Charlotte Off Topic

[asthasr]

I had the "opportunity" to witness a Charlotte special: someone running a red light and ramming into someone trying to turn left. Just fantastic. Sure am glad nobody in our fair city stops for red lights!

[KJHburg]

Art in Charlotte this weekend besides the huge inflatable bunnies.   From seesaws to art made with recyclables to frescoes Charlotte we do have a lot! 

That exhibit at the Mint was on the 5th floor in an unfinished area I  have never seen before.  Now through June 14 I think.  Thanks to Bank of America I was a non revenue guest. 

[NCMike1990]

The "Time Machine" app now has updated satellite imagery from March 2019.

http://timemachine.mcmap.org/#16.84/35.231135/-80.846272

You can tell it's from March because the Polk building is being demolished.

This is a great resource to check satellite imagery of Mecklenburg County since it's more current than Google Maps, which still has imagery from last year!

[elrodvt]

On 5/4/2019 at 5:01 PM, asthasr said:

I had the "opportunity" to witness a Charlotte special: someone running a red light and ramming into someone trying to turn left. Just fantastic. Sure am glad nobody in our fair city stops for red lights!

This is the norm. No police. No traffic cameras. 

[kermit]

 

 

[nakers2]

Does anyone know how old Piedmont Middle School on 10th Street is? Recently moved to Plaza Midwood and I take this route to work, beautiful but simple building, I assume 1940's from the construction, but the incredibly unhelpful CMS page lists nothing of this obviously historic building. Also on another note, the odd concrete structures on both sides of the street (two on the opposite side of the middle school, one on the middle school side) would appear to be entrances to a now closed tunnel, presumably to help students cross safely, is this the case? Today there was a crossing guard, and I wonder why the tunnel would ever be closed, seems more useful and safe than a surface crossing, unless they had issues with flooding or homeless people camping in there.

[elrodvt]

Tunnels are nasty. Kids never use them. 

[Matthew.Brendan]

I think kids would love the tunnels? but yes I'm sure they have been closed for "safety reasons"

[elrodvt]

^I don't think so not much to see after the first time. I guess it's not a good comparison but they had a tunnel at UVM in burlington. Students would run across 4 lanes of traffic rather than go down there. That's during a vermont winter too. 

[tozmervo]

2 hours ago, nakers2 said:

Does anyone know how old Piedmont Middle School on 10th Street is? Recently moved to Plaza Midwood and I take this route to work, beautiful but simple building, I assume 1940's from the construction, but the incredibly unhelpful CMS page lists nothing of this obviously historic building. Also on another note, the odd concrete structures on both sides of the street (two on the opposite side of the middle school, one on the middle school side) would appear to be entrances to a now closed tunnel, presumably to help students cross safely, is this the case? Today there was a crossing guard, and I wonder why the tunnel would ever be closed, seems more useful and safe than a surface crossing, unless they had issues with flooding or homeless people camping in there.

It's on Charlotte Landmark's list of potential historic landmarks, but has not yet been designated. I think it dates to 1925, but at the moment I'm struggling to find documentation. 

[Bikeguy]

..and then you have students who embrace tunnels.   Go Pack !!!!!

 

https://projects.ncsu.edu/facilities/buildings/free_exp_tunn.html

[elrodvt]

^That's cool. Of course given that NC drivers appear to TRY and hit you when crossing the roads I suppose it is a little different dynamic here. ;-)

[nakers2]

Wow, I'm surprised at the enthusiastic response. I walked (erm...scootered) down there today. The date mark above the entrance says 1925, upon closer inspection I can see it, looks more like the old Claremont High School in Hickory, or my Dad's high school, built in 1919, albiet on a much smaller scale. The gym on the eastern side looks much newer though, like a 1980's-90's attempt at keeping it "true to form" and ultimately failing. 

Upon closer inspection with the tunnels, I can say indeed that it was in fact a pedestrian tunnel, however looking at the work done to allow a crosswalk to be built, I fear the tunnel may have been filled in, if not though, I hope it can be revived, seems so much safer for students, and would help with morning congestion caused by the crossing guard. 

[videtur quam contuor]

My local historian (wife) says that her memory of the Piedmont Junior High is that the under street tunnel was in use in the late '70's. She worked there occasionally at that time so has a memory.

Central High School, currently Old Central building on CPCC campus, Elizabeth at Kings, was the first high school in Charlotte. Prior to that time schools were grade 1-11, or 1-12 and scattered through the county. Central was built in 1923 and PiedmontJunior High came two years later as part of this same modernization period. The 1920's were a period of rapid population growth in this county, 59% increase in that decade.

Second Ward High School opened in 1923 also. It was, of course, the first high school for blacks in the county. There was another under street tunnel for Second Ward high that went under Stonewall Street. When Second Ward closed in 1969 the tunnel remained and may have remained open for a time but was no longer used by the mid 70's.

The tunnel connecting Independence Park and Memorial Stadium is not so much a tunnel as the road was raised in that area when constructed as the land on either side is lower.

 

[davidclt]

23 hours ago, Bikeguy said:

..and then you have students who embrace tunnels.   Go Pack !!!!!

