Photo Tour - Third Ward, W Morehead, Wesley Hts

[dubone]

Third Ward and West Morehead 4/18/05

First Street in Third Ward

Even though it appears that First Row Warehouse condos will be at 1st and Cedar (i'm not sure of that, but...)

... it seems like it will also tie into these warehouses at 1st and Elliot

Here are some other old industrial buildings from when this area was a freight Yard

Here is Charlotte Rescue Mission, I love the buildings and the organization.

Walking down cedar to west morehead

That swath of land sout of west morehead, but inside the 277/77 loop is owed by duke energy. It wasn't too long ago that there were some old buildings there, but apparently on northing more thant the say so CMPD (who said that vagrants were using the buildings), Duke tore them down. An all the vagrants and crime vanished off the face of the earth, and charlotte became crime and homelessness free!!! (and old building free ). It was such a swifty decision they didn't even notice that millions of dollars worth of opera and playhouse props were stored inside when they tore them down. DOH

Here is the current nascar museum uptown

looking back in toward 3rd ward and gateway

The coffee cup restaurant.

[dubone]

Ummmm... i guess this is the corridor of crap, rather than south blvd

The old school Book Depository

and crossing under 77 to the westside, which is surprising the MORE vibrant part of West Morehead (i would have thought that the uptown portion would have seen more redev by now...)

The old coca-cola bottling company building, my favorite on this corridor

Looking uptown toward the grandin condos built last year

[dubone]

turning down grandin to see wesley heights

The old freight tracks through this neighborhood (that used to connect to cedar yard) are now a greenway that connects to frazier park.

Summit Greenway will be built on the corner

...across from the almost century old Wadsford House, the first home in Wesley Heights

check out the view

And back on the greenway/tracks to third ward.

here is an old track part by bethleham steel

Frazier park in 3rd ward

and into the heart of residential third ward

[peaceloveunderstanding]

a humorus tour this is, a bit overwealhming, so many tours in so short a time!

[dubone]

Johnson and Wales

And and few more on the drive home:

that speck is the moon of venus or a ufo

Third Ward park already is attracting pedestrian activity

[peaceloveunderstanding]

great arena shot, I had not known it was so far along.

[dubone]

dude, i walk six miles, and you notice my arena shot on the drive home!

[swh1972]

Great Pics!!

I like the shot of the BofA Corporate Center reflected in the Grant Thornton building.

[monsoon]

A huge thread and great photos. Thanks for posting them. They show a side of Charlotte that many don't ever see. My first job in Charlotte was on Freedom Dr. so I spent a lot of time in many of the areas you photographed. Its great that most of the buildings here survived intact and are being restored to their former good looks.

[orulz]

Great pictures. Looking at all these pictures I can't help but be astounded at how the people and business owners of Charlotte have really bought into the whole idea of becoming a first class city.

One question: are the tracks in these pictures the old Piedmont & Northern line now owned by NCDOT? If so I hope to see them fixed up and carrying commuter trains before too long!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[peaceloveunderstanding]

that wesley heights looks pretty intresting, how safe is it?

[dubone]

Wesley Heights s probably still has its fair share of crime, as it is on the west side. i know it is just a little past weley heights that is currently the "no stopping" zone or whatever it is called, where police target to stop prostitution.

For the most part, wesly heights never lived up to its potential. you look at the wadsfoth house, the first in that neighborhood designed by the same guy as myers park... the rest of the houses are fairly small in comparison.

I think the economics are improving rapidly though. I think it is mostly black middle class, and some white pioneers currently. As third ward and West Morehead neighborhoods grow, though, i think wesley heights will be a major destination for all sorts of people. Especially if trade street and biddleville/jcsmith area revitalizes economically with the street car.

It is possibly a little less safe compared to noda. In the daytime, however, not much to fear.

[dubone]

i'm not sure of much detail around the railroad corridor, but i think it goes out in the direction of freedome drie and eventually goes to mt. holly. the only thing that makes me wonder about that, and whether that is a coridor that can be transit rail in the future, is that the multimodal station arial map seemed to have a corridor down this way.

But to my knowlege, it is not a corridor currently in cats' plans.

[orulz]

For a map of all the track layout changes in Charlotte for the multimodal station, Check out page 6 of this document:

http://www.bytrain.org/istation/charlottemm/cmmappendES2.pdf

Notice the track that curves off to the south of the multimodal station marked "Future P&N to Gastonia." My guess is that it will be the second commuter rail line started in Charlotte (after the O-line to Mooresville.)

I'd really love to see other pictures of the corridor if you're at a loss for further photographic subjects =)

[Raintree21]

You left out the townhouses around S. Clarkson!

[appatone]

Great Job!!! Excellent tours. I decided to post in this one but I enjoyed all of them very much. You hit a lot of cool buildings that never get shown on these threads and even shot a few pictures of things I didn't know were there. Terrific.

[Raintree21]

Love the Nascar HOF and the increased pedestrian usage!

[peaceloveunderstanding]

lol, dubone is a funny one alright.

[UptownJ]

I drive past those old warehouses just across 77 every day... What great potential... and great old buildings! Thanks for the photos... awsome tour dude.

[monsoon]

I'm reminded by your photos that I have not been to the Open Kitchen in a number of years. I need to get back over there soon.

[dubone]

You left out the townhouses around S. Clarkson!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

lol. i'm sure i left out quite a bit in 3rd ward. by the time we got to 2nd street, my dog was about to pass out from our long walk, with the heat and all. So I just took a few on 2nd and headed back to my car.

Thanks for all the positive comments, everyone. i'm glad to go out and share these neighbprhoods with people. It gives me an excuse to walk through them, that i otherwise wouldn't do (and in some cases would actively avoid)

[Raintree21]

I wonder how the people that will buy 1st Row Townhouses/Warehouse will feel about being next to the Charlotte Rescue Mission. Will they make the prospective buyers aware of that?

[dubone]

it is hard to miss. but the other places on 1st street sold well, so i'm sure it isn't a problem.

[Raintree21]

Yeah, the homeless man digging through my recycling bin every Thursday morning is hard to miss too.

[dubone]

yeah, we have a homeless guy that processes our trash bin, too. (maybe the same guy). he stole my dog's favorite fleece toy from the yard, and we called the police . the cop came by on his bicycle, and he said he'd talk to him.

dumpster stuff is fine (as long as he isn't looking for financial statements), but don't mess with my dog's fleecy toy.