Uptown Magazine October 2008

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2008 sexiest in uptown meet them on page 72


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hELEN aDAMS rEALTY Responsiveness. Consistency.

Accountability. Reliability. We Provide the Highest UPTOWN

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2 0 0 7

DILWORTH

DILWORTH

WESLEY HEIGHTS

ELIZABETH

Dilworth Walk From 200’s 1 & 2 bedroom flats next to East Blvd. w/ 10 & 9 ft. ceilings, exceptional detail.

Skybridge Terrace From $100’s Urban condos with skybridge terraces & amazing skyline & treetop views.

Towns at The Grove From $339K Pool & fitness center, high ceilings, 2-car garages. Exceptional location!

701 North Church From $500’s New brick townhomes in 4th Ward w/ private elevators & rooftop terraces.

Royal Court From $200’s New condos with all the upgrades in a prime location, blocks to Uptown.

COTSWOLD

EASTOVER

DILWORTH

Charming, English country style homes nestled among giant oak trees.

615 Cherokee Ave. $1,795,000 4 bedroom / 3 full & 1 half bath Brandon Boyd / MLS# 744941

729 Templeton Ave. $1,324,000 5 bedroom / 3 full & 2 half baths Louis Schulhofer / MLS# 795651

DILWORTH

EASTOVER

MYERS PARK

Mason Oaks

From 500’s

522 Magnolia Ave. $924,900 5 bedroom / 4 full & 1 half bath Nikki Peterson / MLS# 785870 UPTOWN

Virtual Tour

Virtual Tour

1931 Providence Rd. $899,900 4 bedroom / 3 full baths Debe Maxwell / MLS# 800019

2112 Hassell Place $549,000 3 bedroom / 2 full & 1 half bath Elaine Henderson / MLS# 785300

300 5th St. # 618 $579,900 2 bedroom / 2 full baths Kim Walton / MLS# 789506 ARTS DISTRICT

3004 Clemson Ave. $463,900 4 bedroom / 2 full baths James Scruggs / MLS# 771391

Charlotte Country Club

1901 Peppercorn Ln. $1,145,000 4 bedroom / 4 full & 2 half baths Buck Montague / MLS# 774681

Virtual Tour

2033 Lyndhurst Ave. $718,900 3 bedroom / 2 full & 1 half bath Sharon Blalock / MLS# 768447

VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO SEE ALL OPEN HOUSES

1.866.534.9745 VISIT US: UPTOWN - 237 S. Tryon

UPTOWN

405 W. 7th St. #506 $375,000 2 bedroom / 2 full baths Susan Nolton / MLS# 772078

ELIZABETH

2219 Vail Avenue $597,000 3 bedroom / 2 full baths Kelly Blandford / MLS# 803501

CHANTILLY

2309 Laburnum Ave. $499,900 3 bedroom / 2 full & 1 half bath Charmaine Kolander / MLS# 791484

2200 Belvedere Ave. $525,000 4 bedroom / 2 full & 1 half bath Rosalyn Corder / MLS# 793162

532 Olmstead Park Pl. $415,000 3 bedroom / 2 full & 1 half bath Kristin Hill / MLS# 746647

2244 Colony Rd. $1,039,000 4 bedroom / 3 full & 1 half bath Ann Wood / MLS# 761392

DILWORTH

MIDWOOD

DILWORTH

MYERS PARK

MIDWOOD

3125 Pinehurst Place $850,000 4 bedroom / 3 full & 1 half bath Kevin Thompson / MLS# 774134

MYERS PARK

Ready to Move In Now!

ARTS DISTRICT

Virtual Tour

3509 Oakwood Ave. $484,500 4 bedroom / 3 full baths Caroline Jackson / MLS# 768622

UPTOWN

214 Cedar Street $359,000 3 bedroom / 2 full & 1 half bath Liz Miller / MLS# 795166

UPTOWN

718 Trade St. #703 $350,000 2 bedroom / 2 full baths Kevin Thompson / MLS# 781828

& SEARCH OVER 35,000 HOME LISTINGS!

helenadamsrealty.com ELIZABETH

BALLANTYNE

LAKE NORMAN


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Urban Living in Dilworth, NOW for less than ever!

Last chance to get in on some of the best values in Dilworth 1 Bedroom Condos from $186,900 2 Bedroom Condos from $265,900

CLOSE-OUT PRICING! Only 10 Condos Remain!! Call our Sales Staff to schedule an appointment today.

704.362.3433 | 1315East.com 4

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uptown

www.uptownclt.com

9/25/2008 10:11:06 PM


LIVE

IN

YOUR

ELEMENT

find your element

where modern architecture breaks away from condo living

E L E M E N T

A T

C R A I G

A V E N U E

W H E R E M O D E R N A R C H I T E CT U R E B R E A K S A WAY F R O M C O N D O L I V I N G

PENDING

SOLD

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High performance, single-family residences 10 to 15 foot ceilings Covered parking Secure outdoor living spaces

2300 to 3000 sf Low $400’s to low $500’s Green buildings with HBH and Energy Star certifications

RUSTY GIBBS 704.345.8209 rusty@cobaltdbs.com Office 704.334.0772 1430 S Mint Street Suite 105A

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uptown

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O N LY 4 U N I T S R E M A I N I N G October Issue 08.indd 5

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the seen

pictures: fenix fotography

virgin islands nightlife owner mitch scobee, takes in the new club with friends.

local inventor and industrial designer kevin dahlquist (right) with friend joy

The Garden and Gun club has popped the cork off The Music Factory, and has officially opened for business. The first night time club at the Factory is dedicated to dance and long time Charlottean Andy Kastanas will sever as the resident DJ and ensure the music keeps moving until late into the night. Check out the pictures from the friends and family opening night.

dancing the night away

the ethereal light show started the evening

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9/25/2008 10:11:31 PM

8-1242_


The ultimate choice for luxury living in Uptown Charlotte.

