thechabra

Well, right now they are offering rentals of several units for fairly cheap. I'm not in the market of buying anything for another few years, so it's looking like a pretty good idea. I'm very familiar with thomas st, and love the area. Me and my girlfriend visit often and think it would be a really fun place to live for a year or two and maybe look at buying options in the future. We have already pretty much been approved, just thought I would get some outside opinions before taping up the boxes.

Is there anyone here who can chime in on their thoughts about central 27? Ideally, someone who has lived there or knows someone who has. I'm actually thinking about moving into one of the units fairly soon. Seemed pretty nice when I checked them out, but I'm not very familiar with it's short history and reputation.

I also attended the holiday party. Had a lot of fun during the brief time i was there. The new renderings look really cool, and hopefully the extension really makes the area feel more urban and safe. I'm really looking forward to being able to walk to and from uptown to the area without fearing for my safety around those tracks or having to walk all the way up statesville then back through greenville. They also just sent out a newsletter, which you can view below. http://www.ncmusicfactory.com/

Got an e-mail update today with an invitation to see the progress they have made. I will definately be checking that out. I've also noticed some major work being prepared for the seaboard street extension as you pass over the tracks by the mill.

panthers/falcons game with a nice view from my iphone

I took a quick ride from seventh street station to bland and back for a few beers at tavern on the tracks last night. Was suprised to see so many people getting on and off at 8pm. Train was full of every kind of person you can think of, too. It really makes Charlotte feel more connected and city-like. It was really cool just riding and listening to my ipod like I was in a NYC subway, only in my hometown. Overall it was very pleasant other than two reasons - When I got on the train, there was a guy who was being a complete prick, telling everyone to get the f*** on and get the f*** off and to hurry up like he owned the train. I think he was homeless and most likely didn't have a ticket. I think he was just enjoying being a general asshole to passengers as they got on and off. Second problem was on the way back, I probably waited 20-30 mins for a working train. Two passed by that said "out of service". This was at around 10:30pm. I realize it's still early and I was just experiencing the early glitches etc. I really see this being a great thing for charlotte though.

It's really not that far at all though. What about when NCMF's condos are built and start getting tenants? The place isn't being created just for entertainment, but for living as well. Surely not everyone living there will want to have to drive to the city which is a mile away just because they are afraid to walk there. If that's the case, good luck to them on selling units.

called up 311 today and they didnt really have much to say, the guy wasn't even really familiar wth the area. he just gave me a phone number of a lady to call at the DOT :/ .. I also put in a light outage request to duke energy for the lights underneath 277 on Johnson/seaboard. No idea if that will actually get anything done about it though. Im just really hoping something changes around here before they try to actually have people walking down this way... people just aren't going to do it, it's too dangerous.

Yea, I actually walk it alot, but I never feel safe doing it and try to make it as quick as possible. As soon as you get out to graham or into my neighborhood it's fine, but the dark stretch in between is just asking for someone to get mugged or robbed. There are often police officers sitting in their cruisers underneath 277 right by the tracks - i'm guessing because it's been a problem area in the past. I've seen some sketch people walking around under there.

I'm confused about the seaboard extension - will it just break off to the left by the milling plant before the tracks and go over them or what? either way - it doesnt help pedestrians trying to access it walking from uptown. What is the deal with the 9th street pedestrian bridge? Will that just be a bridge over the tracks that lead you straight into the cemetary? I just rented out a house in the neighborhood right off seaboard (johnson st) beside the music factory and walking to/from uptown is super sketch at night. There's no way I would walk up that dark road beside the cemetary (9th/johnson). I usually walk/ride my skateboard up seaboard and go over the million train tracks and around the sharp curve by the mill and pop out by the Circle K, but even that is a scary adventure when it's dark and i often have to wait for trains. I've actually even asked an officer at the Circle K to give me a quick ride down that way, and when he dropped me off he said he didn't blame me for asking for the ride. It's really a short short walk to everything but I often find myself taking a cab just because I don't feel safe walking under 277 and over the tracks. They need to add some lights and give that area atleast some feeling of safety before anyone considers walking down that way to the music factory. Adding lights underneath the 277 bridges, cleaning up that area, and creating a clear safe walkway from seaboard to graham/10th/9th I would think is an important step to this place's success.