Frequently Asked Questions

Transcription

1 Newcomers to Kannapolis FAQs Below are brief answers to many questions that newcomers have. A great source of information is the Windstream Phonebook (green cover), which includes white pages for Cabarrus and South Rowan County, and yellow pages. Also available at Other Yellow Pages books are available, which are not nearly as complete. Another important resource for newcomers is the City of Kannapolis s Guide for Newcomers, found on the City s website. Please note that the businesses listed below are simply samples, and are not endorsed by the First Presbyterian Church. Frequently Asked Questions How do I find a new apartment or house? What utilities are available for my apartment or house? How do I find furniture and other items for my home? I do not have a car. What are the options for getting around the area? I would like to purchase a car Where do I start? How do I get a Driver s License? How do I Register my Car? Where do I get my car serviced? Repaired? Where are the best prices for Gasoline? How do I get Automobile Insurance? How do I get a Cell Phone? Where can I go shopping around here? What Schools are in Kannapolis? How Can I Find a Doctor? How about Health Insurance? What are some interesting sights and attractions in and around Kannapolis? What else is there to do in Kannapolis? What restaurants are there? What are some good day trips?

2 How do I find a new apartment or house? The newspapers list places for rent or sale in the classified section. There are on-line sources available too. There are many reputable local real estate/rental agencies, which can be found in the Yellow Pages. Several members of First Presbyterian Church have rental properties and/or are real estate agents: Mark Goodnight (Allen Tate Realtors) Farrar & Cindy Griggs (Griggs Properties Rentals) Tony Sherrill (KREA) What utilities are available for my apartment or house? Cable - Time Warner Cable Electricity - Duke Energy Internet - available through cable, satellite, or phone providers Natural Gas - PSNC Energy Satellite - DISH Network through Windstream Telephone (land line) - Windstream Water - Kannapolis Water & Sewer Dept How do I find furniture and other items for my home? There several sources of used furniture and household items for those on tight budgets. The profits from these stores also benefit worthwhile non-profit agencies: Goodwill Stores, 2825 Dale Earnhardt Blvd., Kannapolis and 1806 S. Cannon Blvd, Kannapolis Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, 2902 S Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis Salvation Army Thrift Store, 2901 Cloverleaf Parkway, Kannapolis Value Village (Kidney Foundation), 912 S Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis Inexpensive new furniture and household items may be purchased at Wal-Mart, Sam s Club (great source for mattresses and bed frames) and Target (see shopping questions below), or at: IKEA, 8300 IKEA Way, Charlotte (I-85, Exit 43) The Yellow Pages list local furniture stores where you may purchase better quality furnishings. Don t be afraid to attempt to negotiate down the price. And many places will give a discount if you make your purchase with cash, check or a debit card, rather than a credit card. 2

3 I do not have a car. What are the options for getting around the area? The CK Rider bus system has seven routes throughout Concord and Kannapolis, providing service to many local neighborhoods, major employers, and shopping areas, including the NC Research Campus, Concord Mills, Cannon Village, Carolinas Medical Center NorthEast, Carolina Mall, Wal-Mart, the Kannapolis Amtrak station, Cloverleaf Plaza, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (South Campus), Afton Ridge and Afton Village (see Shopping below for more details). Buses run Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. Money-saving Rider Bus Passes can be purchased at the Kannapolis or Concord City Offices. Discounted fares are available for students, senior citizens and those with disabilities. For complete fares and schedules, visit or call Rider Customer Care at RIDER. Free Rider brochures are also available at Concord and Kannapolis City offices. Other regional bus systems - The Rowan Express, provides service between Kannapolis and Salisbury, with stops in Landis and China Grove ( or call ). The CATS (Charlotte Area Transit System) Concord Express (Route 80X) provides commuter service between the Home Depot Parking Lot in Kannapolis and Uptown Charlotte, with several stops in Concord and northern Charlotte ( or call RIDE). Taxis are another option, although not as convenient as in bigger cities. Kannapolis taxis use zone rates, so you need to call a company and give them the starting and ending address to find out the charge. Kannapolis cab companies include: A&S Taxi Carolina Taxi TJ s Taxi Trains - Travel by rail is available via Amtrak, which offers daily service from Kannapolis along two routes, with three trains going each direction. The Carolinian (Trains 79 and 80) travels between Charlotte and New York, with stops in Raleigh, Richmond, Washington, DC, Baltimore and Philadelphia. The Piedmont (Trains 73 and 74) makes two daily trips between Raleigh and Charlotte. The Amtrak station is located in Kannapolis at 201 South Main Street. For more information about fares, schedules and reservations, visit or call USA-RAIL ( ). I would like to purchase a car where do I start? 1) Do some research - Consumer Reports provides excellent reviews of most cars sold in America. In addition to ongoing reviews in each of their monthly magazines, they also publish an annual Car Buyer s Guide. They provide information about which brands and models have better or worse service records, going back ten years. Go to (you will need to pay a subscription to access most of the content), or ask at the reference desk at Cannon Memorial Library. 3

