Let's start off with a couple of new panos. If you have a low resolution, scroll ----->
Starting out at Trade and Tryon, also known as The Square. The center of Uptown (Uptown is downtown. We call it Uptown).
101 Independence Center. Nobody ever notices this building because it is blocked from view by other skyscrapers. Its 80's styling are easy to overlook. Plus, the historic Independence hotel was torn down to build it.
101 Independence and Bank of America Corporate Headquarters, a Cesar Pelli design and still (barely) the tallest building in Charlotte and tallest building on the east coast between Atlanta and Philadelphia.
Looking back the other way. Left to right: Omni Hotel, Aloft Hotel, Charlotte Plaza, and Bank of America Plaza.
Looking down a sidewalk on Tryon Street.
From Epicenter on Trade Street, looking at Time Warner Cable arena and the Transportation Center light rail station. The 2030 transit plan includes a streetcar here on Tryon St. Will make for a nice photo as the light rail and streetcar pass each other.
Inside the bus terminal at the transit center. You can always spot the church groups uptown because they are always a huddled group of teenagers in bright colored shirts.
From between the bus terminal and the arena, looking back uptown. The new Ritz-Carlton, the greenest Ritz ever built, is the the left and the new 30 floor 1 Bank of America is under construction on the right.
This is Bill, a full-time bicycle messenger in uptown. He's been doing it here since 1998.
Looking up College Street and part of Epicenter. The new Epicenter development includes a bowling alley, theaters, and a zillion restaurants and nightclubs.
The historic Dunhill Hotel
Top of the building
Looking south down Tryon Street:
Inside the Brevard Court arcade off of Tryon Street:
Outside the public library on Tryon Street:
Back at the square at Trade and Tryon:
This is known locally as "the giant butt plug." You can't really tell from the photo, but it is a fountain and has water running down the sides. Yes, they lubed it up for us.
Thrilled to be selling produce:
This is a good example of what happens to a lot of historic buildings in Charlotte. The old spanish-style Radcliff Flowers building was incorporated into the Radcliff at the Green condo building. This makes to overlook a lot of the historic buildings, because they have been built over and attached to new buildings.
Along Trade street. A good view of the 1958 129 West Trade, one of the few buildings from the 50's and 60's that hasn't had it's facade replaced.
This is Wheelie Man. Wheelie Man spends all day, every day, riding wheelies up and down Tryon street. He's a bit of a local celeb. Here's
a video that someone posted on Youtube of Wheelie Man in action.
The new Bechtler Museum of Modern art. It was designed by Mario Botta, who also designed the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Scheduled to open Jan. 2nd 2010, the collection will range from Warhol to Picasso. In the background is the new Mint Museum which will open in Fall 2010.
You can find the best street food an construction sites.
The Fillmore, part of the NC Music Factory development. The Fillmore and the new Uptown amphitheater are both owned by Livenation.
The new Uptown Amphitheater which just opened last month.
Part of the new NC Music Factory that is in the process of being refurbished. In addition to the Livenation venues, it will also include a number of bars and nightclubs, including Halo, Wet Willies, Crobar, Butter, etc.
View from the Dilworth neighborhood just outside Uptown:
One of the many tree-lined streets in Dilworth:
Tryon Street during Taste of Charlotte last month:
View from Metropolitan Midtown development. The Sugar Creek greenway can been seen in the foreground:
Looking back at Metropolitan Midtown:
Work is still going on on the greenway. Here is Sugar Creek next to Midtown when it was at flood stage recently:
Couple more skyline shots from about a month ago:
And one from the airport, why not?
So middle of June I was invited to tour the new under-construction NASCAR Hall of Fame with the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. I don't really consider myself a NASCAR fan, but after seeing this thing it was easy to get pretty excited about it opening next May:
This thing is pretty massive inside:
The banked track that wraps from the 1st floor to the second will be used to display cars:
After the hardhat tour we went up in the NASCAR office building for lunch with the mayor. It offers some good views of uptown:
Looking towards Dilworth. Those photos of Dilworth from earlier in the post? They were taken from just to the right of that big church steeple:
The convention center is the foreground:
Mint Museum construction:
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art:
The 50 floor Vue can be seen under construction:
Metropolitan Midtown:
Looking towards Southend:
Southend:
Hanging out with the mayor and city council:
Back on Tryon Street, the historic Ivey's building and 101 Independence Center:
The new Knight Theater set to open next year:
The new African American Cultural Center opening this Fall:
The old Hall House. Used to be a luxury hotel, was recently partially renovated and used as public housing:
Blumenthal Performing Arts Center:
The current home of the Mint Museum:
Backside of the new Duke Energy Center:
The new 440 South Tryon building. GMAC is moving several hundred jobs here.
An often overlooked building, the First Citizens building:
A few older buildings in the skyline. On the far left is 200 South Tryon, built in 1961 and reclad since then. Just to the right of it is Midtown Plaza (I guess they are still calling it that) which was built in 1924.
The old Jefferson Standard Life Building, originally built in 1955, it has been given a new facade twice since then, the latest coming in 2001:
Three buildings that didn't exist before last year (4 if you count the parking deck). Catalyst on the left, 440 South Tryon, and Duke Energy Center:
Yay, we got some grit! Isn't it awsome? Love the grit:
Heading down to Southend now:
Bridge over I-277:
Carson Station:
Millenium Southend, new residential near Carson Station:
The very fabulous Arlington condos:
Bland St. Station:
Circle at Southend, yet another new residential development:
Alley near Bland St. Station that leads to Common Market & Deli. Yum!
Past East/West Blvd Station, the new 101 Tremont apartments:
Past that? Yet another new residential development along the light rail line. This one is Spectrum Southend:
Silos at Southend:
Aight, I'm heading home to my hood. I'm stopping by Lil'Wayne Super Market.
View from Graham St. in my hood:
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