Boring Charlotte

[Mobuchu]

Improving Charlotte with tourist attractions is wonderful. But king of queen wants the city to be UGLY, like a ghetto, a thuggish place........

Is this a joke, or can it possibly be real???

Well, I'm guessing he's young. But its all a matter of opinion. By wanting grit, some people mean they want the city to look older. More brick, more stone, more details in the arcitecture. We have this in the Hall house, the Dunhill hotel, and a couple others, but most of uptown is new. Only time (and better materials) is gonna change that.

Or he can just go hang out on N. Grahm around 24th and enjoy the real ghetto

[dubone]

Can you PLEASE explain to me how two of the most streamlined towers ever built (WTC) equate to ghetto?

Well, the World Trade towers were built on landfill, filled with jews, and erected as a symbol of power. Much like the original ghettos.

But besides that, I can't see the corelation.

But, I will agree with original premise. Charlotte is boring. I guess the trend in multiple threads here is that it needs more ghettos to improve it. I'll do my part by stop maintaining my house. I may even go ahead and buy a gold Caprice. You'll see me riding dirty down Tryon with my grill and my 20s.

[TBurban]

Well, the World Trade towers were built on landfill, filled with jews, and erected as a symbol of power. Much like the original ghettos.

But besides that, I can't see the corelation.

But, I will agree with original premise. Charlotte is boring. I guess the trend in multiple threads here is that it needs more ghettos to improve it. I'll do my part by stop maintaining my house. I may even go ahead and buy a gold Caprice. You'll see me riding dirty down Tryon with my grill and my 20s.

Haha, I think I know what he's talking about though. I too have noticed this. Charlotte lacks classical highrises. I adore the skyline, but Im a sucker for a hefty art deco scraper. Id like to see a building go up that has the style of art deco or classical architecture. It all just looks so new. Now Im not saying thats a bad thing at all, but it is nice to have a mix. This is also coming from a person that hasnt been to Charlotte in person, but has visited Emporis.

[Miesian Corners]

Haha, I think I know what he's talking about though. I too have noticed this. Charlotte lacks classical highrises. I adore the skyline, but Im a sucker for a hefty art deco scraper. Id like to see a building go up that has the style of art deco or classical architecture. It all just looks so new. Now Im not saying thats a bad thing at all, but it is nice to have a mix. This is also coming from a person that hasnt been to Charlotte in person, but has visited Emporis.

How did the World Trade Center towers equate to classical highrises? They were pure International Style modernist buildings.

[dimebag1980]

Perhaps he's referring to a tower like the ones in Co-op City? Though some may not be "ghetto", theyre usually the first type of building that comes to my mind when I hear it, being from New York.

Well, driving into Chicago from the south, this type of building is what you see. And it disgusts me every time I see them. I think they're so ugly, but they definitely give off a gritty urban feel. But seriously, how would rather have buildings like these over what Charlotte has on its skyline now? Charlotte's skyline is gorgeous. Expand it if you want, but don't degrade it.

[RiverwoodCLT]

If you think we need a ghetto tower, well get your money out and build one. I don't think you are going to get a developer and city to ok and build one.

I don't think the 2 big banks uptown want a ghetto around too. I would hope we could get rid of ghettos areas in Charlote and give all people a nice place to live. I think our goal would be to provide affordable

housing to our citzens in Charlotte.

Ghettos can be found all over the world, occupied by all races. I saw a ghetto in Niairobi, Kenya with about 500,000+. It was not pretty and dangerous to go in there.

I think when you ask for a ghetto, you need to take a look at the ghettos around the world and ask if this what you realy want.

[TBurban]

How did the World Trade Center towers equate to classical highrises? They were pure International Style modernist buildings.

I wasnt referring to the World Trade Centers, I was referring to buildings in Charlotte. I realize they were full blown modern buildings.

Well, driving into Chicago from the south, this type of building is what you see. And it disgusts me every time I see them. I think they're so ugly, but they definitely give off a gritty urban feel. But seriously, how would rather have buildings like these over what Charlotte has on its skyline now? Charlotte's skyline is gorgeous. Expand it if you want, but don't degrade it.

Yeah, thats why I dont understand why anyone would want them in their city. Especially a city such as Charlotte with all of the modern, sleek buildings going up.

[Southernyank]

Haha, I think I know what he's talking about though. I too have noticed this. Charlotte lacks classical highrises. I adore the skyline, but Im a sucker for a hefty art deco scraper. Id like to see a building go up that has the style of art deco or classical architecture. It all just looks so new. Now Im not saying thats a bad thing at all, but it is nice to have a mix. This is also coming from a person that hasnt been to Charlotte in person, but has visited Emporis.

unfortunately i dont really think thats what he meant. the guy made a point to discuss his complete abhorition for the hearst tower. how can he hate the hearst but believe what you think he's saying. i think your giving this guy too much credit i'd really love a lot more art deco scrapers myself.

[King_of_queen]

http://www.cs.ucsd.edu/~j11wong/pics/niaga...yc/IMG_0194.JPG something like that.