4 Purchasing a Car (Continued) 2) If you choose to purchase a used car, there are a multitude of options, most located along Cannon Boulevard, others along Main Street/Kannapolis Highway. You will want to check with some local people about which are more reputable. There are also many on-line options, and the newspapers provide listings of many used cars for sale. 3) You also need to decide how to pay for your new vehicle. Ideally, you will want to pay cash then you do not have to pay finance charges, and sometimes you also get a better price. However, most Americans do not have enough saved up to purchase a car with cash, and will finance their car, or take out a loan. Many dealers and car lots can provide their own financing. However, so can banks. Shop around to find the best rate. 4) Insurance - you must purchase liability insurance for any vehicle operated in North Carolina. There are many insurance agents in the Kannapolis area. Look through the Yellow Pages or online, and get several quotes. Be sure you are comparing the same levels of coverage. See question about insurance below for more information. How do I get a Driver s License? All new residents of North Carolina must obtain a driver s license within 60 days of establishing permanent residence. To apply, you must appear in person at a state driver s license office and bring the required documentation including your Social Security card, one additional form of identification with your full name and date of birth, proof of liability insurance and proof of residency. You must also complete and pass the vision, traffic sign and driving knowledge tests. For those who hold a valid license from another state, the driving skills road test requirement may be waived at the discretion of the examiner. Area Drivers License Offices are: Concord at 2192 Kannapolis Highway. Open Monday through Friday, 8:00-4:30 p.m Salisbury at 5780 S. Main Street (US 29 S), M-F, 8:00-4:30 p.m (Many Kannapolis residents prefer going to the Salisbury office, because the wait is not as long.) More information about licensing requirements and the location of other testing stations is available at and through the DMV directaccess line at hours a day, seven days a week. 4

5 How do I Register my Car? If you are relocating to North Carolina from another state, you must register your vehicle within 30 days. To register your vehicle, you must present the DMV with the required documentation which includes a valid North Carolina driver s license or identification card, the title for your vehicle, a valid registration card from the state of prior registration, your North Carolina residence address and proof of liability insurance. After registering your vehicle and paying the appropriate fees, you will be assisted in applying for a certificate of title, registration plate and registration card. There is a DMV office located in Kannapolis at 1509 Dale Earnhardt Boulevard; this office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The office s phone number is More information about the vehicle registration process and fees is available at and through the DMV directaccess line at hours a day, seven days a week. Where do I get my car serviced? Repaired? Again, there are many independent garages and automobile service businesses in the area. Look in the Yellow Pages. A member of First Presbyterian who runs his own garage is Bill Goodnight ( ). He specializes in General Motors and diesel engine vehicles. Where are the best prices for Gasoline? Gasoline prices in Kannapolis usually do not vary from station to station by more than a few cents. However, the ones with the lowest prices usually are the Wilco/Hess stations (North Cannon and South Cannon Boulevards) and Quality Plus on Dale Earnhardt Boulevard, close to Bi-Lo. Go to NorthCarolinaGasPrices.com and plug in the zip codes closest to you (28081 and for Kannapolis) to see current prices at most stations. How do I get Automobile Insurance? In addition to the required automobile insurance mentioned above, you will want to purchase renter s insurance (if you are renting), and you are required to purchase homeowners insurance if you purchase a home. Other kinds of insurance to consider are Life (provides benefits to your spouse and/or children and/or significant others in the event of your death), and Health (see question below). There are two kinds of insurance agencies: 1) Those associated with a particular company (such as Nationwide or State Farm), and 2) independent agencies, who represent a several companies. Agencies and companies are listed in the Yellow Pages. Several members of First Presbyterian are insurance agents: Mike Bayne (Independent - Life & Health only) Mike Freeman (Independent) N. Main St., China Grove Sharon Stricker (Nationwide) Copperfield Blvd NE, Concord

