Advice on Charlotte "development" tour

[SmellyCat]

Guys, I need any help I can get on this.

Here's the situation: I have been chose to take a few of my bosses (visiting from the Northeast) on a 2 hour car tour of Charlotte. The theme is all the development, particularly residential, that is either newly built, under construction, or being planned around town, especially Uptown and South End. I also would like to show them some of the nicer and/or funkier areas around town, like Dilworth, Historic Fourth Ward and NoDa. If the tour goes well, it could very well have a positive impact on whether more people from my company move down here. I'm praying for good weather.

Anyway, could someone give me some ideas for this tour? Where I should start and end up? We will probably be in the car the whole time.

[atlrvr]

Where is your office......downtown?

Also, do they want to particularly see funky? I mean a lot of people from the Northeast love to see places like Ballantyne just because they can't believe how much house you get for the money.......

[SmellyCat]

It's in the university area, but we may be moving some people to a downtown location. The people coming in are all pretty young (under 40) and not the stuffed shirt or golfing types, so showing them a funky neighborhood would be a plus instead of golf course housing. Most of them already know about Ballantyne from our numerous Charlotte clients (most of whom live there).

[eastsider]

I would include elizabeth, southpark area developments (if time permits), east blvd ( latta pavillion to south end). Just a thought off the top of my head.

[atlrvr]

Ok.......this is my suggestion......come down I-77 and take the East Trade St. exit.....Take Trade up to Poplar (show them the Center City Inn were Trademark will be), turn left onto Poplar and drive down into 4th Ward, turn left on 8th St, then right on Pine St. (park at 9th and east at Alexander Michaels if there is this chance) Continue on Pine until it loops back around to Poplar and then cut over on 9th back up to Church St. <--- This may require looking at a map ahead unless you are pretty familiar with 4th Ward.

Take Church back down to Trade and turn left.....they will get to see the corner of Trade and Tryon this way.....then down past the Convention Center (EpiCentre, LRT, and new arena), then left of Caldwell.....drive down to 7th (so they can see or first downtown high-rise under construction) Continue down 7th, and point out 1st Ward park where the Renwick and new Furman will go.....turn left of McDowell (remember M-Street at that intersection) and take McDowell all the way out of uptown (mentioning the future redevlopment of all of 2nd Ward if you want).

When McDowell dead-ends into make a right and then a quick left onto Myrlte Ave.......this of course goes into Dilworth. Turn left after about 5 blocks onto Romany Rd. (this will parallel Latta Park) Take Romany until it hits Kenilworth (you can see some of CMC hospital expansion taking place.......make a right onto Keniworth and as you go up the hill, you will see a massive urban-apartment infill construction site on the left (Summit Dilworth, 4-stories wrapping the parking deck) The next light is East Blvd, make a left and point of Latta Pavillion since it is a good example of urban infill mixed-use.

Take East all the way down until it intestects with Queens and Kings....go through that light and hang right so that you end up on Sherwood Ave. (the quintessential Myers Park St.) When Sherwood hits Queens Rd, make a right onto Queens and then hang left at the next light (it gets confusing here if you haven't done this before, but hang another quick left onto Sharon Rd. Take Sharon Rd. on out until it Y's at Runneymede and hang a right onto Runny. (This is the most boring portion of the tour so think of some clever conversastion) Take a left at the 2nd light onto Barclay Downs and take Barclay Downs all the way up to Fariview. Make a left on Fairview and drive down to Sharon Rd. (Pointing out Piedmont Town Center and the Neiman Marcus both under construction on the way) Turn left onto Sharon and take it about a mile back towards town (Morrison Place, Grubb's mixed-use thing with apts and condos is under construction on the left at Morrison). Your next turn will be a right onto Sharon Ln. Now you're down with the SouthPark portion of the tour.

