Moranis, I don't think you understand the meaning of the word 'sprawl' if you say that Boston is one and Charlotte is not.
I lived in New England for 29 years before moving to Florida, but leave every summer, not just because of the heat, but so that I can take advantage of the wonderful northeastern cities and their incredible walkability. This is not to say there aren't a lot of great things happening outside of the northeast - I would never move back to Boston full-time - but, man oh man, Charlotte one day dreams of being Boston in terms of culture, economics, education, sports, etc.