Charlotte, known as the Queen City, is the largest city in North Carolina state and the seat of Meckenburg County. It has a population of about 700,000, making it the 18th largest city within the United States. During 2008, the city was chosen the "Best Place to Live in America" by relocate-America.com. It was likewise the 8th amongst the 100 "Best Places to Live and Launch" by CNNMoney.com. Prevention likewise rated the city fourth best "Walking City" in the nation and the best within North Carolina.
There is a strong base of culture and arts in the city. Each year there are roughly 70,000 performances and events, consisting of festivals and arts education programs, that is supported by the Arts and Science Council of Charlotte-Mecklenburg and its 27 cultural organizations beneath it. It is home to several museums, like NASCAR Hall of Fame, the Second Ward Alumni House Museum, Mint Museum of Art, Mint Museum of Craft + Design and Bechtler Museum of Modern Art (guide people through ever-changing exhibits showcasing among the world's finest collections), Light factory, McColl Center for Visual Arts, Levine Museum of the New South (exhibits among the most fascinating collections of post-Civil War Southern history consisting of Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers, its award-winning centerpiece), Historic Rosedale Plantation, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts & Culture, Discovery Place (showcases more than three hundred exhibits consisting of a live rain forest), Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fire Education Center and Museum, Charlotte Trolley Museum, Charlotte Nature Museum, Carolinas Aviation Museum, and Billy Graham Library. For performance arts, Charlotte provides exceptional ballet, opera and Broadway shows and productions at the Knight Theatre and NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Center's Belk Theatre.
There are many parks in and around the city for everybody to enjoy. Frazier Park is a place meant for dog owners to take their pets out for walks and has separate sections for small dogs and large dogs. The Frazier dog park has a supply of public water for the dogs to drink from. Swaney Pointe K-9 Park is located at Ramsey Creek Park where there are two secure fenced-in separate sections for small and large dogs. Barkingham Park is located at Reedy Creek Park. It is a four-acre, fenced-in, off-leash area for dogs. Additionally, Charlotte likewise has Ray's Fetching Meadow and Davie Dog Park. For individuals who want to see Mother Nature at its best, they can visit Mecklenburg County Nature Preserves, Latta Plantation, Reedy Creek, McDowell and Cooper Head Island, Evergreen, Cowan's Ford, Flat Branch, RibbonWalk, Auten, Rural Hill, Gar Creek, Stephen's Road, Bracket Bluff, and Shuffletown Prairie.
The city of Charlotte is the second largest center for banking within the United States, after the city of New York. Bank of America is the largest of the financial institutions situated within Charlotte city. Within the city of Charlotte, there are lots of fortune 500 companies headquartered in its metropolitan area: Bank of America, Lowe's in suburban Mooresville, Nucor (steel producer), Duke Energy, Family Dollar, Sonic Automotive, SPX Corporation (industrial technology) and Goodrich Corporation. The city of Charlotte is also the hub of the U.S. motorsports industry, like NASCAR. During 2007, more than three thousand five hundred new energy sector jobs were announced within the city, that made Charlotte the base of energy-oriented organizations. These days, it is called "Charlotte USA - The New Energy Capital."