Larryfla
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Posts posted by Larryfla
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Here're a couple of shots I took a few days ago:
1) From my 'new' balcony at Trademark: http://www.ibscc.org/deck1.JPG
2) From the roof of the warehouse where I work in N.Charlotte: http://www.ibscc.org/downtown1.jpg
The one from my warehouse roof is not as nice as I'd like. It was cold that day and I didn't have a tripod. It's pretty amazing when there're clouds too.
Those are a couple of prizewinning pictures. Please enter them in the contest this year. Really good.
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Was up from Florida on New Year's Day. I rode Lynx. It was a nice ride. The train is very nice and similar to ones I have traveled on elsewhere. My biggest complaint would have to be the pitiful problem getting tickets out of those machines. It probably took everyone one whole minute to get their ticket. People could not get on the train as they had to stand in line for a ticket for 15 minutes. That is a real problem and there needs to be a kiosk to sell tickets as an alternrative. The next problem was that I was somewhere south of downtown and the marquis said that we were entering 7th Street station. Finally, there were several gang looking punks riding and being roughty without buying tickets. There was nobody checking. Security seemed precarious at best. I feel that the system will get better with time and I feel that it will go to other parts of town sooner than planned (I am hoping anyway). I became quite annoyed at people beotching and complaining to the point that I just told them to get a grip and understand that the system is new and there will be some growing pains. I think it is a great thing for Charlotte and the problems I saw will be worked out before long.
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Yes I am aware that is there, but if you want to buy two tickets or a child ticket then you get mired down in the menus. All of the delays that I saw were with people traveling with kids or couples buying tickets. One elderly couple actually went in the second set of menus, twice to buy two adult tickets not realizing they could be bumped. This took a couple of minutes. If they could offer a cash only machine that did not have any menus it would speed things up considerably as you want a machine where people don't have to make a lot of decisions.
Sounds like the machines are like the ones that they have for MARTA. They are a little too complicated for the novice or the visitor. Someone has to be by just to give simple instructions for the complicated operation.
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I am going to give you one of my best kept secrets. It is called National Express bus service. It is available outside of either Gatwich or Heathrow. It is really cheap. You can book on line. It changes at Victoria bus station but tickets can be purchased for points beyond. I usually buy a ticket to Golders Green or Hampstead. If you want a comfortable, interesting ride into London, it is recommended from Gatwich. It goes through the rolling hills and surburbs of Surrey, through inner city London. Give it a shot next time. I use national express to go to all points in the U.K. I sure beats the crowds on the rail or tubes when you have luggage.
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As big a fan and supporter of Charlotte as I am, I still don't consider it a big city. I think the difference between big and small as far as cities goes is more of a feel than an actual number. Right now, at times and in the right place, it feels like a big city. But in many more places and much more of the time it doesn't. We are getting there, and I don't think we are very far off, but we still don't feel like the *big* cities I'm used to in a number of catagories.
I lived in London for about one third of my life. Charlotte is not a London, nor a New York, Chicago, L.A., or many other super large cities. Charlotte is a big city. It is in the top 20 in the U.S. It isn't a super city, but big. The good thing is that Charlotte is getting bigger. The super big cities are going out to the suburbs and becoming smaller. Just sit back, relax, and say, "Charlotte is a big city but not a giant city". Now say, "Charlotte is a big city that needs to enforce anti-smoking laws in public places". I hope you feel better. Additionally, any city that has more than 10 Indian restaurants is a big city. Love Indian food. I was in St. Louis a few years ago and they only had one. London only has a couple of million.
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Not getting into the debate about city benefits, I obviously believe that partnerships of any type should be treated equally.
On the note about housing, though. 1) I've never seen discrimination towards gays or lesbians in housing in Charlotte though I am not saying it doesn't occur. I'm sure it does, but would suspect it is on an individual basis and not part of a greater policy of the city, property owners, or management companies. 2) You might be interested to know that North Carolina still has a law on the books that precludes ANY non-married male/female couple from occupying a rental property together. Almost no one enforces this, yet TR Lawing rental agency in Charlotte does if they decide to and I know people they have been refused renting housing because they are a straight non-married couple. The interesting part is this ordinance does not apply to same sex couples.
I only point this out to try and make sure everyone recognizes that there is inequity and dated laws that affect many segments of our population.
I am sorry that you didn't see where I was not being confrontative previously. I only wanted an answer which you furnished in our first paragraph. Whenever someone that isn't gay inquires about such situations, it doesn't imply that there is ill intent. I was genuinely interested. I agree with you that all should be equal. If a non-gay common law relationship wasn't eligible for benefits, I would be opposed to a same sex relationship with the same tenure being eligible. Anyway, if you want to see some strange victorian laws, look some puritanical laws in Massachusetts that still exist (but are ignored). Back to the subject. Is anyone aware that Charlotte was known as being one of the most openly gay cities in the U.S. in the early 1960s. Does anyone remember the Anchor Inn, the Brass Rail, the Blue Note, and numerous other gay bars back then. What happened? I was told this by people from San Francisco and other gay cities. Talk about a change in perception. Take care and I hope Charlotte is able to become the city you wish it to be.
