The Reinvention Continues

Nine months ago in this space, I promised we would faithfully chronicle the new and changing Charlotte. Since then, we have published stories on the future of NASCAR, the new ways Charlotteans are networking to find jobs, and a collection of innovators whose work is altering the city. This month, we have more.

In a way, our cover story, "The New Social Elite" by Associate Editor Sarah Crosland (page 49), is a continuation of the story about the new networking that ran in July. Unless you only read, well, nothing, you’ve heard of social media and its current rock star, Twitter. Well, it turns out that while our corporate titans are huddled in conference rooms high in our skyline, trying to figure out how to jump-start the Charlotte growth machine, a loose collective of formerly anonymous citizens has been pulling an end-around using social media. They are tweeting and meeting and scheming and dreaming, and they’re making money and connections in the process. They’re changing the way the city operates without ever setting foot in the Quail Hollow clubhouse or the BofA boardroom.

Meanwhile, Charlotte’s charities are still suffering. The media partners in Charlotte Mission Possible have been on this story for almost all of 2009, and this month our coverage comes to a head. We’re launching a two-part package this issue called The Future of Good (page 62). We’ll talk to the top nonprofit players as well as some you’ve likely never heard of. Through our stories, we’ll offer a snapshot of where our nonprofits stand right now, where they’re going, and how you can help.

Also, be sure to visit the newly redesigned www.charlottemagazine.com, if you haven’t already. We tried to make everything on the new site easy, from navigating to posting comments. We also now have three blogs, covering food, shopping, and business/media/politics. And our guides, including dining, shopping, professional services, top doctors, top dentists, and events, are expanded and easily searchable.

Richard Thurmond
richard.thurmond@charlottemagazine.com