A New Age
Christyn Reid discusses what it's like being a thirty-something woman here and dating.I'm thirty-three and I have a great job and a lot of great friends. But I find myself in a different place than a lot of my girlfriends.…
News + Opinion
Passing the Baton
For symphony orchestras in all but the largest cities in America, these are not the best of times. The troubles are well documented: mounting deficits, declining audiences, struggles to stay relevant. Charlotte's symphony shares the pain.And yet here and there—Baltimore,…
Kings of the Nightlife
Dudley grew up on the West Coast then lived in Boston while playing college basketball. He loves the southern hospitality he's encountered during his first few months living here. (Chris Edwards) Johnny SzuchTwenty-nineOwner of Deep Elm RecordsI'm better known as…
New York Will "Crack Clay Aiken Like an Egg"
"The thing that makes Aiken seem much younger than a nearly 30-year-old man is that he insists so incessantly that he is brimming with folksy self-acceptance when he so clearly doesn’t have a clue. I don’t think Aiken’s compulsive self-deprecation,…
Tales from Backstage
Winthrop’s program board has a great reputation for taking care of our performers. We negotiate the contracts, work with their agents, pick them up from the airport, put them up in a hotel, and even feed them. So when…
A Lowe's in Indian Trail?
This is big news considering there's a Lowe's in Monroe approximately 6 miles down the road and another in Matthews about 5 miles away. If this sounds familiar, that's because it sort of is. At the Rea Road exit off…
Ken Lewis, BofA in Time mag
How many other FORTUNE 500 CEOs know what it's like to be denied a mortgage — as Lewis was when he was a 30-year-old manager newly posted to New York City from Charlotte, N.C.? A native of Meridian, Miss., Lewis…
Give the 49ers Credit
Davidson has been a media darling because it returned every significant player from last season's 29-win team, and it was playing UNC, Duke, Charlotte, UCLA, and NC State in early-season matchups. Supporters were hoping that a couple wins in that…
Goodbye Stanleyville?
Look, I'm not one of these people who say we must save every building built before 1980. I'm all for retaining history and character where we can, but I've long since come to grips with the fact that doing so…
Hot (on) Wheels
The roller rink is deserted except for one young woman figure skating on the long expanse of shined hardwood. Modern R&B oozes from the ceiling. The lone skater pirouettes on wheels, stretching one leg straight into the air, her skates…
Great Scots! They're Walking
Every January 1, local folks who are tied by heritage to Scotland gather at Rural Hill farm in northern Mecklenburg County to take part in the traditional First Footin'. It's a walk around the plantation's three-mile boundary, followed by a…
In Service
This issue has both.Writer Ken Garfield tells the story of John Cleghorn, whose career path has touched on the two pillars of Charlotte society—banks and churches (after an initial foray into journalism, before he wised up). Meanwhile, Cynthia Lewis writes…
What I'm Doing Here
It's orientation week at Davidson College for new students, and, on this especially sultry August night, I'm standing behind the bar in Kudzu on the Green, a restaurant across from campus on Main Street. Parents, ragged from a day of…
[Where to] Get it Fixed
BathtubsIf you plan on soaking in your tub for a couple hours, it had better be clean and leak-proof. Brennan's Repair and Restoration (13538 Dansville Dr., Pineville; 704-544-0627; www.brennanrestoration.com ) provides refinishing services to bathtubs (as well as sinks, countertops,…
Going Private
Admit One If you're preparing to enroll your child in private school for the first time or changing schools, here's whatadmissions counselors recommend you doWritten by Mike GiglioFor What It's Worth Growing frustrated with the public school system, this family…
Has It Really Been Five Years?
So I just watched the first half, as I mentioned, and Chris Paul is indeed great. He hit killer shots, made the solid as well as the spectacular pass, and generally proved that he is one of the top players…
A Sign that Charlotte's Economy Is...
Over at the new Home Depot Design Center in Midtown, they have more business than they can handle. Word is, they hired double the usual number of designers. A typical designer carries a project load of no more twelve, but…
Your Car and the Needy Will Thank You
I received a press release this morning from United Way of Central Carolinas that I thought was worth sharing. This particular promotion makes giving too easy. Here’s an excerpt from the release: Jiffy Lube, Pennzoil, and United Way of Central…
Books, Web, Music
BOOKSMomma Loves Her Some Eggnog,by Tim Mikkelsen and Phyllis Wright"Every year during the holidays it's nice to just relax and have a cocktail. And then, after the holidays, it's nice just to relax and have a cocktail." If you're nodding…
Love and Basketball
Twelve years ago, one of my first assignments for this magazine was to put together the restaurant listings. I was pretty young at the time; fine dining was not a world with which I was well acquainted. So I sent…
Car Tunes
From the outside, it's a regular taxi cab—bright yellow with a light on top. But when you enter Billy Rivera's cab, you quickly realize that your trip will be anything but average."Hello. Welcome to the Kabby-Oke-Kab," Rivera will say as…
The Splendid Table
Although a formal table is threatening to go the way of the rotary dial phone—both are too cumbersome and take too long to use—it often makes a reappearance around this time of year. Out come the silver, the real linen…
