Charlotte area "ring cities"

[tarhoosier 5196]

Election story/joke. Feel free to tell this as your own with what changes you wish:

Small town where everyone knows all. Owner of barber shop always talks about how wonderful things will be when Democrats rule things. Every election when paper ballots are counted there is a single Democrat choice. Barber is a fine man, sponsors a Little League team, friend to all, and everyone in town. Each person has peccadillo and this, apparently, is his. Minor and benign, say his fellows. Sadly the barber dies. The funeral is a send-off to a valued member of the community. At the church after the ceremony memories are shared and much smiling recalling his lifelong support of Democrats and that single Democrat vote.

Next election officials overturn election box and sifting through they realize there is a single Democrat vote. Stunned silence. "You know what this means? We buried the wrong man!"

[KJHburg 66213]

Pineville rising Atrium Pineville building. Today from 485.   Side windshield shots are my worst LOL> 

[tarhoosier 5196]

On 11/13/2020 at 4:22 PM, tarhoosier said:

Election story/joke. Feel free to tell this as your own with what changes you wish:

Small town where everyone knows all. Owner of barber shop always talks about how wonderful things will be when Democrats rule things. Every election when paper ballots are counted there is a single Democrat choice. Barber is a fine man, sponsors a Little League team, friend to all, and everyone in town. Each person has peccadillo and this, apparently, is his. Minor and benign, say his fellows. Sadly the barber dies. The funeral is a send-off to a valued member of the community. At the church after the ceremony memories are shared and much smiling recalling his lifelong support of Democrats and that single Democrat vote.

Next election officials overturn election box and sifting through they realize there is a single Democrat vote. Stunned silence. "You know what this means? We buried the wrong man!"

This may have happened in Glasscock County Georgia

Politics[edit]

Glascock County, a rural, sparsely-populated, majority-White county, is arguably the most Republican of Georgia's 159 counties, and one of the most Republican counties in the United States, with almost 90 percent of voters supporting Donald Trump in 2020. In addition, Republican percentages have been in the 80s since 2004, and the last Democrat to win the county was Georgian Jimmy Carter in 1980.(citation needed)

[KJHburg 66213]

Outer ring town report.  Went to visit with my college roommate who lost both his parents in a span of 3 months in Star in Montgomery County in the Uwharries region. 

Drive through Mt Pleasant which is in Cabarrus really nice town with a fine white tablecloth restaurant 73 and Main downtown.   It attracts people from throughout Cabarrus County. 

1.2. town of Mt Pleasant and 73 and Main restaurant. Not photo'ed the Southern Grace Distillery in an old prison right in town as well.  You can tour it and taste if of legal age.

3.4.5.6.  NC 24.27.73 all come together and the state is widening the highway to and beyond the bridge over the Pee Dee River Lake Tillery.  Notice the Uwharrie mountains the last such "mountains" that far east in NC.  

7.8..9.10.  Town of Star, NC the center of NC or pretty close to it.  Nice older buildings and a great bed and breakfast the historic Star Inn which is pictured.

11.12. Back to Oakboro to eat dinner in downtown at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants.  It was busy and will get busier as the new Charlotte Pipe and Foundry will be built about 2 miles away just outside of town replacing the facility near Uptown and the Gold district. 

[KJHburg 66213]

Downtown Mt Holly today.  Visit local shops like these in downtown Mt Holly.  I found several unique gifts here and many are made in NC!  Talk about supporting local.  

Just minutes from Charlotte out NC 27 or take I-85 over the river to Gaston County. 

[tarhoosier 5196]

Perfect Tuesday

Drive to York city, seat of York County. I am embarrassed to say that I lived in Charlotte for too many years until I learned that the seat of York County was York city and not Rock Hill. The majority of the population of York County is in the eastern corridor of York County along the arteries of the Catawba River, the railroad from Charlotte to Columbia from the mid 1800’s and Interstate 77. We all know well the development from Lake Wylie, Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Rock Hill and the other communities in this corridor. Most of us are less familiar with the 40+ road miles from the eastern communities to the western reaches of the county. This distance is uniformly small farms, wooded areas, slightly rolling land and churches plus small communities. This includes York city. This makes York County a known development location but York city an overlooked location. 

The city is compact and lovely. Whether by decree or custom the central business area and residences on the surrounding blocks are in a high state of preservation, tidy and neat. The retail area is several blocks of Congress Street and 80% occupied with good quality tenants. Tuesday there were cars curbside along the street and several shoppers and strollers along with me. 

 

First up, the York County Courthouse. Now THIS is a courthouse. Yellow brick reflecting our area, ionic capitals for the columns, which is a first in my tour of overlooked county seats. NO memorial, tin soldier, tablet or other obstruction to obscure the beauty of the building. Anson County take note. A brass pediment above the tympanum is distinctive and red tile roof adds another point of visual interest. The doors are enhanced with a lintel supported by corbels with lights above. Proportion is maintained thereby. Lincoln County take note. The lights on either side of the steps on the post and pendants are continued in the hallway inside the building.  The decoration in the tympanum may resemble a heraldic white rose and the white rose is the symbol of York. I choose to believe it was designed as a white rose and it makes me happy. This is the best overall presentation of any courthouse in this series. 

