Charlotte Gripes

[dubone]

Here is a place to list and discuss your peeves about the city.

Here are some of mine:

- Insufficient transportation funding

- Too many chains, only a few locally unique retailers

- Very few historical districts other than old single family homes

- School system is backwards and run by ignorant people

- Strong nimby and anti-urban/anti-downtown political voice in much of the city and county

- Very few parks other than flood plains and old landfills

- Local TV news (and somewhat the print news) is amateurish and shallow

What are some or yours? (Don't make this a bashing thread, please)

[Norm2]

The streets dont make any sense in this city, paving old indian trials from the 1500's doesnt make any sense. by the way, does anyone know what roads used to be indian trails, other than trade and tryon?

[appatone]

I know I've griped about these two things here or there but:

1) Outside of The Manor there are no theatres that support independent film. I get so tired of seeing trailers for indie films that look awesome only to know that they won't be showing in Charlotte and that I'll have to wait until they come out on DVD at Visart. I don't want to minimize what The Manor does because it is great and Charlotte would really be in the doldrums without it but, it only has two screens, and (at times like this) it has to make money by keeping movies like "Good Night and Good Luck" for way too long eliminating the possibility of other great films screening here.

2) Radio in this city sucks. I just posted on this in the NC forum. If Charlotte wants a better music scene to emerge then better stations are a must to expose Charlotteans to more music. Fortunately I have satellite radio, I don't know how I lived without it now. To lose it would be like losing Cable TV or High Speed Internet Access. We could also get better touring shows if we had stations that played better music. 106.5 is a CRYING SHAME.

3) I too am a sucker for historic architecture, and I also like buildings that are built to look old (I've said it, you can bash me for it.) However, it is not appropriate to build everything to look like a cotton mill. Just because Charlottean's feel guilty for destroying all of our older buildings is no excuse for trying to limit architectural diversity now. We may be inhibiting ourselves from building the historic districts of the future. Charlotte could stand to strive for more innovative buildings.

4) I'm with D on the "too many chains" thing. Sometimes it seems that in order for Charlotte to feel bigger it has to land the next chain. I would argue that for Charlotte to be bigger it has to innovate the unique stores that no where else will ever have.

[GoFightWin]

Here is my list of what annoyes me:

Who the hell laid out this city? It is one of the few places I have ever been that isn't built around some type of grid. We are laid out around a tee-pee (77,Independnce,51).

I agree, radio is TERRIBLE here. I like alternative music and we have one station...106.5. Has anyone EVER listened to Jack and Kristen for 3 hours straight? Horrible! 95.1 = same 10 songs ALL damn day. 107.9 = all talk, bores me to tears. 93.3 The Planet out of Greenville/Spartansburg is by FAR the best station but you can only pick up if the weather and the winds are perfect. The only solution my wife and I have come up with...Sirius in both cars and Time Warner music channels in the house.

I-485. How the hell can we not get funding to widen the section between Carolina Place and Providence. What a shame. It only gets worse with more of 485 being completed.

Prices in Dilworth. This market bubble has to soon burst. $375,000 for a 3br/1bth 1300sf home? Are you freaking kidding me? We REALLY wanted to move into dilworth but were floored by the prices for what you got. This isn't Malibu people!

Eastland Mall area...man that place scares the hell outta me.

The Flying Saucer in the University area. This place is the GREATEST bar/pub in the land for beer lovers. Why isn't there one anywhere closer than the university?!?! Or even some kind of clone in south Charlotte? Mellow Mushroom has a lot of beers but you ever try to get a seat on a friday? 10000 kids and a 45 minute wait. PLEASE Flying Saucer people...build one in south charlotte. Heck ANY bar/pub in SouthPark would be great. We lost our only one (Fairview Grill) and no Village Tavern doesn't count.

The SouthPark low income projects near Phillips Place (behind Burger King). That place breeds so much crime it is riduclas. I lived in a condo about 100 yards from phillips place...they made about 8 arrests of people who live in the projects there for stealing cars and B/E from our complex...in just a few years. You can't put the projects in the middle of the most upscale part of town and not expect bad things to happen. Yes, I know they are going to redo it, but they just need to move it to a low income area.

And finally...no good Italian resturants and decent prices. I come from the northeast where good family italian places are a dime a dozen. I have yet to find an Italian place in charlotte that I am impressed with. yes i have had some good meals but only with a price tag that is crazy for pasta and sauce.

[nyxmike]

I'm with GoFightWin on the italian restaurants - my cousin used to have a great italian restaurant up by the lake (my family is 100% italian, so it's good food), but he closed down because business was too slow (people would rather go to Olive Garden instead of a real italian restaurant). Oh well - that was probably the best italian restaurant here (that I know of)...

The road system is terrible - the highways and interchanges, especially on I-77 south, are in terrible shape, I-485 needs to be widened, Independence should be a freeway to I-485 by now, and all those one-lane country roads (especially in north mecklenburg) need to be expanded. Access to the airport could be better as well. I also don't understand why a lot of older side streets have no curb, gutter, and sidewalk...

