Southend Living

[Guest]

^^ This is actually the very first project and start to long-term traffic-calming plans on South Blvd through the neighborhood. Eventually there will be a road-diet a-la East Blvd through the neighborhood. Tryon is still being studied but, the more that SouthEnd-West is developed with new residences, like the 34 units by Gateway, the sooner a plan will come together.

 

Also, the next initiative is focused on the Rail Trail.

I encourage you all to come out to Byron's next Tuesday for the Rail Trail Vision Community Meeting to see what's envisioned and to share your ideas.

The vision is to make the current trail into a series of interconnected vignettes/gardens/parks to become a destination shared by the all neighborhoods adjacent to the Light-Rail and to become a destination for the entire city and visitors.

 

Amazing how urban the city looks in this picture. I'm excited for the prospect of creating a "highline' type project in Charlotte. Granted this won't be elevated or anything, I imagine this to be a lot like it.

6 new parks? NICE!

Edited April 18, 2013 by Guest

[RVA2CLT]

Here's the Press Kit from Center City Partners with the Rail Trail proposal.

Some great renderings of what could be vs. what is currently there especially with all the unused patches of land from Bland up to 277.

 

[southslider]

South Blvd will never be dieted. South Tryon maybe.

[Guest]

South Blvd will never be dieted. South Tryon maybe.

It is getting a little chubby these days though...

[RVA2CLT]

^ Nay say if it pleases you. However, I have it from good authority that a road diet on South Blvd through Southend is part of the long-term plan. Especially after bringing local officials, CDOT and the media attention to it by basically having them attempt to cross the street during a rush hour. NBC Charlotte had a report/interview last night about the traffic, safety concerns and the first pedestrian refuge to be installed at Rensselaer (Crispy Crepe to Einstein). It will just take time and gradual implementation.

[southslider]

Islands, yes. Fewer lanes, no. Arterials over 25,000 need 4 lanes.

[ScottCLT]

Went to All American Pub last night. I asked about the neighboring spaces and they are all owned by the same group as AAP and Whiskey Warehouse. The spot beside AAP opened up tonight ad the Oak Room. Despite the name which to me would mean cigars, scotch, and premium cocktails, it is actually a night club with DJs and a large dance floor. The place next door to that still has the sign for All American Theater and it looks as if they have constructed a stage inside, but a bartender told me that plans for opening that portion were still a ways off and it will actually be a billboards hall. I am totally down for that or a new music venue. Tough to tell what the truth is as the bartender didn't seem to really be all that much in the know about it, though.

[Matthew.Brendan]

Any known renderings of the planned pedestrian islands? Would love to have a bench there to sit and drink my coffee from Nova's.... fingers crossed

[tozmervo]

Yay! Pedestrian improvement(s?) coming to South blvd. Refuge island at Rennsalier

 

http://southendclt.com/2013/04/17/pedestrian-improvements-to-south-blvd/

 

EDIT: about damn time!

 

Judging from the plan at that link, it's just a raised concrete island, probably with a depressed "path" through the middle with textured pads. 

[15895]

East/South is the worst intersection I've tried to cross... Ever.

Saw someone crossing Tremont/South and a car pulled up over the white pedestrian line and the, beautiful 30 yr. old blonde went ape crap cussing and calling him inconsiderate, he he.

[kermit]

While its not my thing Pinot's Pallette is coming to Atherton Mill this fall. It appears to be a franchised BYOB painting class thing?

 

http://www.pinotspalette.com/Charlotte

 

(wouldn't they make more $ if they sold the drinks themselves?)

[Guest]

While its not my thing Pinot's Pallette is coming to Atherton Mill this fall. It appears to be a franchised BYOB painting class thing?

 

http://www.pinotspalette.com/Charlotte

 

(wouldn't they make more $ if they sold the drinks themselves?)

BYOB painting is soooo fun!!!! We do it in NYC. The reason they do it is Liquor Licenses are very costly if you are only selling small amounts of booze.

[nowensone]

Checked out a Fountains apt yesterday, the 3 br units are going for $1800 which was a bit high but the complex does have nice amenities.  My hope is that once another dozen such properties fill in along the LR there might be enough saturation to bring the rental rates down.

[SouthEndCLT811]

Checked out a Fountains apt yesterday, the 3 br units are going for $1800 which was a bit high but the complex does have nice amenities.  My hope is that once another dozen such properties fill in along the LR there might be enough saturation to bring the rental rates down.

 

For reference my $2bdr at Post Southend is $1600 in my April '13 - April '14 lease.  They're all expensive but Fountains sounds to be reasonable in comparison.  I do echo your sentiments that I hope we burst this Southend rental bubble when more properties are finished. 

[Matthew.Brendan]

If I could get a 3BR around $1400 I'd bite. The suburban commute is soul crushing.

[kermit]

If I could get a 3BR around $1400 I'd bite. The suburban commute is soul crushing.

 

keep your eyes open, you might be able to get that price once Silos and Colonial open up. You could also easily rent a 3br house for that in the Scalybark / Colonial Village area.

