Perception of Charlotte Nationwide

[Niner National]

I caught the end of the NASCAR THEMED edition of The Price Is Right this morning and one of the prizes in the showcase was a trip to Charlotte. It was a trip for 2 for a 3 night stay at a luxury hotel to attend the Coca-Cola 600. The trip also included a celebration with the winner, the opportunity to ride in a race car at up to 180mph and other prizes. The contestant didn't win that showcase but it was still interesting to see Charlotte mentioned on The Price is Right. This episode was likely a re-run but it was the first time I saw it.

Personally I'm not a fan of NASCAR, but I found it nice to see a trip to Charlotte on The Price Is Right.

Also in November (although I'm unsure of the date), I was watching the Price Is Right and they gave away a trip to Charlotte for the Gravediggers Ball. Trip included airfare, tickets to the event, and hotel accommodations at the Aloft hotel.

[jfuptown]

Have you seen this article in the Globe and News? (Canadian news)

“Charlotte: The town that Bank of America took down”

http://www.theglobea...article1400134/

It’s interesting in regard to the writer’s perspective. However, like in all cases the media wants to make it sound like the game is over and all Charlotteans should just give up and disappear.

In my opinion, Charlotte’s future will be based not on the companies we can attract, but the ones we can build.

Edited December 15, 2009 by jf Uptown

[HopHead]

Have you seen this article in the Globe and News? (Canadian news)

“Charlotte: The town that Bank of America took down”

http://www.theglobea...article1400134/

It’s interesting in regard to the writer’s perspective. However, like in all cases the media wants to make it sound like the game is over and all Charlotteans should just give up and disappear.

In my opinion, Charlotte’s future will be based not on the companies we can attract, but the ones we can build.

I saw that as well... It also have a TON of incorrect information. 16% office vacancy in uptown? 2,000 jobs lost by the Wells/Wachovia merger? They didn't do a very thorough job on the research at all. It hardly even mentions the other Fortune 500 companies that Charlotte has. Or that CMC is the largest employer, not one of the banks.

[dubone]

Calvary Church was on the front page of CNN just now. It lists as being in North Carolina versus Charlotte, but still interesting.

[tozmervo]

This seems like an appropriate enough thread.

Lowe's Motor Speedway has now officially changed its name to Charlotte Motor Speedway. Charlotte is going to be NASCAR heaven come May.

[NcSc74]

Just thought I would add to the topic. I was listning to ESPN radio earlier yesterday and the host had as a guest Trey Wingo who is an ESPN personality. After their interview he told Wingo enjoy the rest of his vacation in CHARLOTTE. It caught me by surprise because those are 2 things you have to get used to; vacationing in Charlotte and saying Charlotte without the NC. Also I heard Charlotte on TV without the NC. I think the whole demise of Wachovia and the banking crisis might have helped the city stand out in peoples mind around the nation. I think from here on out we should not be surprise or get to offended if the NC is added to the city name as it is common practice to say it without the state connotation. Now if the sportscasters can say "good evening we have a great game scheduled for you from Charlotte" instead of Carolina when calling Panther games.

[Batou]

This seems like an appropriate enough thread.

Lowe's Motor Speedway has now officially changed its name to Charlotte Motor Speedway. Charlotte is going to be NASCAR heaven come May.

Finally it's true name comes back

[Skyybutter]

This may already be talked about on here but Fantasia For Real on VH1 has had some great shots of Charlotte. One seemed to be of Uptown coming in from Independence. And of course they show her house in Piper Glen.

[Skyybutter]

I saw that as well... It also have a TON of incorrect information. 16% office vacancy in uptown? 2,000 jobs lost by the Wells/Wachovia merger? They didn't do a very thorough job on the research at all. It hardly even mentions the other Fortune 500 companies that Charlotte has. Or that CMC is the largest employer, not one of the banks.

Nice to see Toronto took notice of Charlotte. Love Toronto btw. Agree with all you say dbull. Charlotte has so much going for it. We have survived this recession and will continue to see job growth. With all the brains in this city we are bound to come out bigger and better then before.

[Urbanity]

I love this image for Charlotte:

HBO’s monthlong series on four-time defending series champ Jimmie Johnson, part of the network’s “24/7” sports documentary lineup, has included plenty of cameos of the Hendrick Motorsports shop, as well as the area homes where Johnson, his crew chief and others live. Now Opera Carolina is even getting in on the act, as Johnson’s wife, Chandra, was filmed attending a recent performance of “La Boheme” — with shots cutting back and forth from Chandra at the opera mixed with her hubby tearing around the track in Daytona. Give the HBO gang credit: They used a bit of Verdi’s Rigoletto as the soundtrack for the racing footage, an accent Opera Carolina’s Janet Dickinson found especially apropos.

http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/queen_city_agenda/2010/02/nascar_bakes_the_cake_in_charlotte.html

This is the image that needs to be shown more as Charlotte does have both and is increasingly diverse in economy, entertainment and just lifestyle (urban/suburban).

