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42 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

^^^ Not joking and remember not everyone uptown is making $100k and can afford to have a $10-15 lunch everyday.  I am just saying a McDonalds is a very democratic place where people of all incomes levels can get a quick affordable meal and every big huge city globally has one.  I am not talking about one with drive thru but an urban style location.    Savannah's for example has a walk up window.  Had breakfast in one in Hong Kong with lots of students, people in suits etc.   (and their coffee domestically in the USA all comes from S&D in Concord. 

Couldn't a healthy option do like B.Good on church? Not to be an elitist, I've done the walk of shame back from McD in Japan after too many beers many a time, but McD is crap and terrible for you.

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^^^ It is all about choices for the 100,000 uptown workers of all stripes and income levels.  I don't eat there more than 1 time a month but their coffee is great and when travelling I do visit them more.  In fact I will offer everyone on UP Charlotte a free coffee I will purchase if they open up another one within the loop uptown.  And you can take that to the bank.   (and  I will walk to my 3 banks and withdraw the cash LOL) 

Now to be further controversial I guess I will suggest an uptown Waffle House is a good idea too somewhere.  Even the ATL has one downtown and they just might get Amazon HQ2.  

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downtown Savannah in the historic district on Broughton St walk up window on the side.  (and yes I have been a customer when I was walking around and needed a cold drink) 

By the way it is next door to H&M and across the street from a Walking Company store and the Urban Outfitters.  all this in little old Savannah.   I could see a Mickey D's in the bottom floor of a parking garage somewhere uptown not on Tryon but some other street.

From Dec. 2017

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IMG_4598.JPG

Edited by KJHburg
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16 hours ago, KJHburg said:

Now to be further controversial I guess I will suggest an uptown Waffle House is a good idea too somewhere.  Even the ATL has one downtown and they just might get Amazon HQ2.  

I love Redeye Diner, as my 24/7 diner, prices are great and the atmosphere is so much better than a WH... but as we grow as I could see WH working somewhere else, maybe on the Gateway Station side of town.

My late-late night fix has now become the Halal Food Cart on Trade-Tryon, after midnight that place calls to me like an oasis in the Sahara...

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13 hours ago, elrodvt said:

What is wrong with you people? :tw_anguished:

I'm with you here in that I don't care for McDonalds. I couldn't tell you the last time I've been to one, but in all honesty a large, vibrant city (like Charlotte is growing to be) NEEDS to offer options for all price/class ranges within its urban setting. Personally I choose to patronize local or regional establishments when I visit a city because I want to experience whatever it is that makes that city that city. I can get something from a fast food chain all day at home, but many people want what is comfortable and like it or not fast food has become the comfort food of the 21st century. 

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23 minutes ago, go_vertical said:

I'm with you here in that I don't care for McDonalds. I couldn't tell you the last time I've been to one, but in all honesty a large, vibrant city (like Charlotte is growing to be) NEEDS to offer options for all price/class ranges within its urban setting. Personally I choose to patronize local or regional establishments when I visit a city because I want to experience whatever it is that makes that city that city. I can get something from a fast food chain all day at home, but many people want what is comfortable and like it or not fast food has become the comfort food of the 21st century. 

As someone working in Uptown, I can attest to the fact that many of the reliable, inexpensive lunch options have been pushed out over time. There are still a few, certainly, but one can't live on Chick-fil-A alone. 

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2 hours ago, tozmervo said:

As someone working in Uptown, I can attest to the fact that many of the reliable, inexpensive lunch options have been pushed out over time. There are still a few, certainly, but one can't live on Chick-fil-A alone. 

Go to 7th street market.

2 hours ago, go_vertical said:

I'm with you here in that I don't care for McDonalds. I couldn't tell you the last time I've been to one, but in all honesty a large, vibrant city (like Charlotte is growing to be) NEEDS to offer options for all price/class ranges within its urban setting. Personally I choose to patronize local or regional establishments when I visit a city because I want to experience whatever it is that makes that city that city. I can get something from a fast food chain all day at home, but many people want what is comfortable and like it or not fast food has become the comfort food of the 21st century. 

Burlington vermont is a much more vibrant city than CLT (downtown/uptown) but has no McD or other fast food chains. Doesn't hurt a thing. 

2 hours ago, JoshuaDrown said:

I love Redeye Diner, as my 24/7 diner, prices are great and the atmosphere is so much better than a WH... but as we grow as I could see WH working somewhere else, maybe on the Gateway Station side of town.

My late-late night fix has now become the Halal Food Cart on Trade-Tryon, after midnight that place calls to me like an oasis in the Sahara...

Totally agree. Those carts are great options. Close a section of Tryon and let the carts multiply!

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I think we all would agree Manhattan is a great urban center so I did a check they have over 30 McDonalds on the island alone and that has not taken away from all the great restaurants in the city either.   Fast food whether you eat or not is a source of inexpensive food and with 100,000 workers, numerous visitors there is a large market for it uptown.   With expensive retail space being built  yet a good bit not leased we need some other options.  How about on the ground floor of some of these parking decks where retail is being added?  And as much I love Chick-fil-a is more expensive than McDonalds.   The breakfast and lunch market is huge uptown.  

