How did we end up with Ballantyne?

[dxartist]

I go to the Fox & Hound in Ballantyne once a year to meet up for my fantasy football league's annual football draft. Every time I go, I get lost (even after googlemapping the area). The only saving grace were the street signs. Every building seems indistinguisible from the next, as in very little character. It reminds me a little or Irvine, Ca. Every strip mall and housing development looks the same.

[Durhamite]

I go to the Fox & Hound in Ballantyne once a year to meet up for my fantasy football league's annual football draft. Every time I go, I get lost (even after googlemapping the area). The only saving grace were the street signs. Every building seems indistinguisible from the next, as in very little character. It reminds me a little or Irvine, Ca. Every strip mall and housing development looks the same.

[monsoon]

Let's move this discussion back to why did the city allow and still seems to be very clueless about approving this kind of development which is the real purpose of this topic.

[Justadude]

I guess the simple answer is that the people calling the shots care primarily about what happens now, and their decisions are 99.9% motivated by what will be most appealing and popular now.

Ballantyne exists because 20 years ago it was rolling pastureland crisscrossed by two-lane county roads. When 485 was being built, I'm sure there were an awful lot of people whose hearts fluttered at the notion of living in the idyllic countryside, then swinging around the highway in 15 minutes to their job in the city. In the moment, it sounded perfect. And it didn't sound so bad to displace a few farms in order to build multimillion dollar mansions.

But as soon as one shoe drops, the next is sure to follow. 10 years ago, 521 and Ballantyne Commons were a solid corrior of retail construction. After all, I'm sure there were an awful lot of people whose hearts fluttered at the notion of living in a semi-rural environment, cruising down the highway in 25 minutes to their job in the city, and shopping at Target only 2 exits from home. And it didn't sound so bad to use up some of that overgrown pastureland to build million-dollar businesses.

So here we are dealing with the long-term effects of those "in the now" decisions, and each day we see that slow, short-sighted process continuing. I'm sure there are an awful lot of people in Ballantyne whose hearts flutter at the notion of living in an exurban environment, crawling down the highway in 45 minutes to their job in the city, and passing the Target exit in favor of a big new Walmart across the street from their kids' school. And right this moment, it doesn't sound so bad to add a little more strain to those new four-lane suburban thoroughfares if it means an extra $0.59 savings on flip-flops.

In 10 years, Ballantyne will be so overbuilt and under-compensated that there will be no solution other than attempting to "build out" of the problem. What used to be 2-lane county roads, which are now 4-lane thoroughfares, will become 8-lane freeways. What used to be pastureland, and is now asphalt, will be buried under even more big-box outlets. What used to be a 15-minute commute will be well over an hour. And at that moment, moving to another part of town won't sound so bad...

[voyager12]

Ballanytne and similar developments continue to thrive and be approved because that is what most Charlotteans want and are used to. As Atlvr mentioned, skim over City-Data Charlotte pages. They are mostly filled with questions about getting the biggest house possible or the need for more strip malls. We are a minority viewpoint. On the positive side, Bank of America has satellite offices in Btyne so residents have the option of working in shared cubes there or at home instead of polluting their way Uptown.

[Spartan]

Personally I don't draw any distinciton between Ballantyne and all the other suburban development in Mecklenburg County....hell even the rest of the country. It is all the same to me. They all take cues from the same suburban planning book....following whatever is the latest trend of the day. Back in the 90s all the rage was culdesacs and now it is "neo-urban" where they push the houses up to the street and put an alley in the back and design neighborhoods on a "pho grid" system.

The reality is that all of the houses in Ballantyne could have been scattered to fit on lots between Uptown and 485. That is what really bugs me. It is not necesary, needed, or healthy development.

[revitalize]

What is this about a faux-grid? Ballantyne has no such thing. There are no alleys.

[uptownliving]

And to add to what revitalize posted when I say "Faux-Grid" I am talking about the newer neighborhoods that are built on a grid system within the neighborhood...but only have 1 external connection to the collector road. This in my opinion tottallly defeats the purpose of the grid in the first place...which is to offer multiple routes of getting to the same place.

[Spartan]

What grid system? Where? Do you mean that subdivision that revitalize posted?

These are well-built homes, they aren't extremely overpriced, and are easily within walking distance of all major services and retail as well as mass transportation (bus to rail!). Yeah, hard to believe but you COULD live in Ballantyne without a car. And perhaps even live, work, and play in Ballantyne as their old slogan went. It actually is a very connected community, within itself and to Uptown.