 

https://projects.ncsu.edu/facilities/buildings/free_exp_tunn.html

We did a campus tour there last summer. It was a good tour and a beautiful campus. The tour guides, before taking us through the tunnel, provided  a little context about them (and addressed head-on that more sensitive sorts shouldn't take umbrage - I myself found it mostly tame). One of the fathers on the tour tried to make an issue of it, "so that's the only place on campus kids have free speech?"

The guides whether intentionally or not managed to defang him by (pretending to?) not understanding what he was getting at in his implication. I'd chalk it up to intention but I think it was completely accidental. Regardless, it shut him up. I wanted to say something to him but realized there was nothing I could say that would have been productive so I saved my breath and reduced my stress.

[elrodvt]

9 hours ago, tarhoosier said:

My local historian (wife) says that her memory of the Piedmont Junior High is that the under street tunnel was in use in the late '70's. She worked there occasionally at that time so has a memory.

Central High School, currently Old Central building on CPCC campus, Elizabeth at Kings, was the first high school in Charlotte. Prior to that time schools were grade 1-11, or 1-12 and scattered through the county. Central was built in 1923 and PiedmontJunior High came two years later as part of this same modernization period. The 1920's were a period of rapid population growth in this county, 59% increase in that decade.

Second Ward High School opened in 1923 also. It was, of course, the first high school for blacks in the county. There was another under street tunnel for Second Ward high that went under Stonewall Street. When Second Ward closed in 1969 the tunnel remained and may have remained open for a time but was no longer used by the mid 70's.

The tunnel connecting Independence Park and Memorial Stadium is not so much a tunnel as the road was raised in that area when constructed as the land on either side is lower.

 

I really enjoy your walks down memory lane! Thank you.

[JorgiPorgi]

Interesting thing I just noticed : Google Earth has updated it's 3-d imagery of Charlotte. 

[Crucial_Infra]

6 hours ago, JorgiPorgi said:

Interesting thing I just noticed : Google Earth has updated it's 3-d imagery of Charlotte. 

Because I’m a nerd, I’ve actually pinpointed the date the uptown imagery was taken. Monday, April 30th, 2018. I know because it was one of two days I visited Charlotte last year and I caught them demo’ing that mural at The Ellis site on May 1 but it’s still standing in the Google image. My 2018 screenshots of LU progress corresponds as well, and my pics of the first tiles of wanderwall are almost exactly what is shown in Google. Finally, I found my car parked alone on the street outside SkyHouse North! 

[CharlotteWkndBuzz]

Because I'm bored at work on a Friday, I just read an article talking about Cam Newton wanting to expand Fellaship into Charlotte someday.  I remember back in the day, Cutters (at the bottom of the Marriott), was a cool little cigar spot.  I think an upscale cigar lounge, owned by Cam Newton, would do extremely well Uptown.  My favorite part, speculate location lol.  Does he renovate into an existing building/tower?  Does he wait and see what Tepper does with the entertainment district near the stadium?  The current Fallaship in ATL is 4600 sqft.  If he wants to be up high, I remember rumors a very long time ago that the Charlotte City Club was looking to relocate (not sure if that's true or not), but that could be a very cool spot for a cigar lounge.  The  only thing close to Uptown is the Charlotte Cigar Club near Uptown Cab.  Casa De Montecristo in Mooresville is a cool spot (formerley JRs).

[Crown]

The Charlotte Shout festival did a great job highlighting the need for digestible art in our little gem of a city. Charlotte shined during this week with all the experiential exhibits. I wish we could make this a quarterly or more permanent fixture! 

[KJHburg]

Local resident Michael Jordan and his finances and how several side "hustles" made him more money than his vaulted NBA career.

https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-jordan-money-lessons-net-worth-fortune-income-2019-5

[Cadi40]

Mini Rant: Living in Suburban South Florida, Targets and specifically SuperTargets are not hard to find. Now I know Charlotteans love them a good Target, but where the hell are the SuperTargets? SuperTargets are gods greatest creation, and they carry virtually everything. Are they building more Targets in Charlotte? I know we all hate suburbs and bleep bloop but for the love of Jesus can someone tell me where are the SuperTargets!?

[tozmervo]

Just now, Cadi40 said:

Mini Rant: Living in Suburban South Florida, Targets and specifically SuperTargets are not hard to find. Now I know Charlotteans love them a good Target, but where the hell are the SuperTargets? SuperTargets are gods greatest creation, and they carry virtually everything. Are they building more Targets in Charlotte? I know we all hate suburbs and bleep bloop but for the love of Jesus can someone tell me where are the SuperTargets!?

There's one at Northlake and one in Mooresville. I think TGT isn't doing SuperTargets anymore in favor of the non-service groceries they can fit inside a normal store footprint.

[KJHburg]

2 minutes ago, tozmervo said:

There's one at Northlake and one in Mooresville. I think TGT isn't doing SuperTargets anymore in favor of the non-service groceries they can fit inside a normal store footprint.

Plus there is one in Kannapolis at Afton Ridge shopping center exit 54 off I-85. 

[lit]

I like the two Targets on Rea Rd that are 2 miles apart. Maybe they could have built one Super-Target?