Xss

Hello! I don't usually post, so hopefully I'll figure out how to properly put pictures. These are not the best: I had a connection in Charlotte the other day while going back to France, so I took these from the plane during take off. Also, a little video: That angle is really starting to get some nice density! To my surprise, my father finds these shoots from above unimpressive: he'd rather see the skyline from the interstate, "downtown looks bigger that way: it looks rather small from above"...Well, to each his own, I suppose.

Ok, thanks for the answer. Well, crossing fingers then, I guess. Ultimately, whether Levine owns the land or not, it's whatever will get built that is important: hopefully they'll get this right.

Ok, quick question from "the guy who regularly checks the forum even if he's not from Charlotte but almost never posts": tell me if I'm wrong, but, doesn't some of that land (maybe half of it) belong to Levine?...Because if that's the case, call me pessimistic, but I don't see this happening anytime soon. Or at least, not on Levine's parcels. Trust me: I'm very hyped about this, and I would love for it to happen. I was in downtown Charlotte not so long ago for the first time in 6 years. And while a lot has improved, it still somewhat has that "beautiful office park" vibe (even when I was in Romare Bearden park). So if that North Tryon project gets done, and whatever is being planed for South Tryon, downtown Charlotte will really start feeling like a real city/neighbor for me. But well, you guys know better than me how Levine Land has evolved in the past 10 years... So does this North Tryon project involves more people who can force Levine to actually finally do something (local politics and government? City council? Etc...)? I am clueless when it comes to what's happening behind the curtain of big cities' projects, the politics surrounding it, and who/what is really involved to make it happen.

Just wanted to drop a quick message to say that I had no clue it was the gay pride in Charlotte. Most of what I remember from Charlotte were my trips from 1998, 2004 and 2008, that's all (plus what I read here and there on the forum). I went with my father to have a walk around downtown on Saturday and, Holy Cow, it's the gay pride! And, Holy Cow again, it looks huge! Granted, that was my first gay pride ever, but I always pictured the gay pride in Charlotte as small gathering of some folks, at a park or someplace in town. Well, I was dead wrong, I wouldn't have believed the gay pride would be such a big event in "the Deep South/Red State". And I didn't see many protesters (even if they were hard to notice). Give yourselves a pat in the back, because that was awesome! :) My father even commented "wow, between the gay pride and all the local artists...Charlotte looks like an artistic town, in some way. It wasn't like that 40 years ago when my family moved in...Maybe it has an artistic culture, could it be the New York of the South? You know, artistically speaking?". Well, to be fair, I have no clue of how important the artistic scene in Charlotte is (I know you have NoDa, but I've never been there). I guess you clearly can't compete with New Orleans, but maybe you could be closer to Austin (another fun city to be, from what I hear). But when a foreigner arrives to your city and compares it to New York in a good way, well, that certainly means something! :)

Thanks, we might check it out.

Hello, I almost never post, but I have been a lurker for years (I pretty much check these forums on a daily basis). Anyway, I am going to visit some relatives in Charlotte (for the first time in 7 years!). I'll be of course stopping by the downtown, can't wait to check all the new stuff! Hopefully I am posting my question in the right section: any good places to eat there, maybe around Bearden Park, opened on Saturday? Also, any restaurants you absolutely do not recommend? Thanks!

Indeed, I've just seen the rendering of the tower on the residence section (the rendering on the left): i was very sceptical about the design at the begining, but now I really love it. One of the best Trump's designs I've seen so far.

Well, I just want to say that I changed my mind with the new renderings: It's exactly what I was hopping for when I saw the first rendering. Very great architecture, now I definitely love it! Let's see if we have more concrete information in the days to come.