6 How do I get a Cell Phone? Due to company mergers, there are less options, but still several, including AT&T, Cricket, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Verizon tends to have the best coverage, but also tends to be more expensive. Local distributors are listed in the Yellow Pages. Most companies require a twoyear contract to receive a free or heavily discounted phone. However, most also provide pre-paid options, where you simply pay for each month in advance. The phones available for these prepaid plans are much more limited. You will want to compare plans online, and you can even order your plan and phone on-line. Where can I go shopping around here? There are a few wonderful little stores right here in downtown Kannapolis (The Village), including the Antique Mall, Bon Worth (women s clothing), Fall s Jewelry, Lee Clothing Warehouse, Leggs-Hanes Outlet, and Virginia s Dress Shop, and the stores in the Oak Avenue Mall beside Food Lion. Further away, you can find: Roxie Street & Supercenter Drive, between Dale Earnhardt Boulevard and Concord Lake Road (close to I-85 exit 60) - Includes Super Wal-Mart, Sam s Club (Membership Discount Store), Kohl s (clothing and home furnishings), Hobby Lobby (arts & crafts), and a host of other stores and restaurants. Cloverleaf Plaza, off of Cloverleaf Parkway (near I-85 exit 58) - a variety of mostly discount stores, including Ben Franklin (arts & crafts), Rugged Wearhouse (clothing), and Mighty Dollar (everything costs $1!). Carolina Mall, off Concord Parkway (US-29), near I-85, exit 58 - includes Belk s, Penny s, and Sears, along with many other stores and a food court. Afton Ridge, off of Kannapolis Parkway at I-85, exit 54 - includes Super Target, Dick s Sporting Goods, Best Buy (electronics and appliances), Marshall s (clothing), and lots of smaller stores and restaurants. Concord Mills, off of I-85, exit 49 - more than 200 stores under one very long roof! Mostly outlet stores, but also Bed, Bath & Beyond, Books-A-Million, Old Navy (clothing), and Bass Pro Shops (sporting goods). Also at Exit 49, Concord Mills Boulevard/Bruton Smith Boulevard are a host of other stores and restaurants, including H H. Gregg (electronics and appliances), Babies R Us, Toys R Us, BJ s (membership discount store), and Garden Ridge (home furnishings, garden decorations, etc.). For hardware, first check at Centerview Hardware, 707 N. Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis. This is an old-fashion hardware store, complete with a Coke machine and men sitting around solving the world s problems. They often have hard-to-find items, and also refill propane (gas grill) tanks and reproduce keys. For other home repair/ home improvement items, we have Lowe s (3025 Dale Earnhardt Blvd., near exit 60) and Home Depot (3313 Cloverleaf Parkway, near exit 58). 6

7 What Schools are in Kannapolis? Kannapolis is blessed with an excellent public school system, that serves just the city Kannapolis City Schools. It is important to know that the Kannapolis school district and the Kannapolis city limits are two different things. It is possible to live inside the city limits and be in another school district (such as for those who live in Royal Oaks or out in the western side of the city), or to be outside the city limits but inside the school district. Kannapolis City Schools is made up of McKnight Child Development Center, five elementary schools (Grades K-4), Kannapolis Intermediate School (Grades 5-6), Kannapolis Middle School (Grades 7-8), and A. L. Brown High School (Grades 9-12). The elementary schools are: Forest Park Forest Park Drive (off Little Texas Road) Fred L. Wilson Pine Street Jackson Park Jackson Street Shady Brook Rogers Lake Road Woodrow Wilson Walnut Street While elementary students are in individual school districts and will receive free school bus transportation to that school, parents may choose to send their children to any other KCS elementary school as long as they provide transportation. Please visit for more information about the school system and how to register students. Beyond Kannapolis, the two adjoining school systems are Cabarrus County Schools, and Rowan-Salisbury Schools. Inside the Kannapolis city limits are Cabarrus County s Royal Oaks Elementary, C. E. Boger Elementary, Northwest Cabarrus Middle, and Northwest Cabarrus High Schools. Daycare - There are several good options in Kannapolis, and many more in Concord. In Kannapolis are: Child Care Inc Old Centergrove Road Children s Center Mable Avenue Kid s Korner Cook Street Kountry Kids Enochville Avenue We Luv Um Child Care N. Main St Pre-Schools - many churches in Kannapolis provide Pre-Schools, most for ages 2-4. In addition, Kannapolis City Schools operates the McKnight Child Development Center, which houses Headstart, the national early childhood education program. Some of the Kannapolis church preschools include: Central Baptist Moose Rd Charity Baptist Brantley Rd First Baptist N. Main St Grace Covenant N. Cannon Blvd Kimball Memorial Lutheran Vance St st Trinity United Methodist E. 1 St