INSPIRATION + VISION =

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HOMES FROM THE $180,000’S. MOVE IN EARLY 2009. CONDOMINIUM SALES CENTER 222 SOUTH CHURCH STREET

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Specifications, pricing and availability are subject to change without notice. Illustrations are artist’s impression. Photography is representational. E. & O.E. Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING REPRESENTATIONS OF SELLER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, REFERENCE SHOULD BE MADE TO THE PUBLIC OFFERING STATEMENT REQUIRED BY CODE SECTION 47C-4-103 OF THE NORTH CAROLINA CONDOMINIUM ACT AND THE www.uptownclt.com PROPERTY REPORT REQUIRED BY FEDERAL LAW. NEED NOT BE BUILT. Sales by Cottingham Chalk. 704-364-1700.

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t r Modern Lighting Design Showroom Featuring the largest selection of modern lighting in the Carolinas. Open Tuesday - Saturday 12p-5p.

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Urban Pet Fun pet costumes! Prices range from $12.99-$29.99.

Urban Pet 4149 Park Road Park Road Shopping Center (704) 644-7019 urbanpetcharlotte.com

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Joie Lassiter Gallery Lynn Boggess October 3rd – November 5th

joie lassiter gallery 1440 South Tryon Str. ste. 104 704.373.1464 lassitergallery.com info@lassitergallery.com

The Royal Gardens 1733 E. 7th St. 704.334.3764

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Matt Kokenes Uptown Magazine 704.340.8170 matt@uptownclt.com

uptown

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2008

The Royal Gardens Charlotte’s finest collection of unique home and garden décor and accessories.

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* north Carolina native Ryan sumner is Creative Director of Fenix Fotography. though Sumner’s been shooting in the Queen City professionally for years, he spent nearly a decade as a designer at the Levine museum until he set up his studio last year in noDa’s historic highland mill. Ryan once again left his mark on the magazine. With his work showing up on the cover, “the Life”, Conversation, and all “the Critics” pictures.

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Charlotte native Matt Kokenes is no stranger to the media sales business in the Queen City. as the newest member of the team at Uptown magazine, matt’s focus is on ensuring that our advertisers achieve outstanding results. Recently matt has been contributing to the magazine as a writer as well, and in this month’s issue, in cooperation with amanda answers the question, Where is sexy?

www.uptownclt.com

Celina Marann Mincey is an emerging artist in many forms. She is the editor of Central Speak, a community magazine. as a singer/songwriter, she is beginning to perform locally while completing an album in the studio. Capturing people with a lens as well as words, Celina is a freelance photographer and dabbles in oil painting. this month Celina tried to keep her hands to herself as she interviewed this year’s sexiest people of Uptown.

name: Little Shiva species: mutant here for: the smell of ink on paper interests: juxtaposition, transformation, mystery, clarity, the process of becoming, image and design contributions to this issue: table of contents website: littleshiva.com

all the things Zoë Balsamo is, organized, fashionable and on time, are all the things our editor is not. that’s why as the Director of Sales she has made such a positive impact in such a short period of time. Zoë has made plaza midwood her home and her new husband Sal has made an honest woman out of her. If you’re lucky enough to get a call or visit from Zoë, make sure you make the meeting--you’ll be glad you did.

sheri Joseph is a true Uptown mama. If she isn’t chasing after her two young sons, Sheri is writing for our blog, working on her first book, volunteering, or hanging out with her husband, mJ. She is originally from texas and knows the best texas ribs and margaritas in town can be found at her house. When she’s not scouring the city for her next article she can be found at home eating bon-bons with her children locked in a closet.


LIGHT RAIL STATION

Pre-Construction Sales: Final Phase of 3030 South

18 Units, 1 BR & 2 BR, Starting in the $180’s Move-In Early 2009

Located in SouthEnd, near Mac’s Barbecue Security – Soon will be Gated Community Special Property Tax Abatement (up to $5,000 per unit) Plus, New IRS First Time Buyer Tax Credit ($7,500)

as an archival kind of guy, Lew Herman created the Charlotte music archive housed in Charlotte’s main public Library. as a musician and producer he founded Fireantmusic.com, an eclectic record label featured on emusic and Itunes. t tunes. he’s freelanced about music and travel for Creative Loafing (and others), for 15+ years he works as a Reference Services Librarian at Queens University of Charlotte and currently is working with the Charlotte Film Festival.

Freelance writer Andy Graves spent his childhood and teenage years on a small, muddy dairy farm in upstate new York. he came by higher education in helsinki, Finland; Baltimore, maryland; Cork, Ireland; and Buffalo, new York. When pressed about what he does for a living, he will explain that he is a hobo. this is not as much a lie as he would have you believe. Feel free to invite him to dinner. andy stepped up this month and completed the final edit on this issue.

a one time a dancer, at choreographer, and aspiring writer, one day Amanda pagliarini woke up to find herself in a cubicle. Since relocating from DC two years ago, she has found a happy medium as the Sales manager at tribble Creative group. In the off hours you can find her trotting around uptown with her boxer JJ or buried in her laptop working on the next great american novel.

