Boring Charlotte

[New Name]

I suppose this is a good place to ask for suggestions - since we're kind of on topic... I'm getting married at the end of April and I will have friends and cousins of my age (early to late twenties) coming into town. I am going to take everyone out on the town and show them a good time before the wedding. There will be a lot of different tastes (friends from Richmond, Boston, Tampa, NYC etc.) Any suggestions? I had some ideas - Thomas Street, maybe Rock Bottom, Elizabeth Billiards. But if you have any other ideas, I'd sure appreciate them... you know, something to show off this wonderfull city and and really have a good time for everyone.

PS: Oh, and does anyone know what is happing that weekend? April 28? I tried to book the Omni and a few other nice hotels and realized they were booked up for that night almost 5 months ago. What the hell is going that night?

[mallguy]

I suppose this is a good place to ask for suggestions - since we're kind of on topic... I'm getting married at the end of April and I will have friends and cousins of my age (early to late twenties) coming into town. I am going to take everyone out on the town and show them a good time before the wedding. There will be a lot of different tastes (friends from Richmond, Boston, Tampa, NYC etc.) Any suggestions? I had some ideas - Thomas Street, maybe Rock Bottom, Elizabeth Billiards. But if you have any other ideas, I'd sure appreciate them... you know, something to show off this wonderfull city and and really have a good time for everyone.

PS: Oh, and does anyone know what is happing that weekend? April 28? I tried to book the Omni and a few other nice hotels and realized they were booked up for that night almost 5 months ago. What the hell is going that night?

[monsoon]

....

PS: Oh, and does anyone know what is happing that weekend? April 28? I tried to book the Omni and a few other nice hotels and realized they were booked up for that night almost 5 months ago. What the hell is going that night?

[queensguy06]

Oh yikes. What a bad time to have family in town...anyway, I live in the Tega Cay/Fort Mill area and when I go downtown I enjoy Madison's, O'Connelly's, Phil's isn't even that bad. Right there on Tryon are a lot of fun bars; nothing too exciting but I always have a great time.

And to answer krazeeboi's answer: "For those who are more familiar with the 2nd tier Southern cities, such as Nashville, Norfolk, Birmingham, Louisville, Austin, Memphis, Tampa, etc., how would you say Charlotte measures up?" I haven't been to a whole lot of 'second tier cities', but of the ones I have been to, my top two favorites are Austin and Tampa. I've been to a lot of big cities across the country - NY, Chicago (my hometown), Seattle, etc. - and Austin is right up there with them in terms of culture and nightlife.

[SimCity]

^I believe that colleges/universities add a certain sense of vibrancy to a downtown, but that's not an absolutely necessity for an exciting downtown; it would certainly provide some balance and variety to the largely corporate drone-dominated downtown of Charlotte. And I'm not a traditional (undergraduate) college student anymore.

Furthermore, many college towns are often cited for their high quality of life, such as Charlottesville and Madison, so I think there's some truth to that (and I don't think college students are behind such studies). Also, the video "Designing a Lively Downtown" that was discussed in the Charlotte subforum used the college town of Ann Arbor as something of a model.

[SimCity]

From what I've seen, Charlote is far from boring. In fact I hope to take a trip there soon to enjoy the city and its environs, especially Lake Norman.

[Justadude]

It really depends on what you're looking for in a city. Compared to many cities its size, Charlotte has a much smaller "creative" scene than you'd expect... particularly if you're comparing it to places like Austin or New Orleans. On the other hand, Charlotte's quality-of-life is extremely high, and I think we tend to take that for granted. It's nice to be able to walk across town at night and not have to seriously worry about being robbed; there are many cities where that is just a dream scenario. Charlotte's worst neighborhoods are nowhere near the level of "ghettos" in many other mid-sized cities, which again is something that is easily taken for granted if you're only looking at the nicer parts of town.

The biggest challenge for this city is its attempt to be "well rounded". This is still a very boring place for people between 15 and 21, which is why you mostly hear college-aged people complaining about the lack of vibrance. Something like a riverwalk or "party district" would do a lot to fix that situation, but it would also bring problems that we currently don't have to deal with (walk down Bourbon St. or Beale St. and count how many times you smell urine or vomit). I think most of us would be willing to trade a little bit of security and sanitation for an extra dose of social activity, especially in the downtown area.

[charlotte_uncc]

Some of the people that I hear complain the most about Charlotte being boring are those that live in the suburbs. Most teens these days tend to venture up to an area with something to do (NoDa, South Park, Uptown, etc). During the week with their strict schedules it can be hard to get to those areas considering drive times.

This is not only restricted to teens. If you are a parent and you live out in Ballantyne, there is not much to do in Ballantyne other than bring your kid to soccer pratice and drive 15 miles from your workplace in uptown, so you have very little time for yourself to go out and do something fun, so many people do not. If we had a larger intown population to support such things, then I'd see it happenning. As it stands now, without the density of the intown, I do not see it happening.