8 Schools (Continued) Private Schools - there are several private schools in Kannapolis and Cabarrus County, most operated by churches. They include: Cannon School Poplar Tent Rd., Concord Concord First Assembly Christian School Warren C. Coleman Blvd. N, Concord Covenant Classical School Patrick Henry Dr NW, Concord Faith Christian Academy Chipola St., Kannapolis Franklin Heights Christian Academy Wright Ave., Kannapolis North Kannapolis Christian Academy Locust St., Kannapolis How Can I Find a Doctor? Kannapolis and the surrounding area are blessed with excellent health care facilities and doctors. The closest hospital to Kannapolis is Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast (CMC-NE) in Concord (920 Church St. N ). Included in CMC-NE is the Jeff Gordon Children s Hospital. The CMC network is one of the largest healthcare providers in the country. To the north in Salisbury is Rowan Regional Medical Center (612 Mocksville Ave ), which is associated with the Novant Healthcare System. To find a doctor, both primary care and specialists, associated with CMC-NorthEast, call or visit For those without health insurance, the local Public Health Department (Cabarrus Health Alliance in Cabarrus County), provides some routine services. County Health Departments also provide most vaccinations free of charge or for a very low charge. The local health departments are: Cabarrus Health Alliance, 1307 S. Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis Rowan Health Department, 1811 E Innes St., Salisbury How about Health Insurance? With excellent health care comes high costs! Even the insurance is very expensive. Your first step in locating affordable health insurance is to find out whether your employer or school offers a plan. This usually is the most inexpensive option. If there is not a plan available, then check with your insurance agent (see insurance question above). Be sure that whatever plan you take is accepted by your local hospital! And you may need to choose your insurance before choosing your primary care physician, since not all doctors accept all insurance companies. Also, some insurance plans have network physicians who charge less than non-network physicians. 8

9 What are some interesting sights and attractions in and around Kannapolis? Curb Museum for Motosports & Music Dale Earnhardt Blvd., Kannapolis Dale Earnhardt Plaza - S. Main Street, between A and B Streets North Carolina Music Hall of Fame West A St., Kannapolis Village Park - off North Loop Rd., between West A and C Streets (entrance off West C St.) Charlotte Motor Speedway - US 29, between Concord and Charlotte Memorial Gardens (especially beautiful in Spring) - 50 Spring Street SW, Concord Reed Gold Mine - NC 200, Stanfield - site of the first documented gold find in the US. What else is there to do in Kannapolis? Concerts and Movies in the Park - during the summer, the Village Park Amphitheater (near North Loop Road, between West C and West A Streets) features Friday night movies on a huge inflatable screen, or Saturday evening concerts. Intimidators Baseball - Minor League, 1-A farm club of the Chicago White Sox. Play April August at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium (between Lane Street and Moose Road, close to I-85 Exit 63. A. L. Brown High School Football Games - Friday nights, August November, at Memorial Stadium, off of Rose Avenue behind the high school. Kannapolis takes its football seriously, and the Wonders have had 33 consecutive winning seasons and two state championships during that time. A wonderful taste of Kannapolis culture! What restaurants are there? Within Walking Distance of the NCRC and Village: Forty-Six West Ave. Hardees Dale Earnhardt Blvd. Old Stone Vino S. Main St. Village Grill West Ave. Other Popular Area Restaurants - There are many chain restaurants in and around Kannapolis. However, here are some of the independent local favorites: China Buffet N. Cannon Blvd. El Amigo Mexican S. Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis Gary s Barbecue N US 29, China Grove Los Arcos Mexican S. Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis Polermo s Italian Cuisine S. Cannon Bvd., Kannapolis Stag & Doe Steakhouse S. US 29, China Grove Sweet Pickle Bakery & Deli Floyd St, Kannapolis Town House II Homestyle S. Main St., Kannapolis Varsity Barbecue S Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis Venice Italian S. Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis 9

10 What are some good day trips? Billy Graham Library - Charlotte Carowinds Amusement Park - Charlotte Crowders Mountain State Park - Gastonia (nearby is Kings Mountain State Park (South Carolina) and Kings Mountain National Battlefield (Revolutionary War) Discovery Place Hands-On Museum and IMAX Theater -Charlotte Emerald Pointe Water Park - Greensboro Latta Plantation - Huntersville Mint Museum - Charlotte National Whitewater Center - Charlotte Pilot Mountain State Park - Pinnacle, NC Renaissance Festival - Huntersville (weekends, Oct. 8 Nov. 20, 2011) Seagrove Pottery - Seagrove, NC Stowe Botantical Gardens - Gastonia In the North Carolina Mountains (west and north of Kannapolis), there are Grandfather Mountain State Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, Blowing Rock (shopping), Biltmore House, Asheville, Chimney Rock, Lake Lure, Ashe County Frescoes and Murals, Stone Mountain State Park. Most of these can be reached by car from Kannapolis in two or three hours. The Smoky Mountain National Park is a bit further four to five hour drive (depending on which part of the park). 10