( CNN ) -- Listen carefully at the corner of Trade and Tryon streets in uptown Charlotte , and you 'll hear the sounds that make the Queen City one of the country 's best-kept secrets . The laughter of old men playing chess in a courtyard . The music from Alive after Five , a weekly summer outdoor concert series that draws hundreds of young professionals looking to loosen their ties and unwind after work . The roar of the fans at Bank of America Stadium , where Panthers quarterback sensation Cam Newton has just breathed life into a good-as-dead team . iReport : Share photos and tips for Charlotte . The drone of the ever-present street sweeper , keeping the city as sparkling as its skyscrapers . The soft breeze rustling the blooming trees of spring . The silence on a hot summer day when most Charlotteans flee the city for the cooling relief of Lake Norman , just 20 minutes north . I last stood at that intersection in the center of the city more than two years ago , right before I moved to Atlanta . I thought foolishly then that I needed a bigger city . The truth is , I 've never missed Charlotte more . iReport : Share photos and tips for Tampa . The people . I grew up in Northern Virginia , which -- if you 're from the D.C. area -- you know is not really the South , despite its geographical location below the Mason-Dixon line . Southern , I am not . I take my tea unsweet , still have n't acquired a taste for collards and find it physically impossible for my mouth to form the word `` y'all . '' So why did I fall in love with Charlotte , North Cackalacky ? A former colleague of mine at The Charlotte Observer once wrote that the best icebreaker question in Charlotte is , `` Where are you from ? '' The region , with 1.8 million residents , is teeming with newcomers , making it a melting pot of accents and cultures . City smackdown : New York vs. Los Angeles . In my group of friends , we hailed from Iowa , Indiana , New York , Boston and Michigan . Out of all of us , only one was part of the increasingly endangered species known as native Charlotteans . A big part of the draw is Charlotte 's banking institutions . The city is home to Bank of America , and Wells Fargo 's East Coast offices are headquartered there . But the mild year-round weather and its proximity to the beach and the mountains -- Charleston 's just three hours away and Asheville a mere two -- are what entice people to lay down roots . Destination USA : Miami beyond the beaches . The food . The diversity of Charlotte 's residents makes for an equally eclectic restaurant scene . My favorite Indian restaurant to date is Copper , in the streetcar suburb of Dilworth . When I crave a burger , I immediately think of Bad Daddy 's Burger Bar . On a cold winter night , nothing warms you up like the chicken and dumplings at Dish in the funky neighborhood of Plaza Midwood , where tattooed and pierced waiters serve up comfort food with a side of sass . Have a sweet tooth ? My mouth still waters at the thought of the salted caramel brownies at Amelie 's French Bakery in the NoDa ( North Davidson ) Historic Arts District . Open 24/7 , the Parisian-style bakery is typically filled with local entrepreneurs and college students sipping coffee and munching on pastries over their laptops . I could begin a debate about how Eastern North Carolina-style barbecue is superior to all others , but that 's another column . Instead , if you 're in Charlotte , get a pork barbecue plate at Bill Spoon 's , a local institution in south Charlotte since 1963 . When its namesake owner died in 2007 , it prompted an outpouring of condolences from the community . Spoon 's grandson still operates the restaurant , keeping up Bill 's legacy of good 'cue and better service . And finally , no visit to Charlotte is complete without stopping at Price 's Chicken Coop for the best fried chicken you will ever eat . Walk across the street and grab a spot on the grass to savor the crispy decadence : There is no seating inside , and lines form long before the noon lunch hour . At your first bite , you 'll realize why actor-singer Lenny Kravitz said recently that the thing he misses most about filming `` Hunger Games '' in Charlotte is Price 's chicken . North Carolina lures 'Hunger Games ' fans . The lifestyle . I lived in Charlotte for five years , two of which were spent covering the city 's nightlife and entertainment scene for the newspaper . As part of my job , I attended concerts , took in touring Broadway plays , sipped cocktails at almost every local watering hole , partied with NASCAR drivers and Panthers players , and rubbed elbows with the city 's leaders at high-end charity events . Since I 've left , the number of attractions has grown even further , with the opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame and a four-venue arts complex comprised of three museums and an intimate theater . The Levine Center for the Arts takes up an entire uptown block , and each building is more visually stunning than the last . But the things I miss the most are running into friends at Target and Trader Joe 's , being on a first-name basis with local business owners and being within an easy 15-minute drive of almost everything . This is the New South : Small-town charm and Southern hospitality are ever-present , but in a bustling , modern city with a lively arts and entertainment scene . Come September , Charlotte will be on the world 's stage as an estimated 35,000 people , hundreds of news media and President Barack Obama descend on the city for the 2012 Democratic National Convention . It will easily be the biggest event to ever happen in Charlotte , whose local leaders have been consistently billing it as a world-class city worthy of such events . If you 're one of those attending the convention , you might find the intersection of Trade and Tryon too busy to stop and take it all in . Charlotte , let this former resident be the first to congratulate you . You have arrived . Tampa or Charlotte ? Cast your vote above and share photos and support for your city on iReport.com .
As part of our Destination USA series , we pit rival cities and let you decide which is best . Charlotte and Tampa host this year 's Democratic and Republican conventions . Sarah Aarthun says Charlotte combines big-city amenities and small-town charm . Fight for your city ! The U.S. military has been in Afghanistan since 2001 but the war there continues to rage on despite a drawdown announced by President Barack Obama last year.