Charlotte Off Topic

[DMann]

Sigh!!!

[NCMike1990]

I think my love of Charlotte and interest in its urban development (in general) came from playing SimCity 2000 as a child.

[SgtCampsalot]

On 7/30/2018 at 10:47 AM, NCMike1990 said:

I think my love of Charlotte and interest in its urban development (in general) came from playing SimCity 2000 as a child.

That's a solid club. Instead of SimCity I was off playing Warcraft II and Command & Conquer.

Personally, what did it for me was living in a sprawled suburban hellscape outside Matthews as a kid, and being introduced to "the bicycle as a means of transport" by a friend who lived in Dilworth. The freedom intoxicated me, and prompted me look at the entire human habitat differently.

It also led me to figure out what kind of career I wanted to pursue; which was just in time considering I had just graduated from college 

Edited August 1, 2018 by SgtCampsalot

[NCMike1990]

Here are a bunch of photos from my family trip to Florida's Emerald Coast on July 8-15. This was my first time in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. Savannah, Georgia was beautiful and the view from the bridge was breathtaking. The clear water and white sands of the Emerald Coast from Destin to Panama City Beach are truly a sight to behold. On the way home,  we went through Troy, Alabama and got on I-85 east of Montgomery. Then we went through Atlanta but decided to take I-285 because of my fear of getting stuck in midtown traffic, so I missed out on seeing the skyline. I wanted to get some shots of the Charlotte skyline, but by the time we got to the city, it was raining and misty and difficult to get a good shot.

 

Edited August 2, 2018 by NCMike1990

[11 HouseBZ]

Love the sand there. When you get so used to dirty myrtle, it takes you aback seeing clear water and smooth sand. Wish more of the beaches in NC were like that. Looks like you had a great time. 

[NCMike1990]

1 hour ago, 11 HouseBZ said:

Love the sand there. When you get so used to dirty myrtle, it takes you aback seeing clear water and smooth sand. Wish more of the beaches in NC were like that. Looks like you had a great time. 

We had a great time and probably will go back next year. Yes, the beaches and the calm water makes you not want to go back to our beaches. I encourage any UP member who hasn't been to this part of Florida, please go! I was actually surprised to find out how new the Destin area is. Destin didn't officially become a town until 1984 and has seen rapid growth and development since the 1980s/90s. Another interesting fact is the nearby town of 'Seaside', is where the Jim Carrey movie 'The Truman Show' was filmed. Had I known that while I was there, I would've gotten some pictures of the town since we were staying just down the road.

Edited August 2, 2018 by NCMike1990
grammer fix

[Neo]

I was sent a collection of archived newspaper articles a while back and I just got around to scanning them in this morning to share with everyone. I've placed them in a public Google Drive location here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hdjC1nsK1INBkew5tq3AL-wDF0QXr2_K

Lots of interesting images and articles in the collection!

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Neo said:

I was sent a collection of archived newspaper articles a while back and I just got around to scanning them in this morning to share with everyone. I've placed them in a public Google Drive location here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hdjC1nsK1INBkew5tq3AL-wDF0QXr2_K

Lots of interesting images and articles in the collection!

You mind if these are used in an article? 

[Neo]

21 minutes ago, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

You mind if these are used in an article? 

I don't mind at all, but obviously the content is owned by the paper that published them so I'm passing the buck to them for re-use rights. 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Neo said:

I don't mind at all, but obviously the content is owned by the paper that published them so I'm passing the buck to them for re-use rights. 

haha, asking for someone at that paper. who probably would just use the archives anyway lol

Edited August 3, 2018 by Guest

[KJHburg]

^^^ Thanks for those old newspaper clippings and I remember almost everyone.  My aunt used to save them for me when I lived in the DC area and when I was at college.  I probably have them somewhere in my garage LOL maybe! 

[NCMike1990]

7 hours ago, Neo said:

I was sent a collection of archived newspaper articles a while back and I just got around to scanning them in this morning to share with everyone. I've placed them in a public Google Drive location here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hdjC1nsK1INBkew5tq3AL-wDF0QXr2_K

Lots of interesting images and articles in the collection!

Thanks for sharing these. I never even knew about those proposed towers that were canceled. Very interesting.

[tozmervo]

I have few outlets to voice this kind of opinion. I missed this news back in May, but I just saw the new Best Buy logo for the first time and it is one of the most laughably gross logo updates I can recall seeing. 

Thank you, that is all.

[Guest]

36 minutes ago, tozmervo said:

I have few outlets to voice this kind of opinion. I missed this news back in May, but I just saw the new Best Buy logo for the first time and it is one of the most laughably gross logo updates I can recall seeing. 

Thank you, that is all.

You see Burberry's new hundred thou dollar logo? 

