Mailbag: Top 31 feedback letters including hipness, fashion, $800,000 homes and getting weird
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This is part of an ongoing series titled Mailbag, items readers submit via email or our feedback form. We get a ton of feedback, this is not close to everything (it’s about 4%), but it’s a good sample.
General feedback
“Snakes are biting people and I’m not reading anything about it in the Agenda. Observer? Front and center. Nightly news? A block. There are snakes. Copperheads. In nature. And they are biting Charlotteans, who have to be transported to hospitals, where there is 100% chance they will be cured. How can the Agenda ignore this? Also, there are coyotes here. And the Lake Norman Monster. And our police chief condones shooting our residents. At least that’s what I read in the Observer’s editorial page. Please provide more scare-tactic journalism or I’m unsubscribing.”
In response to: Five insanely creepy things to do in and around Charlotte this October, plus a bonus hike to an abandoned mountain town
“You can also hang out on rooftop 210 at the epicenter on any given Friday or Saturday night … its pretty up there in terms of creepiness and people are not even wearing masks.” – D
In response to: Charlotte is hipper than Asheville — now we’ve got science to back it up
“The ranking has Columbus, Ohio ranked as number one. Have you ever been to Columbus, Ohio? We can all agree that the state of Ohio just sucks and it is basically the South Carolina of the Midwest.” – F
“Finally, I can sleep at night” – B
“Realtor.com, I trust their instincts on counter-culture matters.” – M
“Charlotte has no identity and shouldn’t even be in the running. If we did have an identity it would be bankers and a insatiable appetite for more apartments. When we go up to AVL we know we will eat fantastic meals and drink awesome brews, but nobody is coming to Charlotte to experience that kind of culture. That is unless you are from Kannapolis or Gastonia or one of those other surrounding cities where people say they are from ‘Charlotte’ because it’s identifiable.” – L
“Best article I’ve seen on CA. for cleverness! ” – A
In response to: Cash Confessional — A week of spending in Charlotte on a $39,000 salary
“Not trying to be negative, but I would love to see one of these cash confessionals on someone who makes around the same amount, has NO bills paid for, has student loans, paying the outrageous Charlotte rent, and still maintaining a social life. I think this would better depict the average in-her-twenties, intelligent, independent woman.” – M
“A disgustingly accurate depiction of the worst parts of our millennial generation.” – A
“If you had asked someone to write a column as if they were ‘basic’, it would look just like this. Dunkies!? Nordy’s?! How many times does someone need to say “AF” in one article?” – F
Here’s the active thread on Facebook.
In response to: What to wear to a Charlotte brewery — from a $21 top to a pair of $460 glittered sneakers
“Because you definitely want to be wearing a $695 faux military jacket when someone’s unruly child spills your beer all over the place.” – R
“Look for me with my baby carrier, complete with the hottest mom accessories, designer diaper bag and distressed mom jeans.” – T
“Fun fact: Breweries are not country club social hours. Wear whatever the hell you want and drink some beer.” – B
In response to: City Council took a step forward in securing funding for the proposed Cross Charlotte Trail Pedestrian Bridge over Independence Boulevard.
