Charlotte Photo of the Day

[Windsurfer]

56 minutes ago, Silicon Dogwoods said:

Greetings, fellow native!

The Independence Building was a huge loss, both aesthetically and historically. Today, it would undoubtedly be saved, not razed. But Hotel Charlotte's loss gave us the Carillon which I think was well-done and the soon-to-be Grand Bohemian. I remember the Kofinas Grill-my dad worked uptown when I was a kid and he ate lunch there. On Fridays (payday, natch) we'd meet him after work and eat at the old S&W on West Trade then maybe shop a bit at Belk.

But no, I don't miss that cobbled-together building (Belk + Efird) and its ridiculous street-level connector walkway. We got the Bank of America Corporate Center instead! Don't miss that smelly Woolworth that some keep lamenting-please, are you serious? There's a carbon copy in downtown Augusta, Georgia if you want to venerate it. And speaking of smelly, I don't miss the Kress store where Bank of America Plaza and the Omni now stand.

If Crescent's Tryon Place ever goes vertical, I won't miss that building but I seem to recall it dates to the 19th century. But it's been so radically altered over the years that it's lost all historical and aesthetic value.

 

And, greetings to you!!

One day, during a salesmeeting in the 40's, in a restaurant beside Hotel Charlotte, my dad and fellow salesmen heard a loud thud coming from the roof. They went outside to discover a preacher had committed suicide by leaping out of Hotel Charlotte.

Kofinas' had the best boxing pictures!  It was so much like a NY bar.  Happen to have some of their fried chicken?  You and I must be of similar age. I'm 57.  When I was 11 my dad and I walked from way below South Park (Beverly Woods) to the square. I found the horizontal grooves in The Independence building too tempting and started climbing despite being tired. I got to the second floor before the cop blew his whistle. I should've kept going  ;-). On the hike up to the square, as usual I heard my dad's stories. As a matter of fact, I remember he and I walking by the old confederate ship yard as it was being dug out on College Street. It was quite an undertaking. No telling what relics came out of the ground on that one.

 

[Silicon Dogwoods]

(QCexpat this is for you-the formatting is klugey this morning)

Yes. That's what I meant when I said,  "...except that it was a community of people. To me, that's the thing to lament. Not the marginally few buildings of interest."

It reminds me that although everyone rejoiced at the demolition of the motel so that Skyhouses I & II could be built, that old motel was home to a good many people.

Where did they end up?

10 minutes ago, Windsurfer said:

 

And, greetings to you!!

One day, during a salesmeeting in the 40's, in a restaurant beside Hotel Charlotte, my dad and fellow salesmen heard a loud thud coming from the roof. They went outside to discover a preacher had committed suicide by leaping out of Hotel Charlotte.

Kofinas' had the best boxing pictures!  It was so much like a NY bar.  Happen to have some of their fried chicken?  You and I must be of similar age. I'm 57.  When I was 11 my dad and I walked from way below South Park (Beverly Woods) to the square. I found the horizontal grooves in The Independence building too tempting and started climbing despite being tired. I got to the second floor before the cop blew his whistle. I should've kept going  ;-). On the hike up to the square, as usual I heard my dad's stories. As a matter of fact, I remember he and I walking by the old confederate ship yard as it was being dug out on College Street. It was quite an undertaking. No telling what relics came out of the ground on that one.

 

I'm 59, dammit! 

Never expected to be this old. Yet here I am.

Edited February 15, 2016 by Silicon Dogwoods

[Bikeguy]

29 minutes ago, Silicon Dogwoods said:

Greetings, fellow native!

The Independence Building was a huge loss, both aesthetically and historically. Today, it would undoubtedly be saved, not razed. But Hotel Charlotte's loss gave us the Carillon which I think was well-done and the soon-to-be Grand Bohemian. I remember the Kofinas Grill-my dad worked uptown when I was a kid and he ate lunch there. On Fridays (payday, natch) we'd meet him after work and eat at the old S&W on West Trade then maybe shop a bit at Belk.

But no, I don't miss that cobbled-together building (Belk + Efird) and its ridiculous street-level connector walkway. We got the Bank of America Corporate Center instead! Don't miss that smelly Woolworth that some keep lamenting-please, are you serious? There's a carbon copy in downtown Augusta, Georgia if you want to venerate it. And speaking of smelly, I don't miss the Kress store where Bank of America Plaza and the Omni now stand.

