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Charlotte used to have all of those issues as well. They dealt with them years ago, while maintaining the character of the cool residential old 4th Ward immediately adjacent to the core.
While also destroying much of the historic character of the rest of Uptown unfortunately. That's a downside of Charlotte--which didn't have a ton of historic buildings in the first place--having experienced rapid growth and development in the first few postwar decades when we as a country were in such a hurry to tear down such buildings, often for accommodations for the automobile like parking lots and freeways. On top of that, the prevailing ethos in Charlotte since that era has essentially been "newer, bigger, better" and even in this decade Charlotte has lost a few historic buildings in the core of the city that could have been saved or were neglected for so long that demolition occurred since no other option appeared to be economically viable. I love Charlotte (I'm actually in Charlotte as I type this) but this is one of its faults that I have to recognize. But I will say that many of the neighborhoods outside of Uptown were spared a similar fate, which is why I always say that the most authentically Charlotte parts of Charlotte are outside of Uptown, excepting the historic Fourth Ward.
While also destroying much of the historic character of the rest of Uptown unfortunately. That's a downside of Charlotte--which didn't have a ton of historic buildings in the first place--having experienced rapid growth and development in the first few postwar decades when we as a country were in such a hurry to tear down such buildings, often for accommodations for the automobile like parking lots and freeways. On top of that, the prevailing ethos in Charlotte since that era has essentially been "newer, bigger, better" and even in this decade Charlotte has lost a few historic buildings in the core of the city that could have been saved or were neglected for so long that demolition occurred since no other option appeared to be economically viable. I love Charlotte (I'm actually in Charlotte as I type this) but this is one of its faults that I have to recognize. But I will say that many of the neighborhoods outside of Uptown were spared a similar fate, which is why I always say that the most authentically Charlotte parts of Charlotte are outside of Uptown, excepting the historic Fourth Ward.
Good points. I didn't know Charlotte had a historic Fourth Ward urban neighborhood. Is it similar to Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward - i.e., a mix of older brick structures and new 5-6 story apartments?
I'm going to head up to Charlotte one of these days for a visit. I've only briefly driven around Uptown a couple times when passing through during road trips. What are some of the neighborhoods outside of Uptown that have maintained their urban authenticity?
Good points. I didn't know Charlotte had a historic Fourth Ward urban neighborhood. Is it similar to Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward - i.e., a mix of older brick structures and new 5-6 story apartments?
No; Charlotte's is a historic Victorian neighborhood. It would be more akin to the oldest residential part of Inman Park but with tighter streets.
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I'm going to head up to Charlotte one of these days for a visit. I've only briefly driven around Uptown a couple times when passing through during road trips. What are some of the neighborhoods outside of Uptown that have maintained their urban authenticity?
South End has some rehabbed older buildings but these days the newer stuff is defining the neighborhood as it is becoming the southern extension of Uptown. Plaza-Midwood and NoDa are probably the two best examples but there's also Dilworth, Elizabeth, Wilmore, etc to consider.
No; Charlotte's is a historic Victorian neighborhood. It would be more akin to the oldest residential part of Inman Park but with tighter streets.
South End has some rehabbed older buildings but these days the newer stuff is defining the neighborhood as it is becoming the southern extension of Uptown. Plaza-Midwood and NoDa are probably the two best examples but there's also Dilworth, Elizabeth, Wilmore, etc to consider.
While also destroying much of the historic character of the rest of Uptown unfortunately. That's a downside of Charlotte--which didn't have a ton of historic buildings in the first place--having experienced rapid growth and development in the first few postwar decades when we as a country were in such a hurry to tear down such buildings, often for accommodations for the automobile like parking lots and freeways. On top of that, the prevailing ethos in Charlotte since that era has essentially been "newer, bigger, better" and even in this decade Charlotte has lost a few historic buildings in the core of the city that could have been saved or were neglected for so long that demolition occurred since no other option appeared to be economically viable. I love Charlotte (I'm actually in Charlotte as I type this) but this is one of its faults that I have to recognize. But I will say that many of the neighborhoods outside of Uptown were spared a similar fate, which is why I always say that the most authentically Charlotte parts of Charlotte are outside of Uptown, excepting the historic Fourth Ward.
I totally agree. I live in the Charlotte area, love it here, have no intentions in ever leaving, and believe we have a bigger upside than down. But the city of Charlotte itself has done a horrible job at preserving its structural history. The rest of the metro (including the suburban area I live in) has done a better job. You pretty much hit all of the points.
I totally agree. I live in the Charlotte area, love it here, have no intentions in ever leaving, and believe we have a bigger upside than down. But the city of Charlotte itself has done a horrible job at preserving its structural history. The rest of the metro (including the suburban area I live in) has done a better job. You pretty much hit all of the points.
