Lexy Does Charlotte

[Lexy]

Casey and I spent the Easter weekend down in Charlotte, NC. Never been there and wanted to experience the place for myself. I must say, the citizens we encountered were really nice! They made us feel very welcomed. And all, well almost all of them, wondered why we were in Charlotte instead of hanging out back home in Nashville. Nevertheless, I am in the process of editing all my shots (and there is a BUNCH). We did a bike tour of downtown and was able to sample local cuisine and all. Really had a good time and was very surprised by how built up the city has become in the last few years. On the negative side though, there are a number of projects that work has stopped dead still on. A few are high-rise structures. Makes for a very interesting skyline. Anyways, here are some of the shots we have thus far....

All can be viewed in their updated glory on my "Flickr" site here: www.flickr.com/photos/perspectivephotography

Like I said, there are plenty more to come! So enjoy these and check back later for more.

[paribasomw]

Great pics! Charlotte is an interesting place, especially so these days with the ongoing financial crisis, the city has been badly hurt. It's mostly a one industry town, and with the crash of Wachovia and the myriad problems of Bank of America, I know several folks who live there who are trying very hard to relocate elsewhere. A lot of the banking jobs the city has counted on for the future are gone forever. It will take many years to try and fill much of the new office space (like the Wachovia HQ tower under construction) and condos. The city has a great skyline, but the downtown core is quite small and there are relatively few attractions that make it a thriving place, especially at night. A light rail system started a couple of years ago which is nice if you live nearby. Charlotte's economy needs major diversification away from financial services and more tourism and entertainment attractions to draw visitors. Charlotte is no Atlanta, and never will be.

Casey and I spent the Easter weekend down in Charlotte, NC. Never been there and wanted to experience the place for myself. I must say, the citizens we encountered were really nice! They made us feel very welcomed. And all, well almost all of them, wondered why we were in Charlotte instead of hanging out back home in Nashville. Nevertheless, I am in the process of editing all my shots (and there is a BUNCH). We did a bike tour of downtown and was able to sample local cuisine and all. Really had a good time and was very surprised by how built up the city has become in the last few years. On the negative side though, there are a number of projects that work has stopped dead still on. A few are high-rise structures. Makes for a very interesting skyline. Anyways, here are some of the shots we have thus far....

All can be viewed in their updated glory on my "Flickr" site here: www.flickr.com/photos/perspectivephotography

Like I said, there are plenty more to come! So enjoy these and check back later for more.

[timmay143]

Thanks for sharing Michael!! Charlotte is one of my favorite skylines in the south (some of my other favs are Austin, Houston, and Atlanta). Never been to CHarlotte but frequent development message boards to see what is going on in other cities. I am jealous of Charlotte's height (but in a good way not the I am jealous so I hate on your city way) !! Hopefully, Nashville will have some beautiful buildings with height like Charlotte (not that Nashville has ugly, well some of them aren't too pretty but others are).

[ariesjow]

These are very impressive. I've been increasingly impressed with both Charlotte and Austin. Those are two comparable cities that appear more committed to civic improvements and enhancing their built environment than we are at the moment. It is readily apparent that their civic leaders are doing more than merely talking. Of course, it doesn't hurt that both of those metros are also growing at warp speed. I wouldn't say that I want Nashville to imitate them because, quite frankly, we have our own distinctive, alluring vibe that I never want to lose for the sake of development. But we should emulate some of their better approaches to refine our city.

[Lexy]

Well, Charlotte is light years ahead of us in some things and on par in others. The people were friendly and we had a great time. I would certainly go back!!

It is funny though, if you like a grid pattern for a city then don't go to Charlotte. When you get outside of Uptown, the grid really starts to fall apart and it becomes a bunch of winding roads and streets. Really did remind me of Lexington, KY in alot of ways.