Perception of Charlotte Nationwide

[SmellyCat]

The funny thing about GMAC and MS is that nobody is talking about it except the people here in CLT.

Well, of course - who else would really care, other than maybe people in Detroit? Every other city in this country has bigger things to worry about than where GMAC's or Morgan Stanley's retail bank is going to be located, don't cha think?

[monsoon]

Well, of course - who else would really care, other than maybe people in Detroit? Every other city in this country has bigger things to worry about than where GMAC's or Morgan Stanley's retail bank is going to be located, don't cha think?

I am assuming you must be kidding like you were when you were insisting that Merrill Lynch was a good deal for BofA. Maybe you had not noticed but the news will pick up on trivialities such as Thains $1400 trashcans then I would think they might talk about the move of one of these name brand institutions to Charlotte, NC. A city now infamous for it's banks. Call me crazy, and I don't really care if you do or not, but I would think that it would deserve a mention anywhere, other than just the Observer.

[SmellyCat]

I am assuming you must be kidding like you were when you were insisting that Merrill Lynch was a good deal for BofA. Maybe you had not noticed but the news will pick up on trivialities such as Thains $1400 trashcans then I would think they might talk about the move of one of these name brand institutions to Charlotte, NC. A city now infamous for it's banks. Call me crazy, and I don't really care if you do or not, but I would think that it would deserve a mention anywhere, other than just the Observer.

Once again, putting words in my mouth....I never said that Merrill Lynch was a good deal for BofA. You, however, did say numerous times that Citibank (who itself was on the precipice of failing) was a better suitor for Wachovia than Wells Fargo. That is, before you shut that thread down, presumably because people were disagreeing with you.

Thank you.

[monsoon]

Once again, putting words in my mouth.......

Ahh, then you turn around and accuse me of something I didn't do. If you are going to preach behavior you should first practice it yourself. Even better, don't do it at all because we don't need it here. That topic was shutdown and archived because of insulting posts such as yours which you just demonstrated here in the last couple of posts. You started out insisting that Wachovia could not be taken over, which it was, and it went downhill from there. Rather than continue with it, we moved it to the trash. I certainly don't mind if you want to disagree with me, but your method is to be insulting about it and we don't need that here.

If you have an axe to grind, then do it in private messages.

[Commoner]

I think a relocation of GMAC would be newsworthy in Charlotte, NYC and Detroit. The relocation of MS's depository institution to Charlotte would probably only be newsworthy here. You're talking about one division of a much larger company. Wachovia Securities has changed bases several times in the last ten years and, if I recall, that wasn't particularly newsworthy on its own (as opposed to it being in the context of an acquisition).

With respect to the Thain remodeling story, are you surprised that this is a much bigger story? Would this be the first time that MSM has opted for the sensational or tabloid story over something of substance? Or, if that's not the angle you want, how about the fact that it was fodder for the public's view of all individuals in banking as (my personal fav) "fat cats"? Also, let's remember that GMAC hasn't announced yet. THIS is where the discussion takes place before the actual story (the announcement). I guess if certain site admins wanted this to be more like the comments section to CNN or the Huffington Post, where we didn't discuss silly rumors like relos of bad auto finance companies*, we could wait for news to break and all congregate to discuss it.

*Incidentally, Fortune Magazine classifies GMAC as a "Diversified Finance Company", like GE.

As an aside, I've wondered where that Wachovia thread went. It suspiciously disappeared around the same time the big C dropped below $5.

[monsoon]

.... I guess if certain site admins wanted this to be more like the comments section to CNN or the Huffington Post, where we didn't discuss silly rumors like relos of bad auto finance companies*, we could wait for news to break and all congregate to discuss it. ....

