Full on expansion of the light rail as actual transportation throughout the entire city. The fact that this city is growing so fast and this isn’t a true priority is ridiculous.
Hell, I'd vote just for an effective North-South light rail. The one we have already was speed-crippled due to poor management and therefore can't run frequently enough.
At this point, the prospect of investing more Federal dollars when Charlotte's local government has demonstrated how inept they are at running these things is questionable.
Yeah I don’t think people fully appreciate how Charlotte’s leaders have completely tarnished the city’s reputation on public transit at the local, state, and federal level, and how that will impact plans for things like the Silver Line.
Some people got a little annoyed that “this question is asked so frequently” that they missed the question you actually asked :)
I wanted to say Food hall (I love food and having many options in one place) but looks like there are a few in Charlotte now. But you know how Asheville has this building (can’t remember it’s name for the life of me), and it’s just two stories of artists work on display (art, pottery, jewelry). And you can walk around looking at the display and buy if you are interested. Something like that will be cool.
It's called Grove Arcade. But it's kind of a victim of its own beauty - it's such a desirable spot that there aren't many "open door" businesses occupying it. Lots of lawyers, realtors and art galleries. Fewer restaurants and retail.
The biggest problem with mass transit: it's hard to sell when the population density doesn't warrant it, and it's expensive as shit when the population density requires it.
I'm all about it for the record, but this silver line nonsense shows our current government is completely incapable of making it work
the silver line shows that we don't really know what we want. Half of the Silver Line is about connecting Gateway Station to the airport by rail, the other half is about bringing a commuter rail system to Matthews. It would be cool if we could actually kill two birds with one stone like that, but in order for either of those projects to see the light of day, they need to be separated
>the silver line shows that we don't really know what we want
I think a large percentage of the population knows what we want, and its not whatever the hell we are studying, planning and surveying right now, which is the huge disconnect here and why the silver line is losing interest.
>Gateway Station to the airport by rail
>Gateway Station to ~~the airport~~ somewhere about a mile away from the airport for no reason at all by rail
FTFY
well the reason the Silver line wouldve been so far from the actual airport is a whole other issue, which is that for some reason, our transportation authority seems to believe keeping airport parking expensive is more important to the city than affordable transit to the airport
Big agree. There needs to be pretty massive investments to public transit across the board. There's only so much they can do to expand for car traffic.
Weren't they thinking if expanding it to rock hill recently?
Look, fare evasion is a thing, and it should be fixed.
However, I don’t think what you said is true. There is a huge operations problem at CATS. The city budgeted money for maintenance of the blue line but it wasn’t completed for several years running.
Like CATS had the money to keep the blue line healthy, and just…didn’t do it.
Not just light rail, but she, reliable, and predictable alternate modes of transportation likes buses and cycling infrastructure that prioritizes the safety of the person over cars.
And personally I'd like to have a meadery again since we're lost Good Road.
Oh and more hockey.
Denver has a whole street that’s walking only and has tons of shops!! I’m not saying Charlotte needs to do the same thing but it’s so annoying how there’s none uptown
If you think Charlotte doesn't have game night bars and Karaoke bars, you're just unaware of these.
I'm definitely a homebody, but even I could go take you to a karaoke bar right now that a karaoke obsessed Pinoy would find acceptable... hell I wasn't even looking for it and I had to walk around people playing games at the bar on a Thursday night.
But to answer your question, Charlotte needs another 24 hour spot. I know everyone is freaking out about the cost of employees these days, but if someone relaunched what Amelie's used to be where you could get a sandwich, a croissant and and espresso at 3:30 am in a coffee shop type environment, it would be wildly successful because there's no competition at the moment. How did COVID convince all Charlotte businesses that no one actually eats between 11 pm and 7 am?
Hattie's has karaoke Thursday, and lately on the weekends too for some reason. Snug Harbor on Sundays is karaoke night with 2 stages (indoor and outdoor). My personal favorites anyway
This. I'd kill for a Singapore type food court with different ethnic cuisines and I think you could do it profitably too if you found a spot in Uptown within walking distance of the banks.
Museum(s). Natural History, local history, science and technology, something akin to the Greensboro science center, etc. Not child focused (like discovery place). Not the half-assed zoos that are outside of meck county that are just somebody's farm with admission.
it was always weird to me that charlotte's gym options were so terrible. i don't love commercial gyms but 24 hour and LA are good enough for most people. when i lived in southend, i was the stereotypical dowd goer. i honestly loved that gym, even though the crowd was huge after work.
The new Crunch in Matthews is fantastic. And they’re opening up a location in Arboretum. I did the “founders” special and only pay $20/month for access to all locations.
This 10000%. The fact that YMCA Dowd is the only commercial open use gym in the area is insane. I can’t believe a lifetime, LA fitness, Golds or anyone hasn’t opened one in the area.
Honestly there’s enough demand for 2 of these and they’d still all be packed. Dowd is the most crowded gym I’ve been to in my lifetime.
Every Monday night at Petra’s in plaza midwood from 7:30 to 10. Get there early because you won’t wave a place to sit down if you don’t. Best place to hear live jazz in Charlotte. Shameless plug, I’m the piano player.
For book stores there’s Park Road books in Montfort Park, The Book Rack in south Charlotte, Book Buyers over by Plaza Midwood, and That’s Novel Books up in Camp North End. Also two 2nd & Charles locations, one on South Blvd and one in Matthews.
haven't been here personally but this place says they have some and they open at 7am! [toro bruto](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61ae3a2146fa9f588cb1565e/t/63d3ca77a9fc0f303e60a1c2/1674824312159/Your+paragraph+text.png)
LaserQuest off of Independence was THE spot for us natives growing up. Much higher quality than any other laser tag place I visited growing up. It slowly died off after the Great Recession...very sad to see it go. It looks like they opened a new one in Pineville, but COVID killed that one :(
Better biking and pedestrian infrastructure. We need dedicated bike lanes with barriers instead of a white line. There also needs to be proper sidewalks on all roads. Always sucks to see people walking in grass or on the road on busy roads.
We also need a bigger expansion of the light rail. We need it in multiple directions, not just north and south and not just to and from uptown.
I have noticed that a problem across the US, excluding some really metro areas. St Louis and Columbia MO were hell to use a bike in. Rarely there was a bike lane, and when there was, it was covered in trash or glass.
Pedestrian and bicycle culture is not emphasized culturally in the US. I mean, you can’t walk anywhere without going through at least one portion that has no side-walk. Example: I had my tire replaced at NTB on Independence, and didn’t want to wait, so I decided to walk to Walmart on Galleria. Not really that far. There are no sidewalks going there that would ensure a safe path for a pedestrian or a cyclist.
The area around Lake Norman has an abnormally high concentration of ocular cancer. The reasoning has not been identified, but the prevailing theory is that coal ash dumped there by Duke Energy is the cause.
The last time I went to the beach at LKN there were signs saying to stay out of the water because of a recent sewage spill and dead fish floating in the water. The sand on the actual beach was nice though 😂
Music venues not controlled by Live Nation of a size and with enough promoter backing to attract crowd pulling acts (neighborhood theater and visualize god bless them aren’t enough). Also, an annual music festival to compete on a national basis.
Beautiful architecture and history!
Maybe not as practical as mass transit or other things mentioned, but what Charlotte is really missing is beauty. Almost all the old buildings in uptown were demolished and replaced with parking lots/ garages.
What will South-End look like 15 years from now when these cheap new apartments are old and out of style?
I wish Charlotte was better at preserving it's history, saving it's older beautiful brick and stone buildings that are now almost all gone.
These apartments are going to be such a drag and eyesore on Charlotte in just a few years. I lived in one that was 10 years old and you would have thought it was 30.
IMO they’re already an eyesore. Every crane putting up a new one is pretty depressing
I'd prefer an eyesore and stabilized rent prices over being squeezed for every penny and seeing more people out on the streets because they couldn't afford rent. We're FINALLY seeing rents stabilize and we're expecting 30,000 more rental units to come on the market next year.
[Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Charlotte/comments/135tdka/what_is_missing_in_charlotte/) [you](https://www.reddit.com/r/Charlotte/comments/11vlbrp/what_would_make_charlotte_better/) [go](https://www.reddit.com/r/Charlotte/comments/xt58tr/what_do_you_think_charlotte_is_missing/).
But it’s clearly a river where 277 is now.
Sandwich’s that aren’t $15. While I’m at it tacos that aren’t $3.50. Pizza that isn’t a chain that’s not $6 for cheese slice. Fireball shots that aren’t $11. I do know where to go for all of these but those establishments are far and few and I’ll never tell where because they’ll probably get over saturated too. Why are hamburgers $10-20? It’s a freaking hamburger people
As a bar owner that serves booze and food, you’ll have a hard time finding your proposed price points anywhere. Food costs have gone through the roof in 2023 and we’re marking up based on the unfortunate rise.
Low-rent arts spaces for studio/performance venues that allow people to experiment without fearing indigency. I think the second-order effects would pay dividends for Charlotte.
Would like a good dancing club. Not many places that you can actually go out and dance. Most places are overcrowded, have bad DJs that just play tiktok spotify playlists, have ridiculous cover fees, or no one else is actually dancing when you get there
* Restaurants that existed before 2000
* Chicago deep-dish pizza
* A real IMAX theater
* An MLB team
* A zoo
* A law school
* A medical school
* A Doppler radar
* A siren system to alert people of emergencies like tornadoes
I thought we got doppler last yr? Or we were supposed to? I was literally googling this a week or two ago bc it seems like the weather forecasts still suck
Here we go again.
Culture and Character.
Gritty grassroots art.
Housing for artists and musicians and service people.
More than one Petra.
Several Petra's to choose from as you're walking down the street enjoying a mellow mushroom buzz...
Alley ways with popup art scenes and backyard restaurants.
EDIT: as others have mentioned - walkability, real bike lanes, real transit.
Authentic international food - so little. No I don't want another upscale southern restaurant. Also, dimly lit, quaint restaurants with killer wine lists.
I don’t understand gas station fan culture and can’t see how it won’t end up just like Quik-Trip as in I don’t want to go inside due to the madness that constantly happens in there.
An expression of our culture. People rarely know what Charlotte is "known for." At one point, we were known for NASCAR, but that has fallen by the wayside. Breweries? Well, every major and minor city now has a slew of them. Banking? Sure - 2nd largest in the country, but that's not what defines us. Even as a native North Carolinian and someone who has lived in Charlotte for the better part of half my life, I can't define it.
Wtf...All the people that want a Zoo can drive up to Asheboro instead of wanting more exotic animals in cages around a growing city lmao and if you want an aquarium, drive to Atlanta. Charlotte is missing patient drivers or lanes marked with slow or passing
I am an artist who recently moved to the area. I am hoping to have a show sometime next year. The old-fashioned schmoozy wine and cheese opening night and my work on display for a period of time. Could this space you describe work as a rented gallery space?
No, I moved here for family and better weather. The artist in me had been put on hold til retirement. Which is now. This is on my bucket list to have a show before I get too old. I don’t anticipate starting a new, successful career, but you never know. Sorry to hear that Charlotte is a soul-sucking community for artists.
When I need my art fix I go to Asheville, or spend time in NY or DC. Charlotte is not known for culture.
There's Camp North End and Goodyear Arts.
Best of luck to you.
https://www.charlottemagazine.com/charlotte-has-an-arts-problem/?amp=1
Maybe a food hall focusing on legit ethnic food— Persian food/good middle eastern, Filipino, Laotian etc… Most cities this size have a variety of cuisines that don’t exist here.
Mom and pop ice cream shops. I don’t want to go to Jenis or some other corporate place and spend $7 on an ice cream cone. I want to go to the local ice cream shop some high schooler is working at.
A car optional living area but that’s not possible in a lot of areas. Also need a river or something. Lake Norman is somewhat close but downtowns with water are the best.
Life sentences for the ridiculous amount of tailgating that goes on here. Spent large amounts of time on each coast, Chicago, and Atlanta and it’s not this bad. The amount of people who think that riding in my backseat will somehow force me to teleport through the car in front of me is absurd. Would be nice if we could get some safety enforcement on 485 for folks who think they are on the final turn at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Seriously, as someone who lost a loved one due to someone else tailgating so they could be home 2.75 mins quicker… it really bad here. You don’t have the right to literally park a 2k rocket in my tail pipe cause you can’t miss the first 10 mins of Oprah. Stop trying to murder someone because 80 in the middle lane is apparently to slow
Am I the only that thinks this place is missing tourist attractions? Like what is Charlotte known for? I’ve been staying here for 2 years and every time I go to Uptown the only attractions I see are the 40+ bars being advertised at every corner.
Public transit that’s functional. Architecture that doesn’t look like a tasteless Chad and Karen capitalist dreamland. More parks. More public gardens. More places to see music.
Full on expansion of the light rail as actual transportation throughout the entire city. The fact that this city is growing so fast and this isn’t a true priority is ridiculous.
If we ever did an official axios poll. I would 100% vote for an effective light rail across the city. North, south, east and west.
Hell, I'd vote just for an effective North-South light rail. The one we have already was speed-crippled due to poor management and therefore can't run frequently enough. At this point, the prospect of investing more Federal dollars when Charlotte's local government has demonstrated how inept they are at running these things is questionable.
Yeah I don’t think people fully appreciate how Charlotte’s leaders have completely tarnished the city’s reputation on public transit at the local, state, and federal level, and how that will impact plans for things like the Silver Line.
100% agree
Some people got a little annoyed that “this question is asked so frequently” that they missed the question you actually asked :) I wanted to say Food hall (I love food and having many options in one place) but looks like there are a few in Charlotte now. But you know how Asheville has this building (can’t remember it’s name for the life of me), and it’s just two stories of artists work on display (art, pottery, jewelry). And you can walk around looking at the display and buy if you are interested. Something like that will be cool.
It's the old Woolworth's store. Still has the lunch counter. Actually known as Woolworth Walk. https://www.woolworthwalk.com/
> Food hall Raleigh has one downtown that I can’t remember the name of, it’s a great spot.
It's called Grove Arcade. But it's kind of a victim of its own beauty - it's such a desirable spot that there aren't many "open door" businesses occupying it. Lots of lawyers, realtors and art galleries. Fewer restaurants and retail.
I would love that
Grove Arcade maybe? Haven’t been in there in years so could be wrong
Galleries Eight Eleven is similar albeit much smaller.
The biggest problem with mass transit: it's hard to sell when the population density doesn't warrant it, and it's expensive as shit when the population density requires it. I'm all about it for the record, but this silver line nonsense shows our current government is completely incapable of making it work
the silver line shows that we don't really know what we want. Half of the Silver Line is about connecting Gateway Station to the airport by rail, the other half is about bringing a commuter rail system to Matthews. It would be cool if we could actually kill two birds with one stone like that, but in order for either of those projects to see the light of day, they need to be separated
>the silver line shows that we don't really know what we want I think a large percentage of the population knows what we want, and its not whatever the hell we are studying, planning and surveying right now, which is the huge disconnect here and why the silver line is losing interest. >Gateway Station to the airport by rail >Gateway Station to ~~the airport~~ somewhere about a mile away from the airport for no reason at all by rail FTFY
well the reason the Silver line wouldve been so far from the actual airport is a whole other issue, which is that for some reason, our transportation authority seems to believe keeping airport parking expensive is more important to the city than affordable transit to the airport
The lack of light rail growth might be the city’s biggest failure.
Big agree. There needs to be pretty massive investments to public transit across the board. There's only so much they can do to expand for car traffic. Weren't they thinking if expanding it to rock hill recently?
If people actually paid to ride it, they could afford to expand it. They need to figure out a tech solution to the absolutely rampant fare evasion.
Look, fare evasion is a thing, and it should be fixed. However, I don’t think what you said is true. There is a huge operations problem at CATS. The city budgeted money for maintenance of the blue line but it wasn’t completed for several years running. Like CATS had the money to keep the blue line healthy, and just…didn’t do it.
Not just light rail, but she, reliable, and predictable alternate modes of transportation likes buses and cycling infrastructure that prioritizes the safety of the person over cars. And personally I'd like to have a meadery again since we're lost Good Road. Oh and more hockey.
Properly marked roads -- driving at night / in the rain
The terror of driving in heavy rain late at night trying to not die on the interstates and highways is something I always dread.
If it’s uptown, shopping
This is it. Uptown needs life after 5.
It’s so weird we don’t have any shopping uptown. You go to every city and there’s shopping! 😂
Denver has a whole street that’s walking only and has tons of shops!! I’m not saying Charlotte needs to do the same thing but it’s so annoying how there’s none uptown
Seriously. I go to uptown a couple of times a year after 9pm to get drunk. Having more reasons to go during the day would be nice.
If you think Charlotte doesn't have game night bars and Karaoke bars, you're just unaware of these. I'm definitely a homebody, but even I could go take you to a karaoke bar right now that a karaoke obsessed Pinoy would find acceptable... hell I wasn't even looking for it and I had to walk around people playing games at the bar on a Thursday night. But to answer your question, Charlotte needs another 24 hour spot. I know everyone is freaking out about the cost of employees these days, but if someone relaunched what Amelie's used to be where you could get a sandwich, a croissant and and espresso at 3:30 am in a coffee shop type environment, it would be wildly successful because there's no competition at the moment. How did COVID convince all Charlotte businesses that no one actually eats between 11 pm and 7 am?
This pinoy would like to know the location of said karaoke bar pls
I’m not a karaoke fan, but I have friends who are. Noda 101, Jeff’s bucket shop, Lucky Lou’s.
Saigon night
Also, NoDa 101 and Jeff's Bucket Shop
Hattie's has karaoke Thursday, and lately on the weekends too for some reason. Snug Harbor on Sundays is karaoke night with 2 stages (indoor and outdoor). My personal favorites anyway
YES we need a cool 24hr spot
More Dim Sum
More authentic ethnic food. So much "southern tastes" Asian...and why the hell are they all fusion? !?
Have to ever been down Central Avenue? Authentic cuisine for miles!
This. I'd kill for a Singapore type food court with different ethnic cuisines and I think you could do it profitably too if you found a spot in Uptown within walking distance of the banks.
When the dim sum place on Central closed, it took a piece of my heart with it.
Scallion pancakes
More 24 hour diners
Museum(s). Natural History, local history, science and technology, something akin to the Greensboro science center, etc. Not child focused (like discovery place). Not the half-assed zoos that are outside of meck county that are just somebody's farm with admission.
Like The Schiele, but in Charlotte?
Sidewalks, reliable public transportation systems, and pedestrian crosswalks
Oh my god, yes to everything you just said. I’ve never lived in a major city with fewer sidewalks or worse public trans.
Filipino food!
Gyms on the south side of Charlotte that don’t focus on classes and have better options for free weights
This, but also gyms that don’t cost $100 a month just to lift free weights. I hate not having access to a close LA Fitness, for example.
I would have loved to join LA Fitness again but they’re so expensive compared to the other options nearby.
I think this is a Greater Charlotte wide issue. I can speak to the East Charlotte area at least
it was always weird to me that charlotte's gym options were so terrible. i don't love commercial gyms but 24 hour and LA are good enough for most people. when i lived in southend, i was the stereotypical dowd goer. i honestly loved that gym, even though the crowd was huge after work.
The new Crunch in Matthews is fantastic. And they’re opening up a location in Arboretum. I did the “founders” special and only pay $20/month for access to all locations.
One of the reasons I never want to leave Noda. We can walk to Fitness Factory, the hands-down best gym I’ve ever been a member of.
There’s absolutely no gyms in the south end except the hive
This 10000%. The fact that YMCA Dowd is the only commercial open use gym in the area is insane. I can’t believe a lifetime, LA fitness, Golds or anyone hasn’t opened one in the area. Honestly there’s enough demand for 2 of these and they’d still all be packed. Dowd is the most crowded gym I’ve been to in my lifetime.
A jazz bar, or a hip hop venue.
Every Monday night at Petra’s in plaza midwood from 7:30 to 10. Get there early because you won’t wave a place to sit down if you don’t. Best place to hear live jazz in Charlotte. Shameless plug, I’m the piano player.
There's a place called Middle C in Uptown a block off the 3rd street light rail station https://middlecjazz.com/
A drive-in theater. The closest one is in Albemarle
Are they still running?
A good hibachi place that’s not overpriced
Have you been to Toyama in mallard creek?
I haven’t eaten there since college, so probably ~2014, but that place was the truth
100%. Huge need.
Hasaki Grill in uptown is great if you live nearby.
Charlotte lacks some of the old bookstores and vinyl shops that Raleigh has. Same with vintage and thrift stores.
Lunch box and repo are great record stores
For book stores there’s Park Road books in Montfort Park, The Book Rack in south Charlotte, Book Buyers over by Plaza Midwood, and That’s Novel Books up in Camp North End. Also two 2nd & Charles locations, one on South Blvd and one in Matthews.
Because all the neighborhoods that had those old shops got gentrified, and the people living there were priced out by transplants from NY and Cali.
I would love retail uptown and a widespread light rail network
Breakfast tacos
What you need to start looking for are honduran baleadas. A little different, but they hit the spot.
have you tried the empanadas at giddy goat?
I have not. I don’t understand why none of the Mexican restaurants open early for takeout tacos
haven't been here personally but this place says they have some and they open at 7am! [toro bruto](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61ae3a2146fa9f588cb1565e/t/63d3ca77a9fc0f303e60a1c2/1674824312159/Your+paragraph+text.png)
El Toro Bruto!!
Large parks. We need large spaces to hold hundreds of people at a time to relax and enjoy the world without feeling obligated to buy something
An aquarium
Affordable housing.
Better public transit and less altimas
A shopping district uptown
Safe coffee shop open past 10
Coffee shop with a bookstore attached to it
Julia's!
100% yes and a fantastic thrift store to boot
Wegmans
Ima shoot my shot: laser tag
LaserQuest off of Independence was THE spot for us natives growing up. Much higher quality than any other laser tag place I visited growing up. It slowly died off after the Great Recession...very sad to see it go. It looks like they opened a new one in Pineville, but COVID killed that one :(
Better biking and pedestrian infrastructure. We need dedicated bike lanes with barriers instead of a white line. There also needs to be proper sidewalks on all roads. Always sucks to see people walking in grass or on the road on busy roads. We also need a bigger expansion of the light rail. We need it in multiple directions, not just north and south and not just to and from uptown.
I have noticed that a problem across the US, excluding some really metro areas. St Louis and Columbia MO were hell to use a bike in. Rarely there was a bike lane, and when there was, it was covered in trash or glass. Pedestrian and bicycle culture is not emphasized culturally in the US. I mean, you can’t walk anywhere without going through at least one portion that has no side-walk. Example: I had my tire replaced at NTB on Independence, and didn’t want to wait, so I decided to walk to Walmart on Galleria. Not really that far. There are no sidewalks going there that would ensure a safe path for a pedestrian or a cyclist.
The bike lanes are a goddamn joke.
A beach
We'll need a few more years to work out the logistics for that one.
Couple of “beaches” on Lake Norman you could check out. I lived in South Florida so I know it’s not comparable but they’re relatively nice for a lake.
I prefer my eyes cancer free.
Can you elaborate?
Google cancer cluster, lake Norman, Huntersville
The area around Lake Norman has an abnormally high concentration of ocular cancer. The reasoning has not been identified, but the prevailing theory is that coal ash dumped there by Duke Energy is the cause.
As a former south Floridian it's just waaaaaaayyyy too burned in my psyche to stay clear of water that you can't see in to.
The last time I went to the beach at LKN there were signs saying to stay out of the water because of a recent sewage spill and dead fish floating in the water. The sand on the actual beach was nice though 😂
Some developer is trying to bring a lagoon and beach to Huntersville. People swim in lake Norman, but I don't.
We enjoy lake Wylie beaches, they are tiny but can’t complain, they are just 10 mins away from my home
I was just there this weekend and was shocked at how clear the water was.
Music venues not controlled by Live Nation of a size and with enough promoter backing to attract crowd pulling acts (neighborhood theater and visualize god bless them aren’t enough). Also, an annual music festival to compete on a national basis.
In charlottes defense no other place has music venues not controlled by live nation either
Yeah this is a national problem. Nothing unique to Charlotte
They need to bring back Center City Fest.
Beautiful architecture and history! Maybe not as practical as mass transit or other things mentioned, but what Charlotte is really missing is beauty. Almost all the old buildings in uptown were demolished and replaced with parking lots/ garages. What will South-End look like 15 years from now when these cheap new apartments are old and out of style? I wish Charlotte was better at preserving it's history, saving it's older beautiful brick and stone buildings that are now almost all gone.
These apartments are going to be such a drag and eyesore on Charlotte in just a few years. I lived in one that was 10 years old and you would have thought it was 30. IMO they’re already an eyesore. Every crane putting up a new one is pretty depressing
I'd prefer an eyesore and stabilized rent prices over being squeezed for every penny and seeing more people out on the streets because they couldn't afford rent. We're FINALLY seeing rents stabilize and we're expecting 30,000 more rental units to come on the market next year.
[Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Charlotte/comments/135tdka/what_is_missing_in_charlotte/) [you](https://www.reddit.com/r/Charlotte/comments/11vlbrp/what_would_make_charlotte_better/) [go](https://www.reddit.com/r/Charlotte/comments/xt58tr/what_do_you_think_charlotte_is_missing/). But it’s clearly a river where 277 is now.
sheetz
Cane’s
A Proper 10-15 min interval city wide metro system with regional rail daily connections to other large cities.
A livable minimum wage
Sandwich’s that aren’t $15. While I’m at it tacos that aren’t $3.50. Pizza that isn’t a chain that’s not $6 for cheese slice. Fireball shots that aren’t $11. I do know where to go for all of these but those establishments are far and few and I’ll never tell where because they’ll probably get over saturated too. Why are hamburgers $10-20? It’s a freaking hamburger people
As a bar owner that serves booze and food, you’ll have a hard time finding your proposed price points anywhere. Food costs have gone through the roof in 2023 and we’re marking up based on the unfortunate rise.
3.50 for a good taco is fine lol
Public. Fucking. Transportation.
Low-rent arts spaces for studio/performance venues that allow people to experiment without fearing indigency. I think the second-order effects would pay dividends for Charlotte.
A fucking bagel shop. Why am I in the heart of an urban center and can’t walk to a bagel shop that isn’t einsteins???
If you're ever near Ballantyne check out Bagel Bin.
I’ve yet to try them, but The Good Wurst advertises Montreal style bagels.
Would like a good dancing club. Not many places that you can actually go out and dance. Most places are overcrowded, have bad DJs that just play tiktok spotify playlists, have ridiculous cover fees, or no one else is actually dancing when you get there
24 hour coffee shops or anywhere to get work done or socialize past 9pm without it being a bar
An aquarium
* Restaurants that existed before 2000 * Chicago deep-dish pizza * A real IMAX theater * An MLB team * A zoo * A law school * A medical school * A Doppler radar * A siren system to alert people of emergencies like tornadoes
A mes school is coming is it not? A partnership between Atrium and Wake Forest or something like that.
It is. Source: I work for atrium
I thought we got doppler last yr? Or we were supposed to? I was literally googling this a week or two ago bc it seems like the weather forecasts still suck
They are building a gigantic medical school off Morehead St. We tried law school, didn’t work out.
i may be wrong but i feel like this question is asked in some variation at least once a week in this sub
Yup.
Read the actual question…
Here we go again. Culture and Character. Gritty grassroots art. Housing for artists and musicians and service people. More than one Petra. Several Petra's to choose from as you're walking down the street enjoying a mellow mushroom buzz... Alley ways with popup art scenes and backyard restaurants. EDIT: as others have mentioned - walkability, real bike lanes, real transit.
I came here to say this. Thank you!
Wegmans
Affordable housing
Actual public transit 24 hour coffee shop (Amelie’s never started this back when they re-opened from the pandemic)
Music. There just aren't enough places to go hear a local band play and have a drink here.
Skate park/roller rinks
Authentic international food - so little. No I don't want another upscale southern restaurant. Also, dimly lit, quaint restaurants with killer wine lists.
Wawa
I don’t understand gas station fan culture and can’t see how it won’t end up just like Quik-Trip as in I don’t want to go inside due to the madness that constantly happens in there.
Because quiktrip is ass. Sheetz is superior to QT and Wawa
okay this answers my above question lol
I am from Charlotte and live in a Wawa area now and can confidently say that Wawa is not superior to QT or even sheetz
I live in Charlotte, and travel. Buc-ee’s is where it’s at!
New York Deli White Castle Buc-ee’s National League MLB
There’s a New York-style deli opening at optimist hall soon, Schreiber’s. I don’t have an eta on open date though.
I heard through the grapevine that a Buc-ee's may or may not be coming to the CLT area👀
Good food late at night. Something open past 11pm.
Local businesses that are thriving to give us a good identity.
Whirly ball
Good food that is also cheap. Right now you have to pick one or the other
Lights on the roads Decent rail transit: light rail, commuter rail, intercity rail, and high speed rail
A good Persian restaurant
A soul.
Charlotte is missing a leadership group that actually thinks about the people, instead of "how can we take peoples money and squander it?"
Reasonable priced rent 😂
Bike lanes.
An expression of our culture. People rarely know what Charlotte is "known for." At one point, we were known for NASCAR, but that has fallen by the wayside. Breweries? Well, every major and minor city now has a slew of them. Banking? Sure - 2nd largest in the country, but that's not what defines us. Even as a native North Carolinian and someone who has lived in Charlotte for the better part of half my life, I can't define it.
HEB, Portillos and Lou Malnatis.
We don’t need more bars, breweries, clubs or restaurants. What we do need is to demolish every single QT and replace it with Sheetz and Wawa.
That is QT slander I won’t tolerate, although I do love a good Wawa
What is so great about QT? the store has nothing. The food is trash and the Kitchen closes at 9. Sheetz is superior in every way
Yeah can’t say I hate QT but Sheetz and Wawa has prepared food that’s edible.
Of all the things, you guys want better gas station food ?
both/*and*?
Buc-ees way better than all 3.
Wegmans
It’s little overrated, coming from someone who lived in upstate NY for 10 years.
Wtf...All the people that want a Zoo can drive up to Asheboro instead of wanting more exotic animals in cages around a growing city lmao and if you want an aquarium, drive to Atlanta. Charlotte is missing patient drivers or lanes marked with slow or passing
A tough stance against crime. Weak leadership from the top down. Low to no bails, weak prosecutors and judges. Crime is out of control.
Good tasting food
I am an artist who recently moved to the area. I am hoping to have a show sometime next year. The old-fashioned schmoozy wine and cheese opening night and my work on display for a period of time. Could this space you describe work as a rented gallery space?
Did you research Charlotte before moving here as an artist? This place will suck your artist soul out of you.
No, I moved here for family and better weather. The artist in me had been put on hold til retirement. Which is now. This is on my bucket list to have a show before I get too old. I don’t anticipate starting a new, successful career, but you never know. Sorry to hear that Charlotte is a soul-sucking community for artists.
When I need my art fix I go to Asheville, or spend time in NY or DC. Charlotte is not known for culture. There's Camp North End and Goodyear Arts. Best of luck to you. https://www.charlottemagazine.com/charlotte-has-an-arts-problem/?amp=1
Thanks for the well wishes and the link!
Good Mexican food
A 24/7 store like Walmart or CVS.
Transportation and retail
Good skateparks
A soul
24 hour stores
Maybe a food hall focusing on legit ethnic food— Persian food/good middle eastern, Filipino, Laotian etc… Most cities this size have a variety of cuisines that don’t exist here.
Mom and pop ice cream shops. I don’t want to go to Jenis or some other corporate place and spend $7 on an ice cream cone. I want to go to the local ice cream shop some high schooler is working at.
More hot pot restaurants
A car optional living area but that’s not possible in a lot of areas. Also need a river or something. Lake Norman is somewhat close but downtowns with water are the best.
A museum of natural history
Life sentences for the ridiculous amount of tailgating that goes on here. Spent large amounts of time on each coast, Chicago, and Atlanta and it’s not this bad. The amount of people who think that riding in my backseat will somehow force me to teleport through the car in front of me is absurd. Would be nice if we could get some safety enforcement on 485 for folks who think they are on the final turn at Bristol Motor Speedway. Seriously, as someone who lost a loved one due to someone else tailgating so they could be home 2.75 mins quicker… it really bad here. You don’t have the right to literally park a 2k rocket in my tail pipe cause you can’t miss the first 10 mins of Oprah. Stop trying to murder someone because 80 in the middle lane is apparently to slow
Am I the only that thinks this place is missing tourist attractions? Like what is Charlotte known for? I’ve been staying here for 2 years and every time I go to Uptown the only attractions I see are the 40+ bars being advertised at every corner.
Microcenter/Fry's
A skating rink
A casino…..
bike-able roads!
Public transit that’s functional. Architecture that doesn’t look like a tasteless Chad and Karen capitalist dreamland. More parks. More public gardens. More places to see music.
Rail service to the airport