Late Innings
Who says sports belong to the young? One local softball league, in which a third of the players are over sixty, offers that thing we all want—a chance to keep playing
News + Opinion
Maybe It's Time to Start Listening to Tom Low
Charlotte has been called a “foreclosure hot spot” and one of the nation’s worst gas-guzzling cities. Meanwhile, fuel prices continue to climb, single-family home sales continue to dip, and developers still exert undue influence over the planning process
Signs of a Good Life
When the little pink dome on my leg turned out to be cancer, I thought of myself, then other young women basking in the sun. Then I thought of my kids
Close Reading. Like, Really Close Reading
The editors of The New York Times Sunday Magazine--one of the best mags in the business--publish a surprisingly uninteresting blog (note to the seven people who read this blog: I totally get the irony of me making that statement) called…
What I'm Reading This A.M.
Some interesting stuff in the big O this morning:"Love him or hate him, but Gorman made a difference"Once again, Tommy Tomlinson demonstrates how he's become the conscience of the city. I admire his adventures in storytelling, but I wish he…
Anthony Foxx and Jim Rogers on the Democratic National Convention and Charlotte
This morning, I had the opportunity to watch Anthony Foxx and Jim Rogers discuss the Democratic National Convention in a moderated conversation (that is to say, a moderator asked questions and then Foxx and Rogers answered them, more or less.…
Look Ma, I'm on TV!
In this JumboTron era, do people still get excited about being on TV? Sure they do! That's why it's the JumboTron era!Rob Boisvert over at News 14 Charlotte is kind enough to host me as a semiregular guest on his…
Fighting Boredom, One Article at a Time
Because I know you're dying to read it, here's my editor's note column from the June issue:If you're bored this summer, don't blame us.This issue is packed with ideas of what to do from June to September. I started to…
Davidson Names First Female President
I just got word that Davidson College, the little school just up the road that is most famous for being my alma mater (kidding), just named its 18th president. Carol Quillen, who will also be the first college's president in…
Looking for some top-notch freelance help
We're looking for two (or more) energetic, creative, curious, talented freelancers to help with our web content and our culture coverage. Details here: www.charlottemagazine.com/careers
Summer Fun
There are 98 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day — and we have an idea for every one of them
Tiny Banking
Microloans could give a big boost to small business in Charlotte
Long Road Home
James Lubo Mijak survived the infamous Sudanese Lost Boys death march and years in refugee camps. He ended up in Charlotte and settled in well. Now he’s facing one of his toughest challenges—he’s going back home
Toasting a Hero
Others can commemorate the Civil War, America’s ugliest and bloodiest episode, all they want. I’m going to celebrate my hero Shelby Foote—the man who wrote its story
I Bet Harry Jones Read This Article With Interest
According to an article in The New York Times today, some municipalities are trying to figure out ways to "tax" nonprofits who occupy valuable, expensive land. They're not using the word "tax," of course, but some form of the term…
MAGS was good to us
This past Thursday, the Magazine Association of the Southeast held its annual conference in Atlanta. I'm proud to report that we picked up eight Gamma awards at the conference's luncheon. Charlotte magazine won six awards, and our sister publications Charlotte…
Imams on a plane and Freedom Riders
I couldn't help but notice an interesting juxtaposition on the front page of today's Charlotte Observer. Below the fold, there was a story about two Muslim imams who were kicked off a US Airways flight. Right next to it was…
2011 Best of the Best
We scoured Charlotte all year long to compile this year’s list of 138 Best of the Best winners, from the best burger and the best childrens shoe store to the best house cleaner and the best happy hour and more!
Caution Flag
As a lifelong racing fan and Charlotte native, I wanted to like the NASCAR Hall of Fame. But it just wasn’t honest enough
Cursed Corner
The corner of Caswell and Seventh streets has always been cursed ... until now
Bully at the Pulpit
While Greater Salem Church went $5 million in the hole and the building itself began to crumble, its pastor, Anthony L. Jinwright, and his wife, Harriet, were accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary and bonuses per year and insisting everything was fine. The congregation believed their leaders, and they are still suffering for their faith
FOX News Meltdown
Rather than reporting sensational news, the on- and off-air talent at WCCB FOX Charlotte has been making it. Personnel shifts, some bizarre and scandalous, have plagued the station for the past year, leaving us to wonder what’s actually breaking over there—stories, or sanity
The Worst of the Worst
We like to focus on what’s great about our town. But everyone knows Charlotte isn’t perfect. Just read any comments section on the Observer’s website and you’ll see that a lot of people have problems with Charlotte—incidentally, you’ll also see…
Power Politics
These are history-making times in the Tarheel state. For the first time since the late 1800s, Republicans rule the state legislature. A hometown politician boasts the highest rank in Raleigh.
Frayed Pride and Fried Pickles: The Story of The Penguin Drive-In
One family built a little restaurant in Plaza Midwood called The Penguin. Three friends reinvented it. A neighborhood adopted it, then a city claimed it. They all thought they owned it. Then, one day last fall, all hell broke loose
Professor Facebook
How the Egyptian revolution made a media star out of an obscure professor at Queens University of Charlotte
Defensive Driving
Car ownership requires that you know the law—sometimes well enough to defend yourself in court
Bang for your Buck
Whatever your home's problem, it's time to fix it. But what renovation gives you the most return on your investment?