Basically I see it as a population density problem with many people driving 45min+ for their job. This problem can be seen in areas like Chicago, ATL, and all cities with suburbs. The 'fun' areas are those where people do not have to spend INSANE amounts of time in their cars getting around.

[voyager12]

I have found that complaining about one's hometown is a pretty common habit. I am certainly guilty of it. I lived along King St. in Charleston for years and there was always something going on and I still found time to moan along with other people about HOW BORING Charleston is. I have tried to rein it in here but I think it's human nature. Charlotte's offerings in sports,culture,food, is improving but we are not anywhere near Boston/NYC/DC/ATL levels and won't be for quite awhile. So when I feel suffocated for whatever reason I visit bigger cities and come back both jealous that we don't have as much and relieved that we DO have relatively less crime and more affordable housing costs. I have friends from college that just had to live in New York or LA in order to be happy. Those that don't make major $$$ are loaded up with at least four roommates and live in closet size apts. They justify it by saying they live in the "city" and just sleep at home. I would rather go visit and live in Charlotte by myself in an urban setting that may be much smaller and more "boring" in entertainment and cultural options but much more economically manageable for me.

[Temeteron]

I have found that complaining about one's hometown is a pretty common habit. I am certainly guilty of it. I lived along King St. in Charleston for years and there was always something going on and I still found time to moan along with other people about HOW BORING Charleston is. I have tried to rein it in here but I think it's human nature. Charlotte's offerings in sports,culture,food, is improving but we are not anywhere near Boston/NYC/DC/ATL levels and won't be for quite awhile. So when I feel suffocated for whatever reason I visit bigger cities and come back both jealous that we don't have as much and relieved that we DO have relatively less crime and more affordable housing costs. I have friends from college that just had to live in New York or LA in order to be happy. Those that don't make major $$$ are loaded up with at least four roommates and live in closet size apts. They justify it by saying they live in the "city" and just sleep at home. I would rather go visit and live in Charlotte by myself in an urban setting that may be much smaller and more "boring" in entertainment and cultural options but much more economically manageable for me.

[Charlotte_native]

My personal opinion of Charlotte: if you want everything all the time and NOW, this isn't the place for you. If you want the excitement of watching a city grow and change and possibly be a part of it, it is a fantastic and dynamic place to be.

If you want it all now, there are lots of cities to move to. I am happy to be here and to be a part, and have a role, in what is happening.

[New Name]

Charlotte is a city for young professionals and young families to enjoy a fine quality of life. If we were a "party city" (which I think is where this topic is slanted), we would have to deal with the drawbacks: drunks in the streets, litter and trash, crime, people with low motivation to benefit themselves. This city is perfect for a certain time in your life...although that time is different for everyone.

[Miesian Corners]

^While I think you're right in how you view our fair burgh, there is nothing wrong with those who would like to see Charlotte become a more "fun" place to voice their displeasure with the current state of affairs and to keep this dialog going. They can act as catalysts for change. And I'm not so sure about just how great the quality of life is here if all we are is a city of 30-somethings with 2.5 kids. That'd be more bland than even I could stand. In my book, heterogeneity is always a welcome thing in a true urban place. If I wanted a homogeneous life, I'd move back to my hometown in South Carolina. In short, the more Plaza-Midwood types (read: those that feel at home at the Penguin, Common Market, John's Restaurant, and scary-looking adult bookstores on Central) that come to town, the better.

[cinco]

^While I think you're right in how you view our fair burgh, there is nothing wrong with those who would like to see Charlotte become a more "fun" place to voice their displeasure with the current state of affairs and to keep this dialog going. They can act as catalysts for change. And I'm not so sure about just how great the quality of life is here if all we are is a city of 30-somethings with 2.5 kids. That'd be more bland than even I could stand. In my book, heterogeneity is always a welcome thing in a true urban place. If I wanted a homogeneous life, I'd move back to my hometown in South Carolina. In short, the more Plaza-Midwood types (read: those that feel at home at the Penguin, Common Market, John's Restaurant, and scary-looking adult bookstores on Central) that come to town, the better.

[mallguy]

Charlotte is a city for young professionals and young families to enjoy a fine quality of life. If we were a "party city" (which I think is where this topic is slanted), we would have to deal with the drawbacks: drunks in the streets, litter and trash, crime, people with low motivation to benefit themselves. This city is perfect for a certain time in your life...although that time is different for everyone.

[Charlotte_native]

ha! MC, you pegged me - i'm all of those things. you will be happy to learn that the new club that is taking the place of the HUT in uptown, will be partnering with the PENGUIN to have them serve their food. @ least i'm told. it won't be called the penguin but having fried pickles uptown means all is not lost.

however, imo, there are plenty of fine examples of stellar projects. plaza midwood has it's faults but is progressing nicely. in the not-too-distant future the area on pecan will be hemmed in by jack's (where the steeple was), snug harbor (where fire and ice once was), and this new tapas place above lotus... which, BTW, i have heard about outside of UP.

with the forementioned club that is coming to where the hut once was and other projects that are in the works - i would say that the kind of entertainment i like will be keeping pace with the growth of the city. i think our lil' town is becoming increasingly less boring.