Existing Inventory:

A Few Units Remaining 2 BR/2 B Flat, 2 BR/2.5 B Townhome w/ 2-Car Garage & Roof Terrace Soon will be Gated Community

Stops Every 7 Minutes during Rush Hour at 3030 South, 6 Minutes Travel Time to Downtown — Incredible! Heath Partners | 3000 South Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28209 704.665.9988 | 3030South.com www.uptownclt.com

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* Kelly Gray, Charlottebased travel and culinary journalist, has authored hundreds of articles on food, travel, and lifestyle for publications including travel site Johnny Jet, the Los angeles times, Ceo traveler, the pilot, and Deep magazine. though Kelly believes travel is one of the four basic food groups, she loves returning to her plaza midwood home to share stories of the road. this month she points out that yes, nobody is perect.

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uptown

originally from ata lanta, Joey has made Charlotte his home for 6 years now. his ‘hood roots and current uptown lifestyle allow him to relate to just about everyone as fashion editor of Uptown magazine Joey gets to combine all of this into one fun package and strives to bring you something fresh, fun, and inspiring monthly. You can find Joey and his constant companion, Bamboo, at J Studio in South end.

www.uptownclt.com

Chris wooten w is a designer, artist, builder of tree houses, father, and avid traveler who is known for a neurotically meticulous attention to detail. Since the 1990s, Chris has been designing print and interactive solutions with zeal. modry Design Studio was born after he hooked up with his partner in 2003. For now the company is firmly rooted in noDa. If you want to talk design, stop by their studio. modryDesignStudio. com

Writer and editor David A. Moore has more than 15 years of journalism experience. In addition to his work with “elmwood park” for Uptown magazine, moore has written for atlanta a magazine and Creative Loafing, to name a few. he’s interviewed such personalities as John travolta and melissa etheridge, among many others. In years past, he’s worked as an editor for such publications as Jezebel, Q-notes and Southern Voice.

Ceily Hamilton has been editing Uptown since 2005. She believes everybody makes mistakes.


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LEttEr frOm thE EDitOr Editor/Publisher Todd Trimakas If you agree with me, you and I would both be wrong. It was just a really big number put together to impress their buddies. I know this because everyone says so, and then they reported it on CNN, which is running in the background as I put the magazine together. Can you imagine the conversation?

$700,000,000,000 That is $700 billion, the amount of money deemed necessary to bail out the investment banking community on Wall Street. That number is stuck in my head like sand stuck in my swim trunks. But it got me thinking, what does $700 billion look like? I had to look it up. What would put $700 billion into perspective? u $700 billion buys 4,586 McDonald’s apple pies for each Person in America u In $100 bills it would weigh 7,700 tons (the Statue of Liberty weighs a mere 225 tons) u According to some estimates, it is three times what it would cost, over 10 years, to reduce oil dependency in America by 20 percent This sort of puts it into perspective, but not really. Seriously, who could eat that many apple pies? Admittedly I have no better grasp on the magnitude of that number. So I’ll move on. Next question is, how did Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson derive that number? I’m thinking some really smart former investment bankers got together and chalked up a massive equation, with lots of Greek letters and numbers. 20

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Ben: Hello? Henry: Dude, have you seen the news? We’re screwed. Ben: Hello? Henry: DUDE! Your boys at Bear Stearns went down, Lehman is gone, Merrill Lynch was bought by the rednecks in Charlotte and Goldman is looking like it might be done, too. Ben: Huh? Man, can you call back? I’m making my fantasy football picks right now. Henry: Ben, I’m telling you, man! We gotta do something. Our boys might lose their spots at the Hamptons, and if that happens what are we going to do by ourselves? Ben: Dude, just throw some money at it, it’ll go away. Henry: How much? Ben: Uhh, how about $700 billion? Henry: DONE! Thanks, Money. Ben: Later. So, what happens next? I imagine everyone and their mother will be on CNBC explaining either how this has to happen ASAP or the American empire will crumble (i.e., Wall Street’s collective Ferrari gets repo’d) or that it’s the worst idea since the Flowbee vacuum hair cutting system. And both sides will spout unverifiable statistics supporting their cases. Typical. Therefore, in an attempt to help everyone out, I have a highly customizable solution: u Go home u Hug wife and kiss blue-eyed baby u Mix drink (1 part Jim Beam, 2 parts ginger ale, 2 parts ice) u Repeat as necessary ~Todd Trimakas Editor Todd@uptownclt.com

Advertising Zoë Balsamo Matt Kokenes 704.340.8130 Contributing Editors Kelly Gray (Travel) Joey Hewell (Fashion) Peter Reinhart (Food) Copy Editor Cecilia Hamilton Contributors Sheri Joseph Little Shiva Chris Wooten Andy Graves Amanda Pagliarini Matt Kokenes Lew Herman Kelly Gray Erin Kasari David Moore Photography Ryan Sumner Todd Trimakas Distribution Sean Chesney Office 1111 Central Ave., #310 Charlotte, NC 28204 Contact us at info@uptownclt.com Uptown Magazine is a trademark of Uptown Publishing inc., copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Uptown is printed monthly. Subscriptions are $25 annually and can be purchased online at uptownclt.com.


DEM H;7:O$ OEKH <HEDJ HEM I;7J ?D J>; 9?JO$ Welcome to THE ROW, located in the exciting First Ward development of Quarterside.

Designed by leading urban architect David Furman, THE ROW is comprised of 18 loft-style condominiums ranging from 619 to 1,065 square feet – with 13 units priced below $200,000.

