1 big thing: Don't miss Camden Commons

2. Celeb chef expands to Cornelius

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3. What we learned this week

4. More flights for college football fans

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Weather: High of 80° with a chance of thunderstorms. Let's hope the sun holds out for this evening's CLTFC match against Montreal.

🎂 Happy birthday to the coolest group around, our Axios Charlotte members: Elizabeth Cameron, Tracy Chandonnet, Kim Cobb, Jasmina Dieter, Jennifer Hicks, Tara Null and Gwen Poth.

Today's newsletter is 493 words, a 2½-minute read.

👟 Bri is running (walking) the Girls on the Run 5K this weekend.

🥳 Emma is throwing herself a belated birthday tailgate party ahead of the CLTFC match today.

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1 big thing: A green-ish year

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2. Sorry, bikers

3. Earth Day celebrations

4. Walk du jour

🌎 Hello, Thursday. It's Emma and Bri, here with a special Earth Day edition of Axios Charlotte.

The global holiday on April 22 is a time to show support for the environment that surrounds us and take action to protect the health of our planet.

Today's Smart Brevity™ count is 641 words — a 2.5-minute read.

🌱 Thanks for reading this special edition of Axios Charlotte. Enjoy your Earth Day!

Support local journalism, become an Axios member here.

1. Help Boston's animals

2. Give the gift of reading

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3. Share bikes with the world

4. Support people experiencing homelessness

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5. Feed the hungry

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The season of giving is almost upon us, so today we wanted to share a special guide all about giving back.

Below are a few volunteer opportunities with local organizations that need your help, but don't stop there.

Situational awareness: Steph and Deehan will be back in your inbox on Monday.

Today's newsletter is 653 words, a 2.5-minute read.

Thanks for reading! Find more volunteer opportunities via VolunteerMatch.

Know a worthy cause? Reply to this email, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter.

Boston

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1 big thing: Charlotte receives three James Beard nods

Hello, Wednesday afternoon. It's Emma here with some breaking news for all the Charlotte foodies out there: two local chefs and a bar were named to James Beard's semifinalist list today.

We just couldn't wait until tomorrow to share, so we're hitting you with an Axios Charlotte Thought Bubble, our snap-analysis dispatch to break down events that shape our city as they happen.

Celebrate Charlotte's food scene with us — check out a new restaurant this week.

Thanks for reading! We'll be back with a regularly scheduled edition of Axios Charlotte tomorrow morning.

Axios Charlotte Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

1. Read for success

2. Help out at a local animal shelter

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3. Gift your time

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4. Feed the hungry

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5. Support the arts

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Situational awareness: Sam, Anna and Joe will be back in your inbox on Monday.

Today's newsletter is 676 words, a 2.5-minute read.

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Denver

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College football is back, and to help celebrate its return, Axios Local readers voted for the school they think has the best game day traditions.

What happened: It all came down to Colorado and Notre Dame in the final round — a head-to-head battle between a buffalo and a leprechaun.

The Colorado Buffaloes pulled out the win, an indication of what our Axios Denver team hopes is to come from their football season.

Watching Ralphie's run is thrilling. It's impossible to stay quiet when she rumbles along the sidelines and fans inside Folsom Field, the university's stadium, cheer on, CU Boulder alum and Axios Denver's Esteban writes. 

The big picture: The wins keep coming for the Buffaloes as their ticket sales are also skyrocketing, according to recent data from Stubhub.

Based on cumulative ticket sales between last season and ahead of this season, Colorado is the top trending team, with a 1,668% increase, Axios' Analis Bailey writes.

CU Boulder's buffalo named Ralphie named best college game day tradition by Axios readers

It all came down to CU Boulder and Notre Dame in the final round — a head-to-head battle between a buffalo and a leprechaun.

four people hold back a buffalo as it runs on football field

Colorado Buffaloes' live mascot Ralphie is run across the field by handlers before the start of games. Photo: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

College football

College football is back, and to help celebrate its return, Axios Local readers voted for the school they think has the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="best game day traditions" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/21/vote-best-college-gameday-traditions-united-states" data-vars-content-id="056dcec9-273d-464e-bda4-f22a3e20601b" data-vars-headline="CU Boulder&#x27;s buffalo named Ralphie named best college game day tradition by Axios readers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/21/vote-best-college-gameday-traditions-united-states" target="_self">best game day traditions</a>.What happened: It all came down to Colorado and Notre Dame in the final round — a head-to-head battle between a buffalo and a leprechaun.

Shifts in technology and media are changing the way we play, watch and understand sports. Business models are adapting and social change is forcing those in charge of teams and leagues to reconsider decades-old practices.

Sports

Trend cycles move fast in fashion, but one that's here to stay? Clothing swaps.

Why it matters: Swapping clothes — whether informally with friends or through an event or business — is a free way to refresh a wardrobe and minimize waste.

Swaps are everywhere today. In the next month, there are events in Atlanta, Miami, D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Denver, Seattle, Austin and many more cities, big and small.