Yes - the radio is terrible. They play the same music, and why does Kiss 95.1 play country music?? It's a top 40 station. I'd like to hear more urban/techno mixed in with the Top 40, and 106.5 is OK. 107.9 is a JOKE - what happened to that station? All they do is talk now - honestly, who wants to listen to people talking all day?

Overhead utilities!

And last but not least, I hate the attitudes of some people here (anti-urban/transit, etc). The fact that people still feel weary about going downtown is a little silly (I know there isn't much to do other than go out to eat unless there's a game or a play, but the experience is better than say, going out to eat in Stonecrest. And it's not like your going to get mugged or anything). Hopefully with Epicenter (crossing fingers for movies and bowling), you can go out downtown and make a night out of it. Atleast we have somewhat of a progressive leadership that believes in the potential of this city...

Despite all these things, I think the city has and is improving.

[Miesian Corners]

Poor zoning, overhead utilities, chain restaurants, and cul-de-sacs. These are a few of my unfavorite things.

[monsoon]

....

The SouthPark low income projects near Phillips Place (behind Burger King). That place breeds so much crime it is riduclas. I lived in a condo about 100 yards from phillips place...they made about 8 arrests of people who live in the projects there for stealing cars and B/E from our complex...in just a few years. You can't put the projects in the middle of the most upscale part of town and not expect bad things to happen. Yes, I know they are going to redo it, but they just need to move it to a low income area. .....

Those projects were there before SouthPark became so upscale. I would blame the developers who built the upscale stuff if it is a bad idea to have rich people living next to poor people.

[monsoon]

I would say the classcism that exists in Charlotte.

[GoFightWin]

Those projects were there before SouthPark became so upscale. I would blame the developers who built the upscale stuff if it is a bad idea to have rich people living next to poor people.

I understand the projects were built a long time ago...but I am sure that developers believed that the valuable piece of land would have been redeveloped long before.

And one more thing to add to my list...The Target on Rea road being built next to the Target on Rea Rd. That is the dumbest idea I have ever heard of.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

My "Gripes"

- My biggest gripe would have to be the trash and litter on the sides of the highway. The other parts of the city are fine but those highways are dumps. Bring back the chain gang or something and clean those up.

- Our representation in the state congress gets little done for Charlotte. Black especially is corrupt.

- The inferiority complex that the city seems to have.

- Radio for music is a joke in this town, but talk has everything I want on it. I don't really listen to music anymore so this does not really affect me.

- Taxes (this is mostly NCs fault)

- Illegal 'Immigration', I say Illegal Trespassing

- That gang activity is growing. It should have been killed when it started.

- The school system (CMS) is a corrupt and ineffective system, and a disgrace to the city of Charlotte. The way that it is currently run makes for much wasted money.

[atlrvr]

Overhead utilities, private internal roads in new developments, EIFS, suburban-style fast-food restaurants and banks in urba/semi-urban areas, Patsy Kinsey, SC business incentives, and parking spaces designated for Hummers.

[monsoon]

I understand the projects were built a long time ago...but I am sure that developers believed that the valuable piece of land would have been redeveloped long before.

Why would they believe that? It's government owned property and the city has a vested interest in not concentrating all of the low income housing in one part of the city.

[ciordia9]

I agree with many here.

* Zoning and the urban stratification

* CharMeck school system

* No great visioneer; where are great intitiaves, great galvinization of our area is rather lackluster

* Bit too much money behind the scenes, this is a gut more than I can point a finger.

* Transportation Intiatives are lackluster (and even though I love light rail, can we get a project manager who can keep a timeline/budget?)

* Limited cultural exposure (we do have a few good outlets but they are not hyped enough..no real project to push)

* Do like Raliegh and work on the roads through the night

* I wish we had more grass root footholds. Lot of people, but rarely do we clump for purpose (except speed week! lol)

* Incentives for small business/startups instead of just the big dogs.

[ngp]

I want to second appatone's comments on the Manor. Sideways was there for an ungodly amount of time, yet a new Wong Kar Wei movie only lasted a week. I know they're stuck playing what people will pay to see, but the Charlotte Film Society needs to find a very generous sugar daddy so they can start advertising more and building some hype.

Also, another vote for overhead utilities. I think they've ruined every photograph I've ever taken inside the city limits.

[monsoon]

I think the Manor did a better job at showing indies before Eastern Federal took them over.

Isn't there a new Indie Film theater in SW Charlotte somewhere that also serves wine and sushi? Seems to me there was a post here about it.

[nyxmike]

I think the Manor did a better job at showing indies before Eastern Federal took them over.

Isn't there a new Indie Film theater in SW Charlotte somewhere that also serves wine and sushi? Seems to me there was a post here about it.

Yeah - they are building one in Ballantyne Village. It's almost done and is suppose to open sometime this year (I think).

