Hello Wednesday. It’s Katie.
Do you follow Charlotte’s subreddit forum? 9,100 Charlotteans use it as a place to ask and give advice, rant about problems, praise progress and meet new people. I like it because it’s civil and informative and people seem to genuinely want to help and connect. One newcomer moving to the city in March posted “This is the most polite reddit I’ve ever seen.” Way to go, Charlotte.
It’s a breath of fresh air if you’re burned out on the snarky fights that erupt in Facebook forums. Like most online communities, my guess is that the majority of people are just there as silent spectators while a small percentage of power users keep the conversation going. They host regular meetups so you can get to know people in real life and one user is planning to roll out a Charlotte subreddit podcast in February. It’s an interesting fringe community and a useful resource for newcomers and natives.
VITALS
Weather: 46. Sunny. 0% chance of rain.
Stat: 24×24 inches. Maximum dimensions of banners allowed inside Bank of America Stadium, a policy tweaked after Cam’s Green Bay banner take down last year. Seahawks fans will have to leave their 12th man flags at home this weekend [Jones/Observer].
Job: Website & Digital Content Coordinator at Cannon School. Apply.
Do: South End Community Meeting from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at C3 Lab. Free food and drink. Join in on the placemaking conversation. Go.
Charlottean: Rob Duckworth, owner of Duckworth’s, for slinging cheesesteaks (and lots of beer) in Charlotte since 2004.
ORIGINALS
9 food trends to watch in 2016 and where to find them now in Charlotte [Levans]
The National Restaurant Association (the other NRA) made its annual predictions about what to expect in the food scene this year and I made some predictions (or pleas) about what I’d like to see. They’re eyeing acai bowls, pop-up restaurants and turmeric. My personal picks: tater tots, veggie burgers, pie, waffles.
Central Crossing wants to serve the millions of apartments being built around it [Dunn]
There are more than 1,000 apartments under construction within a quarter mile of Central Crossing at the intersection of Lamar and Central. The 20,000-square-foot retail space, already home to Fu Man Chu Cupcakes, hopes to become a central hangout for Plaza Midwood.
Fūd at Salud is a hidden gem in NoDa [Smith]
This is where to be when you want food for drunk people and 5-year-old kids. Think waffle sandwiches stuffed with Rice Krispies and Marshmallow Fluff or the wildly popular chicken & waffles sandwich stuffed with chicken salad and bacon and drizzled with maple syrup. (They sold 2,400 chicken & waffles sandwiches in 8 months.) Owner Jeff McElwee has plans to add a food truck in the future but for now, head to NoDa to get in on the action.
Workout Wednesday: CKO Kickboxing [Levans]
On Saturday morning I learned that I enjoy punching things and that I punch them best when I just shut off my brain, ignore the coach’s instructions and go nuts. There’s a more refined way to learn to kickbox and CKO makes it accessible to all levels. Monthly memberships range from $60 to $90, which is one of the most economical workout features so far.
8 spots where Charlotte powerful people eat breakfast and do business [Williams]
It seems people in different industries gravitate towards certain breakfast spots. You’ll find fitness entrepreneurs at Luna’s Living Kitchen, city leaders at Toast (we don’t say Famous Toastery around here) and nonprofit pros at Mayobird. Where do newsletter startups go?
Start 2016 in style: 10 local fashion finds for women [Brown]
I’m really concerned about the fact that I’m old enough to see fashions from previous decades of my life resurface. Fashion is in the 90s right now and Rachel has a look at all the keyhole necklines, floral prints and fringe trends that prove it.
This Charlotte family’s annual tradition may be one you need to copy [Walker]
The Hanlines have created a collection of true stories told and recorded by members of the family. The stories are shared and then preserved each year on Christmas Day. What a cool, personalized way to document family history.
I did a NASCAR driving experience and lived to tell about it [@thetrolleywalk]
The experience included a driving safety class followed by a 6-lap drive around Charlotte Motor Speedway. Trolley says driving a stock car is kind of like riding a roller coaster if you were also the operator of the roller coaster at the same time. Count me out.
CLT Playlist: Live music picks for January 13 – 16 [Gassaway]
January is a slow music month but Danny’s still got 23 shows to add to your calendar. Top picks this week are Cranford Hollow at Evening Muse and Rebelution at The Fillmore. And keep in mind The Fillmore recently announced upcoming shows with Kid Cudi, Father John Misty, Beirut and Tori Kelly.
TALKING POINTS
Watch out, Teeter. Publix is adding another store [Thomas/CBJ]. This one will be at the corner of SEC Highway 9 and Roberta Road Extension. Publix will have at least 19 stores in the Charlotte area by the end of next year.
Please find a cool tenant for this available retail space at the EpiCentre [Legacy Real Estate]. It’s 11,000 square feet of space on the second floor at the top of the escalator. Retail, please.
Pure Pizza receives national attention for its gender-neutral bathrooms [Matt Comer]. Owner Juli Ghazi put up a sign explaining that the unisex bathrooms are there to avoid putting people in “uncomfortable situations.” The story flew around Facebook and was picked up by USA Today.
Crescent looking to buy a huge piece of land in Huntersville [Portillo/Observer]. They’re under contract on 200 acres of land along Ervin Cook Road but say it’s still too early to say what it will become.
There’s a new manager at Davidson Farmers Market [Price/Observer]. Abby Wyatt says she’s planning to add kid-friendly educational events to the market’s schedule and will also select a few new vendors to fill open spots this year.
Crowned Sparrow is rolling out a new Crafty Hour at Petra’s [Instagram]. You can learn to make a new craft the third Tuesday of each month. January’s craft will be three custom heart-stitched hoops. Tickets are $15.
Design Sponge released its updated Charlotte City Guide [Smelko/Design Sponge]. The site is known as the “Martha Stewart Living for millennials” and local photographer/stylist Anna Naphtali contributed the updated content.
Grab this code to get 20% off outdoor gear from STZ [INVITE]. The apparel company is run by two friends who consider themselves “professional outsiders.”