We did give you your own topic to discuss the rumor that you began here from your hair dresser or something such as that, concerning the relocation Morgan Stanley to Charlotte. Curious that. You haven't posted much in it. It was however nonsense such as that in the Wachovia topic which resulted in that topic being closed. It had nothing to do with people disagreeing with me. If you want these topics to remain open then please attempt to approach them in a serious manner. If you have other motives then please go elsewhere,

[SmellyCat]

Ahh, then you turn around and accuse me of something I didn't do. If you are going to preach behavior you should first practice it yourself. Even better, don't do it at all because we don't need it here. That topic was shutdown and archived because of insulting posts such as yours which you just demonstrated here in the last couple of posts. You started out insisting that Wachovia could not be taken over, which it was, and it went downhill from there. Rather than continue with it, we moved it to the trash. I certainly don't mind if you want to disagree with me, but your method is to be insulting about it and we don't need that here.

If you have an axe to grind, then do it in private messages.

I also never insisted that Wachovia could not be taken over either - you must be confusing me with another poster. However, I DID say numerous times that Wells Fargo would be a better result for Wachovia than Citi and I stick by that.

I don't have an axe to grind....however, if you were insulted and annoyed by my comments, then I'll just leave it alone right there and quit talking now.

[voyager12]

Work and lifestyle guru Richard Florida just said on NPR that Charlotte is doing great and surfing the tide of the current downturn. Ok.

He is also advocating increasing opportunities for rentals over homeownership. Pushing more light rail and promoting TOD over car based culture nationwide.

I think Florida has some good points and is lacking in other areas. I am dissapointed that he hasn't mentioned the " just add gays, stir and your town is awesome" theory

[atlrvr]

Suprising he pointed out Charlotte is doing well. It often scores poorly on his creativity index and I believe he singles it out in his Creative Class book as a place that isn't particularly desirable.

His theories are all well in good when the economy is booming, but not so strong in times of bad.

Don't worry Voyager, he has stated he belief that gays make the world go round theory plenty of times before

[Commoner]

Now on PBS ran a great feature on the allocation of transit project stimulus dollars. It featured the Lynx Blue Line and interviews with Mayor McCrory and other North Carolinians regarding North Carolina's (and States in general) competence in allocating transportation resources. It's especially complimentary of the Lynx's effect on South End.

http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/507/index.html

[monsoon]

Suprising he pointed out Charlotte is doing well. It often scores poorly on his creativity index and I believe he singles it out in his Creative Class book as a place that isn't particularly desirable.....

Indeed. We had a discussion here that went something to the effect that Charlotte was supposed to do poorly because we didn't have a Creative Class, according to him. At the time his notions were generally poo poo'd by the forum here.

[davidals]

^

Indeed - I didn't hear the NPR piece, but I expect that it was a boiled-down version of the piece he has in this month's issue of The Atlantic. That I did read, and it's the usual round of cocktail-party pop sociology from the first book, reworked a bit to reflect a new economic landscape. He generally had some nice things to say about Charlotte, without getting too specific, before moving on to the likes of Vegas, Detroit and his favored set of CC meccas. I'd recommend the article - it isn't going to tell you much that you don't already know, but it's entertaining (in a way) to see him play armchair economist.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Indeed. We had a discussion here that went something to the effect that Charlotte was supposed to do poorly because we didn't have a Creative Class, according to him. At the time his notions were generally poo poo'd by the forum here.

Sorry, but even during times of economic distress, I find Land's theories and observations about the Creative Class to be spot-on.

[krazeeboi]

Sorry, but even during times of economic distress, I find Land's theories and observations about the Creative Class to be spot-on.

Land or Florida?

[Miesian Corners]

Here's an article from the Atlantic Monthly (current issue) on the US economy and how it will play out geographically. Charlotte is a big part of the piece.

I'm not sure I believe any of what the article says. I really don't give much credence to anything Richard Florida says. But it's a good read, none-the-less. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200903/meltdown-geography/6

[cityboi]

It really depends on you perspective. Charlotte is a big city if you live Asheville. However people who live in much bigger cities dont think of Charlotte being a big city. I have a neighbor who recently moved from Houston and we actually had a conversation about this. She doesnt believe Charlotte is a big city. Again it just depends on your perspective. If you grew up in any city that smaller than Charlotte, you will see it as a big city. If you grew up in a city larger than Charlotte, you will view it as a small city or a medium sized city.

