Jump to content

Finding Charlotte's Identity


Andyc545

Recommended Posts

Some have posted statements that stated that cities sometimes present multiple identities and they differ from person to person. Based on that, I bring up a question- what do you think about when you hear Charlotte (I know its tough since we live here)? How about other people you know from out of the city, what do they think of Charlotte?
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 68
  • Created
  • Last Reply
But it DOES have a local cuisine (go to your local greasy spoon), a local style of music (check into the history of WBT playlists), and a slew of locally and regionally significant historic sites. And all those things are alive and well, out there to be found by anyone interested and informed enough to experience them.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

^ By "local" I mean distinctive to the general area, not necessarily to the city boundaries. As I said earlier, old-timers from WBT can rattle off the names of old-timey country and bluegrass bands who used to do the Piedmont circuit, including Bill Monroe's seminal bluegrass tracks which were recorded on Tryon St. There was even a specific "Carolina blues" style at one time. While Charlotte can't lay sole claim to those genres, they are certainly native to the area and belong to Charlotte as much as they belong to any other place. Of course there are equivalents in cuisine (Carolina-style bbq), sports (stock-car racing), and other cultural categories.

While these things might be "nothing special" to some people, they are certainly special to the many generations of native Charlotteans who lived and breathed this culture for such a long time. It is the native culture of the city, and like it or not it is the authentic fabric which bound the city together until the past 40 years or so. But then again, that kind of unified identity can only exist in a much smaller city than Charlotte is today... a metropolis of over a million simply isn't going to have AN identity that everyone agrees on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Every city has ugly suburbs but not all of the areas you've mentioned are generic.

Atlanta, despite the traffic, is one of the most culturally significant cities to the Black community with social dynamics that simply don't exist in the same quantity in other places in the US. Despite Raleigh's reputation here for stodginess, the Triangle is far more culturally dynamic than Charlotte thanks to the universities and RTP. Having lived there, the difference is like night and day. Dallas, Phoenix, Houston, and Tuscon are fast becoming major centers of Hispanic culture and are vibrant in their own way. They aren't my cup of tea but I know what I'm getting when I go there. I'll agree that Jacksonville and Orlando are crap though.

My point is, once you strip away the amorphous suburbs and look deeper into the urban experience in any given sunbelt city, you'll find fewer unique qualities here than elsewhere. A more appropriate comparison would be Jacksonville, Sacramento, and Cincinnati even though we're bigger...we certainly not near Denver, Portland, or Seattle despite being of similar size. In the sunbelt, we need to look at Austin (smaller and more vibrant), San Diego (larger and more vibrant), and Richmond (smaller and less vibrant) and ask where we fit in and why.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I see this lack of character in the city as a major problem when the novelty of the city wears off. Once commute times get really long and open space is hard to come by and, most worryingly, when home price appreciation slows relative to the national market, all of the newcomers who so quickly came here will quickly leave just as quickly."

Newcomers came here for jobs or to be near other family members who took jobs here (their parents and grandparents, think retirees.) Most of them will tell you they like it here, particularly if they are raising a family and have a good job. As long as Charlotte keeps creating jobs they aren't leaving and others will come. Open space is easy to come by here but commute times are increasingly an issue (thanks again Mayor McCrory for championing light rail.)

Charlotte has an identity, banks and NASCAR set in a terraced topography of trees. I always chuckle at people who complain of "boring bankers"; San Francisco with all its cachet would kill to have Bank of America headquartered there again. And New York has lots of bankers, maybe New York's sine qua non, no one complains of boring bankers there. Our identity hasn't seeped through to the national consciousness because it has all come about in a relative rush in the last quarter century or so.

I keep telling people to look close-in for Charlotte's identity as well. The original streetcar suburbs are wonderfully intact and thriving and Charlotte's core is in every way superior to Raleigh's. I'm a Charlotte native and a Chapel Hill alum (did you notice? ;) ) and the presence of the Triangle universities is huge; Charlotte should focus on building a UNCC that can compete with them as UCLA came to compete with UC Berkeley after WWII. But I think that the buzz surrounding the cultural dynamism of the Triangle is just a lot of Triangle university faculty members patting themselves on the back.

Miesian, I agree with you. Charlotte has bootstrapped itself and done an amazingly good job of it. I saw Creative Loafing's "identity" cover and thought, "here we go again." I didn't even bother to pick it up and read it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to laugh about this as I was born and raised in Charlotte and the same argument has been going on for years. Charlotte seems obsessed with its image and always has the attitude that if we build x, y, and z people will care about us. Honestly, no one cares.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Again, I think the lack of identity comes down to the fact that most of Charlotte's residents have not lived here most of their lives, and have not been a part of any traditions that this city has. The "Generica" argument holds a lot of weight, but like Miesian Corners said earlier, its one that plagues all sunbelt cities (except cities like Charleston, New Orleans, Savannah... notice a pattern?). Its also not something that the city can build its way out of.