Wow.Basically, I didnt mean like The bloods n crypts .I meant like Bessemer City.

Charlotte is the Cleanest City i have ever seen, and no street level activity I ever see hardly. Compared to other cities.If we could just move are city to Franklin square, ~wow~. Im thinking about moveing to Philidelphia.Or New york. Anywhere close to USairways.

[King_of_queen]

Remember I came from BC~Bessemer City.Home of the yellow jackets.

[voyager12]

Uptown Charlotte is very white bread,antiseptic, and sterile. It might as well be a suburban office park. Outside of the embryonic Art museum plans I don't see it getting a lot of flava anytime soon. The new condo towers are nice looking but I don't think The Courtside adds much color to Uptown. And the towers in the pipeline are not very radical either. Its a shame because I love urban grit but Uptown is destined to be a shiny new conventioneer/tourist and business centric CBD. Aside from pockets like NoDA and PlazaMidwood, Charlotte is not a wild and crazy town. We are a banking center. Not exactly the foundation for a party capital lol:

[SmellyCat]

Maybe we should start spraying everything with graffitti, toss in a few more homeless people and put corrugated steel rollup security gates on storefronts. That should add some grit!

I moved here from a place that all it had was grit and HATED it. Sure it had some personality, but seeing graffiti and garbage all over the place would make me seethe. When I go back to visit I still can't believe how filthy it is.

[Miesian Corners]

http://www.cs.ucsd.edu/~j11wong/pics/niaga...yc/IMG_0194.JPG something like that.

Wow.Basically, I didnt mean like The bloods n crypts .I meant like Bessemer City.

Charlotte is the Cleanest City i have ever seen, and no street level activity I ever see hardly. Compared to other cities.If we could just move are city to Franklin square, ~wow~. Im thinking about moveing to Philidelphia.Or New york. Anywhere close to USairways.

Dude you are really confusing me. Comparing lower Manhattan to Charlotte and in the next sentence wanting it to be like Bessemer City? Huh?

Why exactly do you even care? You live in Gaston County (and Bessemer City is right there at your disposal) already (which you say is ghetto). Why bother making the trip to Charlotte. If you work for US, you needn't go past CLT airport on Wilkinson.

And btw, by all means move to PHL. I lived there (also working for US). It is plenty ghetto, has lots of trash, and there's nothing like the overwhelming smell of urine in the city hall courtyard to make one proud.

[monsoon]

Bessemer City and Manhattan in the same comparison doesn't seem quite right. I don't remember if I have ever been to the place so I might have to make a road trip there. Anyone got some photos?

[Miesian Corners]

I wasnt referring to the World Trade Centers, I was referring to buildings in Charlotte. I realize they were full blown modern buildings.

Go back and read his original post. He was talking about the WTC and their "ghetto" look (which I still don't understand how they were ghetto, except for maybe what dubone said).

[browngeo]

Worst Thread Ever..

And it's spawned this insane discussion.

[TBurban]

Go back and read his original post. He was talking about the WTC and their "ghetto" look (which I still don't understand how they were ghetto, except for maybe what dubone said).

Agreed. They had fit into the skyline they were built for. Now something like the Woolworth Building or the New York Life Building. Now those would look elegant in Charlotte's skyline.

[voyager12]

I used to live in Philly too. Sure its dirty and noisy, but those are things that also make a city seem alive and thriving. Walking in Philadelphia and other older cities is a great experience because there is so much diversity and action going on. When I am on South Blvd or Central Ave, I don't think its ugly and "ghetto". I like the jumbled rough edges and different ethnic groups represented. I think its a good thing that all of Charlotte does not look SouthPark and Uptown.

[monsoon]

Maybe they could be considered ghetto. Here are a couple of photos I took of the WTC and it does look like a bad neighborhood. You can see the rest of them here.

Nice Ride

Neighborhood

[King_of_queen]

Yes, Thats exactly what i meant. I love(d) the World Trade Centers.

[JerseyBoy]

Wow metro! Those are certainly a piece of history! West Side Highway sure looks alot better now than it did back then. I'm guessing that was the mid-80's?

[monsoon]

Very good guess. August 1984.

[Jerseyman4]

The West Side Highway back then looked like hell! Heres what it looks like now, after reconstruction and using concrete. Time after time i drive this road, its still in PERFECT condition.

Is the West Side Highway ghetto now? Just some areas here and there but most of it is going under some gentrification.

[JerseyBoy]

Is the West Side Highway ghetto now? Just some areas here and there but most of it is going under some gentrification.

West Side Highway might have its areas but it is making a stong comeback with areas like Tribeca and Greenwich Village breathing new life onto the road. Also, I believe there is a plan to redo West Side Highway/9A and make it more neighborhood/pedestrian friendly with more trees and flowers.

[voyager12]

We have only been discussing this topic for a few days and poof! Mary's new topic for her Naked City Blog @ The Observer is about Charlotte trying to be "gritty". What a coincidence Hi Mary