Yes you are correct about many of the surrounding towns in the region having nice preserved commercial cores. That's something many don't know about the region and that it probably doesn't get enough credit for.
Yes you are correct about many of the surrounding towns in the region having nice preserved commercial cores. That's something many don't know about the region and that it probably doesn't get enough credit for.
One of my wife's and my favorite restaurants here in the town (Gastonia) we live in the Charlotte area is Webb Custom Kitchen ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzLeFEWbEn4 ). It's in an old, historic movie theater in downtown Gastonia. I saw my first Disney movie there when I was a little guy back in the late 60's. It's a gorgeous restaurant with incredible food......... The old Gastonia High School was converted into beautiful condos. The old 100+ year old Loray/Firestone Mill in Gastonia was converted into shops and condos. That's one of the things I really like about this community and I love living here. I'm a history geek for sure, lol.
Charlotte is in between tiers. It is larger than Nashville and Austin, but behind Denver. Charlotte is on it's way to joining a new tier in the next decade. Charlotte continues to grow and develop responsibly with investment in jobs and infrastructure. Charlotte is hard to categorize in terms of mature urban neighborhoods and some might say night life, but everything else checks out, objectively.
Austin was a peer in up until the last ten years ago. It was of the same size but the growth in the Texas Capital has leapt the queen city. Charlotte does have an NFL and NBA team that ATX does not which is owed to growth in the 1990s and territorial concerns held by the Dallas Cowboys and Houston which had a team until the mid 1990s and both are within 3 hours of Austin. Charlotte was outside Atlanta's NFL team's radius. Charlotte doesn't have a high profile University like Austin or Columbus but has a hub airport for a major carrier (American) which can help growth. Charlotte is a Financial services hub too vs Austin which is a Tech hub. However, ATX is also a state capital unlike Charlotte which can offer a more stable economy. I'd say Columbus, Portland, Tampa are closest to Charlotte.
Austin was a peer in up until the last ten years ago. It was of the same size but the growth in the Texas Capital has leapt the queen city. Charlotte does have an NFL and NBA team that ATX does not which is owed to growth in the 1990s and territorial concerns held by the Dallas Cowboys and Houston which had a team until the mid 1990s and both are within 3 hours of Austin. Charlotte was outside Atlanta's NFL team's radius. Charlotte doesn't have a high profile University like Austin or Columbus but has a hub airport for a major carrier (American) which can help growth. Charlotte is a Financial services hub too vs Austin which is a Tech hub. However, ATX is also a state capital unlike Charlotte which can offer a more stable economy. I'd say Columbus, Portland, Tampa are closest to Charlotte.
Nothing you said supports your assertion that Charlotte and Austin aren't peers; you simply noted what each strengths or advatanges/disadvantages of geography are. By this measure, there are no such things as peer cities because no two cities are identical. And even though I don't think municipal population size should be a gauge when determining peer cities broadly speaking, Austin's currently higher municipal growth rate hasn't pushed it into another peer group that excludes Charlotte because they are still of similar size and stature. That could change in 20 years or so but as of today, peers they are.
Also, one could list just as many different characteristics between Charlotte and Columbus, Portland, and Tampa as you just did for Charlotte and Austin. It's a bit disingenuous to list functional, institutional, etc. differences between places as evidence they aren't peers while ignoring the broader categories and trends that show that they are; they both have a similar amount of muscle mass, as it were, but on different parts of their bodies.
Austin was a peer in up until the last ten years ago. It was of the same size but the growth in the Texas Capital has leapt the queen city. Charlotte does have an NFL and NBA team that ATX does not which is owed to growth in the 1990s and territorial concerns held by the Dallas Cowboys and Houston which had a team until the mid 1990s and both are within 3 hours of Austin. Charlotte was outside Atlanta's NFL team's radius. Charlotte doesn't have a high profile University like Austin or Columbus but has a hub airport for a major carrier (American) which can help growth. Charlotte is a Financial services hub too vs Austin which is a Tech hub. However, ATX is also a state capital unlike Charlotte which can offer a more stable economy. I'd say Columbus, Portland, Tampa are closest to Charlotte.
I hope you arent trying to say that Austin has surpassed Charlotte as a peer. Charlotte is ahead in most metrics that equate to cities being peers and is in fact closer to the next tier than Austin is. Charlotte has the higher GDP, bigger metro population, more fortune 500 companies, professional sports TEAMS, 6th busiest airport in the world, bigger sphere of influence(2 states), and even something as trivial as a bigger skyline..Austin is growing up nicely though.....
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