If Crescent's Tryon Place ever goes vertical, I won't miss that building but I seem to recall it dates to the 19th century. But it's been so radically altered over the years that it's lost all historical and aesthetic value.

a couple of 1970 street scenes and what they look like today...  

 

 

On 2/12/2016 at 5:13 PM, tarhoosier said:

In the lower photo US 74 (Independence) comes from the southwest and at stonewall makes a nearly 90º right turn then follows current Stonewall to Charlottetowne, then roughly the current position heading southeast through and out of town. Headed west it went up the hill past where Charlotte school of law building and thence to Wilkinson. I cannot recall the route exactly between this photo and the I-77 overpass for 74 headed to the west side and to the airport which was a West Boulevard portal at that time.

 

[QCxpat]

The pin oaks that line Tryon Street are magnificent today.  Hard to believe their absence in the photos of the QC in the 1970's.

[Silicon Dogwoods]

9 minutes ago, QCxpat said:

The pin oaks that line Tryon Street are magnificent today.  Hard to believe their absence in the photos of the QC in the 1970's.

Willow oaks. Not pin oaks, so tacky! Willow oaks. 

Or as one of the arborists at Heartwood said to me, "the trophy wife of trees." 

Edited February 15, 2016 by Silicon Dogwoods

[Windsurfer]

Great shots!  One other building I miss, that you can see in the photos, is the old Jack Wood Clothier building. Too bad that one had to go too. Love that Corvair in one of the shots too. 

I wouldn't have it, but I guess you could eliminated the oaks for street parking, and then rebuild the extra lane. I can see the day when they'll have to cut the oaks and replant them due to being so large. The winds howling between the buildings will eventually do a number on them.

[eastsider]

Talk of Hotel Charlotte reminded me of its implosion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ8qA4QAVC8

[Silicon Dogwoods]

3 hours ago, Windsurfer said:

Great shots!  One other building I miss, that you can see in the photos, is the old Jack Wood Clothier building. Too bad that one had to go too. Love that Corvair in one of the shots too. 

I wouldn't have it, but I guess you could eliminated the oaks for street parking, and then rebuild the extra lane. I can see the day when they'll have to cut the oaks and replant them due to being so large. The winds howling between the buildings will eventually do a number on them.

Frank Woods Pontiac-Folger Buick-Sterchi's-

When I came back to Charlotte after a 20-year absence, I was shocked at the large willow oaks on Tryon Street. They're splendid!

[Windsurfer]

Don't get me wrong!  I love every bit of the trees in uptown, Myers Park, etc. The trees really do separate us from most cities. I'm just wondering what's going to happen to them in a few years once they reach a size that'll become vulnerable. 

I was also thinking back a little to Harvey Gantt's "Transit Mall" deal with the paving stones that were ripped up after they failed. Before those ideas, Tryon was a very busy place. Once they widened the sidewalks and did away with the extra lane, it became a royal pain the tush to drive uptown. I know we're trying not to be car-centric and all, but the result at the time was a desertion of Tryon of sorts. (and of course South Park and Eastland did their part. )

I know photos are supposed to go in this thread so here's mine for today. It's of one of my great-grand parents' homes near where Carmel Road and 51 intersect. Growing up I heard stories of civil war fighters coming home to till the soil, then returning to battle once they were done. What a hard life. This house was about 1/2 mile north of that intersection. (on the West side of Carmel)

Edited February 16, 2016 by Windsurfer

[QCxpat]

What a spectacular and evocative photo!  It reminds me of my grandparents old farmhouse in Mineral Springs in Union County in the 50's.  

Rt. 51 and Carmel Road then and now - what a phenomenal transformation from a bygone arcadian landscape to suburban office parks.  Simply amazing.       

[Silicon Dogwoods]

3 hours ago, Windsurfer said:

Don't get me wrong!  I love every bit of the trees in uptown, Myers Park, etc. The trees really do separate us from most cities. I'm just wondering what's going to happen to them in a few years once they reach a size that'll become vulnerable. 

I was also thinking back a little to Harvey Gantt's "Transit Mall" deal with the paving stones that were ripped up after they failed. Before those ideas, Tryon was a very busy place. Once they widened the sidewalks and did away with the extra lane, it became a royal pain the tush to drive uptown. I know we're trying not to be car-centric and all, but the result at the time was a desertion of Tryon of sorts. (and of course South Park and Eastland did their part. )

I know photos are supposed to go in this thread so here's mine for today. It's of one of my great-grand parents' homes near where Carmel Road and 51 intersect. Growing up I heard stories of civil war fighters coming home to till the soil, then returning to battle once they were done. What a hard life. This house was about 1/2 mile north of that intersection. (on the West side of Carmel)

Wow.  Thanks for the historical  photo!