[Durhamite]

I am in San Diego all week and much of it looks pre-fabed (although it's a beautiful city). My point is, this type of development is not exclusive to Charlotte or the South. Everywhere and everything can't be "urban", these communities serve a purpose and are desired options for those who chose to live there.

For those who DON'T want to live or shop there, DON'T GO THERE.

Here's a better question, HOW DO WE END UP WITH GHETTOS?

[ArtCritic]

I am in San Diego all week and much of it looks pre-fabed (although it's a beautiful city). My point is, this type of development is not exclusive to Charlotte or the South. Everywhere and everything can't be "urban", these communities serve a purpose and are desired options for those who chose to live there.

For those who DON'T want to live or shop there, DON'T GO THERE.

Here's a better question, HOW DO WE END UP WITH GHETTOS?

[Seabreeze]

What I find extremely ironic is that a lot of you say that this area is suburban and not walkable and not practical for anyone, yet I find myself packing and moving to Cheswyck at Ballantyne due to the fact I can ride a bike or walk to work and use my car less. I am moving from the Archdale Light Rail Station, which had been appealing due to a quick train/bus ride to Ballantyne, which brought me DIRECTLY to my office... but I wanted to shorten my commute. I find that I have almost any store I need (Bank of America, Sprint Store, CVS, Restaurants, Harris Teeter, etc etc etc) located within walking distance of both my new home and my office. And then there is public art everywhere (although some is rather odd, I have giant cows near my office and a giant raven sits on the top of the building...) I hated golf and yet I find myself actually enjoying the putting green at my office on my lunch break... Ballantyne holds a lot of secrets for those willing to explore it.

I find that I really have no reason to leave Ballantyne during the week, other than social events.

[grodney]

Responding to points and statements:

- We got it because, as someone said, that's what people want. And because people think short-term. And probably because the planners/committees aren't urban-minded rocket-surgeons. And because money talks. I'm reminded of the "are we fooling ourselves" thread in the coffee house. The truth is, only a tiny tiny percentage of the population ever thinks about it, and even fewer actually care.

- When posters are talking about strip center after strip center or other such quotes, they must be talking about more than just Ballantyne. Ballantyne proper only has retail at 521 and Ballantyne Commons. Others such as Stonecrest, Blakeney, Toringdon, etc. aren't really in Ballantyne, but of course the point remains the same.

- The faux-grid of Ardrey (south of Ballantyne), complete with alleys(!), is pretty cool. But yeah, it's really just a squared-off subdivision. And has nothing to do with monsoon's topic. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&...mp;t=h&z=17

- As Seabreeze just posted, there are some liveable, urban-ish places to reside in Ballantyne, even if it wasn't really designed perfectly for it. If you have a condo (and thus don't need a hardware store *too* much), and you work in the area, there really is most of what you need within non-driving distance. Again, not perfect, but passable.

- People *do* use the sidewalks (such as on Ballantyne Commons or Community House) for walking and jogging. A *lot*. But no, not so much for urban-style getting around. Which leads me to:

- It's probably a pretty strong indictment of the design that many restaurants (and shops), seemingly well-placed, can't survive. The restaurant directly across 521 from the resort has been born and died twice. Carolina Wings just closed. I think Flat Rock changed hands. The wine shop at Ballantyne Village is closing. The bistro-thingy across Ballantyne Commons from the resort closed and re-opened. Yeah, I'm sure they all had other circumstances and there are lots of other factors, and this happens everywhere. But my point is, with the demographics and the *seemingly* prime location for these spots, the surface-thinkers wouldn't expect this much struggle.

[sparkle]

I live in Plaza Midwood, and its not diverse. It's lilly white with a bunch of liberals who think they are experienceing diversity because there is low-income housing a mile away. Please.

[JBGB]

I live in Plaza Midwood, and its not diverse. It's lilly white with a bunch of liberals who think they are experienceing diversity because there is low-income housing a mile away. Please.

[kickazzz2000]

I guess during the planning stages the layout was considered innovative and sensible for the time.The people living there see it as Nirvana. All their needs are taken care of without having to leave a bubble where everyone is in the same socioeconomic group. No need to go to the scary city and deal with threatening "diversity". Growing up on Hilton Head Island in a series of gated communities in a place just as overly landscaped and conformist in development, I get the same exact vibe on my infrequent trips down there. I also see HHI stickers on dozens of SUVS in Btyne. Birds of a feather vacation together.

[ArtCritic]

I live in Plaza Midwood, and its not diverse. It's lilly white with a bunch of liberals who think they are experienceing diversity because there is low-income housing a mile away. Please.