Here’s just a hint of the amenities: - Stylish cork flooring - Unique Avonite countertops - Ceramic tile bath - Secure, covered parking - Easy walking distance to the arena, the Lynx and uptown nightlife

If you’ve been looking to make the move uptown, we’ve got 18 great new opportunities lined up in THE ROW. And ready to move into. Call us for more info and a tour of our furnished model.

NO ONE BRINGS YOU THE CITY LIKE CENTRO. www.uptownclt.com 21 uptown 704.332.4008. centrocityworks.com

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sex the life

married? engaged? In a relationship? Chances are, you talk and think about sex more than you’re doing it. has CSI replaced amour in the boudoir? Do you utter the words,” I am soooo tired,” every night? Do you have a skincare routine that takes longer to complete than War and peace? You might need to shake it up. Charlottean Charla muller did just that when she gave her husband “the gift” of sex every night for a year for his 40th birthday. the result? a better marriage, and a book: 365 nights: a memoir of Intimacy, which chronicles a year in the life of a couple who didn’t settle for evenings with the telly. Charla shares her insights. sJ: Your book was written during the year of the gift—sex every night for a year —you gave to Brad when he turned 40. What made you want to write a book about your sex life? CM: I did not go into the year even thinking this was going to turn into a book. I thought it could possibly turn into a funny magazine article, but nothing like this. I have a friend (co-author Betsy thorpe) who had been in publishing in her former life and she thought this would be a great book concept, but the discussions didn’t even happen until after the year of “the gift” was over. I think the way the events unfolded was better than being something contrived, because what I wrote about really happened. sJ: What made you want to offer up daily sex for a year? I think a lot of guys would be happy with a few more Lewinsky’s thrown their way and that would be the end of it. CM: Brad and I had a great life and a happy family, but we had let intimacy fall off our to-do list. this was an honest attempt to reconnect and restart our marriage. It’s not a book about sex, per se; it is about intimacy and how that affects the relationship. sJ: So no hot sex tips? no wild antics, potions or aphrodisiacs? are you saying this ain’t the southern version of the Kama Sutra? CM: Right! the book is less about the physical and more about the investment in a relationship. the book will be pretty boring if someone is looking for crazy stuff. It just shows one couple’s way of connecting in some way every day.

sJ: Does sex heal all wounds? CM: this book is not for someone who is trying to fix a broken marriage and it is not for Beavis and Butt-head husbands who think their wives should just submit. But if you as a couple find yourselves leaving intimacy off the priority list, then you should try it. It will change your game. sJ: What did you learn throughout your year? CM: When I offered my husband, Brad, “the gift,” I really thought he would be thrilled because I thought guys just always want sex, but that isn’t really the case. I was surprised to learn that sex is just as much about reconnection for men as it is for women. It was nice to know that, with all the people out there in the world, even on my worst day Brad still thought I was pretty neat. that was a confidence-booster to me. the other thing I learned is that women are the gatekeepers to intimacy in a relationship. there was a therapist I met on the book tour who said that sex stops happening in a relationship when the man stops asking. that has stayed with me. every time we had sex, whether I had been in the mood or not, I never regretted it. the year of “the gift” was truly the most transforming year of our marriage. Who wouldn’t want to try it? Charla’s tips for Bringing sexy Back u make it a priority; be intentional. u Remember: there is no magic number. maybe every night seems daunting, so just double up whatever you’re doing now. (If it’s 2x a week, try it 4x; you get the picture, einstein) u Let your inhibitions go. (Did you know the Victoria’s Secret models have the same amount of sex as you? Don’t you feel better?) u Basic grooming is important (that includes nose hair). u Sometimes you just gotta do it! (You can always DV-R grey’s anatomy.) U You can reach Sheri at: sheri.uptown@yahoo.com For more info go to www.uptownclt.com

words: sheri joseph


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living the life

words: sheri joseph pictures: fenix fotography

Yeah, yeah, the last time you sent flowers was on Valentine’s Day. Did your gift include the pinkish carnations and cheesy heart bear? C’mon, you can do better than that. Karisa Pennell, owner of Nectar (located at the McGill Rose Garden), knows there is a better—dare we say, sexier—way to communicate through flowers. Here she shares the tips to planting the seed and watching your garden of love grow.

SJ: We all know we should send flowers on birthdays, Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day, but what about some of the other times of year? Why flowers and not some other gift? KP: To me, flowers convey emotion. They appeal to the senses: sight, smell, and texture—even taste. There are layers and depths to flowers. You can even create a mood with the flowers you choose. I like to think that flowers are a lot like love: beautiful, natural, complex. My slogan is, “Nectar is love.” SJ: So if flowers can create the mood, does it matter what you put them in or how you arrange them? KP: We have so many elements now that we use to add to the arrangement. Wire, metallic, pottery, concrete and even the biodegradable containers help to enhance the flowers and take a message further. SJ: What should a client expect to spend on a delivered arrangement? KP: $65-80 will get you a very nice delivered arrangement in an unusual container. SJ: What do you think is the best day to have flowers delivered? KP: I think Mondays are the best days, especially if they are delivered to an office. That way, the recipient can enjoy the arrangement all week, and it starts the week off right! SJ: What’s a more interesting flower than roses or carnations to send? KP: I like orchids a lot. They tend to last longer than a lot of other flowers and are out of the ordinary. I particularly like Cymbidium orchids. I also like Sumatra lilies; they smell amazing and have a deep red color. If a client would like to send something different, I will sometimes suggest sending 20 stems of