 

[deleted]

1 hour ago, tozmervo said:

I have few outlets to voice this kind of opinion. I missed this news back in May, but I just saw the new Best Buy logo for the first time and it is one of the most laughably gross logo updates I can recall seeing. 

Thank you, that is all.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/9/17334848/best-buy-logo-design-san-serif-font-shopping-tag

Hadn't seen it until you posted.  How much did they pay a firm for that "upgrade"?  Just awful...

Burberry definitely seems like an improvement to me.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, JBS said:

https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/9/17334848/best-buy-logo-design-san-serif-font-shopping-tag

Hadn't seen it until you posted.  How much did they pay a firm for that "upgrade"?  Just awful...

Burberry definitely seems like an improvement to me.

Burberry is a wash for me

[tozmervo]

2 hours ago, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

Burberry is a wash for me

Agreed. Burberry is just meh, but I do like the new monogram pattern

[11 HouseBZ]

6 hours ago, tozmervo said:

I have few outlets to voice this kind of opinion. I missed this news back in May, but I just saw the new Best Buy logo for the first time and it is one of the most laughably gross logo updates I can recall seeing. 

Thank you, that is all.

 

4 hours ago, JBS said:

https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/9/17334848/best-buy-logo-design-san-serif-font-shopping-tag

Hadn't seen it until you posted.  How much did they pay a firm for that "upgrade"?  Just awful...

Burberry definitely seems like an improvement to me.

I guarantee whoever designed the new Best Buy logo plays Fortnite. Am I right? 

[HighRiseHillbilly]

I have a question and I hope everyone who has some insight will take the time to answer - even you lurkers out there.

I've never lived anywhere but here, but most of my friends are from everywhere else. One of the most common dissatisfaction issues is "nothing to do". The most disgruntled person was from California, but chose to live near cows in Harrisburg. One friend originally from Charlotte  who moved to Israel & NYC, etc. for a while moved back & said there's nothing there that's not here.

What SPECIFICALLY are these things to do in other cities? Whenever I try to look things up, all I find are variations on what we already have (besides a beach, a casino, a turkish bath, and being a part of a live studio audience). I may have asked this before, but I've never received a specific answer from anyone anywhere.  What did you/are you doing elsewhere that isn't offered in Charlotte? Especially things that you did/do on a regular basis that make it a good place to live.

PLEASE CONTRIBUTE!

[DH17]

On 8/9/2018 at 3:05 PM, HighRiseHillbilly said:

I have a question and I hope everyone who has some insight will take the time to answer - even you lurkers out there.

I've never lived anywhere but here, but most of my friends are from everywhere else. One of the most common dissatisfaction issues is "nothing to do". The most disgruntled person was from California, but chose to live near cows in Harrisburg. One friend originally from Charlotte  who moved to Israel & NYC, etc. for a while moved back & said there's nothing there that's not here.

What SPECIFICALLY are these things to do in other cities? Whenever I try to look things up, all I find are variations on what we already have (besides a beach, a casino, a turkish bath, and being a part of a live studio audience). I may have asked this before, but I've never received a specific answer from anyone anywhere.  What did you/are you doing elsewhere that isn't offered in Charlotte? Especially things that you did/do on a regular basis that make it a good place to live.

PLEASE CONTRIBUTE!

Sure, I will take a stab at this. I love Charlotte and never run out of things to do, but could understand the lack of things to do if I were a new arrival with few/no friends (I have a lot of college friends who came here) or a different lifestyle preference/set of expectations.

In other cities, you can visit historical districts or areas with a powerful 'vibe'. I'm not talking about NoDa or Plaza, I'm talking about a full culture that is distinctive and built out. Think Country Music/Broadway and Nashville, South Beach and Miami, The Strip in Vegas, Monuments/museums/Georgetown and DC, Chinatown or the Fish Market in SF, East Village, Hell's Kitchen, or a dozen other areas and NYC, etc. These districts are very well known, even globally, and it is usually a lot of fun to visit, explore, and enjoy these areas as a tourist or resident. Charlotte does not have such a well-known  urban district with full character that you can truly 'lose yourself' in. I would argue that Atlanta somewhat struggles with this and Raleigh or Jacksonville definitely struggle with this, at least among the 'New South' cities. It is a result of our cities rapidly growing without an overwhelming 'culture' beyond being a great place to live and work. Give it enough time and one day the issue will likely solve itself.

Now I realize that just because your city has these districts does not mean that you consistently visit them more than once or twice a year (if that) as a resident. However, the perception of these areas becomes a point of pride or notoriety and generally become considered as a place where things are 'happening'. If you don't have things to do, it is because you decided to not engage as these areas will ALWAYS have something specific going on. If I lived in Vegas and told a friend from elsewhere that 'I only visit The Strip once a year and otherwise stay home', the perception isn't that there is nothing to do but rather that I am excluding myself from what is already happening. There is a preconceived notion that things are always going on associated with that location. If I tell a friend from elsewhere that 'I only visit the South End breweries once a year', it sounds as if there is nothing to do and they aren't worth visiting as they have no other understanding of what is there.