[Spartan]

What I find extremely ironic is that a lot of you say that this area is suburban and not walkable and not practical for anyone, yet I find myself packing and moving to Cheswyck at Ballantyne due to the fact I can ride a bike or walk to work and use my car less. I am moving from the Archdale Light Rail Station, which had been appealing due to a quick train/bus ride to Ballantyne, which brought me DIRECTLY to my office... but I wanted to shorten my commute. I find that I have almost any store I need (Bank of America, Sprint Store, CVS, Restaurants, Harris Teeter, etc etc etc) located within walking distance of both my new home and my office. And then there is public art everywhere (although some is rather odd, I have giant cows near my office and a giant raven sits on the top of the building...) I hated golf and yet I find myself actually enjoying the putting green at my office on my lunch break... Ballantyne holds a lot of secrets for those willing to explore it.

I find that I really have no reason to leave Ballantyne during the week, other than social events.

[uptownliving]

What grid system? Where? Do you mean that subdivision that revitalize posted?

... you would not have accomplished the point of connectivity.

[ArtCritic]

Thats not stirring the pot. No offense, but its barely a point of contention. "South Charlotte" has been the center of power in this city for almost 100 years. As such, the "wealthy" subdivisions get built in that wedge of town. This is just an extension of that pattern.

[monsoon]

^There are middle class Blacks living in Ballentyne, so I think your questions on this matter are probably off by about 3 decades in Charlotte's case. "White flight" was basically based on moving out of inner city school systems. Ballentyne is part of CMS which is the county wide school system.

[teeg]

I live in Plaza Midwood, and its not diverse. It's lilly white with a bunch of liberals who think they are experienceing diversity because there is low-income housing a mile away. Please.

[voyager12]

Ballantyne does offer townhomes and midrange apts within walking distance of their several of their commercial areas. Broadly speaking it's mostly upscale though. There are exceptions everywhere. I like the connectivity in Dilworth so I have an apt in an old quad surrounded by more expensive homes. I think this mixture is what makes city neighborhoods interesting and vibrant. A different feel than suburbia and much of Ballantyne. So why do they have to keep on buying the old buildings and converting them to condos or redux mcmansions? I promised myself to stop with the gentrification rants..ooops

If their is a certain attitude in Ballanytne it's more than matched by the snobs around here. Why some people think the price of their car entitles them to run you off the sidewalk or the road is beyond me.

[ArtCritic]

^There are middle class Blacks living in Ballentyne, so I think your questions on this matter are probably off by about 3 decades in Charlotte's case. "White flight" was basically based on moving out of inner city school systems. Ballentyne is part of CMS which is the county wide school system.

[mommyof1]

As a native of Charlotte, I am fascinated with the growth of ALL the areas in Charlotte and the diversity of all Charlotte has to offer. I've lived in Matthews, Fort Mill, Raintree and now in an affordable priced neighborhood in Ballantyne. I've watched Ballantyne grow and have learned that H.C. Smoky Bissell is the developer. I knew the name sounded familiar bc he is the one who recently raised millions for the Children's Levine Hospital not too long ago.Ballantyne has enriched many lives with neighborhoods, retail and offices and is unique. The heli pad for corporate or medical use was a great idea! I was given a walking/jogging trail of Ballantyne that my husband gave me from his office building (in Ballantyne) and now I run each evening. I've lived here for 7 years and didn't know that there were 8 miles of sidewalk in the corporate park! I've taken my daughter fishing in the park which was free (who couldn't use a free event these days!) and my husband rides his bike to work...doing his part for the green efforts of our community. Some stores and restaurants have come and go, but that's true for places all over Charlotte. Homes in the area start in the mid $100s (like mine) up to millions. I could never live in the expensive homes here, but I love to live NEAR them because they help my home to increase in value and who can complain about that?! My friends that visit love the area. My best friend lives in a small neighborhood off South Blvd. She has no desire to live where I am because she works near her home, but loves to visit me and go shopping in this area. The Observer ran an article about those monuments...they stand for Transportation, Finance, Human Spirit and Technology- what a great tribute to the history of our state. That's the great thing about Charlotte, we all have options and we can all live where we are most comfortable and works best for us. Because of the location of Ballantyne near 485, my bf can be at my house quickly (or as quickly as traffic allows her to!) ... I485 Traffic- there's a blog in itself. I can understand and appreciate if Ballantyne is not for everyone. That's the beauty of our city, we have a choice. And, just like this blog, we all have opinions.

Have a great day wherever you are!