SgtCampsalot

It seems like this may have been breezed over just a bit since it was posted in the "First Ward" thread:

^Omg a billboard building! That that's something I've never seen before

Here is the (mind-numbingly comprehensive, for my brain) full report: https://www.matthewsnc.gov/files/documents/13A-CompBikePedplanrevisionsMDL1315050817040622PM.pdf

So, while i think this is super cool, my understanding of the nature of our municipal/economic systems makes me not understand the purpose of this, to the end of their motives. Is it intended to be an ED thing for hospitality/etc corporations? Is there an established demographic I'm not familiar with? I can't seem to find much context about it online other than as a fun thing - which isn't our system's style.

Can we just agree that every American president is automatically a scourge on human dignity the moment they take office because the system our nation operates under relies on the exploitation and death of millions around the globe and at home, which is facilitated by two parties that act as two factions of one Duopoloy party that *long ago* squashed any real movement of popular citizen sentiment? I feel like once we can all have that as our baseline we can all focus our energies properly together. But maybe I'm an idealist

Whoever subsequently wrote the graffiti is actually hilarious, hate to say it

While this specific site was not inhabited once Euros arrived, this mound and land is part of the Peedee nation. Though by current colonial law it is owned by the state of NC. Most of what you will find online about this site implies the Peedee do not exist anymore, or that there is mystery around their culture. The Peedee nation peoples now dwell around McColl, SC. Check out their tribal website: http://www.peedeetribe.org/about.html

So... Two years later, I was wrong about Optimist Hall. It is a blight upon the neighborhood in a "wealthy blight" kind of way. Just a sinkhole of excessive crowds, commercialism, and nothing meaningful. A waste of a beautiful building. I live a stones throw from it (just enough to not live around the crowds) but every time I try to get food from there I have a panic attack. Reminds me of similar places I went to in Boston and Atlanta years ago. It feels like there's no purpose to go there.

Oh it's definitely the docking bay from any Death Star/space station in Star Wars

Duke Energy Tower Climber Guy would like a word (I forget which IG account I got this from)

Hard to get a sense of the location; if it is nearly right on N Tryon St, then this could be an unparalleled public space, visible from the Blue Line. If this is too far back from N Tryon, this could easily feel like a glorified office park space exactly like how Ballantyne Corp Park has so much green space but no sense of place. We shall see!

That's also Prosperity Village which is possibly the only new, "greenfield" development area of the CLT region in which I'd ever want to live because the small blocks and decent walkable facilities make it very feasible to be contented in walking everywhere.

This has been my experience, too, especially in NoDa which has had so many street vendors lately, it's very charming as heck! It becomes more depressing, though, when I remember how CLT is just one of scores of cities in the US that are increasingly consolidating wealth as the national economy works for less and less people. It's becoming harder and harder to get by here. Every time I see how many people move here with financial means, and how they gravitate toward city-centric areas (if not specific suburbs), it hurts my heart because our leaders (fed, state, municipal) choose to make prosperity for some at the expense of most. Our cities right now are just a reminder of that.

Y'all, I must not be with it, because that Johnston YMCA is the most beautiful Y I have ever seen. Up until Covid I've used that Y several times a week for years and I don't care that it is less equipped; it has the nostalgic feel of every old church annex building I've ever been in, and have you even SEEN the rooms upstairs used for classes? The old fireplace/mantle is GORGEOUS and adds to the experience so well. Not to mention the front courtyard is the most perfect, reliable place to relax in the whole City (and feels integrated with the neighborhood). If the front courtyard/tree and main entrance facade are not kept in this redevelopment, I don't know if my heart can take it.

Sometimes when I venture out and drive around this City's metro (and so many others) I get a little sick at just how ruined so much of our landscape is by the many follies of modern planning and industry, and how unlikely it is to change for most places anytime in my lifetime.