Jump to content

How would you rate Tryon Street?


krazeeboi

Recommended Posts

Tryon Street is our premier urban corridor here in Charlotte. How would you rate it overall, on a scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (best)? Take into account things like aesthetics, pedestrian-friendliness, activity, diversity of destinations/mix of uses, etc. How does it compare to the premier urban corridors of other regional cities and peer cities nationwide?

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 21
  • Created
  • Last Reply

I think Tryon Street is great aesthetic wise because it's very nice and always clean. I've walked it many times this year and enjoy the beauty of the trees lining the street that makes it very comfortable. The thing that Tryon lacks, and others have mentioned this, is street retail: ie shopping, clothing stores, shops etc. There are plenty of restaurants and other attractions like Discovery Place and the new museums coming soon but it only needs more shopping and retail IMO.

Having said that I still rate it at 8/10.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I spent three nights near Tryon and Trade. It comes down to what you like and/or what you expect from an urban environment. It certainly has the big tower thing and nice trees with ample space for pedestrians. What it lacks in any historic fabric. NC cities are notorious for bulldozing and rebuilding over and over again on the same land instead of pushing outward for newer bigger buildings while leaving the existing stuff alone. Thats why street retail is lacking....there is no place to put it. So, from my point of view it was pleasant with some awe factor but not much to do except drink at Ri Ra and look at art in tower lobbies. Its mostly an office park on steroids though I seem to remember some older mid-rises being turned into condos...always a cool thing. 6/10. (loved NoDa and Southside though!)

I have championed King Street in Alexandria VA as a great urban street in many ways. Its history is intact commercially with hundreds of (historic) townhomes surrounding it. As a result it is filled with dozens and dozens of street level businesses of all types. As you move away from the Potomoc River you reach the high-rise office district. The METRO comes into Alexandria about right where King Street transitions from historic to modern. King Street has narrow sidewalks though. 9/10.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm a little opposed to the idea of rating with a number because I think the idea of a quantitative measurement is sort contrary (in my mind) to evaluating what makes an urban area (street, neighborhood, city) great. It's the things that can't be measured in a number like feeling, vibe, etc.

OK that little rant/disclaimer over I think Tryon Street has a lot to offer with cultural and dining/entertainment options and is starting to come into it's own as far as a regional attraction in it's own right I also agree that it is mainly a very attractive street, but I think the South Tryon Cultural Campus and the potential of the North Tryon developments (NC Dance Studios and redevelopment of lots across street) hold more potential for the vibe of Tryon than anything else I've seen.

As others have mentioned, I would love to see signature retail develop on the street and perhaps the addition of a 1-2 more cultural points of interest - probably more towards the North Tryon Street end with a focus on black box theaters, and a jazz/blues club. On the South Tryon side, I think there needs to be more hotels (as mentioned in another thread - the space over the new Mint would be perfect) and I would love to see the space between St. Peter's and the Gantt developed. I also would love to see Latta Arcade opened on weekends!

Overall I really enjoy the street, but often I observe tourists just walking it and looking around for something to do and that hurts the street's reputation more than anything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would say 7/10.

Aesthetics are good.

Pedestrian-friendliness is good (nice wide sidewalks)

Activity could be better if they didn't have skywalks. When I walk to work in the morning I feel like there should be more people on the sidewalk.

Diversity of destinations/mix of uses is getting better. Retail is obviously missing. I wish the facades of some storefronts were more creative/inviting. The new museums help this get better reviews.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I tried to ignore this thread because I lived on King St in Charleston for years and have such a heinously unfair bias against Tryon because of it.

On the positive side I think the cultural campus is going to be a wonderful addition to the street's vibe. The restaurant selection is slowly moving beyond just expense account corporate cafeteria clones. That's a good thing. I think the lack of any substantial retail on what is supposed to be the showcase street for a "city" is a huge negative. Out of 10 I give it a 4.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with you that it would be great to move the pedestrian traffic that flows through the Overstreet Mall on to the streets particularly during the business day. That said I don't know if mind the Overstreet Mall per se if it remains focused on the lunch food establishment and retail focused on office worker conveniences.