one kind of flower or just using 3 different types of flowers in an arrangement for more impact. SJ: Is it OK to send a man flowers? Cosmo says men like it. KP: Yes, but follow a few guidelines: Guys seem to prefer flowers delivered to their home instead of the office, and I think sending something less feminine is appropriate. Tropical flowers come in bright colors like orange, red and yellow. Flowers that have dramatic points to them like bird of paradise and proteas are good too. SJ: A hypothetical situation: What should I send to my friend who asked me to feed her cat, bird, dog (fill in the blank) while she was gone and I forgot and, well, the damn thing died. Any hints? KP: This is sympathy as well as apology, assuming you truly are sorry the animal died. I would suggest something soft to remind your friend of the lost pet and perhaps something that will continue to grow. An arrangement with lamb’s ear would be good. SJ: Another hypothetical: A guy you are interested in has just discovered you have been looking up his public records, Googling him and mapping the quickest route to his house, and he suspects you are a stalker. Is there an appropriate “I am NOT a stalker, I am just interested in you” arrangement? KP: That’s a toughie. If you want to keep it fun, I would suggest something cheery like sunflowers. I would avoid the darker flowers like black or chocolate cosmos—that might be a little creepy. Of course, no matter what you end up having delivered, the client should consider putting something in the card like “I am not technically on the premises, so don’t report me.” SJ: Should a man bring flowers on the first date? KP: Wait till the third or fourth date, when you know a little more about her. I think a woman appreciates it when a man gets to know her and maybe even asks what her favorite flowers are. Then, as a florist, I can add a personal touch as opposed to giving a ho-hum arrangement. U You can reach Sheri at: sheri. uptown@yahoo.com For more info go to www.uptownclt.com


www.uptownclt.com

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style the life

words: erin kasari

Kristin Davis, the actress best known for her character Charlotte York on Sex and The City, recently paid a visit to the city of Charlotte to debut her new line at “The Look” fashion show, hosted by Belk. True— and transplant—Southern belles packed the Blake Hotel ballroom to catch a glimpse of Davis and her clothing line. Erin Kasari chatted with the star about her sexy southern style.

EK: Artists, whether they are actors, writers, photographers, or painters will often explore other media in which to express themselves. What was your inspiration for choosing fashion as your medium? KD: Actually, it was me who was chosen for fashion. I was in awe of Sarah Jessica Parker and her Bitten line, but I had never really felt the internal need to develop my own clothing line. It wasn’t until Belk contacted me about developing a line that I began to consider making my mark on fashion. EK: Must have been a great sales pitch! How did you know Belk was the right place to help you develop and distribute your line? KD: I have been shopping at Belk stores since I was 8 years old, so I was familiar with the store and its brand. Belk has a long tradition of

representing the Southern aesthetic and I wanted to be a part of that tradition. EK: When developing your clothing line, did you have a particular woman in mind? KD: I wanted to design a line that could be worn by real women. I wanted a line that was both current and classic in its styling. In the South it is important for women to look great wherever they go, whether it is for just a quick trip to the grocery store or for an entire evening out. All of my pieces are designed to be comfortable and can easily transition to a variety of social situations. I also did not want to design a “tiny actress” line. I wanted the clothes to be sized appropriately for real women, which is why we initially offered the clothing in sizes 2-14. EK: What elements from your collection would we see in your closet? KD: Many of the styles in the collection are based on pieces found in my closet. Over the years, I have saved many of my favorite outfits, which range from vintage to classic American and European designs. Developing this line gave me the opportunity to reinvent and add my own style to many of the pieces that I love so much. Being a woman with hips, the A-line cut is what looks best on me and other women with my body type. This is why you will see the A-line cut reflected in many of my skirts and dresses. I also love feminine details. I tried to incorporate jewel embellishments, bows and ruffles throughout the collection to add that feminine element and to make each piece special and unique. EK: Many of your clothes are made of light fabrics such as cotton, lightweight wool and linen. How much did your Southern living experience influence your fabric choices? KD: As we all know, heat and humidity are key factors to be considered in choosing an outfit when you live in the South. It was important to me to design clothing that would look seasonally appropriate while remaining breathable and looking great whatever the weather conditions. EK: What is the one must-have for fall? KD: Definitely patent. There is just something about having that little “pop” of shine in your outfit, whether it is in the form of a skinny patent belt or sleek patent shoes. EK: What’s next for the Kristin Davis line? KD: Look for a swimwear line in spring 2009 as well as a wider selection of dresses made from breathable fabrics like cotton and modal. EK: This issue of Uptown is the “sexy” issue. What does sexy mean to you? KD: Sexy is about confidence. It doesn’t mean showing a lot of skin. It doesn’t mean you need to look like a page out of a magazine. You can be in a bikini and not be sexy. You can be covered head to toe and still be sexy. Sexy is about being confident in who you are and in what you are wearing. U You can reach Erin at: erin@theluckyloop.com For more info go to www.uptownclt.com


Everyone needs an outlet. Even us. Our outlet helps manage our flow of continuous market samples, factory over runs, and discontinued items. This provides you with an ever-changing assortment of well-designed, quality merchandise priced at an extraordinary value (up to 50% off suggested retail value). It’s our hope that our outlet provides you with comfort for the mind, body, and wallet. Happy shopping.