Here is a closer look for detail and to see the lights inside that follow the design outside. Look through the right entry door.

The courthouse is not at a square or circle, but a crossroad. This at the edge of the courthouse property and under the tree seen above describes that before rail and highways there were paths and wagon roads

At the far end of the courthouse parking area is the new courthouse and county services center. Tuesday, and it was busy with people entering and leaving. Modern yet sensitive to the building it is facing. York commissioners have done their work well.

The Rose Hotel, facing the courthouse on Congress Street. Built 1852 and now apartments above and offices on ground floor. Note street lights.

Next building on Congress is this one which looks remarkably like one in Dallas, my first courthouse visit. Wedding chapel on ground floor. Other uses unknown.

At the corner across from the courthouse is the First National Bank. No longer a bank and I did not investigate the use. Note how complementary the design and brick color is to the courthouse. These people had a sense of art.

The next 2-3 blocks of Congress complete the central shopping area of York. The Sylvia Theatre. I wager the small windows were for projectionist as the high intensity bulbs for projectors made a projection booth over 100º if not ventilated. The Sylvia, with a tree in front.  Extra points to you if you connect the symbolism.

Now Showing: a moment in time. March 6 2020 (sad face)

Across from the theatre is Brandon House from 1871. This house had a French restaurant in the early 2010's. I ate here twice. A local man studied in France and returned to treat his community to his education. Now closed, and a realtor office currently.

York has a rare coherence with the central area and surrounding residential area contributing to a whole that is pleasing and complementary. Though a small town, population 8,000 or so, it is growing in population. Less than a mile from the center the established area drifts into the 21st century retail drek. Not far away is the Museum of Western York County, which by name alone emphasizes the distance and difference from the Rock Hill corridor. 36 miles and one hour today from Freedom Park. Worth the drive and a respite from the I-77 welter.

Edited November 26 by tarhoosier

[KJHburg 66213]

Felt the need to walk around some after a HUGE dinner in Ktown to  nearby downtown Kannapolis.  Lots of new shops set to open Chophouse 101, a bakery, a coffee shop, a boutique, a Sabor in addition to the Gem theater, the Armory brewery, other existing shops.  New apartments racing towards completion.   a whole new downtown Kannapolis.   Plus the new Atrium Ballpark home of the Kannapolis Ballers minor league team.  As I said people feel real sense of pride in their new downtown and love to walk around it and their open stadium this year no games just open for people to sit and buy stuff from the concession stands was very successful.  Check it out and their main street through it has so many seats, parklets, fountains etc.  Really nice. 

LOTS of photos as I took an extensive walk around downtown LOL. Warning 46 photos.    New for sale townhome development getting ready to start on south edge of downtown beyond the new Vida apartments. 

[tarhoosier 5196]

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Posted Wednesday at 08:16 PM (edited)

Perfect Tuesday

Drive to York city, seat of York County. I am embarrassed to say that I lived in Charlotte for too many years until I learned that the seat of York County was York city and not Rock Hill.

----------------------------------------------

Regarding my education about York County Seat, as mentioned above, I told my story to a friend who is an architect with projects in the region. He said messengers and young employees going to Caldwell County  Building Inspection and permit office with project papers are specifically told to set the GPS for Newton, NC and not Hickory.

[KJHburg 66213]

Birkdale Village still looks good after all these years.  These photos are from Wednesday and here is a story on their new ownership too.  and new shopping center renovation of New England looking buildings across the street in front of the Birkdale neighborhood. 

North American Properties, Nuveen Real Estate now own Birkdale Village in Huntersville - Charlotte Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

 

[Nick2 5399]

On 11/20/2020 at 7:21 PM, KJHburg said:

Outer ring town report.  Went to visit with my college roommate who lost both his parents in a span of 3 months in Star in Montgomery County in the Uwharries region.   

7.8..9.10.  Town of Star, NC the center of NC or pretty close to it.  Nice older buildings and a great bed and breakfast the historic Star Inn which is pictured.

My family lives near star in the countryside. The town library has a plaque on the side of it declaring that location as the exact geographic center of NC.

Star is an old mill town that is a shell of itself during its heyday since the mills left but the people and town remain. 

The cool thing is that many of those borded up abandoned buildings are having their second floors converted apartments.

There's also an Aberdeen and western train museum in town. As well as Starworks which is a glass blowing/pottery/art guild with a neat cafe/tavern.

Edited November 28 by Nick2

[KJHburg 66213]

here is good story from WFAE about downtown Kannapolis development to follow up on my photos from Thanksgiving today above.

Kannapolis Sells Off More Blocks As Downtown Vision Takes Shape | WFAE 90.7 - Charlotte's NPR News Source