Charlotte has some good foods as well. I do enjoy shopping at Super G mart in Charlotte because of the exotic fruits they offer like lychee, jackfruit, Mamey Sapote, and much much more. I'm a sucker for fruits and love trying all kinds of new things. I agree if you come from a large city Charlotte may be the place for you. It's growing by leaps and bounds and is the second largest banking city in the US hints the name Queen City. Charlotte is actually a zone 7b with micro climates within the city of zone 8a. I think the pavement has something to do with part of Charlotte being a zone 8 because I'm 20 miles south and still a 7b.