Events may vary in focus, like prioritizing maternity clothing or gender-affirming clothing swaps for transgender individuals.

And those events don't even include the most common form of clothing swaps — the ones that happen in someone's living room or in a group chat among friends.

What they're saying: "Once I started swapping, I was absolutely hooked," said Nicole Robertson, founder and CEO of Swap Society.

In 2010, Robertson joined a clothing swap club in her Los Angeles neighborhood.

When the group shuttered in 2016, she decided to build an online retail business around the concept.

woman stands between two racks of clothing

Nicole Robertson. Courtesy of Swap Society

Swap Society is unique in the clothing swap space in that it costs money to use the service — $20-30 a month.

Robertson's company, which has about 2,000 members, takes elements of online shopping and combines it with the ethos of a clothing swap.

Once someone becomes a member, they receive a bag and mailing label to ship the clothes they want to swap. Swap Society then categorizes and gives the items a "SwapCoin" value, the company's currency.

Then that member can use their balance to shop the site, which has about 30,000 items in inventory for women and children.

The bottom line: Between paying attention to sustainability, fair labor practices and price point, shopping can be overwhelming, Robertson says. "Swapping is a guilt-free way to have fun with fashion."

Zoom out: Thrifting as a whole is booming, thanks in big part to Gen Z and changing mindsets around shopping secondhand.

The secondhand market is projected to reach $70 billion by 2027 — up from $39 billion in 2022 — and is growing nine times faster than the wider retail clothing sector, according to a report from the retail analytics firm GlobalData and the online thrift store ThredUp.

My thought bubble: Secondhand shopping — whether online or through a neighborhood swap — make the world feel a little smaller. Two friends shared this story with me:

A few years back, my friend Emily found a black mesh sweater she loved at a local clothing swap in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

When she wore it out one day, another friend pointed it out. The sweater was once hers.

Flashback: The concept isn't new. During the 1940s, people traded clothes with one another to work around war-related rations on materials.

And most people have had a family hand-me-down thrust into their closet at some point in their life.

Go deeper: The fashion industry shrugs at the "circular economy"

The fashion industry shrugs at the "circular economy"

Shoppers trade fast fashion for clothing swaps

Swapping clothes is a free way to refresh a wardrobe and minimize waste.

Los Angeles-based Swap Society is mostly online, but it's also organized in person clothing swap events. Photo: Laura Palladino/Swap Society

Fashion

Retail

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Trend cycles move fast" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/07/12/tiktok-trends-fast-fashion-coastal-grandmother-gen-z-influencers" data-vars-content-id="1a3e96b1-e836-4f8a-ad5d-0fb6e01c92c9" data-vars-headline="Shoppers trade fast fashion for clothing swaps" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/07/12/tiktok-trends-fast-fashion-coastal-grandmother-gen-z-influencers" target="_self">Trend cycles move fast</a> in fashion, but one that&#x27;s here to stay? Clothing swaps.Why it matters: Swapping clothes — whether informally with friends or through an event or business — is a free way to refresh a wardrobe and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="minimize waste" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/14/clothing-recycling-donation-sustainability-fashion-industry-garments" data-vars-content-id="1a3e96b1-e836-4f8a-ad5d-0fb6e01c92c9" data-vars-headline="Shoppers trade fast fashion for clothing swaps" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/14/clothing-recycling-donation-sustainability-fashion-industry-garments" target="_self">minimize waste</a>.

Top stories & latest news on the Federal Reserve, real-time data, plus the biggest shifts happening in the U.S. and global economy.

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After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

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It's impossible to stay quiet when she rumbles along the sidelines and fans inside Folsom Field, the university's stadium, cheer on, CU Boulder alum and Axios Denver's Esteban L. Hernandez writes.

Denver Alerts

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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Denver.

Get smarter, faster about what’s happening in your backyard with local reporters John Frank, Alayna Alvarez and Esteban L. Hernandez.

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Axios Local names Colorado's Ralphie best college game day tradition

It all came down to Colorado and Notre Dame in the final round.

Handlers run across the field with Colorado Buffaloes live mascot Ralphie before a game between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Arizona State Sun Devils at Folsom Field on October 29, 2022 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

College football is back, and to help celebrate its return, Axios Local readers voted for the school they think has the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="best game day traditions" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/21/vote-best-college-gameday-traditions-united-states" data-vars-content-id="92f7d2a0-8aa9-4ed0-8655-1f0e40634f86" data-vars-headline="Axios Local names Colorado&#x27;s Ralphie best college game day tradition" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/21/vote-best-college-gameday-traditions-united-states" target="_self">best game day traditions</a>.What happened: It all came down to Colorado and Notre Dame in the final round — a head-to-head battle between a buffalo and a leprechaun.

Nashville

Sift through racks of vintage T-shirts with a hard lemonade in hand at Garage Sale Vintage, a new shop and bar in the Highland Yards development in East Nashville.

The big picture: The trendy new shopping center continues to add restaurants and retailers like Garage Sale, which celebrated its grand opening Aug. 11.

