Charlotte Center City Streetcar Network

[videtur quam contuor]

The house on the left of your second photo is an important one in Charlotte. Norman Cocke of Southern Public Utilities (Duke Power) lived in the house in the 1910's. Lake Norman is named for him. Harry Golden lived in the house from 1973 until 1981. Harry Golden was a treasure for Charlotte in his time. He wrote two well known, popular books, For Two Cents Plain, and Only In America. He also wrote and edited and published The Carolina Israelite paper for many years. He created the phrase "vertical integration" to describe Charlotte and the segregated South in the 1940's to the 60's. People form a mixed line for the bus but when seated remained separate. Same for theatres,  toilets, bank tellers, lots of things. A sadly humorous way to look at a distinctly unpleasant event that was only too apparent in his own time. He was brave to call it what it was. 

Harry grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the Jewish Ghetto, was a labor organizer, stock broker, federal prisoner, lifetime cigar smoker and an outsider here much to his approval. His long time home was in a large house on East Avenue (or Elizabeth) across from CPCC until the homes were demolished for CPCC expansion.

His home there on 8th street is a reminder of a life worth knowing.

1 hour ago, KJHburg said:

In the neighborhood by a certain Latin street food local place and got up close and personal with the street car construction along Hawthorne.  

for those in the know there is just one more station on the other side of the Hawthorne bridge correct for now? 

 

[NOLA2CLT]

1 hour ago, kermit said:

Yes, this is correct. The station is at Sunnyside (about a block from the Beaver).

To my knowledge the stop is supposed to straddle the intersection at Sunnyside.  Thought it was going to be blocking my driveway, but it'll be plenty out of the way.

[KJHburg]

^^ Next time I am over that way I will take some photos of the above mentioned house.  Harry Golden was legendary in Charlotte as I have read some about his life in my Charlotte history books.  Whenever this streetcar does open it will be great for Elizabeth and is a return to the early Charlotte streetcar suburbs. 

[NYtoCLT]

2 hours ago, tarhoosier said:

The house on the left of your second photo is an important one in Charlotte. Norman Cocke of Southern Public Utilities (Duke Power) lived in the house in the 1910's. Lake Norman is named for him. Harry Golden lived in the house from 1973 until 1981. Harry Golden was a treasure for Charlotte in his time. He wrote two well known, popular books, For Two Cents Plain, and Only In America. He also wrote and edited and published The Carolina Israelite paper for many years. He created the phrase "vertical integration" to describe Charlotte and the segregated South in the 1940's to the 60's. People form a mixed line for the bus but when seated remained separate. Same for theatres,  toilets, bank tellers, lots of things. A sadly humorous way to look at a distinctly unpleasant event that was only too apparent in his own time. He was brave to call it what it was. 

Harry grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the Jewish Ghetto, was a labor organizer, stock broker, federal prisoner, lifetime cigar smoker and an outsider here much to his approval. His long time home was in a large house on East Avenue (or Elizabeth) across from CPCC until the homes were demolished for CPCC expansion.

His home there on 8th street is a reminder of a life worth knowing.

 

Do you know the address of the exact house?

[videtur quam contuor]

1701 8th street if you are talking about the extant house. The Elizabeth Avenue House I do not know and it has been gone for decades.

http://landmarkscommission.org/2016/11/09/moore-golden-house/

Edited April 9, 2020 by tarhoosier

[gman430]

[Hushpuppy321]

Pretty amazing to think NC will have its first modern Streetcar Service available by the end of this Year.  Impressive for a Southern State.

[NYtoCLT]

13 minutes ago, Hushpuppy321 said:

Pretty amazing to think NC will have its first modern Streetcar Service available by the end of this Year.  Impressive for a Southern State.

An optimist!

[kermit]

1 minute ago, NYtoCLT said:

An optimist!

actually cancelling the RNC (hasn't happened yet) would really speed up completion.

[NYtoCLT]

15 minutes ago, kermit said:

actually cancelling the RNC (hasn't happened yet) would really speed up completion.

It could but I've been let down enough times to know not to expect anything positive regarding timelines.  

[stiluvclt]

On April 9, 2020 at 5:22 PM, tarhoosier said:

1701 8th street if you are talking about the extant house. The Elizabeth Avenue House I do not know and it has been gone for decades.

http://landmarkscommission.org/2016/11/09/moore-golden-house/

When I was a little boy in the 50s/60s my father who was very good friends with Harry Golden use to visit him in the house across from CPCC or on land that is now more of CPCC. I can remember when we would visit him there was no place to sit on account of all of the many stacks of books. They would always get into a yelling match, at least that's the part I remember. 

One time my dad got a phone call and grabbed me and said we were going to the airport. He drove me out to the old Douglas Municipal Airport and there in the lobby was Harry Golden waiting to board a plane with his dear friend, CARL SANDBURG! Mr. Sandburg hugged my head and kissed me all over my face. He signed a copy of his book, Abraham Lincoln: To Carl Warren (my first and middle name) from Carl Sandburg. I wish I had been old enough to appreciate the moment and I really wish that CPCC had saved that house!

Edited April 12, 2020 by stiluvclt

[videtur quam contuor]

1 hour ago, stiluvclt said:

When I was a little boy in the 50s/60s my father who was very good friends with Harry Golden use to visit him in the house across from CPCC or on land that is now more of CPCC. I can remember when we would visit him there was no place to sit on account of all of the many stacks of books. They would always get into a yelling match, at least that's the part I remember. 

One time my dad got a phone call and grabbed me and said we were going to the airport. He drove me out to the old Douglas Municipal Airport and there in the lobby was Harry Golden waiting to board a plane with his dear friend, CARL SANDBURG! Mr. Sandburg hugged my head and kissed me all over my face. He signed a copy of his book, Abraham Lincoln: To Carl Warren (my first and middle name) from Carl Sandburg. I wish I had been old enough to appreciate the moment and I really wish that CPCC had saved that house!