“Obsessed.” – H
“OMG. I love.” – K
“$1 million for each person this bridge will ever carry.” – J
In response to: Need a home with a massive shower? View bedroom-sized showers in these two multi-million dollar listings
“Finally! You know how hard it is to find a house big enough for a shower ‘party?’ Now – would they take $200,000?” – J
In response to: First Look: Dot Dot Dot adds new cocktails to its menu for the fall and winter
“Cool place, but I’m not a fan of $12-$14 drinks being normalized in Charlotte…” – R
In response to: Mecklenburg County is considering a $77 million investment in public preschool. Here’s how it would work
“Wonderful. Sign me up for the small tax increase, and preschool for all four-year olds. It will be a wonderful benefit to the whole community now and as these children grow.” – E
In response to: Looking to upgrade your work wardrobe? Here are a few work outfit options ranging from $130 to $1,020
“ONE affordable dress with everything else over $500 does not constitute ‘options’ for those of us who live in the real world and make a realistic salary with bills, a mortgage, etc. to pay. You know else who has great options for upgrading your work wardrobe? Target. Old Navy. Gap. That’s where I’ll be.” – S
“Mr Jenkins will have to find another slow young man to hang out with in the creepy van in the middle of the night…” – D
“No!! Stay in Charlotte. There is nothing good in Los Angeles” – M
In response to: 10 new $800,000 homes coming to historic Plaza Midwood property — but its Depression-era estate will be preserved
“Wow, $800,000 for Charlotte?! This isn’t LA or NYC!! We have ONE coffee shop that stays open super late and hardly anything to do by way of night life. Nice homes but no thanks!” – J
“Sooooo I’m paying $800k for a home and my children will attend Title I schools? I seriously try to like Charlotte but more and more expensive apartments and now homes are being built that most people can not afford, ridiculous!” – C
In response to: Cash Confessional – A week of spending on a $44,000 salary
“Props on the financial goal about donating 5% to important causes. Very admirable.” – R
“I thought I spent a lot on food and mine is $150 a week. Other than that she does pretty good. More disciplined than I am on lunches. Nice to see one that wasn’t 100k+ for once. Good job!” – S
In response to: We tackled a $100,000 renovation on a fixer-upper in Charlotte. Here’s what we found out
“We did minor kitchen update and it was awesome to finish (new countertop, sink, faucet, appliances, and paint). What you did looks awesome and I work in the heavy construction industry, so I agree, things take time, planning, patience. LOVE what you guys did!!” – M
“Beautiful! How long did the renovations take from start to finish?” – S
Anna’s response (the author): ” In all, with cleanup and all work done, the project took us around 6-7 months
In response to: A look back at 3 Charlotte institutions that closed before we got to enjoy them
“Man, shout out to Athens restaurant. Not only was in a great, no frills, greasy spoon place, it served as a sort of neutral gang territory for Charlotte nightlife for years. All us heavy metal kids from the Milestone and 13-13 would go there after shows to get some food right along side the alternative goth types from the Pterodactyl, and then there would be the raver types from Mythos, etc. Loads of folks from totally difference scenes around town, all waiting patiently for their pancakes and coffee at 3:00 am. That place was magical.” – M
In response to: 10 best apartments for dog owners
“Ummm all the Non-Refundable “Pet Fees” are way too much. The fact that it’s non-refundable I’ve never understood. If the pet doesn’t damage the apartment you should get the deposit back.” – M
In response to: 13 Charlotte bars to visit when you want to get weird
“Nikko’s was the first place I went to dinner when I moved to Charlotte. That woman is awesome and so funny!” – J
“The comment about Howl at the Moon was incredibly disrespectful… Why be unnecessarily mean to a local bar AND to local women? Come on. Sarcasm and humor can be done right, but that comment was distasteful to me.” – C (Facebook thread w/ responses)
“This article is savage. Also, we def need to check out the Roxbury.” – D
“Y’all forgot to add Lucky Lou’s on Park Rd.” – S
In response to: Is the $922 million school bond proposal in jeopardy?
“Support for Bonds for schools is critical to keep old schools maintained (or replaced, which seems to be easier these days), and building new schools.
If you look at the arc of past projects over the last 15 years or so, you will see that most areas of the county have been fairly represented. Population growth occurs in booms and areas like Highland Creek and Mallard Creek have had their building projects when most needed. South Charlotte has always had growth, and that has continued to expand to now include the fastest housing burst going on in Southwest Charlotte. When neighborhoods are built, you need schools to go with them, period. Withholding a vote this year cause its not affecting “my back yard” is foolish and arrogant. We all benefit when schools are improved, its an investment in our infrastructure as well as our students and makes Charlotte/Mecklenburg an attractive place for businesses and families to relocate as well as those residents invested in this community.” -L