furniture. lighting. rugs. accessories. photography. (ICKORY &URNITURE -ART LEVEL WEST ENTRANCE s (WY 3% (ICKORY .# 4EL s -ONDAY 3ATURDAY AM TO PM For directions please visit: www.mgbwhome.com/outletmap.asp Cash, checks, Visa and MC accepted. All items sold as-is and without warranty. Wrapping and shipping available. Items featured may vary from actual stock.

www.uptownclt.com

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URBAN LIVING NEWSLETTER urban realty

ContaCt SCott LindSLey for any reaL eState queStionS ScottLindsley@urbanrealtynC.com // 704.906.1645

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

RENTALS…REALLY? Why now is the perfect time to buy rental property

I

’ll assume we are all aware of the national problems in banking and real estate. These problems have led to severe slumps in many markets, some with double digit depreciation, and to a lesser degree, a slow down in sales in the Charlotte market. Even though sales have slowed, the influx of new residents to the area hasn’t. Last year we still had an estimated 65,000 newcomers to the region, and whether they were able buy or not, they

Scott LindSLey

ScottLindsley@urbanrealtynC.com // 704.906.1645 still needed somewhere to live. Many moved from other cities where they couldn’t get their home sold. Others just aren’t ready, or aren’t confident enough right now, to purchase. Still others have credit or job issues that preclude them from financing in this environment where lenders are tighter than ever with their underwriting requirements. What do these folks do? They rent. In the past year as we’ve seen sales slow and prices dip down just a bit, we’ve seen rents rise and the time to find tenants diminish. The rental market is tighter and stronger than ever. I’ve seen rents go from an average of $800 per month in one neighborhood for a 2 bedroom to $1200, and in uptown 1 bedroom units can rent for as high as $1800 per month and 2 bedrooms over $2000. Of the properties where I’ve helped find tenants it has taken us just days -- less than a week -- to fill the units while selecting through a dozen or more applicants.

What does this mean? If you’ve considered buying and investing in rental property, now is the prime time to get started. You will have to have money to put down. You will have to have great credit – but if you have those two things covered what are you waiting for? You will likely get a great price for the property and you can choose from units that are already rented or you likely can find tenants in short order. There are a number of things to consider and be wary of when investing in rental real estate. Every property isn’t a good choice as a rental. Should you choose a single family home or a condo? What about small multi-family like duplexes and quads? Which neighborhoods are better? Not just better for one or two reasons, but a multitude of factors like projects coming nearby (both positive and negative), potential for appreciation, tenant turnover rates, rental rates, and tenant / ownership caps (some buildings only allow a certain number of rentals – I’ve seen someone buy a rental property that was vacant only to be told they had to wait in line for months to just be able to rent their space). Some clients I’ve worked with have wanted properties that they could hold for a couple of years and gain good to decent appreciation. They buy and sell every few years, often using an IRS maneuver known as a 1031 Exchange to keep from paying taxes, and over time increase the number of rentals and value of those rentals without injecting any additional cash from the first investment. Others are building long-term rental portfolios, lowering their debt over time, while increasing the value of the property, ending up with great income with minimal effort. Whatever the reason you may have considered rental property as your investment option, I’d be happy to talk with you. Email me at ScottLindsley@UrbanRealtyNC.com to get more information and to receive our free list of rental properties we have available with tenants already in place, and a list of other great potential properties we have access to. Many of these are not “on the market” but are available right now.

Units we have listed: Type 1 BR Condo 2 BR Condo 2 BR Townhouse 3 BR House 2 BR House 2 BR Condo 3 BR House 2 BR Townhouse

Location Dilworth Dilworth 1st Ward / Uptown SouthEnd Camp Greene Lake Norman Southpark 4th Ward / Uptown

Rent $750 $1100 $2100 $1100 $550 $1500 $1800 $1500

Price $127,500 $189,000 $297,500 $329,000 $119,900 $174,500 $264,900 $242,000

Many more available, all parts of town…

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special promotional section

inveStorS corner


URBAN LIVING NEWSLETTER urban realty

Contact Scott Lindsley for any real estate questions ScottLindsley@UrbanRealtyNC.com // 704.906.1645

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

The Frederick: The Original 1920’s Luxury Apartments in Uptown

OWN A PIECE OF CHARLOTTE’S HISTORY! With few examples of the original uptown boom left in Charlotte, those that survive offer a fantastic opportunity to own a piece of history with all the modern updates you’d expect.

T

he growth of residential properties in center city is a relatively new phenomenon compared to the last few decades, but it wasn’t such an odd thing if you drop back to the 1920’s. The roaring 20’s brought growth and change all over the US and Charlotte was not left out. People had been living downtown before that era, but mostly in single family homes or above business buildings. With the growth of the city and a wave of new residents and

Scott Lindsley

ScottLindsley@UrbanRealtyNC.com // 704.906.1645 new business, a need arose which made multi-family living more typical in Charlotte. A building boom began in the 20’s that would rival the forest of cranes we have today. The numbers for the original building boom are pretty amazing: in 1920 there were 35 apartment buildings listed in Charlotte, in 1925 there were 59, and by 1929 there were 122. Keep in mind that the Charlotte city limits were barely a mile or so from The Square in any direction. The peak year of building was between 1927 and 1929. Thirty five of the new buildings were built during that two year period. Around half of the total number of apartment buildings were located in the core downtown area, although they were also found in all sectors, including Dilworth, Elizabeth and Myers Park. Most of these apartments were 4 unit “quad” buildings, though other larger projects were erected as well. Many of the quads can still be found throughout the city, but few of the other larger buildings remain. One of the more amazing buildings that did survive can be found on Church Street in Fourth Ward. The Frederick is an wonderful example of higher end building of the era. It is located at 515 N. Church Street, and at 3 stories with 36 units was considered a mid sized project. It was built by a local distributor of fine building

prices starting at $145,000! materials and the craftsmanship and finishes of the building give away the original owners occupation. Touches like terra cotta tiles, tiled foyers, and fixtures were all of the finest available. The builder, W. Fred Casey, even lived in the building himself in unit 101 – larger than most with a fantastic ornate fireplace on the main level that is still in great shape today. The Frederick was converted to condos and renovated just a few years ago, and as units become available as renters move out, the owner has been releasing them for sale. A couple have been sold already, and we are excited to announce