Sharon Lane crosses Providence Rd and become Sharon Amity (you should be able to see Rosewood starting construction on the left as you cross over) Keep going on Sharon Amity across Randolph and all the way to Monroe Rd. (there will be some funky single family homes u/c on your left, but I'm not sure how visible they will be. Turn left onto Monroe Rd. and head back into town (sorry for this relatively crappy section)......take Monroe back into as it turns to 7th St into Elizabeth all the way to Hawthorne...make a right onto Hawthorne and a right on Bay St (the new Elizabeth Village condo will be on the left right before you make this turn) Take Bay all the way back up to Pecan and then turn left.....take Pecan across the railroad tracks and up to Central Ave.....

Now the final portion of the tour. Turn left onto Central and drive back toward town. At 10th, bear right onto 10th and take this almost into Uptown but turn right onto 12th (i think) just before 277. This parallels 277 and you can show them Piedmont Courts that will soon be demolished to create another 1st Ward like community. Take 12th up to Davidson and turn right........I would just go straight up Davidson past 36th St all the way to Craighead (but you know the area pretty well, right, so you can show them some other things) Also the condos just before Craighead are selling from $90-$110 so you can point out affordability. Turn left on Craighead and then right onto N. Tryon and head back to the office and hopefully you can engage them in conversation so they miss how ugly Tryon is up there......

This is the route that I think shows them most all the interesting urban neigbhorhoods (plus SP) and new and underconstruction without doubling back at any point......if you want I can add Wesley Heights in to start with for a bonus.....

If you are interested in this tour and have specific questions let me know, but I would drive it first unless you've done it yourself a few time already.

[monsoon]

I would include some of the Lake area. If any of them are into boating our would like to be, Charlotte is fortunate to be surrounded by 3 nice lakes and even now people are going out onto their boats. (an impossibility in much of NY) Downtown Davidson and Cornelus are also very nice. The area is full of New Yorkers for some reason.

[DigitalSky]

Yeah the lake area is nice, that's where I Take my friends when they come cuz we're all so tired of South Charlotte... and with the mix of the lake, the atmoshepere and the small town charm of Cornelius and Davidson i'd say that's a good place to go.

[Mobuchu]

nicely done atlrvr. The only thing I would add is somehow between Sherwood and runnymede, come back over to Roswell ave that parallels Selwyn ave. There's a high end condo project posted around the 2100 blk of Roswell, and then there's the new condo project U/C at Roswell and Queens Rd. W. Then another on Selwyn and Queens rd W that is posted, but not sure on the exact locations, these guys might know exact addresses.

EDIT: Actually if you turn right onto Queens Rd W. from East Blvd and take that past the HUGE house/mansion going up at Princeton ave. You could stay on W. Queens down to Roswell, make a left there and work your way back up to East Blvd.

[atlrvr]

Mobuchu......that's true......Roswell down to Queens and then right and then left on Selwyn out to Runnymede is probably the nicer way to go that includes those new condos and a glimpse of MPCC (for the golfing types).......Also, starting the tour at Clanton and working the way back north along South Blvd. and South Tryon (using Tremont to cut over), then going down Morehead to Grandin up to 4th then in town to Cedar and then cut over Cedar to Trade would be a good way to see South End and Wesley Heights.....

EDIT......what a garish thing.....I love Sherwood though. It has such a great mix and good scale to it.

[nyxmike]

I would include some of the Lake area. If any of them are into boating our would like to be, Charlotte is fortunate to be surrounded by 3 nice lakes and even now people are going out onto their boats.  (an impossibility in much of NY) Downtown Davidson and Cornelus are also very nice.  The area is full of New Yorkers for some reason.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's probably because they miss the water... (if they are from Long Island, the city, or Weschester County).

[SmellyCat]

atlrvr...great job. Thanks a ton, that's an awesome tour. I will definitely drive it first...I have a few days to map it out. I think I'll bring dubone's handy dandy project map with me.

I would like to do the lake thing too, but not sure if I'll have enough time

[skysdalimit]

What kind of car do you drive?

[SmellyCat]

a convertible. That's why i hope the weather is good...

[atlrvr]

Have you taken the tour already.....where did you chose to go?

[SmellyCat]

No atlrvr, it's going to be Monday, but the weather was so nice this weekend I decided it would be a great time for a dry run with the top down. Here's the uptown portion (warning - it's long). It turned into more of a residential/landmark tour than just a new development tour, because I wanted to show the different options where people could live.