[nowensone]

That's a good point, but I'm not wanting a party city; I did the go out late bar scene in my 20s and I'm over that. It'd just be nice to have people who are motivated to get out and do something in their spare time rather than sitting in front of the TV like the 30-something married-with-kids types do. Maybe I would call this thread "Apathetic Charlotte" as that's what the single people I know are?

[Charlotte_native]

I'm finally living in my condo downtown (have been for a week now). I have personally been very surprised at how crowded the streets and sidewalks are EVERY night. I know there have been events that have boosted numbers, but isn't that what makes any city packed? This weekend there were crowds all over and of all demographics. I was really happy to see Blumenthal and the Symphony let out and dressed up couples staying out for up to 2 hours afterwards. The party hardy crowd was out too, as were the kids, the skateboarders, and everyone else.

The big surprise was last night (Monday). When we walked to dinner at 8:00 the sidewalks were as crowded as they were Friday night. I know many will argue that there isn't enough variety, and I'm not saying all is good in Eden, but there are people, lots of them, out every night eating dinner, seeing shows, going to sports events, and some like me just walking around.

[voyager12]

Tara Servatius had an interesting cover story in this week's CL. It discussed Charlotte's constantly struggling community based and grass roots arts scene. She correctly pointed out that the city has spent thousands on consultants to tell them how to attract the Creative Class to and ideas on how to be less boring and more cool like Austin or Portland. While some of this research may be worthwhile this same group sabotages what's already here by actions such as allowing Hart Witzen to be kicked out of a great space Uptown for a parking garage and the fight over Spirit Square. There is a great disconnect between community based groups and establishment organs such as the ASC. It's hard for fringe groups trying to make Charlotte less boring to get a toehold when all the money is sucked in by the ASC which can't be a voice for controversial and cutting edge art because they are dependent upon conservative corporate donors. This weekend Hart Witzen is hosting a multi-genre show called Artzilla presented by Charlotte Total Theater at their NoDa gallery on E 136th St Fri and Sat night from 8-12 $10 admission with a portion going to Urban Ministries. CL is hosting a free Political Party Forum at The Neighborhood theatre on Wednesday at 7:00 open to anyone who wants to speak their mind on local issues. Both worthy events to see and express thoughts about how to make Charlotte better.

[voyager12]

The New York Times Travel Magazine for last weekend had two very interesting profiles of Omaha and Dallas. The former being a lower profile town that has created it's own distinct style and boho flair. In Omaha's case it's notable to point out that the growth of art galleries and locally owned shops was completely self created without the help of local government. Local residents were able to stop the complete demolition of an area downtown called The Old Market and the renaissance was born. Artists from all over the country are flocking there lured by cheap rents and older architecture. I think a similar phenomenon could have happened here if the older portions of Uptown had not been demolished. Working towards bringing Artspace to Meck Mills in NoDa is a good corollary. The profile of Dallas focused on it's drive to loosen up it's button down image by encouraging the creation of pedestrian friendly corridors and cafes and extolled the city's construction boom. I would guess that our building craze is relatively comparable although we are of smaller size. Overall the two stories gave me hope that Charlotte also has a chance to shine and be less "boring" if we go about it the right way!

[Spartan]

I respect this paragraph a lot. I totally agree. You can't have your cake and eat it too. There's always something that you'll miss out on. Having lived in Boston, Charlotte, and Columbia, SC; I feel that Charlotte is a good mix of Northern and Southern culture, Urban and Suburban, International and All-American. In my opinion it's the most interesting place out of the three.

[NCN8ive]

I'm finally living in my condo downtown (have been for a week now). I have personally been very surprised at how crowded the streets and sidewalks are EVERY night. I know there have been events that have boosted numbers, but isn't that what makes any city packed?

[carpediem]

while your posts makes little sense to me.... if you want a "thuggy" uptown, i suggest you attend our 4th of july festivities in center city.... they are a riot.

[carpediem]

I feel that Charlotte is a good mix of Northern and Southern culture, Urban and Suburban, International and All-American. In my opinion it's the most interesting place out of the three.

[voyager12]

I attended CL's "Political Party" at The Neighborhood Theater in NoDa tonight. We had a full house. There was some interesting and lowbrow dialogue between the panel and audience but hey that was the point...given the venue and bar I came away feeling saddened about how balkanized Charlotte is racially,economically,and politically. I know this reflective of the nation as a whole but it's acutely apparent here and I admit to being jaded and partisan myself. Changing this culture is tough job but self awareness is a great first step.