abttown

Not scoffing at all. The trees I planted are just too small to provide much shade at this point. No doubt trees can provide their own little microclimate when there are enough of them. Luckily we got some rain today, so a welcome break from the dry spell!

^Planted 3 maples last fall, although they need a couple more years on them. It is noticeably cooler today!

You are correct. I'm looking into some ground covers and stone now. Our summers are too hot and dry for "normal" grass (and it isn't even summer yet!)

The blowtorch was flipped on very quickly! No rain in sight either. My once lush, green lawn is turning a crispy brown

Not sure if it's a renovation or demo, but I know they've been removing asbestos for the past several weeks.

^That's horrible! With that kind of force, I'm sure the owl didn't survive. An interesting tidbit I learned at the Carolina Raptor Center (you all should go if you've never been), never throw your apple cores, banana peels, etc., from your car window. This may not be littering in the traditional sense, but the fruit attracts mice near the roadways, which in turn attracts birds of prey. These birds swoop in to grab the mice and BAM!

Exactly! I generally like the building from a distance, but the proportions of the pyramid to the top of the structure look way off from certain vantage points. I read several pages back where the architects weren't big fans of the design either, but this is what the client wanted. The customer is always right I suppose!

Great photos! Your second photo is of an Eastern Redbud tree. Fun fact, the tree is part of the pea family and the pink/purple flowers are edible (although they don't have much of a flavor).

I was thinking the same thing after seeing the light color on the exterior framing. If they do end up using a gray-tinted glass, this should be a nice looking tower.

Oh wow. Looks like Flowerchild belongs on a cliff side on Santorini! Now if we could only get the former Greek Isles restaurant to open here, I'd be very happy.

Whoa! Awesome video that sure does leave my toes tingling!

I know the UrbanPlanet site was started in and for Charlotte by our admin guru, Neo. The site has branched out to other cities since its inception, but we're the original forum. I would also surmise this forum is so active because there is just so much development going on in Charlotte proper. Also, your larger cities (LA, New York, Miami, Atlanta) are at development stages where I'd say most people don't really keep up with every new tower or apartment complex. Speaking for myself, I've been looking at this site for over 10 years and selfishly don't care too much about what's happening in other cities , although admittedly I know that I should

Thanks KJHBurg! Work will also keep me away tomorrow, but I greatly appreciate all of your contributions to the site

Shoot CATS an email and let them know how you feel; if you're lucky maybe someone will actually read it . Probably won't help this time around, but maybe service improves next time around [email protected]

^ I saw those elevator shafts a few days ago and was surprised by the height. A large swath of the skyline is definitely going to be blocked from that overpass

No! That's horrible in so many ways. Someone get the new Panther's owner to buy the paper!

Absolutely looks like the ginormous pencils we used in kindergarten. I have tried so hard to like this building. Never wished a tower in this city was shorter until now

Thanks Neo! Hardly ever post, but I've religiously followed this site since 2005 and greatly appreciate how mature (in general) the users are and the wealth of knowledge they provide. No doubt I would suffer major withdrawals if this site were ever...well, I won't say

^ Got stuck in that mess today. Was only going to be on 77 for two exits, so I didn't check traffic. Huge mistake. Took me 70 minutes to get from Arrowood Road to dinner in Southend. All detour routes were clogged also. Silver lining...nothing makes you want expanded transit than a traffic nightmare .

I hope that's the case and the owner's weren't pushed out. I've always liked Pikes and regardless of whether you enjoy the food, it adds character to the neighborhood. Shake shack is a dime a dozen. We get lots of flak as a city for not having an identity and this is why.

I swear to God this city has almost no soul. Let's just go ahead and push Price's Chicken out as well.

Maybe even Crescent knows how bland that building is and is willing to let this fly . Regardless of the plant species, the vine adds a nice splash of color, creates a natural blind from the train station, and helps clean the air. Okay, I'm convinced we need to start planting that sh*t everywhere!

Zooming in on those leaves, it does look an awful lot like Kudzu!

Was at Blue Blaze on Saturday and there were probably 15 or so folks there with others coming and going. I predict they'll be alright, especially with the area continuing to develop. At least for me, I prefer these smaller breweries because of the intimacy.

LOVE seeing that artwork turn the corner! I visited this Whole Foods on Saturday and can say it was quite busy. Nothing too unique about the place, other than it's location. I did eavesdrop on a few conversations and overheard people's excitement on having this store in uptown.