One of the many things I loved about Charlotte was Belk #4, downtown, and yes, Ivey’s, as all. Beautiful, elegant, even glamorous, in design, with large chandeliers, dark rich mahogany woodwork, and service that made even the most minor of client feel tended to, and even dare I say, pampered.

One of my first jobs while still a very young man was in the downtown Belk store, which I prided myself to work in the mens’ clothing department, dressed in my suit.

It was there that I discovered Aramis Devin cologne. I had often taken the bus to & from work, for not only was it highly economical at $10.00/month for unlimited passes, and not only was it relaxing to not have to drive daily in the traffic, but it solved the issue of finding and paying for parking, as well.

I received more adamant compliments on that Aramis Devin, on that bus, than you could ever possibly imagine.

My heart grieves that we have lost such beautiful historic work as these buildings, which, IMHO, should have been preserved on the National Registry as historic.

- Robert, Loris SC

Sadly, Charlotte will never regain the uniqueness that was its own–blinded by the quest for “world-class-city” status, Charlotte lost the heart of its retail history when these great old stores closed. New York still has Macy’s, Philadelphia still has Wanamaker’s (now Macy’s), St. Louis still has Famous & Barr (Macy’s again), Minneapolis still has Dayton’s (Macy’s again), but Charlotte–which could have had the neatest mix of old and new downtown–abandoned it all for boring, glitzy bank buildings.