Mailbag: Top 50 feedback letters on PRSC parking, UNC Charlotte research, Gastonia, Amtrak and hook up culture

In response to: Hookup culture is ruining dating in Charlotte? Nah. Commitment culture is doing just as much harm.

“I’m all in on this article. Been preaching the same thing for years. As a 22 year old, seeing other people my age who insist on ‘dating to marry’ is pretty stupid.” – K

“More girls need to be called out as this isn’t one sided.” – P

“First off, this isn’t a millennial issue. It’s a problem across every generation. Secondly, there’s a vast difference between one night stands, casual dating, and a fun fling. One of those scenarios doesn’t involve hopping into bed.” – R

“Actually dating in Charlotte is pretty easy. This was just written by a guy who has been friend zoned way too many times to count.” – E

“This is so stupid. You act like people won’t be frustrated by the ‘let’s have fun as friends’ concept. Get over it, the tension between sex and commitment will always exist.” – M

“It is not hookup culture or commitment culture, it is that people in general are just really sh***y to each other.” – W

“Dion’s got it RIGHT. The second you stop ‘trying to find a spouse’ and you start ‘trying to have fun’ then your person comes around. I casually dated on tinder for 1.5 years and said yes to dates with about 75% of the people who asked, knowing good and well that most weren’t long term fits. I tried every restaurant in Charlotte, went to every show, and honestly had the time of my life. A long term relationship was the furthest thing from my mind…. And then… one of those ‘no way is he the right guy’ dates turned into my boyfriend of three years. My dating advice: Say yes more than you say no, and even if he semi-sucks on the first date, always give a second chance.” – A

“This an issue of patience – lack of. From an early age technology has prevailed and everything is fast. News scrolling across screens, high speed internet on every device… Some of the most important relationships I still treasure did not start with the greatest first impression – they took time, conversation and a willingness to see them through differences of opinion. Patience is hard.” – R

In response to: Cash Confessional – A week of spending in Charlotte on a combined $160,000 salary

“Damn, this couple has their s*** together. I wish I had this perspective when I was a 26-year-old woman. My life and marriage would have been different.” – R

“Growing up 1 of 7 kids during the 60s and 70s, Dad working, Mom stayed home, the family budget was very strict. My parents were raised post depression, they wasted nothing at all…. We fall in the reckless spending category. Craft beer, great wine and my wife is s great cook, we eat well! Membership at the gym, new 15 year mortgage, car payments, internet, phones, golf, pedicure, Jake our dog… it goes on and on. All for the pursuit of happiness. I wonder how my parents did it. Hmmmm, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, pb&j, tuna fish. We were always fed and bathed. There was always a summer vacation.. My Dad still hikes, kayaks and skiing is about his most costly habit, 84 and still pointing those tips downhill! Mom, 80, loves golf and getting together with the girls for cards. They attend church regularly which also keeps them active in the community. Times have changed, we spend so much money on modern technology, so much time on the internet and hire someone to do every once of labor needed to maintain our homes and lives. Families move apart, start new lives in new cities. What are future generations going to be like?” – T

In response to: Complete list of all 24 restaurants, bars and breweries opening in March

“It’s amazing that Steele Creek is one of the fastest growing zip codes in the country and absolutely no new restaurants are opening in this area.” – C

In response to: Why Feather Light is now my beer of choice for almost every occasion

“Haven’t tried it yet but the naming is interesting — 3.8% is definitely low but it’s definitely not a light beer. 120 comes in at 24 calories more than a Miller or Coors Light and only 5 less than 12 ounces of even a Guinness.” – R

In response to: You can see a movie for just $5 every Tuesday at the EpiCentre

“Coolest movie theatre EVER.” – M

“Is that because the epicenter is gross and dangerous now? – C

“Last time I was at Studio Movie Grill, they didn’t have carbonation, so no sodas. They didn’t have milk, so my kids couldn’t have milkshakes. They didn’t have popcorn. A movie theater didn’t have popcorn. And all of the food came out 3/4 of the way through the movie…cold. It’s safe to say I won’t be back. Even on Tuesdays. – D