[Prodev]

For reference my $2bdr at Post Southend is $1600 in my April '13 - April '14 lease.  They're all expensive but Fountains sounds to be reasonable in comparison.  I do echo your sentiments that I hope we burst this Southend rental bubble when more properties are finished. 

I agree. I think $1,800 is pretty reasonable. When you think about 1BRs being in the $1,100-1,300 range and 2BRs being in the $1,600 range, it sounds like a fairly good value. 

[nowensone]

If the market will bear it, then yes you are correct, but intuitively, this feels like "bubble", albeit one that may be sustainable due to LR, but, it may also be a fad, Charlotte may find itself overbuilt with this style of property soon.  I may be wrong, but it feels as if New Bern is just far enough away that new properties closer in will force its rates to drop, quickly.  Moot I guess if we find some way to attract residents again like we did in the 00's.

[HopHead]

At first I was a bit worried about overbuilding of apartments in SouthEnd, mainly because it seems to be outpacing every other Charlotte neighborhood. I'm not overly concerned at this point now given the very low vacancy rates and the willingness of people to pay what they do to rent. I wouldn't be surprised to see prices go up a tad more either. Also, keep in mind these aren't coming online in 2009 when we were in the midst of a recession where they had to throw out incentives to get people to bite. Now everyone wants to live in SouthEnd. Until you see the condo market really heat up again, the rental rates will stay where they are for the most part. And to me, it's still not a bad deal either. It's not 1998 anymore. You won't see 1 BR/1BA for $600. $1000-$1200 is fair value.

Edited July 31, 2013 by wend28

[Urbanity]

I do think Southend is a bit overpriced to be honest.   Then again when you consider the demographics they aim for is more roommate situation or dual income young professional couples who are willing to pay a higher percentage of their income to rent the prices are in line with expectations.

 

What will be interesting is when the condo market returns.   I remember living in Post Uptown at the height of the buyers market and we got a steal (a barebones rental increase on signing a 2-year lease that upgraded us from a 1 bath/bed to a 2 bath/bed) - of course when the rental market took off right at the end of that 2 year lease they wanted to up our rent by 200-300!

 

I wonder if any of those Southend Apartment complexes would eventually go condo when the market turns?

[nonillogical]

I do think Southend is a bit overpriced to be honest.   Then again when you consider the demographics they aim for is more roommate situation or dual income young professional couples who are willing to pay a higher percentage of their income to rent the prices are in line with expectations.

 

What will be interesting is when the condo market returns.   I remember living in Post Uptown at the height of the buyers market and we got a steal (a barebones rental increase on signing a 2-year lease that upgraded us from a 1 bath/bed to a 2 bath/bed) - of course when the rental market took off right at the end of that 2 year lease they wanted to up our rent by 200-300!

 

I wonder if any of those Southend Apartment complexes would eventually go condo when the market turns?

I'm sure Ashton will go condo at some point, not sure about any of the others.

 

One problem with the rental prices has been that each building has assumed that their Southend title is all that matters, and varying qualities of product and varying locations were all trying to charge the same thing. My gf and I got run out of 1225 S. Church when they decided they could charge Ashton-level prices after their first year (literally a 40-50% increase), of course Ashton upped theirs too shortly after. Beyond just vacancy rates it seems like with some of the new projects a little more variety is coming with more approachable 1br units, so maybe that will also force other buildings to be a little more competitive with pricing theirs.

[Urbanity]

One problem with the rental prices has been that each building has assumed that their Southend title is all that matters, and varying qualities of product and varying locations were all trying to charge the same thing. 

I think this is a good point.  One thing that Southend will have to consider is also the BLE making NoDa (and perhaps Optimist Park) the new "IT" market in less than 5 years.  

 

No - it won't overnight become as gentrified as SouthEnd (specifically Optimist) and it won't have the same immediate cache (is that the right word?) of Southend.  Also until Daniel Levine stops holding First Ward hostage it won't have the connected feeling to Center City.

 

All that said - rental markets and hot neighborhoods do go through cycles and I really think Southend, which should remain stable for the long term, may need to move more mix of condo/rental than it has now in order to keep the area supported by the demographic that it currently relies on particularly with BLE coming up quickly now.

[kermit]

Sounds like Zucca in Atherton mill is closing.

 

Not a big surprise, but it was starting to grow on me.

[nonillogical]

The former Morehead Street Tavern space (across from Camden Grandview) had new signage going up today for "The Tavern". Really bad, glossy-printed, Papyrus font signage (sorry, obligatory designer grumble), but regardless, I'm glad to see that great space occupied.

 

Just, please Charlotte bar owners, in the future make a LITTLE bit of an effort on the naming of your business. 

[ah59396]

I'm just excited about the next bar being aptly named "The Tav", to even further alleviate the issue of having to text the name of the bar you are at to your friends.

 

 

In all seriousness, I like that location.  It's pretty cool looking and in a good proximity, also right off the Carson light rail stop.  Hopefully they put more effort into the bar than they do into the name.