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New Urbanism still hard to find


DigitalSky

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http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/11982694.htm

The paper had this and talks about Birkdale and Baxter and how they've got aspects of new urbanism that other neighborhoods should aspire for but really aren't.. even though there are more "new urbanism" communities planned there still seems to be a lack at the rate we're growing there's just so many more sprawlburbs popping up.

Birkdale Village in Huntersville, Afton Village in Concord and the Village of Baxter in Fort Mill fit the New Urbanism mold, Low said.

I've visited Afton and Birkdale, and both have homes, stores, businesses and sidewalks. Afton has the West Cabarrus YMCA within walking distance.

To that list, tack on Vermillion in Huntersville, where Harvey's Bar & Grill attracts a lively crowd, especially with music on Friday nights.

And here are some fine older Charlotte neighborhoods that welcome pedestrians: Dilworth, Elizabeth, Myers Park and Plaza-Midwood.

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This is typical drival from the Observer. Since when is plaza midwood a New Urbanist neighborhood? Forgetting that it is almost 100 years old, there are no sidewalks throughout most of it, and there is no longer any affordable housing there.

Probably the only useful thing in the article is the weblink to newurbanism. At one time the Observer employed real journalists. Maybe I should have read this after having my morning coffee. :lol:

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The writer wasn't referring to Plaza-Midwood as being "new urbanist". She was saying that new urbanist neighborhoods are based on neighborhoods like Plaza-Midwood.

And there is still affordable housing there, but they're all fixer-uppers. I have a friend who just bought a POS on Mecklenburg Ave for under $150K.

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The writer wasn't referring to Plaza-Midwood as being "new urbanist".  She was saying that new urbanist neighborhoods are based on neighborhoods like Plaza-Midwood.

And there is still affordable housing there, but they're all fixer-uppers.  I have a friend who just bought a POS on Mecklenburg Ave for under $150K.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know exactly what the writer was trying to do which is my point.

Plaza-Midwood is hardly a neighborhood to pattern a New Urbanist neighborhood after. As I mentioned, there are no sidewalks, many of the houses are on large lots, and it is quite a walk to anything remotely looking like a store, especially any store that was built in the 1920s. The fact that Central and parts of The Plaza have some retail on them occured after PM was abandoned and would not be allowed today if someone tried to open a store say at Parkwood and the Plaza. PM is also as car oriented as almost any neighborhood in Charlotte.

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Plaza-Midwood had street cars to take residents to the Central Avenue retail corridor and uptown.

The older sections have curb, gutter and sidewalks. Pecan, Thomas St, The Plaza, Belvedere, etc. The neighborhood was being developed just as the depression was setting in, thus, the neighborhood's characteristics changed. My grandmother's house on Pecan is on a tiny lot and the house was built in 1919.

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The writer wasn't referring to Plaza-Midwood as being "new urbanist".  She was saying that new urbanist neighborhoods are based on neighborhoods like Plaza-Midwood.

And there is still affordable housing there, but they're all fixer-uppers.  I have a friend who just bought a POS on Mecklenburg Ave for under $150K.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry for my ignorance, but what is a POS?

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