Since the building is a designated historic landmark, property taxes are cut in half another 5 have been released. Prices start at $185,000 and move to just under $300,000 with most in the mid-$200’s. Units are 1 and 2 bedroom and 1 or 2 story. The building was meticulously renovated over the past few years – original ornate features have been carefully preserved with modern amenities added. All units have hex-tile bathrooms, hardwood floors, huge windows, modern kitchens and high ceilings. A roof-top deck with fantastic skyline views was added during the renovations and the parking lot and all external doors are security enabled with electric code access and phone access to buzz in visitors. Historic pictures of Charlotte-past adorn the hallway walls and inside the building you’ll feel like you are in old Charlotte yet you have the ability to step out door into the bustle of a modern city. With The Square only 4 blocks away, you can’t beat the location. With only a handful of our original, beautiful, old buildings that have survived, the chance own a part of one of them is limited. Give us a call today if you’d like to take a look at this beautiful historic building – we’d love to give you a tour! www.uptownclt.com

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words: amanda pagliarini


danger at the dogpark Is your beloved off to the dog park? You might want to go along.

I’m not sure if I wish to thank Michael Smith for the recent addition of our Uptown dog park in 3rd Ward, or kick him in the shin. My gratitude comes from both my patience and my wallet, both of which have flourished now that my pup has an area in which to tire him that doesn’t require a ten-plus mile drive. My disdain? The inner conflict that manifests from the temptation of Uptown dog owners. Does a night out with the boys cause you to worry what your boyfriend might be up to? Worried about that cute waiter charming your girlfriend when she’s out to dinner with the girls? Forget about it. A same-sex night out is a puddle in comparison to the ocean of temptation at the dog park. A hot guy who loves his dog and then shows affection for mine is the perfect panty-dropping equation for this particular dog owner. Unfortunately for me, that is exactly what I have found since the fences went up at Frazier Park. What started as a place to tire my maniac boxer puppy, whom I sometimes believe was born with a caffeine suppository, has now become the place where I drag him to flirt with his four-legged friend’s father. The most dangerous part of the dog park scene is the fact that you are immediately provided with common ground and conversational fodder. Whereas in a bar you might have to manufacture some topic of conversation, here you are handed one on a silver platter. And this topic of conversation is not a surface, casual, superficial one. If you are a dog owner who spends a portion of your free time at the dog park, it is a topic that you are passionate about--maybe even obsessed with. One particular afternoon, when this fellow dog owner told me that he didn’t want to board his pup when he went out of town because he was used to sleeping in bed with him every night, it took every amount of restraint I have to not ask if they had room that night for a third. Later that week when my boyfriend asked me when JJ was going to stop sleeping in the bed with us, I jerked the covers, rolled over, and fell asleep fantasizing about the four of us snuggling in bed together. And by the four of us I mean JJ, his four-legged friend, his friend’s father and me. Ladies, if you are dating a man with a dog, you better start snuggling up to that mutt quickly as well. With the addition of this the dog park area at Frazier, your comments about his pup’s breath, or nervous breakdowns when you find the furry guy with your new Stuart Weitzman in his mouth no longer have to be tolerated. There is more than one cute, dog-loving female who will gladly let his pup, or potentially even your boyfriend, lick her face. So, Michael, as a dog owner who prior to the opening of the new dog park in 3rd Ward had only random patches of grass to appease her dog with, I am grateful to you for having the foresight to add such a necessary amenity for uptown residents. But perhaps next time you could budget for his and hers options? In the interim, JJ--the adorable and seemingly caffeinated boxer--is available for rent to Uptown singles. U You can reach Amanda at: apagliarini@tribblecreativegroup.com For more info go to www.uptownclt.com www.uptownclt.com 31 uptown

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nancie oct 08.qxp

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7:16 PM

$425,000 300 W. FIFTH STREET #731 FIFTH AND POPLAR MLS 802268

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IDE S R U N YO O E C ERIEN P X E ITH W E V T MO X E N OUR Y E K MA

OVER $60 Million Sold In Center City 32

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Visit me at 218 North College Street www.ISellUptown.com 704.608.0964 9/25/2008 10:13:23 PM

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CENTER CITY True luxury living in this spacious one bedroom/den condominium. Gleaming hardwood floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and gas grill on the oversized patio. Fabulous skyline and pool views. 1BD/1BA 230 SOUTH TRYON

Rare find in uptown - a rocking chair front porch complete with plant watering system, double master suites, gas fireplace in the living room, hardwood floors, designer light fixtures, ceramic tile, and tons of storage. 2 BDs/2.1BAs CALDWELLS ON 9TH