[cyrusuncc]

I understand the projects were built a long time ago...but I am sure that developers believed that the valuable piece of land would have been redeveloped long before.

And one more thing to add to my list...The Target on Rea road being built next to the Target on Rea Rd. That is the dumbest idea I have ever heard of.

LOL! I also thought the Target being built down the street from the Target was a silly idea!

[appatone]

As far as Target... Well, that was Targets decision to open a store so close to its other store. Still, I am happy that Target has chosen Charlotte as a market where it intends to beat the hell out of Wal-Mart. Big boxes suck, but I would rather be a town laden with Targets then one laden with Wal-Marts, although I think we all agree that in an ideal world we would be able to live without either.

Overhead utilities are annoying.

As far as the "independent cinema" in Ballantyne is concerned. I don't really believe it will be independent. I think it will be more adult but not independent. It will play the standard George Clooney, Sideways stuff that we are already complaining about sucking up Charlotte's independent screens. Let's face it, Ballantyne and independent films aren't really a match made in heaven. The thing is, just because they show these films in Ballantyne doesn't mean The MAnor will move on to more impressive flicks as both theatres wil still be making money off of them. I can't fault anyone for making money, but I wish we could see a lot of films that won't make it to screenings here.

[voyager12]

I felt compelled to add my thoughts after living in Charlotte for a year. I will start with what I like. Charlotte is a vibrant growing city and the people here are very committed to making it the best it can be. As the population grows we will hopefully continue to attract educated professionals that will move the city in a more progressive direction. Charlotte is very new city (clean and green!)and after living in Charleston for seven years I miss the character and soul of historical buildings, they add so much to a city. Hopefully, Charlotte will develop a modern diverse architectural style in the future. Another negative is the lack of a diverse arts culture. We are the largest metro in the Carolinas and I am constantly going back to Charleston, to The Triangle or Asheville for worthwhile shows. Its embarassing and only emphasizes Charlotte's redneck, anti-intellectual reputation embodied by a homophobic mayor with no vision who is a tool of the establishment. The snobby and superior attitudes of the majority of Myers Park/Eastover and Ballantyne residents is nauseating and latently racist. I will stop now.

[Southernyank]

-Basically everything that has been said so far.

-The fact that the University is so far out in the suburbs and not closer to uptown or in uptown.

-If the University is gonna be in the suburbs, at least make it pedestrian friendly

-Ballantyne PERIOD! I just dont see the point. it should be connected to South Park somehow. Maybe running along South Blvd.

-Vast wastelands of strip malls and dead business called Independence Blvd and South Blvd

-All the undeveloped surface lots uptown. I know there are plans for alot of them but id like to see some progress for goodness sakes...levine!

[MZT]

I would say the main thing that annoys me, is just that it's expensive. Charlotte is about as expensive as southern California was for me (rent, gas, property tax, sales taxes, state income taxes.)

Charlotte has some nice historic areas, but they're either exhorbitantly expensive or very ghetto.

It seems like residential architecture barely changed from 1955 to 1980... acres and acres of single story brick ranches. I know that will be true in many southern cities, but this was suburban Charlotte's boom time... and it makes much of the city very blah looking today.

No mountains visible on the horizon. After 10 years in California I did get very used to that. I always liked observing the changes in the weather, that the mountain sides give you perspective for. How high or low the clouds were, how the angle of the sun moved the shadows on them, seeing the vegitation on them transition through the seasons. And yes, every once in a while, there would be snow on those mountains, even in SoCal.

The UNCC area is annoying in general (traffic, ugly apartments) but I don't live in that area now, so it doesn't bug me anymore.

[Mobuchu]

- Utilities

- Not nearly enough 24hr establishments

- Streets that change names 5 times ex. Tyvola-Fairview-Rama-Idlewild (or however it goes), Sharon/Sharon Amity and its 90 degree turns.

- Charlotte drivers in general...

[krazeeboi]

University City, the "monolithic" feeling you get uptown past 5pm, I-77 and other horrible roads (can we say Woodlawn?), and University City. I DEFINITELY second the "not nearly enough 24 hr establishments" criticism.

Charlotte having an inferiority complex? That's the first time I've ever heard such a thing.

[spectacle21]

- Interstate 77 (only 2 lanes in each direction in North Mecklenburg!)

- No streetlights on interstates and in far-flung suburban communities

- We could use 3 additional malls

- Strip Malls

- One lane backroads (East & North Mecklenburg)

- Not enough unique, risque architecture

[MR-2]

No mountains visible on the horizon. After 10 years in California I did get very used to that. I always liked observing the changes in the weather, that the mountain sides give you perspective for. How high or low the clouds were, how the angle of the sun moved the shadows on them, seeing the vegitation on them transition through the seasons. And yes, every once in a while, there would be snow on those mountains, even in SoCal.

This is why I wish North Carolina had a much larger chunk of mountains than it does. Winston-Salem is the only piedmont city with mountain views, and Pilot Mountain really doesn't count.