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atlrvr

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What in the world is wrong with these people.   The Chamber ought to be well aware of the benefits of small business retail fronting the street, why do they need a massive lobby?   So they want to make the building worse for the community and go back to the office tower designs that caused uptown to be desolate after 6p in an era where other buildings are desparately trying to RETROFIT retail space back in?

 

 

Meanwhile, I had hoped that this renovation would yield additional street retail by sacrificing a few first floor parking spaces on the Church street side.

 

 

Am I misreading, though, and it is a net gain with the 2-story 10ksf restaurant?


What Uptown doesn't have is a really good Chinese/Asian Fusion type place...there are a million sushi places, but something along the lines of Tao or The General in NY would work well I think....both are very popular with not stuffy business dinners and also big groups of people before heading out. 

SoHo Bistro is quite good actually.  

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Tough loss for uptown. I wonder if they'd consider the old Bite Your Tongue location facing Bland St Station in Southend. I know it's low visibility from South Blvd and right next to Crispy Crepe, but the Crepe is regularly near capacity on mornings and local residents are mostly from the other side of the tracks. I would think that a hangout-type environment could do well on the Greenway, a few feet from a light rail stop.

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Before you bash the Chamber, perhaps Amelie's is OK with not renewing.  I know there were issues with not having a cooking kitchen, and I do not know what the rent was, or what the return was.  But if downtown was a great location for Amelie's, I am quite sure they would have no problem finding another location.

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Before you bash the Chamber, perhaps Amelie's is OK with not renewing. I know there were issues with not having a cooking kitchen, and I do not know what the rent was, or what the return was. But if downtown was a great location for Amelie's, I am quite sure they would have no problem finding another location.

But complaining is so much more fun.

There probably is more to it than what we see on the surface. But I also think it's a good opportunity for us to (even if it's as simple as tweeting) stand up and show that we are in favor of street level retail in uptown.

Does it really hurt to tell the Chamber that people in Charlotte are in favor of keeping small businesses on Tryon and in uptown?

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I dunno....Amelie downtown location was pretty non-descript.  It was fine quality, but *donning body armor* the Starbucks at DEC has more ambiance.  I'm assuming other posters have been here, and have a different opinion than me, but for those who have only been the the NoDa location, and assuming the Uptown one is just as charming, well, it's not.  It's almost like they always knew it would be temporary, and never really built it out. 

 

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Back to the Asian Fusion I had in mind.  Kalu over in coutside (the first iteration with the James Beard awarded chef, before things went quickly downhill after he left) is exactly the concept I'd like to see, just obviously in a better location.

 

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Going back to breakfast for a minute, Toast is changing its name to "Famous Toastery" and is in expansion mode under a franchise model, but the original ownership is looking in Uptown for a new location.

 

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Some of us strongly prefer to shop local so Starbucks is the very last choice (going easy on your body armor). There are a couple though with the one on Tryon at least being open on weekends.

 

If it's 9-5 weekday, Rush, in the arcade, is your local spot! The coffee is great and they have some good fast food selections. I really like their ham and cheese croissants. 

Edited by elrodvt
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I agree that the uptown/downtown Amelie's is not the same as the NoDa location, but to me it was more about a "local" choice like elrodvt described. I'd rather put my $ there when I'm around those parts than a Starbucks or some other chain. I just think it's ironic that the Chamber who says they want retail and I would assume want to be pro-local business pushed out one of the better options from their own building for something we all want to see less of... a sterile lobby that will mostly sit empty.

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I agree, though, atlrvr, this is an opportunity for Amelies to redo and either pursue a second location that has some of the magic of the original, perhaps a few blocks south to reach the SouthEnd nightlife, or closer to Epicentre to keep the daytime customer base but add support for late night.   

 

I agree it somewhat faded into the background, and I usually forget it is even there.  

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I agree, though, atlrvr, this is an opportunity for Amelies to redo and either pursue a second location that has some of the magic of the original, perhaps a few blocks south to reach the SouthEnd nightlife, or closer to Epicentre to keep the daytime customer base but add support for late night.

I agree it somewhat faded into the background, and I usually forget it is even there.

How great would be a place at 1616 camden or camden gallery be!!! I don't even care about the uptown address anymore!!

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Not Just Coffee in 7th St. Market is [opinion] better than Amelies and also local. And you also have Local Loaf in 7th St for pastries.

 

Amelie's turned down invitations from the CRVA to move into that Uptown spot for year(s) before finally trying it out, it wasn't their scene to start with.

I went to 7th street market last weekend and holy cow, I could now believe how busy it was!!! On a Saturday afternoon, the place was packed. Apparently they are doing a "tour of the vendors" now where they let you sign up and try stuff from all the vendors. I stood back and watched as people tried cheeses, dips, pizzas, etc. All of the restaurant vendors were busy. I haven't been there in probably 9 months, because my wife and I had a baby and well, that changes things like you wouldn't believe (unless you have one of your own). But what a great sign with what I saw this past weekend - this place seems like it has really taken off now! I was just so excited to see a vibrant, though somewhat small, urban market in Charlotte.

The new butcher shop that replaced the Meat and Fish Company is not as knowledgable about cuts of beef, but the beef is grass fed and local and amazingly priced ($20.99/lb for local beef as opposed to HT's $24.99/lb standard for filet from mystery land). The beef was great, but I really wanted to get Teres Major, and the Meat and Fish Company was the only butcher shop in town that had it (for $14.99/lb!). The new butcher shop staff said that they never heard of the cut before and just looked at me strangely when I asked for it. I expect a good butcher to know what Teres Major is, though it it is a very small part of the cow. But I do have to say, regardless of the lack of my favorite cut of beef, the beef we got was amazing and the price was outstanding - especially for locally sourced product.

Rant: Where the hell am I going to get my Teres Major now???? The Meat and Fish Co was the only place in town...

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I think I remember that Meat and Fish Co is relocating and that's why they moved out of the market.  Although a quick Google search did not bring any updates.  Just this paragraph from a May business journal article about the new butcher.

 

"The uptown shop will occupy the space vacated by Meat & Fish Co., which is expanding and relocating. No further details about Meat & Fish Co. were available"

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