Charlotte:struggling to keep our identity

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by Tarheelhombre

Overall NC is a lot more southern than Maryland/DC, a little less southern than VA and WV, a little less southern than TN and GA, and a lot less southern than SC, AL, and MS. The Triangle and northeastern NC are least southern parts of the state, and the southwest and southern third of the state is the most southern. Generally, the further south and west you go in NC, the more southern. Consequently, Charlotte is one of the most culturally southern areas of NC and will probably be one of the last places in NC to lose its southern identity.

Nice post. Great observations. Thank you for sharing what appears to me to be a very accurate overview.

[ChelleC]

Originally Posted by NYC1DAY

just because someone moves to a new city does not mean they enjoy it

i was forced to move to sc and i HATE this place with a passion

i am doing everything i can to get the hell out of this place

also, have you ever heard of a vacation? people travel you know

Please furnish your exact location so that we can call the cops and have them remove the gun weilding mad man forcing you to live here. We Southerners try to help out our neighbors as much as possible. We just hate to have anyone living in an unhappy situation. Bless your heart.

I understand that people have to move to different areas of the nation for their jobs if they want to obtain promotions, etc. In a few short years my sister has lived in NC, TN, FL, TX, CT and back to NC (luckily). In my job I have been required to travel all over the country as well. Two of my favorite cities to visit are Chicago and Philly. I enjoy the multi-cultural atmosphere and the history. If I'm in a town for more than a day or two, time permitting, I always try to get out of the hotel and see the town and find out something about it. I've explored Boston, Dallas, Chicago, Jacksonville, Philly, Atlanta, Los Angeles and many others. I have yet to find a place I'd rather live than NC and there were things about every area or city that I didn't like. In all my travels, the one thing I didn't do is visit a place and then sit and complain about it to the locals. It's just rude. My mother would wash my mouth out with soap, but then again, she is southern and she raised me to have manners and a little class.

You have said in past posts to this thread that you moved here for a job, but you can't afford to move or you would have already. I'm sorry to hear that the transfer you accepted and gave up your standard of living and culture for is not providing you a comfortable lifestyle. Since transfers out of state normally come with a raise and moving costs included and since the taxes and housing costs are lower here, you must have really been struggling before you moved. I'm not sure that I would have taken a transfer for a company not paying me enough to survive. Best of luck in the future.

[prwfromnc]

Let's face it, as Charlotte continues to grow, it will lose a lot of it's southern identity, and definately a lot of it's small-town past, which was most of Charlotte's history. If Charlotte was still the same size as Greensboro, I could see how poeple would be upset about a lot of it's history being torn down, but it's an emerging metropolis. I don't mind preserving our past, but at the same time, I don't think a lot of Charlotte's past will be able to fit into the big-city fabric that makes up Charlotte today.

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by prwfromnc

Let's face it, as Charlotte continues to grow, it will lose a lot of it's southern identity, and definately a lot of it's small-town past, which was most of Charlotte's history. If Charlotte was still the same size as Greensboro, I could see how poeple would be upset about a lot of it's history being torn down, but it's an emerging metropolis. I don't mind preserving our past, but at the same time, I don't think a lot of Charlotte's past will be able to fit into the big-city fabric that makes up Charlotte today.

I am not talking just about buildings. I am talking about intrinsic qualities, such as an independent spirit (anti-big government and control), friendliness, conservative w/ family-oriented values (and no, I am not insinuating that Charlotte should be anti-gay, for those of you who like to mis-read stuff - I consider a gay couple to be a family and all families should be welcomed and supported w/ good schools, leisure activities, good housing, etc.) Also, this region of the country is known for entrepreneurs, and I don't want to see that disappear, either - America's economy depends on small businesses.

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by prwfromnc

Let's face it, as Charlotte continues to grow, it will lose a lot of it's southern identity, and definately a lot of it's small-town past, which was most of Charlotte's history.

A lot of that was gone in the 70's. Charlotte's MO is that if a building is over 20 years old, it's no longer useful and should be razed. I know that's a bit extreme, but Charlotte's history in the area of historic preservation is horrific. And it's not the only one.

I don't mind preserving our past, but at the same time, I don't think a lot of Charlotte's past will be able to fit into the big-city fabric that makes up Charlotte today.

Well, as I said, we don't have a lot of Charlotte's past left. But even if we did, it could certainly be preserved in the face of growth. New Orleans did it, Philly did it, Boston did it, Baltimore did it, etc.

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

A lot of that was gone in the 70's. Charlotte's MO is that if a building is over 20 years old, it's no longer useful and should be razed. I know that's a bit extreme, but Charlotte's history in the area of historic preservation is horrific. And it's not the only one.



