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What is Ballantyne?

DigitalSky

By DigitalSky
in Charlotte Coffee House

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BlueBear Crossroads

BlueBear

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I work out in Ballantyne. I find the place so bland and devoid of any personality, I just don't understand the allure. Granted, everything is brand new out there and that appears to appeal to some people.

They have nice sidewalks but everything is miles and miles apart. Every morning and afternoon I see people lined up for close to a mile waiting to turn on to 485 where they get to sit in more traffic. People value different things, I guess.

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DigitalSky City

DigitalSky

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As has been mentioned on this board before, Ballantyne seems to be a haven for people relocating from the Northeast or California.  For whatever reason, they seem to love it.  Maybe the horrendous traffic makes them feel at home.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's actually the manmade rolling hills and the huge powerlines (at 521 and Ballantyne Commons) that make it look California-esque... plus all that 485 freeway traffic jam!

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Charlotte,+N...85316&t=k&hl=en

There is an image of the gist of the "suburban wasteland" as dubbed by monsoon. It encmpasses most of the area south of the interstate there I-485. You can see Carolina Place mall in the upper left

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tuthdoc Unincorporated Area

tuthdoc

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I agree - man you guys are hard on the 'burbs sometimes :P

It's new, clean, nicer homes on larger parcels (yes, I know...McMansions...)

For those that want the suburban lifestyle and don't want to live uptown, there are plenty of nice communities with sidewalks and streetlamps and golf and family amenities. IMO - nothing wrong with that, in fact, it's what most people are looking for apparently because prices down there are skyrocketing and they can't build 'em as fast as they can sell 'em!

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atlrvr Metropolitan Area

atlrvr

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I don't think anyone would disagree that Ballantyne is a better suburban community in terms of asthetics and ammenities that most suburbs are, but it still guilty of the biggest sin. It is a car dependent suburb, and their is low street connectivity. This means EVERYONE drives EVERYWHERE, and they all use the same 2 roads to do it.

Remember, Dilworth, Myers Park, and Elizabeth were once considered the far flung suburbs with the nicer homes, but they still were able to support transit, encourage walking to shopping, and provide great public parks (not a cheap immitation that is maintained through HOA dues).

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infobuff Unincorporated Area

infobuff

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Trust me, I believe in density too. All large cities, including European cities have burbs. It just that the larger cities have larger urban cores that connect pretty seamlessly with the burbs. The much older cities were created so long ago before the car became such a major player. It was so important then to create everything very close together for practical reasons and convenience.

Now that the older cities are so dense, some of the population has left for the South to have more space and because it is cheaper. That is where much of the southern cities popoulation is coming from. Though many of us on here would prefer density, if it weren't for our subburbs, we may not be discussing all the wonderful growth Charlotte is experiencing. Because of the car age, most southern cities may never resemble our northern neighbors. That's not necessarily all bad. If we have to live with the burbs, at least we have very nice ones. I have had many visitors from all over the country, and they all love Charlotte as whole, including the burbs.

Let's just hope that as Charlotte continues to grow, we can become more seamless.

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atlrvr Metropolitan Area

atlrvr

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I agree on most points, and I'm not categorically against 'burbs.....My only desire is to do as you mentioned, and create a most seemless connections between the new and existing communities, and to integrate convenience retail and services into these communities. The suburbs could be designed MUCH better, yet still not lose their appeal.

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kmsairam Crossroads

kmsairam

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I moved here from Los Angeles and must admit I do like the shiny newness of Ballantyne, but I couldn't live there. It just seems too far out on the middle of nowhere. I like to have the option of walking to a store if I need to and you just can't there.

Can someone please tell me what that weird looking building is right next to 485 that has a big phone number plastered across the side? I believe it's a condo, but it looks like an ugly hotel --- AND it directly faces 485. What a view!

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DigitalSky City

DigitalSky

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I moved here from Los Angeles and must admit I do like the shiny newness of Ballantyne, but I couldn't live there. It just seems too far out on the middle of nowhere. I like to have the option of walking to a store if I need to and you just can't there.

Can someone please tell me what that weird looking building is right next to 485 that has a big phone number plastered across the side? I believe it's a condo, but it looks like an ugly hotel --- AND it directly faces 485. What a view!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it's an office building. Welcome to the boards

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Jrb986 Unincorporated Area

Jrb986

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What is Ballantyne? Yuppie surburbia hell is the best way to describe it. It is full of snobby irritating "new money" who actually have no money at all. Ballantyne is the perfect example of how thousands of Charlotteans are obsessed with "keeping up with the Jones' " Most of Ballantyne freaks are up to their eyeballs in million dollar debt. It's ridiculous excuse of surburbia gone wrong. The neighborhood is bland, devoid of personality, and full of obnoxious snobbery. I would not shed a tear if this part of town fell into a sinkhole. Please let the future generations walk away from surburbia development and begin formulating urban communities. Ughh...

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orulz City

orulz

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I've never seen Ballantyne nor met anyone who lives there so I'll refrain from being negative, but Jrb986 brought up an important point - just how many people in this country/state are living beyond their means, all thanks to credit cards and the ridiculously low interest rates these days. I wonder if this will have a profound effect on future generations the same way that the federal government's debts will?

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peaceloveunderstanding Town

peaceloveunderstanding

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Quite possibly. With thier children? Absolutley. When mommy and daddy show no restraint, what is to stop the children from becoming spendaholics. Unless they suffer due to total breakdown of their economic structure they will feel like they can buy anything anytime.

I don't like it when people try to act rich when they really are not. It is so wrong.

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ElricSeven Hamlet

ElricSeven

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I've never seen Ballantyne nor met anyone who lives there so I'll refrain from being negative, but Jrb986 brought up an important point - just how many people in this country/state are living beyond their means, all thanks to credit cards and the ridiculously low interest rates these days. I wonder if this will have a profound effect on future generations the same way that the federal government's debts will?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I view it as an opportunity. Let's see what happens with foreclosures if the interest rates go up sharply. Might see a lot of cheap, nice houses for someone who's got a significant amount of pennies saved. If you're hyperextended, sooner or later the alligator you have by the tail will bite you. I wonder what interest rates will be in about five years when all those interest-only 5 year arms go into their adjustable phase? No equity, much higher interest rate, higher payment...

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