What do we call the center of Charlotte?

[dubone]

http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte...tml?t=printable

Architect and developer David Furman wishes everyone in Charlotte would just drop the "uptown" pretense already. Furman's company, Boulevard Centro, has a crane in the air at Courtside, a 16-story tower in First Ward. Construction is slated to begin soon at Trademark, a 28-story East Trade tower.

But his aren't the only projects making headlines, with several other condo towers on the way and the arena opening this fall. "Imagine how great downtown will be when all of these projects are built," Furman says. "There has been a lot of conversation about whether or not Charlotte can support all of this, and I say, abso-damn-lutely."

Calling center city "uptown" is a relic of days when the streets around Trade and Tryon were quiet after 5 p.m., he says. "We don't need that kind of trick anymore. Downtown is downtown."

I'm surprised no one posted furman's comments from the CBJ yet. Pretty funny, and covers a couple of topics we discuss here occassionally. I still don't think "Uptown" is a complete pretense, but for most people, who make a big deal of correcting themselves to say "uptown", i'd just prefer they said the first thing that came to mind.

Would you consider him confident of downtown charlotte's growth potential? Abso-damn-lutely.

[skysdalimit]

O well, I'll still say uptown.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

I like downtown better. It rolls off the tounge easier.

[SmellyCat]

I prefer Center City about 2/3 of the time, uptown 30%, and downtown 20%.

[dubone]

I prefer Center City about 2/3 of the time, uptown 30%, and downtown 20%.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

with +- 10% margin of error .

With "Downtown", i find myself often wanting to clarify "Downtown Charlotte", even when in a charlotte context. uptown always seems be assumed as charlotte.

I'm 1/3 for each, though, i guess.

I've said it before, but if i had my way, "uptown" would be north tryon inside the loop, "downtown" would be south tryon inside the loop, "center city" would be inside the loop, and the wards, of course, for each quadrant.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

and that, dubone, is way too complicated for me

[dubone]

i guess so.

i just seems more precise, somehow. we have a north and south for our skyline/cbd spine, so why not call the northern half uptown and the southern half downtown. Belk could lead to downtown, and brookshire could lead to uptown.

It makes more sense to me than have the same geographic spot being both up and down. the synonym game just compounds our obvious lack of historic identity. (think manhattan with a distinct names for distinct parts of town).

I'm sure it doesn't matter, though... people will be using all three labels for decades more.

[rockhilljames]

...The lights are much brighter there

You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares

So go downtown, things'll be great when you're

Downtown- no finer place, for sure

Downtown - everything's waiting for you...

I'm always happier when people go downtown.

[dubone]

Of course, it would be much better if people "come" downtown... spoken from the point of view of the rest of us actually BEING downtown. .

that quote reminds me of the seinfeld episode where george doesn't know what his boss wanted of him, except 'go downtown, george, that is where the answer is'. thinks through that song's lyrics for a clue .

[SmellyCat]

i guess so. 

i just seems more precise, somehow.  we have a north and south for our skyline/cbd spine, so why not call the northern half uptown and the southern half downtown.  Belk could lead to downtown, and brookshire could lead to uptown. 

It makes more sense to me than have the same geographic spot being both up and down.  the synonym game just compounds our obvious lack of historic identity. (think manhattan with a distinct names for distinct parts of town).

I'm sure it doesn't matter, though... people will be using all three labels for decades more.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

dubone I understand your point, but I disagree that multiple names for a district leads to an identity crisis. In NYC, lower Manhattan, Downtown, Wall Street and the Financial District are used synonymously.

I actually kind of like "uptown" because its fairly unique. Every city in America has a downtown, but not too many are large enough to have uptowns also.

[appatone]

I actually kind of like "uptown" because its fairly unique.  Every city in America has a downtown, but not too many are large enough to have uptowns also. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's the way I feel. No matter why we started calling it that, whether because it was historically located uphill or whether it was 70's boosterism, I like Uptown. It's unique, it is a quirk about Charlotte that can be endearing. Charlotte should embrace it's quirks, it makes the city more interesting. Sometimes it is knowing things about a city that don't make sense that make a city more fun to live in.