What traditions and culture does this city have already that people have already started to latch on to? Surely they are out there, even if in their infancy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Spartan, I tend to agree, but from my standpoint, it seems like Charlotte "suffers" from this more than any of its Southern peers. I consider Charlotte's peer cities in the South (in terms of size) to be Richmond, Norfolk, Nashville, Memphis, Louisville, Jacksonville, Orlando, Birmingham, Tampa, New Orleans, Austin, San Antonio, and Fort Worth. Most of those cities have some kind of anchor identity in the midst of rapid growth (for those experiencing it) that somewhat helps them retain their local flavor. Unfortunately, for Charlotte, the rapid expansion of the banks did play a significant role in removing vestiges of Charlotte's local culture and history.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Charlotte has had various identities over the years. 1700 and 1800's this was just a farming region with a bit of trade. 100+ years ago we had become a textile town in a textile region and trading center and a fairly major crossroads. When the railroad came through here it increased that small trade center activity. Add in a huge WWI military base that doubled the population in the 30's. We've since grown more and more into banking. That is essentially a result of the trade history. When the textiles moved out of the state and most manufacturing jobs dissipated, the banking didn't. Our banking and trading identity has been with us for years. Why try and find something else now?

I think Voyager hit the nail on the head -- it isn't so much identity that Charlotte lacks, but a perception that many have that there isn't much variety. Quite a different thing. That plus many seem to have something against being a banking town or being known for that. Now, I don't believe there isn't any variety. I do believe that our international districts, gay oriented businesses, funky neighborhoods, etc, are fairly small and not all that well known, but we do have plenty variety. It also isn't enough to bring tourists for those areas, but we do get tourists. NASCAR fills the city a couple times per year. Football brings fans from all over to see not only our team, but fans from other teams. Conventions bring lots of visitors as do other specialty events.

Charlotte, however, isn't the place that most would use their one week vacation to visit just to check it out. I believe you need mountains, beaches, or some other activity for that. We'll never be able to create a beach or other natural feature. Doesn't bother me a bit -- that is what my vacation is for, to go to places that do!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do agree with you :lol: From a broad perspective it's true that there is no overarching "theme" or "vibe" to Charlotte but the individual older neighborhoods that make up central Charlotte all have distinct and interesting personalities. Thank goodness they were preserved because they give our city some flavor. I just wish they were bigger because it would have a larger impact on Charlotte's overall personality or lack thereof. Dilworth and PlazaMidwood remind me a bit of the Virginia Highlands neighborhood in Atlanta. I considered a move there after college because I loved that area's folksy feel and the main drag of bistros and small storefronts. We have little bits of that here and there but it's just too diffuse and scattered to stand out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Spartan, I tend to agree, but from my standpoint, it seems like Charlotte "suffers" from this more than any of its Southern peers. I consider Charlotte's peer cities in the South (in terms of size) to be Richmond, Norfolk, Nashville, Memphis, Louisville, Jacksonville, Orlando, Birmingham, Tampa, New Orleans, Austin, San Antonio, and Fort Worth. Most of those cities have some kind of anchor identity in the midst of rapid growth (for those experiencing it) that somewhat helps them retain their local flavor. Unfortunately, for Charlotte, the rapid expansion of the banks did play a significant role in removing vestiges of Charlotte's local culture and history.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Richmond-the capital of the old Confederacy. Pushed aside economically a long time ago by Charlotte, Raleigh and Atlanta, prosperous but not the center of much.

Raleigh-the Triangle universities are a huge plus for Raleigh. They have excellent freeways, not something upon which to pin an identity Even Forbes called Raleigh "bland."

Norfolk-a big Navy town. Have I missed something else? Oh, the water.

Nashville-country music. A nice city.

Memphis-3 or 4 blocks of the blues, the Mississippi River. Looks like an old, struggling city when you drive through it.

Louisville-also on a river, not really familiar with it.

Jacksonville-on the water, much like Charlotte it seems to me.

Orlando-the poster child for something out of nothing. I don't think Orlando is a nice city. Would you want your identity to be Mickey Mouse?

Birmingham-Greensboro in Alabama. I hear they have a nice restaurant scene.

Tampa-on the water. What else? Cigars?

New Orleans-an exquisite corpse (even before Katrina, a very sick city.)

Austin-is there anything bad about Austin? Hill country, UT, state capital, music.