Edited February 19, 2009 by cityboi

[voyager12]

I moved here from Charleston and I feel like I am in a bigger city when I visit there. Probably because the downtown there is so classically urban and dense.

[HopHead]

BusinessWeek released it's Top 10 most affordable suburbs. Two of Charlotte's suburbs, Cornelius and Fort Mill made that list at 7 and 10 respectfully. Here's the story: Best Affordable Suburbs

[Guest]

BusinessWeek released it's Top 10 most affordable suburbs. Two of Charlotte's suburbs, Cornelius and Fort Mill made that list at 7 and 10 respectfully. Here's the story: Best Affordable Suburbs

Take that with a grain of salt. Business week rated Indian Trail, NC to be the NC's next boomtown, and Jacksonville, NC to be NC's best city to raise a family!? The said this because it is home to a marine base.

[voyager12]

I am no expert in this part of the metro but Cornelius has always struck me as being almost as expensive as Davidson. Always thought Mooresville was the most affordable of all the communities near the lake.

[Charlotte_native]

I am no expert in this part of the metro but Cornelius has always struck me as being almost as expensive as Davidson. Always thought Mooresville was the most affordable of all the communities near the lake.

Huntersville, Mooresville, and Cornelius are really two cities/towns each. The older part of town and the smaller older homes with scatterings of subdivisions, then the lakefront and lake communities. Cornelius less so, much smaller. Mooresville actually has a really cool old mill village from the factories that used to be there.

[monsoon]

Huntersville, Mooresville, and Cornelius are really two cities/towns each. The older part of town and the smaller older homes with scatterings of subdivisions, then the lakefront and lake communities. Cornelius less so, much smaller. Mooresville actually has a really cool old mill village from the factories that used to be there.

Actually... With the exception of the homes that are right on the lake or have lake access/views, it's probably not possible to characterize it as simple as that. There are trailer parks, numerous starter home developments and a ton of apartments on the lake side of I-77. A lot of it was built when Mecklenburg county did the zoning. Some of the most expensive non-lake front homes in the Lake area are located around the city centers of Davidson, Cornelius, and on the East side of I-77 in Huntersville. Mooresville is more divided than this, but it also takes up a fairly sizeable land are in comparison so I am not sure that it does compare that well. Mooresville is a cheaper place to live, because for one it is a good bit more distant from Charlotte and prices are a lot lower as a result, and Iredell taxes are considerably lower. (this doesn't apply to Mooresville territory on Lake Norman which is very expensive)

Cornelius and Davidson however are excellent examples of how towns can be redeveloped without pricing most of the community out of the community. They have done a much better job of this than what has been done in places such as Dilworth, Elizabeth and Plaza-Midwood. Davidson has a reputation for being expensive, but there is a significant amount of lower income housing right in the town and in places where new retail development is being encouraged.

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On a different note, Peter Alexander of NBC news did a news capsule on a breakfast club here in Charlotte aimed at out of work executives and other white collar workers. Not once did he mention NC with Charlotte. I have to admit, it sounded a bit strange.

[NcSc74]

I had to comment on what I saw this morning. While hitting the snooze button this morning(4 times) I saw the Charlotte skyline in a weather channel location update. I havn't seen any NC city done like this before. Not sure what cam they used but it looked like the Cordelia Park view but zoomed out a little. The weathercaster said it will be a chilly start in the queen city today (I think... I was still groggy). Although the header did have Charlotte NC on it I didn't mind. Anyone who is not an idiot could see that the city is a significant one. The only thing that bugged me is the positioning of the VUE. Once finished it is really gonna stick out like a middle finger. It needs a friend in a bad way. Oh well great cameo Charlotte.

Edited February 26, 2009 by NcSc74

[InitialD]

I can't recall seeing Charlotte on the Weather Channel. I've often seen an Atlanta webcam on TWC, but they usually use one on the beltline at the Galleria area.

[Windsurfer]

I can't recall seeing Charlotte on the Weather Channel. I've often seen an Atlanta webcam on TWC, but they usually use one on the beltline at the Galleria area.

I saw it. They were just borrowing the WSOC camera.