Otaku Ramen opened its third Nashville location at Highland Yards on Aug. 12.

You can also find Flora + Fauna Cafe, Kisser, Holiday Salon & Bathhouse, Golden Pony and more.

Old movies play over a projector on Friday, Aug. 18. Photo: Emma Way/Axios

What to expect: Similar to Garage Sale's downtown location, you'll find racks on racks of vintage coats, sweaters, tops, pants and more.

There's also a selection of non-vintage items like stickers, socks and vinyl records.

a bar with a neon sign above that reads garage sale vintage

Drinks: This space is ripe for a bachelorette party. Bar options include:

Margaritas in a variety of flavors, starting at $12 for one drink or $36+ for a pitcher of four servings

House-infused shots for $10 or a shotski of four shots for $28

The entrance to Garage Sale Vintage. Photo: Emma Way/Axios

Garage Sale Vintage now open in Highland Yards with cocktail bar

A thrift store and cocktail bar just opened its second Nashville location.

Concert posters from the 1960s and '70s hang from the ceiling in the new-but-made-to-look-old Garage Sale Vintage space. Photo: Emma Way/Axios

Shopping

Sift through racks of vintage T-shirts with a hard lemonade in hand at Garage Sale Vintage, a new shop and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="bar" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2023/06/02/best-bars-nashville" data-vars-content-id="9ed78a3e-f6ce-41b8-a3f9-b6db9a8b983c" data-vars-headline="Garage Sale Vintage now open in Highland Yards with cocktail bar" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2023/06/02/best-bars-nashville" target="_self">bar</a> in the Highland Yards development in East Nashville.The big picture: The trendy new shopping center continues to add <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="restaurants" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/food-and-drink" data-vars-content-id="9ed78a3e-f6ce-41b8-a3f9-b6db9a8b983c" data-vars-headline="Garage Sale Vintage now open in Highland Yards with cocktail bar" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/food-and-drink" target="_self">restaurants</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="retailers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/business" data-vars-content-id="9ed78a3e-f6ce-41b8-a3f9-b6db9a8b983c" data-vars-headline="Garage Sale Vintage now open in Highland Yards with cocktail bar" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/business" target="_self">retailers</a> like Garage Sale, which celebrated its grand opening Aug. 11.

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Culture

Otaku Ramen's newest location is its biggest one yet, at nearly 3,000 square feet.

Why it matters: The Nashville-grown ramen shop is in rapid expansion mode as it's evolved from a pop-up to three-and-counting brick-and-mortar restaurants in just over a decade.

Otaku also has plans to grow outside city limits with a new location in Franklin under construction.

What to expect: Order at the counter and then take a seat in the restaurant's sprawling dining room and enclosed patio. I came on a Friday for lunch, and there were plenty of seats.

long tables fill the dining room of otaku

Menu: Otaku offers a mix of ramen bowls and Japanese comfort snacks like hot chicken buns, gyoza dumplings and edamame. There are four categories of ramen:

Tonkotsu ($17) made with pork broth with a choice of a shio "salt" base or shoyu "soy-sauce" base.

Classic chicken broth ($17), again with shio or shoyu options.

Miso ramen ($17), which can also be ordered spicy.

And two vegetarian options ($15) — tantanmen with smoked tofu or triple garlic with roasted corn, crispy vegetable wonton and more.

vegetable gyoza sits in oil on a blue plate

purple taro bubble tea with a red slushee

Taro bubble tea and hibiscus seasonal slushee. Photo: Emma Way/Axios 

Drinks: In addition to coffee, bubble tea and soda, Otaku offers alcoholic seasonal slushees ($9).

Location: 747 Douglas Ave., Ste. 103, within the Highland Yards development near Kisser, another much-hyped Japanese restaurant.

Hours: Open 11am-9pm Thursday through Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Nashville's Otaku Ramen opens third location in Highland Yards

Otaku's newest location is its biggest one yet at nearly 3,000 square feet.

bowl of ramen with a hand holding noodles above

Miso ramen ($12) at Otaku. Photo: Emma Way/Axios

Restaurants

Otaku Ramen&#x27;s newest location is its biggest one yet, at nearly 3,000 square feet.Why it matters: The Nashville-grown ramen shop is in rapid expansion mode as it&#x27;s evolved from a pop-up to three-and-counting brick-and-mortar <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="restaurants" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/food-and-drink" data-vars-content-id="d15ac115-9b7d-4540-ba4b-a9a723adc2de" data-vars-headline="Nashville&#x27;s Otaku Ramen opens third location in Highland Yards" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/food-and-drink" target="_self">restaurants</a> in just over a decade.

Emma Way

Stories

Nashville's Otaku Ramen opens third location in Highland Yards

CU Boulder's buffalo named Ralphie named best college game day tradition by Axios readers

Axios Local names Colorado's Ralphie best college game day tradition

Garage Sale Vintage now open in Highland Yards with cocktail bar

Shoppers trade fast fashion for clothing swaps

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