From my point of view, perception is key and, on a macro level, defines the mindset of thousands and millions of people in relation to how a city is viewed. This extends primarily to outsiders but I have also seen many people that I personally know that live in Charlotte have the same mindset. This is entirely my $0.02, and I welcome disagreement with my thoughts on this.

[HighRiseHillbilly]

1 hour ago, DH17 said:

Sure, I will take a stab at this. I love Charlotte and never run out of things to do, but could understand the lack of things to do if I were a new arrival with few/no friends (I have a lot of college friends who came here) or a different lifestyle preference/set of expectations.

In other cities, you can visit historical districts or areas with a powerful 'vibe'. I'm not talking about NoDa or Plaza, I'm talking about a full culture that is distinctive and built out. Think Country Music/Broadway and Nashville, South Beach and Miami, The Strip in Vegas, Monuments/museums/Georgetown and DC, Chinatown or the Fish Market in SF, East Village, Hell's Kitchen, or a dozen other areas and NYC, etc. These districts are very well known, even globally, and it is usually a lot of fun to visit, explore, and enjoy these areas as a tourist or resident. Charlotte does not have such a well-known  urban district with full character that you can truly 'lose yourself' in. I would argue that Atlanta somewhat struggles with this and Raleigh or Jacksonville definitely struggle with this, at least among the 'New South' cities. It is a result of our cities rapidly growing without an overwhelming 'culture' beyond being a great place to live and work. Give it enough time and one day the issue will likely solve itself.

Now I realize that just because your city has these districts does not mean that you consistently visit them more than once or twice a year (if that) as a resident. However, the perception of these areas becomes a point of pride or notoriety and generally become considered as a place where things are 'happening'. If you don't have things to do, it is because you decided to not engage as these areas will ALWAYS have something specific going on. If I lived in Vegas and told a friend from elsewhere that 'I only visit The Strip once a year and otherwise stay home', the perception isn't that there is nothing to do but rather that I am excluding myself from what is already happening. There is a preconceived notion that things are always going on associated with that location. If I tell a friend from elsewhere that 'I only visit the South End breweries once a year', it sounds as if there is nothing to do and they aren't worth visiting as they have no other understanding of what is there.

From my point of view, perception is key and, on a macro level, defines the mindset of thousands and millions of people in relation to how a city is viewed. This extends primarily to outsiders but I have also seen many people that I personally know that live in Charlotte have the same mindset. This is entirely my $0.02, and I welcome disagreement with my thoughts on this.

I appreciate the response. I've never been at a loss for something to do here, but I was just wondering if there was something my mind couldn't conceive of as an activity. 

I've been to Nashville, but never Vegas. I'm assuming the strip is just clubs & bars?

[grodney]

Was in Wilmington today....strong recommendation for Jackson's Big Oak BBQ, if you like Eastern NC and sides in an informal setting. Huge servings for the price, and all delicious.

Also Edward Teach brewing, wow, what a place. Somebody dropped a ton of money to turn a historical building into an awesome place.  Actually strange how little seating there is, but still very cool.  Beer was average to slightly above.  My wife liked the Peach Wheat and the Belgian Blonde was really good, but the IPAs we're limited and average.  The only food is snacks to get around the wine law.

 

[Exile]

3 hours ago, grodney said:

Also Edward Teach brewing, wow, what a place. Somebody dropped a ton of money to turn a historical building into an awesome place.

Blackbeard's treasure?

[Nick2]

This is in an exhibit in the Levine museum of the new south. It's called cotton fields to skyscrapers. It's a fantastic exhibit and very informative/interesting.

It's an original model created to show Cesar pelis design for the BOA center.

 

[Scribe]

I second the bit about visiting Levine Museum of the New South ( https://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/ )

It was there that I first learned the following about First Union, now Wells Fargo (emphasis mine):

Quote

In the successful decades the followed the Depression, Union National Bank stood out as a pioneer and leader in many areas of the banking industry, and it developed an innovative approach to growth and diversification. For example, in 1947 Union National became the first Charlotte-based bank to open a branch office. Later, it was the first bank to offer a flat-fee checking account. Even before the development of MasterCard and Visa, Union National was the first bank to offer a charge card. Through the years, First Union has followed this legacy of leadership, becoming the first bank in the United States to link all of its branches by satellite for data transmission in 1993.

the quote above is from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/42/First-Union-Corporation.html

Edited August 21, 2018 by Scribe