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I am Jewish and Gay. It's not about me or anyone else thinking they are "special". It's about being treated equally. This city provides no domestic partner benefits for city employees. No sexual orientation ordinances covering employment or housing. Many cities we are supposedly in competition with have these ordinances on the books. Like other places Charlotte has a lot of work to do on this issue. I don't think the whole town is hateful. I don't care if you think I am self centered. You are certainly entitled to your opinion. Nothing special about that either.
Does the city of Charlotte provide benefits for heterosexual men and women that live together as partners? What kind of ordinances would cover employment and/or housing of homosexuals? I am not being argumentive, I don't really know and would like to. Are the desired ordinances established to disallow discrimination against homosexual couples? If that is the reason for the ordinances, my full support is there. I certainly realize that there are prejudices against gays 'everywhere' and that bothers me. I was very happy recently to see that the Baptist are going to make efforts to be more accepting of homosexuality. I hope all churches do the same.
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You are right that most people in this town don't care. I am in the minority of those who do think it's something that needs to be worked on. And I was discussing the perception from groups and people that also note this deficiency.
You seem to me to be a somewhat self-centered person yourself. I have no negative feelings towards gays. I also have some gay friends. To me they are just friends. I think that the fact that people accept and welcome gays elliminates Charlotte from being gay hostile city. You catagorize the citizens of Charlotte based on comments or views of the mayor or whomever you have mentioned. I don't know anybody that gays, although I must admit that gayness isn't ususally the topic of conversations. I definately do not think that you are 'special'. I think that you are just like me with different sexual preferences which is totally your business. You should not be scorned for that nor awarded. We just need to be one happy community. I know a little about persecution, my family is Jewish.
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Honkytube, I am offended. I think that you should take your race agenda someplace else. I enjoy reading about the progress of the city and keeping things in a positive tone. Racial issues should be someplace else.
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According to the Observer, the developers of this project have decided to reduce the amount of retail and increase the amount of office space. There will be now 2 anchor stores instead of 3 and three junior anchor stores instead of 7. They say they decided to bump up the office space after they received interest from a Fortune 500 company for space there.
Since all of this building is going on and tons of things projected, do you feel that it is possible that private investors or corporations may enhance the chances of getting light rail going north before projected dates? Although I live in Florida, I am building a place off of Catawaba (28).
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If we want a lot of people living downtown, don't we need to stop building buildings with one unit per floor? It seems that this is not the optimal use of space? Well, I am just glad that something is being built that will allow the preservation of that great theater.
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Brianrri, thanks for the words of inspiration. I am moving to the lake area in a few months and it is refreshing to hear positive comments. I have visited Cape Town a couple of times and it is a faublous place. I drank several gallons of Castle Lager there. Additionally, I really like Providence. When I visit my cousin who teaches at Browns University and lives on Browns Ave. (I believe it is Ave.) we eat a Hemmingways on the water. Great place. Good luck to you and your wife.
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I agree and LOVE the food and restaurant scene here. What Indian are you referring to? If something new to me i'd be excited to find out which place!
I have had a few great Indian meals. I remember one on Independence Blvd. across from a Brazilian restaurant. I believe it was near Sharon Amity or that area. I believe that Indian restaurant is now sharing the building with the Brazilian restaurant. I also ate at one out on South Boulevard that was really good. I can't tell you where on South Boulevard as I live in Florida and don't get there as much as I would like. Finally, the one on Kings Drive was pretty good as well. The last time I ate at the one on South Boulevard I noticed on the television the same day that it had been shut down for the day by the department of health for not having food hot enough on the buffet. I guess that inspectors don't understand that sometimes the spices kill bacteria. That is what I like to think anyway.
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Metro..M, I apologize. My statements were general. I have no insight into the history of the mayor. I meant nothing derogatory or insulting to anyone. And yes, all citizens should be represented. Good luck in your pursuits.
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Why would anyone compare Charlotte with any other city anyway? Who cares. What is wrong with being unique? I have lived most of my life overseas and have spent extended periods of time in many cities around the world. Trust me, Charlotte is a good city. It has good restaurants (very good Indian, my favorite), plays, cost of living, proximity to everything, and international airport, and it is easy to get around. I had no problems having great walks uptown or other parts of the city. It has so many gorgious neighborhoods that you should be proud to show off. I am moving to Charlotte in a few months (the Lake)after an intense search for a city to settle after leaving Florida from which I presently reside. Lake Norman is very nice and close to the city. I have lived in NYC, San Francisco, and Minneapolis. To be honest, the only one that I would even consider besides Charlotte would be Minneapolis and it is too far from the ocean. But that is only my opinion and I do love NYC and San Francisco. Charlotte is a growing city. In my humble opinion, it is as good as any other city and it doesn't matter how it compares. Comparing Charlotte to Louisville, Columbus, or anywhere else is like comparing Boston, Chicago, or New York City with London, they just don't compare. And, Charlotte is known worldwide. It is well known in Europe because of businesses and international airlines. I do believe that someone in Salt Lake City didn't know where Charlotte is, because unfortunately, most Americans know very little about geograpy or related fields of study. It doesn't mean that Charlotte is small, it means that some people are stupid. It seems that many people that live in Charlotte (Locals or other Carolinians) have been led to believe that Charlotte isn't a player in the major leagues, it is. Don't let some disgruntal, nagging transplant convince you otherwise.