 

 

[Windsurfer]

Thanks, guys. I wondered if it might be out of place on such a progressive board. :-)  .  I guess this is the story of most civilizations, no?  Agriculture to urban.

[DEnd]

On ‎2‎/‎19‎/‎2016 at 2:16 PM, Windsurfer said:

Thanks, guys. I wondered if it might be out of place on such a progressive board. :-)  .  I guess this is the story of most civilizations, no?  Agriculture to urban.

I wouldn't confuse urbanist with progressive.  Even urbanist know the value of farms and greenspace, preserving those is one of the reasons for supporting urbanism.  I post here fairly regularly yet I live on 36+ acres in Cleveland County.  Growth in Charlotte means jobs for Cleveland County residents, and higher demand for our farm goods.  Well done urbanism in Charlotte also means higher demand for urban areas here too.  The cities here are really small towns, and the best small towns are built on an urban framework.  The cities here actually tend to have pretty good bones, by valuing those bones more than we have in the past we make the county more competitive and preserve and enhance the country way of life.  Photos like yours are good reminders of what we have lost (both the good and the bad).  The history of Charlotte and the region is something that most of us value.  As someone who's family is not native of this region I find it very important to learn all I can about the history here. I don't have the family stories about the changes that have been made, and knowing that history is important to appreciating what has been accomplished, and the mistakes that have been made.

[Paramount747]

On February 12, 2016 at 8:57 PM, Third Strike said:

That's such a depressing photo. How could city leaders, even back then, think it was truly acceptable to raze most of the historic buildings in Uptown for empty space and parking lots?

Quite an odd photo to say the least! That is a lot of grass out there too for it being an urban setting.

[Paramount747]

Beautiful photos of your fine city here. I wish we had skyscrapers that tall here in Nashville, but it does not look like we will for many years to come. Your city lighting is pretty amazing. We finally have leadership here in Nashville over the past few years that has really taken an interest in downtown. Maybe we will catch up someday.

[tozmervo]

I had the very good fortune to be standing on the Matheson Bridge as this rolled under

[KulBC]

Sunset yesterday 

[urbanlover568]

 

William Avery Photography

[videtur quam contuor]

That two and a half floor room on the top of the near right building was described to me as the BAC trading room. The one with hundreds of people with multiple screens buying and selling and shorting and longing(?) etc. Is this still true? Was it ever?

[Nick2]

Can we steal the "city of light" moniker from Paris? It would be so fitting

[Nick2]

This guy had a few awesome shots of Charlotte on his site

http://photojambo.com/

noda.jfif

queens university.jfif

cltnight.jfif

Edit: I don't know why it only downloads it instead of showing the picture. I have no idea what a .jfif file is.

Edited March 8, 2016 by Nick2

[CLT2014]

19 hours ago, tarhoosier said:

That two and a half floor room on the top of the near right building was described to me as the BAC trading room. The one with hundreds of people with multiple screens buying and selling and shorting and longing(?) etc. Is this still true? Was it ever?

There are about 400 people that work in that room still, mainly in Fixed Income trading. No equities. Some middle office jobs got relocated to that for add well. It used to be BAC's main trading floor (when BAC was way smaller in trading) but it is a branch trading floor now. I think the third largest in the company after NYC and London which are by far the biggest.

Edited March 9, 2016 by CLT2014

[SgtCampsalot]

22 hours ago, mpretori said:

 

William Avery Photography

 

21 hours ago, tarhoosier said:

That two and a half floor room on the top of the near right building was described to me as the BAC trading room. The one with hundreds of people with multiple screens buying and selling and shorting and longing(?) etc. Is this still true? Was it ever?

 

2 hours ago, CLT2014 said:

It used to be BAC's main trading floor (when BAC was way smaller in trading) but it is a branch trading floor now. I think the third largest in the company.

I've always thought that that big room looked like a starship hangar from Star Wars.

[Nick2]

[NcSc74]

I was cruising around Google images and found this website with some old shots of uptown Charlotte, 277 under construction and the old Charlotte Coliseum.

http://dilemma-x.net/2013/07/19/nba-owners-unanimously-voted-charlotte-bobcats-name-change-to-charlotte-hornets/

I know we beat this point up a lot on here but, I still cant get over how uptown was gutted of all its "soul".

Credit to dilemma-x.net for the images.