably a week before training starts so that you can move in, unpack, get a feel for the city, etc. before you're slammed at work for two years.
You probably do need a car. You'll be walking to work and to most bars, but honestly Charlotte is a driving city. The public transit is basically non-existant (unless you want to ride the bus...didn't think so). If you'd be purchasing a car out of pocket, you might find it more economical to just pay for taxis if you ever want to go to the mall or leave uptown. But in general, yes, I'd say you should have a car.
- Capt K -
"Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
Thanks for the info...really
Thanks for the info...really helpful.
Do associates typically live in these condos too? My fresh-out-of-undergrad days are well behind me and I'd like to avoid living in a dorm/frat house again.
Easy E wrote: Thanks for the
Thanks for the info...really helpful.
Do associates typically live in these condos too? My fresh-out-of-undergrad days are well behind me and I'd like to avoid living in a dorm/frat house again.
Yes, I knew a number of associates (and plenty of other 20 and 30 something non-IB types) that lived in all of the above.
- Capt K -
"Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
Capt K. Thanks for all the
bear wrote: Capt K. Thanks
- Capt K -
"Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
What about summer analyst
yankees1 wrote: What about
- Capt K -
"Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
Doesn't BAML/WF recommend
Another update to this list -
- Capt K -
"Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
Hey guys, looking to move
Cries wrote: Hey guys,
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"Well, you can do whatever you want to us, but we're not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth the United States of America."
Cries wrote: Hey guys,
"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so."
- Ronald Reagan
Yea a 14.2% effective tax
djr wrote: Yea a 14.2%
- Capt K -
"Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
CaptK wrote: djr wrote: Yea
Well, Catalyst is so close to
I'm looking for a Studio