plaza-midwood

Yup, here's the article for anyone that missed it. http://helendining.blogspot.com/2010/04/long-live-diamond.html Under the same ownership as The Penguin, expect this place to make a major comeback. Add another one to the long list of growing PM bars/restaurants...

Awesome pics, thanks.

Not sure how long its' been open, but I just tried Cafe Central for the first time yesterday. Awesome food, great drinks, cool rooftop patio, great vibe. Wasn't hardly anyone there, so I'm guessing it's taking a while for word to get around on this one. That place has great food and tons of potential. http://www.cafecentr.../Site/Home.html With all of the recent additions (Cafe Central, Bistro le Bon, Cuban Pete's, Loco Lime, Whiskey Warehouse)... to go along with all of the long-time staples (Zada Janes, Lulu's, Dish, Penguin, Thomas Street, Intermezzo, Common House, Lang Van, Dim Sum, Foskoskies, Common Market, Soul Gastrolounge, etc)...is there any doubt that Plaza Midwood has the best collection of restaurants in Charlotte?

"By 2012, or 2013 at the latest, the facility’s effect will be an almost immediate reduction in truck traffic in the uptown area. The current, smaller intermodal center in the NoDa area requires hundreds of tractor-trailers to exit the interstates and travel through the north side of uptown. That traffic will move to the airport once the facility is complete." I know that moving the intermodal yards out of Northeast Charlotte has long been a wishlist item for many residents. So how does this affect the current yards? This one will be 3 times its' size...so will the current one remain the same - or can that space be used for other purposes?

It has been announced: Grand Opening Tentatively Scheduled for Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 Stay Tuned! www.wetwillies.com

Honestly, I understand the concern about "loosening" the laws for this type of establishment. We don't want anyone with a trailer and a grill selling food on our streets. But come on...this is obviously a well thought-out, well funded operation. And really...Derita? Please don't hold this thing up with red tape, in the name of beauracracy. Let it proceed. They're ready to open THIS MONTH. Let this one set the new standard, and then re-write the standards accordingly. This startup isn't breaking the rules...it's upping the rules. Hopefully the city council recognizes this. It'd be a major blow if we told this local startup to find its' way elsewhere.

Again, not sure where this belongs...but it caught my eye in a big way: A local Charlotte entrepeneur is trying to convert old shipping containers into high-end street-food carts/mobile restaurants. Why is this even debatable? Apparently the Derita area is highly opposed to this because...that neighborhood has too much to lose...???? http://www.carolinaweeklynewspapers.com/story/20100409/how-shipping-container-could-become-charlottes-next-culinary-hotspot Their website... http://www.boxmanstudios.com/blog/ Is Charlotte Ready? If you read the most recent Charlotte Observer article about us – you’re aware that there are a small group of residents in North Charlotte that have decided our mobile restaurant concept is not right for their neighborhood. And we completely agree with them on this fact – their neighborhood has never been on our list of potential sites as we are focusing on the Uptown market and certain business parks . Unfortunately, even though I have assured them we aren’t planning to operate in their neighborhood (and won’t in the future) they intend to protest our text amendment to the zoning laws expanding the definition of a Mobile Food Unit in Charlotte. They simply don’t want us to exist. As you probably know, we are launching a mobile restaurant in April, 2010. But not just any restaurant – a restaurant that moves from place to place around Charlotte each day and offers a delicious menu created by a Cordon Bleu (Paris) trained chef which features fresh, organic produce wrapped in paninis, sandwiches, pizzas and more.

Not sure where this belongs, but interesting nonetheless. Charlotte ranked ninth in growth

Interesting. And their website confirms the move to NoDa. http://www.luxebohemiancafe.com/

Charlotte a big winner in high-speed train cash "The largest benefactor is the Charlotte Gateway Station in city’s Third Ward. Stimulus will pay $128.3 million of the price tag for bringing the inner-city train depot to the Graham Street facility. Included in the $128.3 million allocation is moving CSX’s Tryon Street yard to another Uptown Charlotte location called the Pinoca Yard." Sorry for the dumb question but...where specifically is CSX's Tryon Street yard currently? Is it right beside the Amtrak station?

If something is moved back...and then forward...did it ever really move at all?

Awesome news.

Was curious to see what Radio Shack's 900,000 square foot headquarters campus looked like. Here are some pics. Wouldn't something like that look sweet in uptown Charlotte...

How do I get a job with CATS/Charmeck/etc? I can put together a mean 1-slide "master-plan" PowerPoint presentation. Maybe even throw in a cool font or two.

The owner of the property was quoted as saying Neighborhood Theatre is "here to stay". Only the management group is leaving. They are apparently already in talks with various other management groups to take over the venue. P.S. The problem with this place can be seen by many of the posts above. "It's a local legend, a great venue, etc. I've never been, but everyone who has says they love it..." There's a delicate balance between remaining 'underground' yet still bringing in the 'mainstream' crowds.