In response to: This award-winning 26-year-old bartender could work anywhere in the world and he’s about to launch his cocktail program at Sushi Guru

“If you haven’t already, please don’t transplant the 70s/80s soft rock background music to the new location. Nothing kills good sushi like Journey and Air Supply.” – F

“When Facebook cuts off the headline at an unfortunate spot…” – T

In response to: Stop saying Charlotte doesn’t have a research university

“Charlotte MUST drop the UNC part of their name. Perception matters, and if you don’t live here most assume it’s a branch campus of Chapel Hill.” – M

“Just down I-77 at Winthrop University political science professor Scott Huffmon is nationally known for his polling and political science research. The work he and his students have done is regularly featured on major news networks and in national publications.” – M

“According to you UNCC is doing big things, they have been bringing in a lot of research funding, they are filing patents left and right and all kinds of other cool stuff. Why did you feel the need to compare them with UNC, Duke, and NC State. Those universities are respected worldwide, combined they probably bring in more research money in a day that UNCC. There was no need to compare UNCC to Duke.” – A

“Uhhhhhhh no. UNCC is not a research University. I am a physician in Charlotte and I can say that no one in the medical or biomedical field would consider UNCC a research university.” – T

“One of the biggest reasons Charlotte residents do not give UNCC the respect it deserves is due to the name. The community college that was in my hometown was a state university with the words “at City” in the name. I think this is true of many people who grew up in the Midwest. We attribute an “at City” to be “less than” the main campus. They will always be the ignored cousin of the big name school that plays in the NCAA Tournament or gets in bowl games. It goes so far in North Carolina that when you ask someone where they went to school they will say “Chapel Hill” before they even mention UNC. Tar Heels do not want anyone to be confused with one of the other 17 campuses in the UNC system. So UNCC should change their name.” – M

“The Davidson professor was right, we don’t have a ‘top-tier research university’ and that is a problem. UNC Charlotte brought in more than $50 million in research funding last year, good for them. The three schools in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill research triangle brought in more than $1.7 billion. UNC Charlotte is a perfectly adequate commuter school but it’s not a top-tier research university and whining about being taken seriously doesn’t help the cause.” – F

In response to: 6 tasty Taco Tuesday specials for those obsessed with $2 tacos

“Someone needs to do “puffy tacos” where you fry the tortillas briefly and it puffs out and gets soft and crispy…I saw it on an Anthony Bourdain episode.” – W

“Can everyone please stop pretending RuRu’s is good? They have a cute patio and I guess their margaritas are okay (it’s pretty hard to mess up a margarita) but their taco game is so weak it couldn’t even handle an Unknown Feather Light.” – M

In response to: How Charlotte Mecklenburg Library plans to become “essential”

“I love the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system. Even though I go to the physical library to sit and read and check out books, I have become a big fan of the digital library. Nothing like finding a book in the middle of the night, checking it out, and start reading. And, what fun being at the library during story time. Watching all the little children file in, and hearing them participate.” – C

In response to: 5 things to do your first time at Cavendish Brewing Company, Gastonia’s only brewery

“Very disrespectful to Gaston county and the people that live here. Stay in Charlotte.” – S

“And what would a Charlotte Brewery be like? A bunch of bearded hipsters with bad tattoos and douchebags in suits pretending to like whatever crappy beer the 276th brewery in town just crapped out while listening to the Nickleback of bluegrass Mumford & Sons?” – H

In response to: Top 10 cities where Agenda readers lived before moving to Charlotte

“This list is total BS. Anyone with one good working eye can see that half of Charlotte is people from Ohio. They might as well call our state Ohio 2. Oh, I’m sorry. I meant THE Ohio 2.” – E

In response to: Will the parking situation at Park Road Shopping Center turn into a Metropolitan-style nightmare? Ugh, I hope not