Well, as I said, we don't have a lot of Charlotte's past left. But even if we did, it could certainly be preserved in the face of growth. New Orleans did it, Philly did it, Boston did it, Baltimore did it, etc.

THANK YOU!!!! I totally agree. And I appreciate your pointing out that other cities have certainly done it; we should be able to do it, too.

[prwfromnc]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

A lot of that was gone in the 70's. Charlotte's MO is that if a building is over 20 years old, it's no longer useful and should be razed. I know that's a bit extreme, but Charlotte's history in the area of historic preservation is horrific. And it's not the only one.



Well, as I said, we don't have a lot of Charlotte's past left. But even if we did, it could certainly be preserved in the face of growth. New Orleans did it, Philly did it, Boston did it, Baltimore did it, etc.

But all of those cities were already large cities. As I pointed out, much of Charlotte's past was that of a small-town, it only evolved as a big city in the last 20 years. To me, I feel like trying to fit that in with Charlotte's fabric today would be like trying to fit a coconut in with a peanut. I'm not pro-development or a preservationist, but like I said before, much of Charlotte's past pre-1990 was that of a small-town, and I don't think a lot of that could have been preserved.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by prwfromnc

But all of those cities were already large cities. As I pointed out, much of Charlotte's past was that of a small-town, it only evolved as a big city in the last 20 years. To me, I feel like trying to fit that in with Charlotte's fabric today would be like trying to fit a coconut in with a peanut. I'm not pro-development or a preservationist, but like I said before, much of Charlotte's past pre-1990 was that of a small-town, and I don't think a lot of that could have been preserved.

A decision was made in Philadelphia to salvage much of the 18th & 19th century properties. I remember seeing houses gutted & the interiors modernized in the late '60s & early 70s.

Kevin Bacon's father was involved. A Biography of Edmund N. Bacon (1910-2005)

Philly was a laughing stock when this was done because these were rarely important buildings.

Society Hill

Society Hill is often considered Bacon’s crowning achievement. A rundown and disinvested area in the 1950s, this neighborhood in the southeast of Center City contains a remarkable collection of Colonial homes. Called at the time the Washington Square East Urban Renewal Area, Bacon created the preliminary plans, and the Redevelopment Authority worked with the business community’s Old Philadelphia Development Corporation to invest Urban Renewal dollars into brick sidewalks, period lighting, and streetscaping, while creating a process for transferring properties to new owners who could afford to rehab and live in these homes. Bacon designed a network of pedestrian walkways, called the Greenway System, to tie the neighborhood together. In 1957, the Planning Commission issued its Washington Square Redevelopment Plan, based on the work of Wilhelm von Moltke from the Commission staff, with Stonorov and Kling as consultants.
While most of the 18th and early 19th century houses were restored, late 19th century buildings were not valued as much as they are today, and many were demolished. The Redevelopment Authority held a national competition for developers to build several high-density parcels. New York developer William Zeckendorf won, with a plan by architect I.M. Pei. Pei’s Society Hill Towers and surrounding townhouses are today an iconic element of the restored Society Hill neighborhood.

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by prwfromnc

But all of those cities were already large cities. As I pointed out, much of Charlotte's past was that of a small-town, it only evolved as a big city in the last 20 years. To me, I feel like trying to fit that in with Charlotte's fabric today would be like trying to fit a coconut in with a peanut. I'm not pro-development or a preservationist, but like I said before, much of Charlotte's past pre-1990 was that of a small-town, and I don't think a lot of that could have been preserved.

Why not? The only thing that was needed was the will to preserve them. You actually prove too much by saying that the cities I listed were already large cities, which means that they had a much larger pre-existing stock of historic buildings and yet they still managed to preserve proportionately more than Charlotte has. And to add insult to injury, in Charlotte's case, a lot of old buildings were knocked down for surface parking lots. That's just an abomination.

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

Why not? The only thing that was needed was the will to preserve them. You actually prove too much by saying that the cities I listed were already large cities, which means that they had a much larger pre-existing stock of historic buildings and yet they still managed to preserve proportionately more than Charlotte has. And to add insult to injury, in Charlotte's case, a lot of old buildings were knocked down for surface parking lots. That's just an abomination.

Yes, that is exactly what happened. We had idiots making decisions. Thank God Charleston and Savannah put architectural review in place when they did. This is what happens when contractors/builders and commissions/council members w/ ties to those industries have way too much influence in a town. Charlotte's leaders allowed the baby to be thrown out w/ the bath water.

There should be more restrictions in place now!

Also, what has occurred w/ teardowns in residential areas has been sickening. There have been a few instances where this was sensible (best use of high value land) but when I look at some of the abominations taking place RIGHT NOW (Carmel Road, for instance) it makes me want to gag.