This is a WONDERFUL story! What a lucky person you are. I am sure opinions were offered and challenged.

Yes they were friends, Sandburg and Golden. I have been to the Sandburg home in Flat Rock, an interesting place of its own. A National Historic Place, or something like that.

The homes on Elizabeth across from CPCC were something like those which remain on East Boulevard from South to Dilworth Road. Large imposing structures, porches, 2-2.5 stories, clapboard and brick, solid looking and for the better class when built but by the 70's abandoned by owners for the suburbs. Dilworth was saved by the historic district. Elizabeth had none. There are two remaining east of Charlottetowne, one a lawyer office the other across from the Visulite which houses the Carolina Opera.

What a story to tell. Thank you so much for sharing it here.

[SpiritOf76]

[NOLA2CLT]

Hot from the City of Charlotte!!  Is it possible this bridge gets done by the end of August?  

 

Project Update   The city has received the sixth and final streetcar vehicle from Siemens. The streetcar vehicles are currently being tested on the Blue Line during non-revenue hours. The roadway realignment of Frazier Avenue is complete. The traffic signal at Frazier Avenue has not yet been installed; however, the intersection is now open to the public. More than 80% of the streetcar track has been installed along the entire alignment. Areas still requiring track work include the Hawthorne Lane Bridge area and the end-of-line segments at French Street and Sunnyside Avenue. The Hawthorne Lane Bridge girders are in their final location, which allows the contractor to start forming the deck and placing concrete over the next few months.

Project Schedule (Major Milestones)

 

 

[KJHburg]

Uptown Trade St streetcar construction today. 

[Yeahdoug]

There better be another layer of asphalt. The track pad and all the sewer covers stick up an 1.5”. Makes driving down Trade terrible. 

[archiham04]

On 4/12/2020 at 8:53 PM, tarhoosier said:

This is a WONDERFUL story! What a lucky person you are. I am sure opinions were offered and challenged.

Yes they were friends, Sandburg and Golden. I have been to the Sandburg home in Flat Rock, an interesting place of its own. A National Historic Place, or something like that.

The homes on Elizabeth across from CPCC were something like those which remain on East Boulevard from South to Dilworth Road. Large imposing structures, porches, 2-2.5 stories, clapboard and brick, solid looking and for the better class when built but by the 70's abandoned by owners for the suburbs. Dilworth was saved by the historic district. Elizabeth had none. There are two remaining east of Charlottetowne, one a lawyer office the other across from the Visulite which houses the Carolina Opera.

What a story to tell. Thank you so much for sharing it here.

Another factor in the loss of these large homes, that I have come to realize over the years, it the large size of the lots.  These homes were just as susceptible to redevelopment as other homes in residential districts at the time.  Not only was there no historic district, but there was no zoning to restrict  a change in use.  Smaller homes quite often were not torn down because they were on small lots, and very little could be done to develop on these parcels in the new era of automobile dependent parking and approach etc. 

[pathb]

First night of bridge pour

 

[NYtoCLT]

1 hour ago, pathb said:

First night of bridge pour

 

At this point, I'm not sure I can imagine a more beautiful sight.

[NOLA2CLT]

Bridge work today...lots of workers 

[JacksonH]

On 5/15/2020 at 3:56 AM, pathb said:

First night of bridge pour

 

No masks, no social distance . . . WTH?

[jordan704]

These power lines are a joke. 

[ertley]

2 minutes ago, jordan704 said:

These power lines are a joke. 

I know everyone here has the same complaint about Charlotte's above ground power lines, so I won't beat a dead horse, but it does flummox me that Duke is *headquartered* in Charlotte, and as one of the nation's biggest energy companies, trying to position itself as a leader in the field, one would think that it would want to present, at least to some degree, a cleaner, more 21st image of itself and services in its home city. SMH.

They're probably worried about setting a precedent for other cities, in acceding to desires for buried lines (from their clientele!), but there are at least a few arterial streets they could work on burying lines that wouldn't excite too much outside interest, I would think.   

[KJHburg]

on power lines overhead all new development in the suburbs it is buried but to bury all the existing lines would require a rate hike.  I know this as Hilton Head Island has a 30+ yr project to bury every line on the island and I pay for it every month on my electric bill down there and have for 17 years.   Though I dont understand why new intown development cant bury the lines as part of their construction.    But drive out to the suburbs there are no overhead lines unless major trunk lines.  That is why the power outages are concentrated intown vs south Charlotte or university area for example.  

[dubone]

19 minutes ago, ertley said:

I know everyone here has the same complaint about Charlotte's above ground power lines, so I won't beat a dead horse, but it does flummox me that Duke is *headquartered* in Charlotte, and as one of the nation's biggest energy companies, trying to position itself as a leader in the field, one would think that it would want to present, at least to some degree, a cleaner, more 21st image of itself and services in its home city. SMH.

They're probably worried about setting a precedent for other cities, in acceding to desires for buried lines (from their clientele!), but there are at least a few arterial streets they could work on burying lines that wouldn't excite too much outside interest, I would think.   

Plus, our mayor for 14 years, McCrory, was a Duke employee of 28 years.   Pretty much paid to do nothing for Duke except shocking support their coal ash pits.  In ~2004 when a massive ice storm took out half the city's electricity and a huge political desire to start burying some lines, he led the charge against it.   Estimates were far excessive, and even if it might have been costly, they could have put policies in place to bury them as an area is redeveloped or densified.   Now we have projects digging deep to build yet not burying the lines 3' away.

Obviously the coal ash has an existential threat to the health of our city, but power line burial is a major part of urbanizing properly.