Well, it's not bad! Not bad... ... Yes, I know: you people are probably end up hating me. After the new Wachovia tower, the new BofA tower, now comes a preview of the Trump Tower and even if this is a nice building, I'm not very impressed. I think I was simply expecting too much: a very "modern-21stcentury-asianlooking" building, with an amazing crown. So yes, the building is nice, but it doesn't look extremely revolutionary for me. Looks like it could have been built in the 90ties. I think I'll stay a fan of the BofA tower! If this Trump tower ends up being the new tallest, I'll be a bit disappointed. But well, this is just a preview image, so I'm waiting forward for more renderings that will give us a better idea of the building (can't wait for some renderings showing us the color of the glass during the day, and also a rendering showing the building in the skyline). And by the look of the building's shape, I have that feeling it will look different depending on what angle we see it, which is very good: I almost want to say "give us a little video with a 3D model of it!". From what I remember, the Trump Tower was supposed to be made of two towers. And I may be wrong, but here I see four towers! And I may also be dreaming, but on top of the second taller tower, inside the glass "crown"...Do those shadows I see look like trees? Just think about some kind of garden on top of that tower, opened to public, to admire the rest of the skyline from up there. Now the only thing that really bothers me is the base of the building (mostly that huge brown block). But I guess it's mostly a preview, so I still have faith. Right now it doesn't seem very pedestrian friendly. Since the tower was supposed to bring a lot of retail, one of the things I'm really looking forward is the interaction of that retail at street level: IMO it has to be one of the key elements of that tower. If that brown block ends up being a retail center with a good street-interaction, then I'll be happy with that building! Apart from that, kudos to Charlotte!

I know I'm only the French guy who's not from Charlotte and who only posts once in a while, but...I really don't like it. The first design was okay, with the "curtains" going up, as mentioned above, with a building inside. That second one is simply ugly for me. I was already disappointed with the new Wachovia that seemed to burst out from the 80ties...Well, that new BofA reminds me of those horrible grey boxes from the 60ties! Makes me think of a huge version of 200 South Tryon (Which I sadly don't like at all...) http://www.kineticstrategy.com/images/200tryon.jpg I remember people saying here that one of the fa

Very interesting, thanks for the drawing. But again, too bad that building is not pedestrian-friendly in that street perpendicular to College Street. Shops having entrances in that street would have been a plus in my opinion.

Looking at your pics, RiverwoodCLT and eastsider, I'm amazed how much life and "big city feel" there is now in that part of uptown with the adition of the Epicenter and the light rail. When you think the BofA and 210 still have to go up...I'm very impressed.

I know I am not from Charlotte and have not been a lot in that town, but every time I saw that light rail being under construction in downtown. And finally, years after, it is done : kudos to Charlotte! Being from Europe I've always had that feeling that public transports are not extremely well developed in the US (apart in some cities like San Fran), so I consider a light rail to be a very good step forward for a middle size city like Charlotte. Next time I will go to Charlotte I will try to have a ride on it! So, maybe that question was asked before, but I didn't really follow the development of the light rail : this is the south corridor. Any ideas when the North, East and West lines will be done (if there are planed)?

I have to say that that first rendering you posted is simply amazing. I don't know where you found that pic of the new Wachovia tower, or if you drew it yourself, but is really impressive and elegant from that angle. I was never a big fan of that tower, but seing it like that in the skyline makes me dream : it just fits perfectly, it almost seems more impressive than BofA. You've just made me almost love the new Wachovia tower, so kudos for that!

Hm, maybe 74 stories...With a crow...Then a spire, that will be a new tallest that really looks like a new tallest! Thanks for all the new infos! I'm starting getting excited here while I'm on the other side of the Atlantic ocean! "crosses his fingers while waiting for the official announcements"

Neither do I : I'm not a big fan of the Trump designs used for New Orleans and Chicago...

Just to say that I also can't wait for the announcement. I hope they'll release the first renderings. And I hope you guys in Charlotte will get something as elegant as the Signature Tower in Nashville : more than the height, I am very concerned about the look of that building, mostly if it the new taller for the city...I never said it, but personally I've been so disappointed by the new Wachovia building that I'm afraid Trump Tower will fail also in giving a true iconic building, like BofA. "crossing his fingers".

Thanks for the answer. 2 years from now for all the rest? So fast? Wow, I can't believe it. All that is really going to change the face of downtown Charlotte.

Oh my God! I must be dreaming, someone please pinch me! Downtown really starts looking like "huge" with all those projects! Since I don't live there, does anyone know how many time before most of those projects will be built? Someone said about mi-2008...Sounds a little far for me, but better late than never! I'll really have to return to this city within some years...