I would like to see Brooks Brothers and the bookstore in particualry move out of Founders Hall and onto the street as those are businesses that I would benefit from better foot traffic and add greatly to the street feel, but I don't mind things like Chick-fil-A or Einstein Bagels being in the enclosed mall area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^I'm trying to figure out WHY Tryon doesn't have a 3 story thrift store. Something like that would be found in PM or NoDa or Elizabeth - but certainly not in Center City. So are there neighborhoods in Raleigh similar to PM/NoDa/Eliz? What I mean to ask is the reason they have a thrift store in downtown, because there isn't another suitable neighborhood for it? Or is it because it's close to NC State? :offtopic:

Tryon St is fine. It's a nice, well planned, well maintained, corporate business street. I think the root of this question is: Why isn't Tryon St. more interesting? To which my answer is: because it was meant to be the "address" street of major corporations. Ask BOA whether they think Tryon Street is "good" and their answer will likely be "yes, because it is meant to be the front-door-address." But I can say for sure that BOA has finally understood that a city is not made of one street; this is why you see a different commitment to street-front access and inclusive design on College. Tryon will remain the "dressed up front door" street. College is where you should look for a better rating in this poll.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tryon St is fine. It's a nice, well planned, well maintained, corporate business street. I think the root of this question is: Why isn't Tryon St. more interesting? To which my answer is: because it was meant to be the "address" street of major corporations. Ask BOA whether they think Tryon Street is "good" and their answer will likely be "yes, because it is meant to be the front-door-address." But I can say for sure that BOA has finally understood that a city is not made of one street; this is why you see a different commitment to street-front access and inclusive design on College. Tryon will remain the "dressed up front door" street. College is where you should look for a better rating in this poll.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that Tryon Street is one of the most impressive looking main streets in America. The trees make a big difference. The glitter of the new buildings is very impressive. The lack of retail is a definate minus and if they would finish the Carolina Theater void, it would be helpful. I feel that once the musuem area is in full swing, it will be much better in regards to traffic and true urban feel. I am hoping that there are more street entertainers, vendors, etc. Overall, I give Tryon Street a "6". Comparing it to main streets around Europe, ie. Barcelona, Nice, London, or Berlin, I would give it a "3". It appears that College Street is beginning to appear more of the main street than Tryon. Nevertheless, good things are coming and Charlotte can only get better. The cities that I mentioned have reached their peak more than likely.

Being an ex-Londoner, I am aware that cities are getting away from mom and pop shops and retail places due to the high costs of operation. Big, new buildings are replacing such places daily in London. To have small retail shops, coffee houses. and cafes in uptown Charlotte is a very expensive gamble. I would like to see some motion picture theaters in the uptown area, but I don't think they are cost effective.

I can see how the person from Charleston could have some ambiguity comparing King St. with Tryon. Although King St. doesn't have the classy look of Tryon, it has very cool shops restaurants, and even Sachs 5th Ave. It definately has the "old city" atmosphere. I love the place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've seen a few mentions of Brooks Brothers in this thread, but I am fairly sure that there isn't one uptown. I looked on their website, and the location wasn't listed. Is this something that will be coming once the Founder's Hall renovation is complete? Still keeping fingers crossed for the Bang & Olufsen store uptown as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think I'd rate Tryon Street 8/10. As we've constantly stated, the lack of retail definitely hurts the street. But the opening of the cultural campus has given the street more diversity in destinations. Three regional cities I think that do a good job in the areas we lack along their main streets are Greensboro, Greenville, and Charleston. They do good with varying degrees of retail, thanks largely to having preserved and reused their traditional shopfronts, and they also have spacious, multi-functional green space along their main streets that help to draw even more people. The Green and the Square help Tryon with that somewhat, but not enough IMO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4/10

Tryon St looks nice as you drive through. The trees are nice, its well maintained. It's even not the bad to walk down... that is until you try to find something to do (see my thoughts below).

I would like the Overstreet Mall to become a professional services mall, Kinko, medical, banking, etc. Anything that is a destination could be up there while anything that is more of an impulse response be at street level, restaurants included.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Almost any given day that I walk down Tryon, I notice the empty benches. They're too close to the street to be inviting to sit on. Most people with a bag lunch will sit near one of the fountains by the square, or get a chair and table in front of Wachovia. (I guess they're not totally ignored - the homeless guys and cabbies on their breaks tend to use the benches.)

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.