Posted March 19, 200817 yr Charlotte was great, I was expecting to like it, but I found it to be very comfortable and easy to get along with. It has a smaller feel than Cincy, and definitely not the history...but it has a cleaner feel, younger population, and more new investment. The nice thing is that it has many of the family-friendly attributes that Cincinnati has always been known for. Oh yeah, and they have a new lightrail line. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. This ones for you ColDayMan 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. New stuff next to the lightrail station near the arena 12. ACC Championship Game in full-swing 13. Here is that station I mentioned 14. And a nice covered bus hub next to the lightrail station 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. This is a winner in my book 27. Boomtown Charlotte? 28. Please take note of the moon in this one...I was so proud. Now onto the Fourth Ward...this is a historic district and is directly connected to the CBD area. Unfortunately it looks as if it was subject to some tacky townhouse/apartment projects back in the 70s/80s. 29. 30. ugh 31. 32. 33. and a close up 34. 35. 36. 37. Nice 38. 39. Ink, this is for you 40. 41. A couple vistas 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. Surrounded by nothing 49. 50. And here is your uneventful ending, so long
March 19, 200817 yr Very nice! ^ That looks to be one hell of a project! BTW, what is your temperature on your photos? They seem to be very warm (>6000).
March 19, 200817 yr BTW, what is your temperature on your photos? They seem to be very warm (>6000). It depends on a picture by picture basis, but most are >6000...I felt like turning up the heat on this batch of photos. :-D
March 19, 200817 yr isn't Charlotte the city where uptown is actually downtown? i think i remember that from my visit there.
March 19, 200817 yr Charlotte just won't quit will it. It seems that the national economy never has an effect on the town. I used to call it a clone of Jacksonville, but after driving through both cities quite often, it just seems like it is growing at a much faster clip. Could be wrong though.
March 19, 200817 yr If I know my history about Charlotte, didn't they (whomever) completely demolish the "old" downtown of Charlotte in the late 70's early 80's and began building the "Uptown"?
March 19, 200817 yr This ones for you ColDayMan It shouldn't. The guy who founded it is from your hood. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 20, 200817 yr As a former resident of Charlotte, I was first a detracter; initially mocking the incredibly suburban nature of the majority of this city (and lack of soul) but after spending some time there, I began to appreciate what the city has done considering its age and what it had to begin with following the urban renewal projects of the 60's and 70's. Charlotte is primarily a city of transiants, many of whom have followed I-77 south from Cleveland and the growth (60,000+ residents per year) has allowed it to grow both outward and inward. The strength of BofA and Wachovia and its Northeastern transplants have demanded a strong core and leadership in these banks (in particular BofA) of become great civic citizens by fostering development of Uptown; recognizing uptown's strength in recruiting employees. What's different about Charlotte is that there are few if any "urban" areas outside of uptown and the nearby immediately surround neighborhoods, so the competition for entertainment and urban feel are limited. The vacancy rate for uptown office is space is less than 5% and on weekend evenings, the bars and clubs are packed; with few other options. Additionally, there is a sense of adoptive pride in uptown and the attitude about is remarkably positive. As Randy will post however, the barriers to entry are limited for the modern working man, with single family detached housing starting at $500K and fast increasing to $800K in the historic fourth ward, while modern condo prices start at $200 - $300/ft depending on exact location and amenties. For most everyone else, the suburbs are the only option. I greatly anticipate what the CLT will be in 10 years.
March 25, 200817 yr ^eh, well my friend (23 yrs old) lives in uptown and pays $550/month in a 2 bedroom. And it is a nice apartment with great amenities. So I was very surprised by that.
March 28, 200817 yr Charlotte is great... so don't get me wrong. Cleanest city I have ever lived and the houses and building are very well upkept - very little stress from weather helps in that regard. The residents are very upbeat about their City and IMHO that is the most important component to a booming metro. However, Charlotte is basically Beachwood with a skyline - think a giant version of Chagrin Blvd and legacy village. The Coventry area is more urban than any Charlotte neighborhood. And yes, the suburbs - Matthews, Huntersville, Fort Mill (SC), Concord - are really the best option for those who don't make 6 figures and want to buy. Ever increasing traffic coming from those areas is a big problem. The light rail system only runs from the north. Finally, as I posted in the other Charlotte thread, the locals in the know ARE worried about the banking crisis and the devastating effect it would have on their City because they really do not have another leg to stand on.
March 28, 200817 yr In regards to "downtown" being demolished in the 70's and 80's to be replaced by "uptown," you could say that in a manner of speaking. Bank of America's then CEO, Hugh McColl, pretty much lit the match that started the revitalization of Center City. He wanted to create a world class downtown for an agressively growing, high profile financial institution, and it's well on its way. Hts44121, I can tell you that I myself am a bit concerned about any potential hit the banks will take. Sure there are other sectors here to the local economy (US Airways, Duke Energy, healthcare, etc.), but the banks are so integral to the local economy that anything that affects the bank creates ripples throughout the local economy.
March 28, 200817 yr More like shock waves. It would be as devastating as a collapse of the health care industry up here in Cleveland.
March 28, 200817 yr The local economy wouldn't exactly collapse, but I do believe that growth (population and economic) would significantly slow down if something were to happen with the banks. At this point, all I can really see happening is one of them being bought out (it would be Wachovia before Bank of America) with Charlotte remaining a regional HQ's. But who knows, the feds might actually step in--which would at least make the effects less drastic.
March 28, 200817 yr Charlotte is a really nice city. However, many may disagree with me, but everything seems so prefabricated because of the boom there. Just not my style.
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