San Antonio-Riverwalk, what else?

Fort Worth-a nice city but forever in Dallas' shadow.

My point about all my opinionating is that many of these cities in fact do not have a strong identity. Some of their identities we wouldn't want. Many of them are on the water, a huge plus. The only city I see on this list that Charlotte could compare unfavorably to is Austin. When the others get 8 F500 headquarters I'll worry about them. Charlotte should aspire to compete with bigger, wealthier, more important cities-not these (save Austin.)

I'm not sure what Charlotte's banks removed, if anything, that was strongly identified with Charlotte or worth saving. In fact, it was a young Hugh McColl at the then-NCNB who put together a low-interest loan plan to encourage homeownership in Fourth Ward. Had that not happened, there would be even less of 19th century Charlotte than there is today (and there isn't much.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm a lifetime resident of Charlotte and would have to agree that the city has never seemed to have any sort of identity. Over the years, the popular theory as to why that is has been the lack of a popular center city. It has meant that Charlotte was basically a city of neighborhoods and that might actually be the closest thing to its true identity. As a result, people have tended to get their identity from the neighborhood or general area of town they happen to be from.

If having a popular center city is the key, then I think there is reason for hope. Like many, I practically ignored uptown for a long time, but recently my interest has been rekindled. For me, it started when I decided to try the new light rail line. There was something about seeing the city from that perspective that put me in the mood to really explore uptown Charlotte in a way I haven't done for a very long time. I got out and walked all over the place and was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. To me, uptown has now become a pretty interesting place that I think has a certain flavor or atmosphere to it. There is a certain energy to it with all the building going on, and add to that the anticipation factor with so many exciting projects coming along in the new future. Just in the next 18 months to 2 years, we can expect to see a baseball park, the other two parks, and the completion of the midtown-CPCC portion of the Sugar Creek Greenway. In what may have been a bit of an overstatement, Parks Helms was recently quoted as saying, "Once this is done, we will have created a center city that will be unequaled in this country." I don't know for sure about that, but it should make a dramatic difference and, of course, there are many more interesting things coming in the fairly new future.

Whether or not all these new projects will help Charlotte to develop a identity I don't know, but it might not really matter that much. It is already considered a good place to live and raise a family and if on top of that, it becomes a more interesting and fun city with a stimulating uptown, then that would be good enough for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Richmond-the capital of the old Confederacy. Pushed aside economically a long time ago by Charlotte, Raleigh and Atlanta, prosperous but not the center of much.

Raleigh-the Triangle universities are a huge plus for Raleigh. They have excellent freeways, not something upon which to pin an identity Even Forbes called Raleigh "bland."

Norfolk-a big Navy town. Have I missed something else? Oh, the water.

Nashville-country music. A nice city.

Memphis-3 or 4 blocks of the blues, the Mississippi River. Looks like an old, struggling city when you drive through it.

Louisville-also on a river, not really familiar with it.

Jacksonville-on the water, much like Charlotte it seems to me.

Orlando-the poster child for something out of nothing. I don't think Orlando is a nice city. Would you want your identity to be Mickey Mouse?

Birmingham-Greensboro in Alabama. I hear they have a nice restaurant scene.

Tampa-on the water. What else? Cigars?

New Orleans-an exquisite corpse (even before Katrina, a very sick city.)

Austin-is there anything bad about Austin? Hill country, UT, state capital, music.

San Antonio-Riverwalk, what else?

Fort Worth-a nice city but forever in Dallas' shadow.

My point about all my opinionating is that many of these cities in fact do not have a strong identity. Some of their identities we wouldn't want. Many of them are on the water, a huge plus. The only city I see on this list that Charlotte could compare unfavorably to is Austin. When the others get 8 F500 headquarters I'll worry about them. Charlotte should aspire to compete with bigger, wealthier, more important cities-not these (save Austin.)

I'm not sure what Charlotte's banks removed, if anything, that was strongly identified with Charlotte or worth saving. In fact, it was a young Hugh McColl at the then-NCNB who put together a low-interest loan plan to encourage homeownership in Fourth Ward. Had that not happened, there would be even less of 19th century Charlotte than there is today (and there isn't much.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder how many residents of Nashville actually identify themselves with the country music scene, and how many have that association cast upon them by outsiders who only know the city from CMT awards shows? The same question is worth asking about Orlando -- how many people there actually consider Disney World to be part of a "shared identity"? I suspect that Orlando locals have the same relationship with Disney that Charlotte locals have with the banks... yes they are a big part of the economy and provide nice perks to the city, but they don't "define" anything other than the tourist bureau's marketing strategy.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.