[Urbanity]

Charlotte is definitely going to get a chance to be in the national spotlight this Spring/Summer:

Palin coming to Charlotte in May and June

The May/NRA visit in particular will probably draw the national (and maybe some international) media. Granted if they come the focus will be on Palin and the NRA yet their could be some ancillary coverage of Charlotte.

[uptownliving]

Charlotte got a nice honerable mention yesterday in the Global media as Captain Sully landed his last US Airways flight in Charlotte. They had a really nice shot of him taxiing the Airbus A321 through the water canon salute with the Charlotte skyline in the background. Saw that on both NBC Nightly News and BBC World News.

[Urbanity]

This tickled me:

Charlotte who? Mayor Kasim Reed says Atlanta still on top

Pay no attention to those footsteps. Atlanta is still the capital of the South, Mayor Kasim Reed said Wednesday...

I love that the twist of Atlanta defining itself against Charlotte., For the record, I don't think Charlotte needs to be Atlanta (or is it necessary a model I want for this city) nor do I think Atlanta needs to be worried about Charlotte, but the fact of the matter is that it tickles me that a headline give credence to our rising star by implying us as nobodies.

http://blogs.ajc.com...a-still-on-top/

Long Live the Queen (City!)

Edited March 18, 2010 by Urbanity

[ScottCLT]

I got a kick out of the comments. Mostly complaints about Atlanta...only a few bad remarks about Charlotte.

[krazeeboi]

We're always complaining here about getting shortshafted by the state legislature, but it doesn't even come close to what Atlanta has to deal with. Plus, we just don't have that big city/suburb psychological divide that Atlanta has (and truth be told, a lot of that has to do with race). We've got one, but I think it's pretty mild compared to other metro areas. It's good to see more balanced commentary there from our big sister to the South.

[ScottCLT]

Charlotte got some viral video exposure from this past Friday's Ben Folds show at the Fillmore here where he did improv to Chatroulette sessions. Strangely enough, I found out about this while listening to Minnesota Public Radio today (I was listening online - 89.3 the Current is an awesome indie music station I got hooked on while travelling to the Twin Cities a couple years ago). I am kicking myself for missing this show. I love Ben Folds - seen him several times - and didn't find out about the Fillmore show until last minute. Check out the video:

&feature=player_embedded

[aircare]

Not sure if this is that right place for this but the EPA released its second annual ranking of U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest number of buildings receiving the Energy Star label in 2009.

Charlotte is #22 on the list.

http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/downloads/2009_Top_25_cities_chart.pdf

[CorgiMatt]

It seems like it would make more sense to rank cities according to the percentage of their buildings that are energy efficient. So what if Los Angeles or whoever has the most energy efficient buildings if their massive collection of buildings in general include a lot that aren't.

Edited March 27, 2010 by CorgiMatt

[Urbanity]

Charlotte and the Cultural Campus made the NYT's travel section

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/travel/28headsup.html?scp=1&sq=charlotte%20cultural%20center&st=cse#

I love the closing paragraph:

'As for the campus as a whole, “It’s one-stop shopping from a cultural perspective,” said Mr. Boyer, who seems excited about the prospects of Nascar fans and tailgaters enjoying a little 20th-century modern art, and vice versa. “There is a wonderfully rich complexion here which one can argue is uniquely Charlotte, but in other respects, American.”'

[nashbill]

Not exactly a perception of Charotte, but, the Carolina Panthers were mentioned twice in last nights episode.

Of the Simpson's

[Guest]

From the Front Page of CNN today!

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/04/01/infrastructure.rebuild/index.html?hpt=C2

Charlotte, is a city rebuilding for "new urban" century. I just now discovered this, so I'll have my summary up soon enough!

[cltheel.sdl]

^ Yeah I just saw that on CNN - we're in front of everyone in the tabs section! Wow I feel special haha.

[Guest]

^ Yeah I just saw that on CNN - we're in front of everyone in the tabs section! Wow I feel special haha.

And we are represented twice photographically!!!! I enjoyed the article very much, it seemed to represent us in good light!

[JayGee]

And we are represented twice photographically!!!! I enjoyed the article very much, it seemed to represent us in good light!

Makes up for those articles that paint Charlotte as being on the ropes.

It should be interesting to see the various takes on the Prez visit today. I would think Bev has made every attempt to have him highlight the recent successes Charlotte has had because it makes her look really good.

Will they present Charlotte as a thriving city or a downtrodden one with 12% area unemployment?

[tozmervo]

Julie Rose (WFAE) had a piece on Charlotte/the Obama visit play national on NPR this morning

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125470106

It strikes a generally downtrodden tone, but does give a reasonable picture of what the city's climate is like right now.