“I feel like the key problem here is that other humans exist.” – W

“The easiest solution would seem to be a parking deck.” – T

“It’s terrible already, not just parking but the pedestrian situation in backlot is just awful. They need the bike and walk bridge that will connect the greenway to backlot ASAP.” – A

“People who take up two spots, park over lines, drive like they are the only ones on the road, drive vehicles the size of a “tiny house” and take way too long to park a vehicle are a very real concern. Popularity will always cause issues, try finding a parking spot in Plaza Midwood on a Saturday night. But learn to drive, learn to park, learn to care about someone other than yourself and you may find those spots magically open up for you and you learn a lesson in patience and unselfishness. Better yet, save some space, grab a bike and enjoy the journey and the destination.” – G

“God forbid you should have to park your car near, say, the old Fuel Pizza or Sir Ed’s in order to go to Amelie’s or Michael’s. And while Shake Shack may cause Agenda staff to swoon over its awesomeness and flip out over the presumed traffic gridlock it might bring, the 99.999% of Charlotteans not named Ted are not nearly as worried.” – M

“DO NOT DRIVE ON PARK ROAD MIDDAY EVER thanks to all the restaurants and the Chik-Fil-A cluster*%&#… Even at a crosswalk the drivers DO NOT CARE if you are a pedestrian. Solution? Shuttles to Montford area and the Shopping Center? Trolley? Promote CATS so more will ride the bus?Pedestrian Mall at Park and Woodlawn? Developers and City Planners forced to direct traffic and spend their free time helping people cross the street or find parking spaces?” – R

In response to: ​Dimensional Place in South End targets December completion

“The intersection of Camden & Summit with S Tryon there is such a mess. Part-time Uber driver and it’s top 3 worst intersections in the whole of Charlotte.” – R

“Even after 7 years of living in SouthEnd, I probably don’t have the say a “local” does but I’m going to say it. This thing is a monstrosity and completely changes the neighborhood that SouthEnd is, or was? No. Is. It does belong in South Park. Or Uptown. Or anywhere else. I like progress, just not the “take the money and run” type of progress. Sincerely, salty guy upset about CM porch gone forever.” – M

In response to: Have you heard of The Roasting Company’s Chicken Pot Pie special?

“Soooo GOOD!!!” – S

“I’ve never been lucky enough to get there in time! It’s always sold out so I’m guessing it MUST be good!” – A

“And…it was sold out around 12:15 at Montford today. Go early!” – S

In response to: Chem 101 – Kaitlyn, Eric and showing up to a first date with a “smashed” nose

When a girl says “there wasn’t a connection” it means she wasn’t attracted to him. Really they both think they can do better but.. – G

In response to: The #1 most underrated bar in Charlotte

“Hey my bra is up there so that’s all I got out of that article” – L

In response to: Axios Charlotte wins 7 awards for editorial excellence from the N.C. Press Association

“Congratulations on your excellence in journalism awards. That prowess really showed through in Ted’s story about the Thirsty Beaver. I’ve been dying to know what the back of the bartender’s head looks like. And man, that artistic photo of a laminated shot menu! He really managed to answer all of my burning questions while still enticing me to visit this wonderfully storied and fascinating bar with his 50-word ‘article.’ Congratulations, you journalists you.” – E

In response to: Home-selling startup from Trulia founders wants to disrupt Charlotte real estate market

“From a startup point of view, it’s interesting to see them tackle this specific user experience. Knock reminds me of what Opendoor is doing – immediate offers for your home. Fascinating.” – W

In response to: 8 things I miss about Ballantyne now that I live in Plaza Midwood

“‘I love Carolina Place mall,’ said no one ever.” – C

“Solid gold. I can see the appeal of ‘la vie boheme’ with all the cool kids in Plaza Midwood, but nothing is less bohemian than sky-high rent and trendy (re: pricey) restaurants. If my choices are being cool, broke, and stuffed into a packed bar begging for a drink or being lame and having options of places to eat, drink, and be merry, I’ll pick being lame every day of the week”. – K

“Plentiful parking should be number one – K

In response to: Everything you need to know about riding the Amtrak train from Charlotte to Raleigh (and beyond)