It goes back to Yogi Berra nobody eats fast food because it is so crowded  (adapted)  I am just advocating for all types of places to eat love food halls, sandwich places, cheap Asian places, white tablecloth dining etc.   In Uptown I have eaten at all the above from the now closed McDonalds to lunch at Ruth's Chris to the sandwich and cheaper Asian places where you order at the counter.  Not to mention Johnny Burrito. 

PSI do think Sabor at their price point will KILL it uptown.   Fast food does not make us a worse downtown I think it makes us look like a vibrant urban center. 

 

 

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On 2/2/2018 at 11:58 AM, elrodvt said:

Burlington vermont is a much more vibrant city than CLT (downtown/uptown) but has no McD or other fast food chains. Doesn't hurt a thing. 

Both Burlington and Charlotte share the nickname, the "Queen City."   Just 12.7 miles south of Burlington lies little Charlotte, VT, pop. 3,754.   Both Charlotte VT & NC were named for Sofia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of England and wife of King George III The highly walkable, historic, retail saturated and restaurant laden Church Street Mall in downtown Burlington makes it one of New England's most urbane and appealing towns to walk around in.

Charlotte town hall

Charlotte, VT, town hall  --  Pop.  3,754

Image result for picture of church street mall in burlington

Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, VT  -- Pop.  43,552

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How did Burlington get there? Despite considerable pressure from the business community, and numerous other naysayers , who claimed Burlington could not close a major artery such as church street the city pushed through a plan to do just that. It was transformational. The rest is history.  Tryon street.... 

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Burlington has ever so much more, and different factors than Charlotte. It was the ORIGINAL BOBOs in Paradise location. In this usage BOBOs=the new upper class.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobos_in_Paradise

It was the origination of Ben and Jerry ice cream, one of the earliest on the brewpub fashion and with a strong Socialist Party mayor who was popular and supported the mall and other such projects in town. It has the University of Vermont, Lake Champlain ( a beautiful sight and amenity), five months of strong visitor influx with the snow ski season, plus leaf season when one cannot find a hotel room. Also it is one hundred miles from Montreal and all that affords. It has history with Ethan Allen, the Green Mountains, a dramatic topography with a large hill rising straight from the lake to the University. Diversity? Blacks=<5% (per DataUSA). Chittenden County has Median household income of 66k (2015) and Mecklenburg is 57k (same source)

Charlotte VT also has the charming Quinlan covered bridge, 170 years old.

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5 hours ago, Scribe said:

I think with the Gold Line down Trade, it would be way cooler to shut down all non trolley traffic on Trade and expand the sidewalk to use up the old traffic lanes in each direction. Would have a San Fran vibe..

That would be cool but only if we closed Tryon for a block in each direction at the intersection. The problem is we need to start with a good seed to generate quick success and Trade isn't great right now.

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2 hours ago, tarhoosier said:

Burlington has ever so much more, and different factors than Charlotte. It was the ORIGINAL BOBOs in Paradise location. In this usage BOBOs=the new upper class.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobos_in_Paradise

It was the origination of Ben and Jerry ice cream, one of the earliest on the brewpub fashion and with a strong Socialist Party mayor who was popular and supported the mall and other such projects in town. It has the University of Vermont, Lake Champlain ( a beautiful sight and amenity), five months of strong visitor influx with the snow ski season, plus leaf season when one cannot find a hotel room. Also it is one hundred miles from Montreal and all that affords. It has history with Ethan Allen, the Green Mountains, a dramatic topography with a large hill rising straight from the lake to the University. Diversity? Blacks=<5% (per DataUSA). Chittenden County has Median household income of 66k (2015) and Mecklenburg is 57k (same source)

Charlotte VT also has the charming Quinlan covered bridge, 170 years old.

I used to wait in line at the first B&J which had a stand in an old service station if memory serves. They have a plaque there now. ;-)

Burlington, and Vermont in general, is a welcoming area to minorities but anecdotally the weather is a barrier.

Really miss our condo at the foot of main street facing Lake Champlain. But that walk back from DT in January was brutal! There were a few times we used our snow shoes to get back during big storms.

Besides the pedestrian mall we could also learn from the artsy / hippy farmers market every Saturday in city hall park. That would be fantastic in Romare Bearden.  It's a big draw.

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On ‎2‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 4:23 PM, elrodvt said:

Couldn't a healthy option do like B.Good on church? Not to be an elitist, I've done the walk of shame back from McD in Japan after too many beers many a time, but McD is crap and terrible for you.

How is McD's "terrible for you" ?

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3 hours ago, SgtCampsalot said:

They just use the worst versions of all of their ingredients. That's all. I eat there when I'm craving fat protein and sugar :tw_glasses:

Or maybe the best versions. It sure is tasty! Seriously though, these days people attach magical (or malevolent) properties to food with religious ardor.

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