Charlotte nostalgia: Photos from a decade of change
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Charlotte skyline under construction. Photo: Justin Lee
When Charlotte Agenda launched in 2015, the city was on the cusp of transformation — breweries were opening all over town, South End was still finding its identity, and Uptown had fewer rooftop patios than construction cranes.
Why it matters: Ten years later, Axios Charlotte reaches an audience the size of more than half of the city's population every week across its social platforms and daily newsletter. This is a testament not just to how fast the city has grown, but also to its growing appetite for smart local news.
Driving the news: To celebrate this milestone, we asked our readers to submit their favorite nostalgic photos of Charlotte.
- We received about 100 submissions, which included restaurants you miss, important moments in your lives, big sports wins and tons of skyline photos. Enjoy!
- Editor's note: Some responses have been edited for clarity.
"Fahrenheit has always been a special spot for my family. When we moved back to Charlotte in 2014, we were thrilled as it had been a goal of ours for years — Fahrenheit had recently opened and we celebrated a few family events there within the first couple years of our return." — Jeff Bechtold

"I recently found these photos of Venture Outdoor Leadership student leaders at UNC Charlotte. I loved seeing the Atkins Library and Cone University Center (the original student center) in the background! They have both stood the test of time in an ever-changing city." — Kristin Coffey

"Last day of school, June 11, 2011, taken at 7:01am. My boyfriend (now husband) took me out to an early breakfast at Midnight Diner in South End to celebrate ... To my left is a sleepy Uptown Cabaret, and the Duke Building is clearly the edge of Uptown. This parking lot and everything behind me is now skyscraper!" — Natalie Parmenter

"We had our wedding reception at Dandelion Market on February 22, 2014." — Jessica Sachson

"[In 2018] my buddy and I witnessed the first-ever 16-seed upset of a 1-seed in the NCAA tournament. Charlotte hosted the first and second round games that year. UMBC beat the 1 seed Virginia by 20 points. It was an incredible upset and as I mentioned, the first time it ever happened!!" — Tyler Jones

"[Here's] a throwback to 24 Hours of Booty, circa 2010 ... "What's more iconic than hundreds of cyclists and walkers looping through Myers Park to support our cancer community?" — Jenni Walker

"Interior photo I took in the historic Barringer Hotel, also known as Hall House, before it was demolished." — Larken Egleston

View from Truist Field (then, BB&T Ballpark) in 2015. — Gary Blouin

"RIP Owen's Bagels" — Cody Smith

"Patrick Sweeney performing at Free Range Brewing in October 2019." — Julie Altmire

"My boyfriend and I went to Tyber Creek the first night we met. I joke that I literally fell for him that night because I took a tumble down the stairs ... Before they tore it down, they let us come in to have some professional photos taken." — Beth Berkey

"I have a digitized video from 1991-ish … The NationsBank tower is under construction. Shot from a strangely traffic-lite 277." — Chaz Hinkle

Local photographer Byron Baldwin took a series of photographs along Central Avenue in the mid-1980s.

"It was just 10 years ago when we helped CLT and Meck County announce a new county ordinance that created smoke- and tobacco-free parks and public grounds. Gotta love that!" — DC Lucchesi

Several of you sent us photos of Mr. K's, which closed in 2021.

"A picture of the Charlotte skyline from Peculiar Rabbit in Plaza, back when there wasn't an apartment building in the way." — Joseph Mulligan

I'll leave you with this collection of throwback photos from Jerry McQuay. They include Athens restaurant, which closed in 2006; the Park n Shop grocer, which looks a little different now; Pinky's before it was Pinky's; and Wiener King, a hot dog joint that originated in Charlotte.

Laura's thought bubble: Thank you all so much for your submissions. It's been quite the ride going through Charlotte's memory lane.