[NCtarheel]

I've always wondered about the true origins of uptown. I"m a native NCarolinian from a small town and we always refer to main st. as 'uptown'. In fact, I know people from lots of towns that say uptown. Could charlote's uptown be in part due to a simple colloquialism?

[Raintree21]

I've always said downtown. My family has always said downtown.

[HighRiseHillbilly]

If I'm going there I call it downtown. If I'm talking about buildings or some sort of cultural or business thing there I call it uptown. And for some reason I like when news casters call it center city.

[dubone]

I've always wondered about the true origins of uptown. I"m a native NCarolinian from a small town and we always refer to main st. as 'uptown'. In fact, I know people from lots of towns that say uptown. Could charlote's uptown be in part due to a simple colloquialism?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i am not from a small town in NC, but in Chapel Hill, people often referred to franklin st as 'uptown' particularly when they would say 'going uptown'. I have heard it often in NC, and i think you are right about it. I'm sure charlotte's was called 'uptown' in the olden days, and then downtown for mod of the 20th century, when we wanted to be a bigger city.

I'm fairly certain that it was used often when people had to trek up the hill to get to the main street in the town, as is the case for quite a few 'downtowns' for cities and towns in NC.

South Carolina call its mountainous/submountainous area the "upstate", and i'm sure that is part of the same thing.

[Miesian Corners]

I know I'll regret doing this, but what do y'all think the center of our fair burg should be called?

My grandmother and aunts were from here (I grew up in SC) and always called it "uptown". They went uptown to shop at Belk, Ivey's and Efird's. They rode the bus uptown to go to church. Historically, it's been called "uptown" because of the fact Tryon Street runs along a ridge line between Sugar and Irwin creeks. From any direction, one has to travel uphill to get to the Square. Even the Charlotte Trolley's directional signs from the 1890s read either "UPTOWN" or "DILWORTH".

I like the fact it's not "downtown. Every place has a downtown, but few have unique names for their centers. Philadelphia has a "Center City", but no downtown, Chicago has "The Loop", Atlanta has a downtown and midtown, but no uptown.

I want one name and I want everybody to stick with it. Personally, I hate "Center City". Let Philly have it. I loathe the fact that the Charlotte Uptown Development Corp became "Center City Partners".

Let the debate begin...

[skysdalimit]

I've always called it uptown.

[Sabaidee]

I tend to switch back and foreward from Uptown and Downtown, Center City just don't sound right.

[monsoon]

I would hope Downtown. Maybe Charlotte isn't ready for that yet.

Petula Clark knows.

[MAJIKMAN]

I tend to switch back and foreward from Uptown and Downtown, Center City just don't sound right.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm with you on this one. What is Uptown? To think of it. What is Downtown? I don't think many people even know that much. Including myself.

[49er]

no one calls it center city but center city partners and wbtv....and I used to work for CCCP!

[DigitalSky]

I variate.. sometimes CC, DT, UT

[atlrvr]

I use all 3 as well.....to people from here who should know, I say Uptown, to people not from here and just describing the CBD, I say downtown, and I say Center City to people who live here, but typically are geographically challenged.

I probably prefer center city, because that's what it is to me.....it truly is in the center, and everything radiates outward from it.

[cinco]

the fact that "DT" is on a hill and has been called uptown for as long as i can recall - settles it for me: uptown. unless some creative brain here comes up with a brilliant alternative? i could change my mind.

ex:

money canyon

bankers alley

cashtown

loop

DOWtown (for all you day traders)

you could play off the whole trade/tryon thing:

imagine telling your loved ones your going to the T.T. or the TraTry....

yeah, they'll probably think your retarded

[krazeeboi]

Uptown.