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I was skimming Northwest Airline's website the other day for some travel deals and came across these vacation packages for Charlotte that I found to be hilarious:
You can view it for yourself here.
Don't quite get it, what was so hilarious?
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Does anyone know how many screens there will be in the cinema or how many lanes will be in the bowling alley? I also read the the Earnhardt club will be ready in December. Does that seem feasable?
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^^I feel your pain on that one, Voyager, but you're basically wasting your breath with Mayor McCrory. He will NEVER support gay and lesbian issues in this city. Period. And unfortunately most of Charlotte's voting public either doesn't care enough about his stance to vote him out of office or they fully support his attitude.
I would like to think that a barrage of emails, complaints, etc. from the community would change his mind and at least get him to remember that he was elected to represent ALL Charlotte residents, not just the straight ones, but it just ain't gonna happen. If anything, the pressure on him would need to come from corporations (Wachovia, Bank of America, US Airways) as well as individual movers and shakers in the community before it would even register on his radar. As it is, he knows full well that he can be openly anti-gay and hostile to our community and that it won't harm him one bit politically. Quite the contrary....as a Republican he is basically REQUIRED to toe the party line, which means that anything perceived as support for the gay community by him would be political suicide.
Of course, he says that he won't attend the annual HRC Gala or issue a welcome statement for it because he doesn't "agree with the politics." But I don't buy that argument. If the NAACP, a group whose politics one could also assume he doesn't agree with (with its traditional support of the Democratic Party) decided to have a state or national convention in Charlotte I guarantee you he would welcome them with open arms...if only for appearance's sake. But gays and lesbians? Fugeddaboudit.
I can't say that I am a gay supporter as I don't know what that would require. I do know that I have no negative feelings against gays. I have members of my family that are gay. We are very close. I have a very close personal friend that is gay also. I look at gay people as people that are just people that do something differently in their bedroom than I do. Again, that is O.K. with me. I think that gays should enjoy the same things in life as anyone else without hassle. My point is, why should you feel that the mayor is obligated to address a gay function? Sure, gays voted for him. But they voted for him as voters, not 'gay'voters. I am a fisherman, should I demand that he speak to fishermen because we voted for him? People need to stop looking at themselves as being special. We are all special. Comparing his willingness to speak to a NAACP group is different. The NAACP represents a group that were oppressed in society years ago because of their race. Gays are the same race as everyone else. They have a unique lifestyle. That is fine, but I don't think that the mayor should be obligated to address your group. If he does fine. Otherwise, get over it. I would like to see the day when gayness isn't even an issue.
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I always found it amusing that there were 5 supermarkets within a 1.5 mile radius from where I grew up in Mooresville
I was in Cornelius a month or so ago and a clerk in the smaller of the two Harris Teeters told me that they were being replaced by Trader Joe's. Any news on that? That would be a nice addition.
SuperTarget
Walmart SuperCenter
Lowe's Food
Harris Teeter (another one is coming soon)
Bloom
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I was in Charlotte a couple of weeks ago and got a grand tour. We went to dinner and drinks at NoDa one night. I was impressed with the potential of this part of town. It would be cool if it were safe to walk to downtown from the area, but I question the safety. How safe would it be to make this walk? My friend told me that to walk there via Tryon Street would be almost guaranteed a mugging scenario. Is there a safe route to uptown from Noda? It would be the perfect walk. I could invision walking to Noda from downtown and taking a taxi or bus back later. I think that this is a big selling point for future growth. Also, are there any plans for growth along Davidson Avenue (I believe it was) between Noda and uptown?
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Ok so I dont really know if this belongs here or not, but I was generally bored this Memorial Day and I decided to search the Cooper-Carry Arhitects website. Under the Work in Progress section of their portfolio, there is a section for 500 W. Trade, the Trinity Partners project. Well the orignal image of the project is shown, no surprise there, but there was another image of two 20-30 story condo towers on the site. It stated that there would be 600 rental residential units, 40,000 sq ft of retail, and 980 parking spaces. Does anyone know more about this specific design of the project?
here's the link:
They stated that it will be on 1.85 acres? How will they do that and will there be any work space for such a project. Looks great though.
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Is the new Wachovia building being built where Pound and Moore used to be.? My dad used to work there and I thought it was such a great old building. It seems that the parking lot next to the old structure visable in the picture was where it was?
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Yes, I have tried Spoon's and to tell the truth, I was very disappointed. As far as Central American BBQ, I used to live in Panama and have probably had it during my travels, but I just have a desire to eat good Carolina BBQ when there. I also have to have those great salt/pepper catfish when I am there as well. Can't beat the Carolinas for catfish.
Elizabeth Projects (7th St, Elizabeth Ave, etc)
in Charlotte
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A few months ago when in Cornelius, I was told that the Harris Teeter on Torrence Chapel Rd. was to become a Fresh Market in February. Anyone with an update?