From I-277 south, exit on Graham St. At the light on 11th? & Graham (which is always red coming off the ramp), point out new 626 Graham St. condos on left and the future Garrison loft condos across Graham, behind the Circle K. Drive straight across Graham, point out Urban Silo lofts on right (relatively new I think). Left on Smith St. before the RR tracks.

Straight on Smith, point out Post Uptown on left and new CVS drugstore development. Right on 6th St. (Cotton Mills on left), go under RR bridge with cemetary on right. Bear right on 5th St (Post Gateway), left on N. Cedar (new Johnson & Wales complex). Right on Trade, Left into Doubletree Hotel area, make U-turn around circle, then a right back onto Trade (another view of entire Gateway Village and Gateway Lofts). Stop at traffic light on Graham (Polk Building parcel development on left). Left on Graham (CityView Apartments on right), front view of Cotton Mills on left, The Vue on Graham and 6th.

Then a right on 7th St., right on Pine (I think), to stop sign at 6th & Pine. Fifth & Poplar apartments w/Harris Teeter on left. Straight on Pine to Mint St. (Courthouse Bldg on right possibly future Queens College law school, Center City Inn on left to become Trademark). Along Mint - future 3rd Ward park area and long distance view of BofA stadium.

Left on 3rd St another left on Poplar all the way into historic 4th Ward. Left on Settlers St then around the loop as the street becomes Pine (Alexander Michael's on right). Left on 8th St (4th Ward Park on right), left on Poplar, right on 10th St., right on Church St.

Point out some of the Church Street condos (Chapel Watch, 440 N. Church), Discovery Place (to be renovated) on right at 6th & Church. On left, future Novare "The Avenue" behind IJL Building. Left on 5th (Ivey's condos on right), right on Tryon - "The Square" at Trade & Tryon. Straight on Tryon - 230 S. Tryon on right, left is existing Wachovia Building rehab, right is future Wachovia tower. A little further down Tryon - The Ratcliffe on left.

Left off of Tryon onto unnamed road after Stonewall St, then left onto College. Old convention center/future EpiCentre on right side at Trade St. Right on Trade (Arena on left). Right on Brevard (The Park future development can be seen up ahead on left) right on 4th St, right on College, right on 5th St.

Cross over new trolley line/future LRT, left on Caldwell (Courtside on right, possible future Trammell Crow office on left). Right on 7th St (First Ward Park/The Renwick on right), left on McDowell (M Street on right), left on 8th St (future Drakeford project on right), left on Myers (quick drive around Garden District), eventual left on Davidson, around traffic circle (great view of skyline from here), to 6th (future Court 6 on right), stay on Davidson through gov't district, left on 3rd (new courthouse u/c on left), right on McDowell straight into Dilworth.......

to be continued.

Phew!!

I did leave out a couple of things I'd like to incorporate into it...1st row warehouse (not sure where that's gonna be), Intermodal Transit area and the BofA/Mint/Bechler tower. What else did I miss uptown??

[atlrvr]

Wow.....that's pretty comprehensive.....you went into 1st Ward a lot more than I did, but that's good since it's where such a large chunk of the uptown population lives. 1st Row is out of the way of this tour (corner of Elliot St and 1st St. street in the single family portion of 3rd Ward (what used to be Seversville) off of Cedar.....I don't think it's worth the drive down there unless you wanted to go all the way to Morehead and head over to Wesley Heights.

[dubone]

Great tour! I'm sure it was an perfect drive this past weekend.

I think you should reorder some it is, so that Smith street isn't the first impression of uptown/charlotte. I'd show some impressive current development first (like Gateway or Tryon), to provide the baseline impression before showing the vacant/ex-industrial sections that require more imagination.

[atlrvr]

dubone.....you could provide milk and cookies at your place for a mid-tour treat

[dubone]

dubone.....you could provide milk and cookies at your place for a mid-tour treat 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not sure any cookies that i make would be a good first impression either .

Speaking of cookies...if you time your tour right, you could get the amazing fresh-baked cookie smell from the factory in belmont. That, i believe, is THE reason to live uptown.