Justin Ruckman | 8 Feb 10
10:21 am | | Filed:Architecture
Development
Hospitality
Quick Links
Uptown |
2

Rebooted Park tower uptown adding hotel rooms, possible rooftop restaurant

“The new owners of The Park condo project want to turn the unfinished uptown tower into a hotel.

Naples, Fla.-based Small Brothers filed a rezoning petition with the city to allow 148 hotel rooms alongside 74 residential condo units.

(…) According to a site plan filed with the city, Small Brothers also proposes adding a rooftop restaurant and garden to the tower.”

Read more by Susan Stabley at the Charlotte Business Journal.

Justin Ruckman | 5 Feb 10
9:00 am | | Filed:Music
Performance |
2

Behind the scenes with the cast of Woody Sez

video: Matthew Tyndall & Justin Ruckman; watch this in HD on YouTube

We got a chance last week to sneak in for a rehearsal of Woody Sez, a tribute show to legendary folk singer and activist Woody Guthrie. Woody Sez is playing at the Booth Playhouse this week through February 21.

I can honestly say that as a child of the 80s, born nearly 20 years after Woody Guthrie’s death in 1967, I would probably never have made it to see this show on my own. But after watching this group of four casually rehearse for barely 45 minutes, I was hooked. All able performers as individuals, it was a pleasure to hear them reworking old Guthrie tunes in harmony.

Especially cool are the “hootenannies” they throw each Sunday after a show, in whatever city they’re playing in, where they invite local musicians to come hang out, drink beer (beer as in free), and play music. This will be going down here around 4:30ish after their Sunday performances through the 21st, and like the beer, is free of charge.

Head over to Blumenthal’s website for more info and to purchase tickets.

Kion Sanders | 4 Feb 10
6:24 pm | | Filed:City
Fashion
Uptown |
6

The Men of Charlotte … this is my style

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photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

As CLT Blogger Desiree Kane mentioned, Uptown Charlotte is known for a few things: banking, nightlife and pretty people. I wouldn’t exactly label our men as “pretty” per se, but we are very stylish. Whether it’s walking through Founder’s Hall or having a great time at the Epicentre, you’re bound to find men who care about their image. This past week, I was everywhere uptown and took a couple of photos of corporate-men who were “pretty” stylish.
Read More →

Mitch Metz | 4 Feb 10
11:37 am | | Filed:Events
Performance
Theater |
3

Spring Awakening

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photo: Kevin H.; view this photo on Flickr

Playing now through 2/7 at the Belk Theater

An 1891 German play? Rock musical? What is this, a mix between Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar, and The Sound Of Music? Well, you know what, I loved those musicals, and on a rainy Tuesday night at the Belk Theater in Charlotte, I fell in love with Spring Awakening too.
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James Willamor | 2 Feb 10
11:10 am | | Filed:City
Photography |
3

Charlotte 2009 Year in Photos

photos: James Willamor; view this video on Vimeo

One hundred, twenty-six photos of Charlotte taken in 2009, more or less in chronological order. The majority of the photos were taken for CLT Blog and Crossroads Charlotte. The song is Brand New, released in 2009 by Charlotte area artists One Big Love. A list of events and people featured in the slideshow is after the break.

Read More →

Justin Ruckman | 1 Feb 10
4:28 pm | | Filed:Events
Feature
Sports |
2

CLT Blog is going to the Olympics!

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photo credit: Brandon Godfrey

There comes a time in every blog’s life that they have to step up, move out, and make something of themselves in the world. Enter the World’s Party, the Media’s Mosh Pit, the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

CLT Blog is going to Canada! Our Vancouver crew departs for our week-long trip on February 11th.

We’re teaming up with North Carolina’s largest NBC affiliates: Charlotte’s WCNC NewsChannel36; and Raleigh’s WNCN NBC17, to bring our unique perspective to a larger audience, and to give a behind-the-scenes look at the operations of local NBC affiliate crews at the Olympics.

We’ll be armed with Flip cams, DSLRs, iPhones and laptops, taking you across the border to the Great White North in pursuit of the real Olympics, whatever that means.

CLT Blog Vancouver consists of:

We will be lodging with Charlotte’s own Justin “@jritch” Ritchie, now a graduate student at the University of British Columbia, who will rejoin us as both tour guide and correspondent on our quest to cover the games and culture from the streets of Vancouver. Expect guest appearances from travelling Charlloteans and native Vancouverites alike.

If you’re looking for 20-camera HD slow-motion 3D IMAX coverage of all your favorite sporting events … you’ll probably want to watch WCNC (or visit NBC’s Olympic website).

But for a genuine look at the city of Vancouver with its many natives and visitors during one of the world’s biggest events, keep your dial right here on CLT Blog (or follow us on Twitter: @cltblog)

To America’s attic eh!

Justin Ruckman | 1 Feb 10
12:30 pm | | Filed:Events
Feature
Sports |
3

CLT Blog & Lightbulb Coworking Superbowl Party!

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Flyer speaks for itself, at least it should — it’s big enough. Come check out Charlotte’s first coworking space and watch the Superbowl on two 42″ and one 120″ HD screens. A $15 donation is suggested, and all proceeds go to benefit Nexus Urban Serve, which among other things, provides for poor and homeless children in Mecklenburg County.

Food & drink provided. Not exactly sure what kind of brews we’ll have yet, but it’ll be good. BYOB if you like, but not needed.

Click here to RSVP.

Justin Ruckman | 28 Jan 10
4:48 pm | Series: | | Filed:Business
City
Feature
Technology |
17

Charlotte 2.0.2: Creative Work & Workspaces

This is Charlotte 2.0, an ongoing series on technology and startup business in Charlotte — specifically, how to stand out in the banking industry’s shadow, and how to create a more economically and intellectually diverse and sustainable city moving forward.

Philip Dodds (@philipdodds) is spearheading this podcast, and we at CLT Blog are hosting and producing it. Special thanks to Carlos Espin at Area 15 (@areafifteen) for his continual support of this and other community-centric initiatives.

This episode focuses on creative work and workspaces, with guests as follows (left to right):

See our previous episode here.

Desiree Kane | 28 Jan 10
10:31 am | | Filed:Events
Feature
History
Politics
World |
1

Vicente Fox speaks at Charlotte Museum of History

Former President of Mexico Vicente Fox

photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Tuesday evening CLTBlog-tographer James Willamor and I had the most amazing opportunity to cover a speech given by the Former President of Mexico. He was in town with the Former First Lady, Marta, speaking at the Charlotte Museum of History for their Distinguished Speaker Series. Even better, I got to ask him a question!

Read more to see what he had to say:

Read More →

Justin Ruckman | 28 Jan 10
1:57 am | | Filed:Meta |

Hello new readers!

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I spoke at at a Mecklenburg Ministries event today about finding work by building awareness around your ideas online. That’s Mayor Foxx in the iPhone snap above, he said a few words to kick it off.

A lot of people were interested in CLT Blog and what we do here, so I thought it only polite to leave a quick note to say hello.

Please have a look around, share us with your friends, and feel free to contact me with any questions at justin@cltblog.com.