[SouthPark Mall]

People often joke that Charlotte is the biggest city that nobody's heard of. Obviously this is hyperbole, but it's not without merit. Charlotte for years was a large small town. People patronized local businesses or chains (Belk, Ivey's, etc) and the bank crowd uptown was the primary purchaser of high end clothing, usually not high fashion though, but rather your banker attire of suits and ties. Unfortunately this has translated into a stigma on what kind of "fashion" would succeed in the city. I think we will see a boom of smaller chains opening flagships at Southpark and around the city, and as they gain traction, the legacy luxury brands will follow. 

Target demographics play into the equation, equaling with H&M being opened at Northlake instead.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SouthPark Mall]

Wow super surprised no other Charlotteans have corrected this yet. So it was before my time but, the doubletree was built as The Park Hotel by the Bissell and Harris families something like that, back in the 1970s (think of it as the then-version of The Ballantyne Hotel; former family hunting grounds which became sold-off and developed into the southern part of the city’s newest mixed-use but mainly residential with a strip or hub of commercial) … It was an all-suites hotel, and actually, it was in the portfolio of the Premier Hotels Group - similarly as The Ballantyne Hotel had some international-signature trophy aspect of it before they sold to Marriott. For those who don’t know, the Premier Hotels (or Signature?) had properties like The Dorchester in London and The Breakers in Palm Beach. It was a huge huuuge deal Charlotte’s The Park Hotel was one of the twenty something in their portfolio. Imagine back then — the city’s newest sector of town, developed by Belk, Ivey, Bissell and Harris by way of Morrison … on the stomping grounds of the one and only Morrocroft Farms …. Insert The Park Hotel. Where else would you have stayed? Downtown wasn’t in fashion! SouthPark was. The end.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Also, on that note … it’s condominium equivalent, or should I say co-op equivalent is Morrocroft Place Apartments; a near-derelict 11-story tower of co-op apartments from 1976, adjacent to the original Morrocroft Manor, somehow still on nearly 16 acres of undeveloped prime-SouthPark land and has on-again off-again tried to re organize and redevelop for the last two decades, turning off most of the buyer market for charging $1,600 per month (mostly land tax, then building upkeep) … talk about damp? Morrocroft Place was built to house maids rooms off the outdoor trash hallway behind each kitchen… on each floor… say what! It’s also on the national historic registry. Architecturally, it’s fabulous and would be in all honesty a shame if torn down. Built by the same crowd as the “doubletree”. The more you know.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SouthPark Mall]

I think the DoubleTree South Park is one of the more polarizing hotels... and somehow it is pulling off a 4 on TripAdvisor and 4.2 on Google. 

"  The lobby is beautiful - a multistory design with plenty of seating and impressive woodwork. It definitely creates an intimate, luxurious tone to your stay. " - a 5 star review by LGILMAN479 on TripAdvisor
" Needs a renovation. BADLY. Smells damp and there seems to be a rodent issue." - a 1 star review by laurelivingston on TripAdvisor

Wow super surprised no other Charlotteans have corrected this yet. So it was before my time but, the doubletree was built as The Park Hotel by the Bissell and Harris families something like that, back in the 1970s (think of it as the then-version of The Ballantyne Hotel; former family hunting grounds which became sold-off and developed into the southern part of the city’s newest mixed-use but mainly residential with a strip or hub of commercial) … It was an all-suites hotel, and actually, it was in the portfolio of the Premier Hotels Group - similarly as The Ballantyne Hotel had some international-signature trophy aspect of it before they sold to Marriott. For those who don’t know, the Premier Hotels (or Signature?) had properties like The Dorchester in London and The Breakers in Palm Beach. It was a huge huuuge deal Charlotte’s The Park Hotel was one of the twenty something in their portfolio. Imagine back then — the city’s newest sector of town, developed by Belk, Ivey, Bissell and Harris by way of Morrison … on the stomping grounds of the one and only Morrocroft Farms …. Insert The Park Hotel. Where else would you have stayed? Downtown wasn’t in fashion! SouthPark was. The end.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Why don't Europeans still build beautiful buildings like they did around 1900?]

No idea. A bunch of different factors I suppose. The question I have is why don’t we rid ourselves of the antiquated malls here in America and swap the anchor-reliant concept with traditional arcades from the late 19th century/ early 20th century Europe. Like the Galleria Vittorio in Italy. The Galleria of Houston was based off of that mall. That sort of district-arcade with glass ceiling-enclosed streets, small shops on the ground, with flexible office space and residential above, are among the coolest tourist destinations in Europe because of the boutique feel with fabulous architecture. Needless to say, they remain a special place for locals a century later. In my opinion the details, from construction materials to all areas in design, were chosen with such quality, and with the specific needs of the area at the forefront, resulting in a much more sustainable concept than the average American mall.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SouthPark Mall]

I drove round SouthPark this afternoon and it was the day after the neutron bomb experience. No cars, no people, no movement. I half expected deer and wildlife to be browsing the shrubbery. Landscape care has been suspended. Random wrappers blowing in the breeze. I drove under the main building where the underground parking is (was?) and much of the lighting is unilluminated and it is spooky and perfect for crime events of the worst kind: body drops, drug exchanges, gang shootouts (if you are interested). An occasional parked auto, forlorn, and I wondered how long it had been there and to whom it belongs. My wife said "This is too creepy, let's get out of here."

I was shocked walking my dog today to see the entrance for SouthPark had been mowed. When I go outside my building for a cigarette break, the weeds in the shrubs outside of Paul Simon have gone full-sprout mode sporting daffodils and the other night I saw a raccoon family congregating underneath the Crate & Barrel.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SouthPark Mall]

Took the photo of The Colony demolition on my roof today, and the photo of the cows seems to be closer towards Barclay Downs Drive — so here’s a near half century comparison of SouthPark, fellow Charlotteans!

[Historic District Designation]

Yes to answer your question. Literally joined urban planet for this reason. It’s why my screen name is charlotte paradox


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk