This is part of an ongoing series titled Mailbag, items readers submit via email or our feedback form (not social media, everybody already sees that). We get a ton of feedback, this is not close to everything (it’s about 4%), but it’s a good sample.
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General Feedback
“I LOVE LOVE LOVE Axios Charlotte!! I am a young 30’s South Charlotte (Olde Providence) mama – but LOVE the culture of Charlotte and love this city even though our family just moved here a year ago! We previously lived in Atlanta and Columbus, GA. I grew up in Dallas, TX and both there, and in Atlanta, was a lover of Daily Candy! Axios Charlotte is the perfect thing to wake up to and read and get my fix for the who’s who and what’s what of the city….even for a mom :)” – T
Ted: Glad you’re out of Atlanta.
“Did CA get rid of the weekender? If not, why is it always so hard to find?” – A
Ted: Nope, it was popular, so we launched the PLANNER. It’s our v1.0 of the concept.
“I’m a southend resident of 2 years, thrilled with all the development that’s going on. Last night my partner and I were walking the dog down the lightrail path and as we passed All American Pub and the new taco place, we started talking about the Oak Room and Slate, the 2 spots that they can never seem to get right. At such a prime location, it’s baffling to me why whoever is in charge is convinced that southend wants a high end / clubby / lounge type experience in those spots. I’ve never seen anyone in those places, outside of post Panthers games, when their packed to the gills. If they want to attract people on a random weeknight, charlotte (southend) folks are pretty simple; they need to have a comfortable and casual place to hang out, with good food. Not a club with red velvet ropes. It seems like such a shame that these places are so under-utilized.” – M
“Just wanted to let you know that I think Axios Charlotte is excellent. Truly fantastic. The content. The snappy writing style. The simplicity. The branding. Everything. And thank you for strapping yourself to the mast of CA to get it off the ground. Not many people take that kind of risk. I’m a former newspaper journalist and a bit of a perfectionist (only in the good ways, of course). No other news web site of any size meets all of my personal criteria for awesomeness, so props to you and your team for doing stellar work (at least in the eyes of this humble, former hack).” – R
“I don’t like Ted. I like Katie.” – C
“Big fan here of you guys. I found out about you a few months ago via Instagram. I searched for a hashtag like #charlotteconstruction or something like that and a rendering of a building that was getting built came up on a profile for one of your writers. I’ve been faithfully checking your site & facebook page daily ever since. I have 10 friends for sure that now follow you as well that I told about your site… P.S. I live in SouthEnd so I when I saw the article rating the Shell Station chicken #1 Best Chicken spot in Charlotte, I knew this was something special haha!” -S
“Fan of the agenda since my fiancé turned me on to it. Saw your quick intro on Rover.com this morning and thought I’d reach out in case you do a follow up and readers want a discounted stay (plug below). My fiancé and I have been dog sitting for a few months on rover and really enjoy it. I tell everyone, if you love dogs it’s the best side hustle out there. Unashamed Plug: With code clt2020 new users of the service can get $20 off. (Full disclosure – sitters also get a $10 referral fee, so this is akin to sharing a personal uber code). Best.” -M
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In response to: Mayoral Forum with #WTFwevote
“Thank you for supporting the Mayoral Forum last night. It was a great event for Charlotte and I loved the format, how the candidates presented themselves and most importantly, I left with a clearer view of their vision for Charlotte as well as an internal motivation to become more informed & involved in Charlotte policy. I have one piece of feedback I hope you guys can address in some capacity… I really want someone to address or just tell us, to put down our f***ing phones!!! I was sitting in the balcony last night, and during Amy’s heartfelt intro, Dee’s very important speech, and all of the candidates’ 400 seconds of fame, it seemed that people were ignoring them, or were uninterested since everyone was on their phone. Maybe it was to tweet questions, whatever, but I couldn’t help but feel it was completely disrespectful and most likely contributes to why political candidates have not paid attention to the younger demographic because we seem uninterested and obsessed with our phones. I immediately turned mine off like I would if I were walking into a movie theater. What is the point of “checking in” to the event if you aren’t going to listen to the content and get motivated to help our city remain the place we love to live and work?!? Thanks.” – A
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In response to: So you want to try yoga? 8 tips for your first class from a former teacher
“I tried a class many many years ago and never went back. The main reason was that I wore my sneakers into the room. I didn’t know I shouldn’t (planned to take them off and put with my belongings against a wall for safe keeping). No one told me, there was no sign and when I walked in the instructor fussed at me. I was mortified in front of the whole class. It was enough to make me give up. Lately I have been thinking yoga would be a great compliment to my walking regimen and have been summoning the courage to try one of the brewery yoga offerings as a way to ease into it. Your article helped me know a bit of important info to make a good decision on a NEW first class! Thanks so much!” – K
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In response to: Charlotte Croissant Wars: 4 bakeries blind taste-tested and ranked
“If you are serious about the pastry… show up at 9am on a weekday to get the fresh croissants at Café Monte in SouthPark. They have plain chocolate and almond chocolate as well as the non-chocolate versions. Hard to get them on the weekends…. But at 9am when they open and are fresh out of the oven, you can’t beat them.” – L
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In response to: September 2nd newsletter talking point
“I had never heard of the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club and tried to RSVP for the meeting you listed in today’s Agenda. I got a rather snippy reply from the ED that it is for members only, who pay $11K a year for the privilege. Otherwise love your newsletter! Keep up the good work.” – A
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In response to: Charlottean of the day, Rachel Humphries
“I love it when I see cool people I know (or knew) being recognized for being great. It is inspiring. If you need a story, and did not already talk to Rachel, ask her how she got started. Rachel lived in my old neighborhood back when we were all having babies and as I recall it, she was teaching a few ESL classes at CPCC after having her 3 children. I remember her talking to us at Bunko (yes Bunko was a thing) and telling us about the refugees in her classes and how little they had. She had us bringing pots, pans and household items for her to take to her class and set out on tables for students to take for free. She may recall her start differently of course. But I alway feel the kick in my ass to do something when I am confronted with people who just take a simple thought or act and transform it into something more. I have not seen Rachel in years since we all moved out of the old hood in search of the perfect school district, but she was a force of nature and I imagine she still is… I love the fact that whenever I get to read Axios Charlotte, I learn something.” – L
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In response to: Top 5 pizza joints in Charlotte, ranked
“It is a crime that Lusia’s wasn’t on there. Seriously. You guys need to redo the list.” – B
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In response to: A goodbye letter to Plaza Midwood
“WOW. That was an awesome piece you wrote about P/M. I moved (escaped ) here from LI NY.Charlotte is a beautiful city. It has all we need. Baseball, Football, Hockey, awesome restaurants. But I miss SoHo NYC. I miss places to go to see real people. Real music. I miss creative food, as oposed to franchise chain food. I miss people watching. We found the PENGUIN in 2005. Now… We miss Penguin again. Neighborhoods are seasons. PM is in peak season. Best of luck in your new town. Come back for a drink at Thomas St. Tavern or a bowl of chicken and dumplings at Dish. (THE best hangover cure) Thanks for writing it.” – M
Ted: Katie is just moving a few miles away.
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In response to: The hardest struggle Charlotteans face: Finding REAL ice cream
“On the ice cream shops, check out Carolina Cones in Davidson. Better yet, call Gary Winge and do an interview. Great guy with probably the only ice cream store / plant nursery and the best Panthers tailgate parties around.” -B
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In response to: The men behind the names of 12 well-known Charlotte-area businesses, parks and institutions
“Nice to know about the famous men, but now I totally want to know if CLT holds any women in such high regard! Hmpf!” – A
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In response to: Stop inviting me to breweries: 11 Charlotte wine bars for your whiny no-beer friend
“Thank you so much for this article! Charlotte’s brewery scene is out of control for us non beer drinks. Thanks for highlighting other options! No matter how many people try to convert me, I will never be a beer drinker.” – A
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In response to: 18 things to see, do and eat in Salisbury (45 minutes from Charlotte)
“I was born in Salisbury, in 1926, and lived there until WW11 found me, then I returned to Salisbury. After the war, I entered College, then upon graduation I returned to California to marry the beautiful girl I had met when I returned to the States after WWII, have lived in California since. Thank you so very much for telling and showing Salisbury. It truly should not be viewed as a poor lazy Southern town. It’s a modern active city.” – A
“DT Salisbury has really blossomed over the last decade. For lunch, Sweet Meadow is my favorite. Santo’s is indeed one of the best, but so is Sweet Meadow. And FRESH. Dead Ed’s Alternative Clothing and Gifts at 123 E Innes St is another unique and eclectic shop, and it is zombie headquarters of the central Piedmont. Disclosure – husband and wife owners of Dead Ed’s are 25+yr friends and godparents of my children. Stacey, co-owner, and I, along with our friend Tony, are co-organizers of the Downtown Salisbury Zombie Walk. Speaking of the zombie walk, come back Friday night Oct 2 for Ready Rowan night (a First Friday event), a scavenger hunt of sorts to collect items for emergency preparedness kit (get ready to bug out!) and Saturday October 3rd is the sixth annual Downtown Salisbury Zombie Walk, this year an all day affair (was on Friday night, but 4x growth last year made it a two day event). Two Walking Dead special guests plus four live bands. Runs 1-9pm with after parties all over downtown. We are fortunate to have Downtown Salisbury, Inc, a non-profit set up to promote and market downtown shops and events. Stacey and I work closely with the promotions director, Mollie Ruf Kessler. I have lived in the Salisbury area all my life and worked downtown for the last 18 years. I remember when cruising was eliminated in the 80s, the Salisbury Mall was built, and downtown nearly died. I never imagined downtown would once again be so entertaining. What we have now is nothing short of phenomenal, as you saw. Feels great to have someone from outside visit and see how vibrant and thriving this downtown is. (If you’re a Ren Faire fan, Scaramouche Tortuga is also a fan of dt Salisbury, too. He joined us for the zombie walk year before last). You must see a play at the Meroney Theatre. It is a historic, old fashioned theatre with a balcony and home of Piedmont Players. There are two more, as well; the Norvell (also associated with PPT) and Lee Street Theatre (independent). You also missed Summer Sip, Salisbury’s own craft beer festival, held the First Friday in August (every month has a First Friday event). Drinking beer at work, YAY! Didn’t mean to write an article as well or be a downtown evangelist, but I do get carried away at times with enthusiasm.” – A
“Thanks for sharing article on Salisbury location. I liked it so much, coz we(I and my roomie) like long drives on weekends with out any plans, just get on the road first and then decide where to stop 🙂 Now I have changed my mind it’s not only weekends, even weekdays also we can drive near by locations to experience new place, food , music, shopping , bakery and specifically downtown 🙂 favorite place to hangout with friends. Thanks once again for sharing all the info and keep sharing such good articles for us.” – K