“One nugget that I thought you may want to pass on to your audience at some point: there is a BIG difference between the different train routes. Sounds like you took the Piedmont, which is the way to go. The others are generally more full and less clean (like a Greyhound). In that case, it is business class or bust.” – P

“When I was in college I took a round trip between High Point and Baltimore and really enjoyed it. I was able to use the time to study for the CPA exam, and it was neat to see the actual towns along a drive I had made dozens of times. As you said, it’s a great way to travel, but there’s two things that riders should be aware of: first, on the longer trips, Amtrak struggles mightily to stay on time. Maybe things have gotten better since 2010, but my 7 hour trip arrived at its final destination about 2-3 hours late going in both directions. Second, it would be unwise to leave your car there overnight if you care about it or anything in it. I’ve heard multiple stories of someone saying ‘It can’t be that bad” only to return two days later to a smashed window. Having said that, it’s nice that parking is free and taking advantage of that is definitely a good idea if you’re just making a day trip to Raleigh.” – A

“After traveling in trains in Europe, this looks lame.” – J

“Slow trains, multiple stops in the middle of nowhere and endpoints that are not set up for walking make taking the train from Charlotte to Raleigh silly. 3 hours and 20 minutes (at best) on the train for between $65-$104 roundtrip, plus Uber fares to get to the stations and while in Raleigh, doesn’t make sense when I could drive it in just over 2 hours and would probably only have to use one tank of gas. I loved taking the train when I lived in the northeast but that’s because the Acela was faster than driving (and even flying typically), easier to navigate because you didn’t have TSA and the airport hassle, and dropped you off right in the middle of DC, Philly, NYC, or Boston – cities where a car is not a necessity. I’d love to see the southeast get to that point, but we are not there yet.” – A

“The crew on the train are awesome. I would highly recommend Amtrak to everyone. Also, it wasn’t mentioned in the story, but Raleigh Station is getting ready to open up and it is amazing – far better than what Charlotte Gateway Station will be.” – T

In response to: Where to stay, eat, drink and explore in Davidson, NC

“I want to retire in Davidson. Their downtown is just too cute. Maybe I should move there now and tell my company that I’ll be working from home.” – J

“Take a cooler and go to Carolina Craft Butchery. This place is fantastic.” – L

In response to: These are the absolute sexiest careers in Charlotte

“I was taken aback by the comment made regarding sexist careers and uptown commercial real estate agents and “retail in Uptown is a total bore, and one of the biggest wasted opportunities in our city. I guess she’s into guys who don’t get much done.” I hope this Agenda author was being glib for this ignorant and idiotic comment. In Uptown (talking inside I-77/I-277 only) The OFFICE sector is by far the largest market in uptown with 21.7 million total sf and a vacancy rate of 11% and another 1.59 million sf currently under construction. Before I get to the “total bore” of retail, who does this Agenda author think is going to fill this office space; and maybe by picking on retail they turned a blind eye to all those key carder/fob carriers riding elevators up to Fortune 500 offices that CRE agents fill. As for RETAIL, while slower to infill Uptown, at 1.2 million sf total and only a 2.6% vacancy rate, and ever increasing rent rates currently averaging $32.38 per sf, it has been a huge challenge for any CRE agent to find retail homes for what is definitely hard to find space at a premium price. This pent up demand has led to the 62,000 sf of retail currently under construction, but this still only tackles 2% of the 12 month growth need. Maybe the Agenda author should listen to some war stories of how CRE agents in the trenches can land a Whole Foods, or a JJ’s Red Hots in such a tight market. AND, let’s not forget the MULTI-FAMILY sector with the current 6314 units available, 3000 of which were added in 1st Qtr 2018 and creating a whopping 26% vacancy rate with another 1,323 units under construction. Affirms this Agenda author “GUESSES” these guys don’t get much done. Perhaps the Agenda author is a bit jealous of their friend’s recognition of CRE agents art of property erection and their ability to fill it. ” – A