$299,900

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Nancie Woods

CENTER CITY BROKER

direct 704-331-2127

www.allentate.com/nanciewoods

In the heart of historic Fourth Ward steps from restaurants, nightlife and sports events. Full brick two story end unit with fireplace, wet bar, new carpet, fresh paint, and a large sunny patio. All appliances remain. 2BDs/1BA DAVIDSON SQUARE

PRESENTED BY

Nancie Woods

CENTER CITY BROKER

direct 704-331-2127

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True urban living in this top floor penthouse loft with walls of glass, polished concrete floors, exposed ceilings, designer tract lighting, and open kitchen with stainless steel appliances. Steps to Fourth Ward Park. Loft/1BA 626 N. GRAHAM

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direct 704-331-2128

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direct 704-331-2124

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Spacious condo in Fourth Ward offers a sunny patio that can be accessed from the living room or bedroom and a fireplace in the living room. Secure building with a rooftop terrace and gated parking. All appliances remain. 1BR/1 BA

Uptown skyline views through expansive glass in spectacular corner unit. Kitchen features island/bar, stainless steel appliances, tiled backsplash. Surround sound speakers. Secure building with gated parking. 1BR/1BA

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direct 704-331-2125

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* Offering subject to errors, omissions, prior sales, change or withdrawal without notice and approval of purchase by owner.

October Issue 08.indd 33

9/25/2008 10:13:24 PM


eru

“So how do I get to the Sacred Valley?” asked the middle-aged American at Norton’s Rat Tavern – No Disco, my favorite bar in downtown Cuzco, Peru. “You staying at a nice hotel?” I asked. She nodded and I said, “They’ll know a driver or two. They’ll set you up.”

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9/25/2008 10:13:27 PM


words: lew herman pictures: beth wilkinson


A

s for me, traveling independently for five weeks in Peru, mostly in Cuzco and the Sacred Valley, it got weirder when the locals began asking me for directions. At any rate, I could get to the Sacred Valley for just a fistful of soles, Peru’s latest currency. Lying north of Cuzco on the tourist route to Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley includes Inca ruins, the interesting towns of Pisaq, Ollantaytambo, Urubamba, ancient villages, towering mountains and the fast-flowing Vilcanota/Urubamba River. Cuzco, a city that is laid out in the shape of a puma, was the center of the Inca Empire and is the center of the world for tourists visiting Peru. Originally called the navel of the world, Cuzco is a gorgeous city and World Heritage site; it looks and feels dreamlike, and that’s not just the altitude. At 11,000 feet and relatively near the equator, it gets dark by 5:30 pm and it gets cold after dark. Really cold. Nighttime temps in June hover between

previous page: machu picchu this page from top: ollantaytambo // the author // narrow alleys of cuzco // an amazing match in urubamba

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30 and 35 Fahrenheit, and most places don’t even have heat. Ritzier hotels may provide heat (and oxygen), but most do not. The only warm places at night are selected restaurants and bars. Due to the cold, tourists and travelers find themselves going to bed early just to find some warmth under the covers. I was leaving Cuzco the next morning for the Sacred Valley. One route goes northeast through Sacsayhuaman and Pisaq while the other goes due north through Chinchero, towards the middle of the valley, which runs north of Cuzco. If you follow the Vilcanota River west, you’ll arrive at the foot of Machu Picchu. But getting there gets complicated. And it highlights some dualities about contemporary Peru. There are two ways to travel in Peru, on a group tour or independently. Peru is inundated with group tours, which generally separate the tourists from the Peruvians. Likewise, you can differentiate between local vs. foreign and cheap vs. expensive. The closer you are to where you’re going, the cheaper your costs. Make tour arrangements at home and chances are you’ll pay more. Make your plans in Cuzco and you’ll pay less, and make them while traveling locally and independently and it’s even cheaper. Someone once said, “No one learns anything traveling first class,” and that defines how and why my wife and I travel so much. For us it’s the greatest chance to learn about another place inthis page from above: the author’s wife generating peruvian vitamin d // scene from machu picchu

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depth: language, culture, people, politics, food, and music. Peruvian music alone is worthy of a long visit, as there are traditional huaynos (remember Paul Simon’s “El Condor Pasa”?) and cheesy, electronic Musica Chicha, blasting from every bus and storefront. Getting to Machu Picchu is the goal of most visitors. As the Peruvians remind you, “Machu Picchu is Peru.” Tourists must take the “foreigners only” trains at foreign prices from Cuzco to Machu Picchu. We chose another way. We were staying in Urubamba for a week, a small city in the Sacred Valley, studying Spanish and living with a sweet Peruvian family. They suggested, “Instead of leaving from Cuzco, why don’t you skip class Wednesday and go to Machu Picchu instead? It’s the quietest day; fewer tours.” So here’s what we did: Got up at 4:30 am and left at 5:00 for nearby Ollantaytambo, where a train left at 6:00. Ollantaytambo is more than halfway to Machu Picchu from Cuzco, so the trip

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is much shorter and, theoretically, less expensive. We took a motorcycle taxi from our house to the bus station, caught a combi (combis are well used Toyota vans) for the half-hour ride to Ollantaytambo, then another motorcycle taxi to the train station, arriving with barely two minutes to spare. Motorcycle taxis, called motos, are motorcycles with two wheels in the back that are used for local, in-town trips. They can hold two people and a bit of luggage. Peru’s transportation system seems archaic, but it works-sort of. Each bus line has its own bus station in every town. A few towns have a central bus station, but don’t necessarily include every bus line. That’s why you always tell the taxi drivers where you are ultimately going, so they know where and at what station to drop you off. Besides taxis and combis, there are colectivos, costing less than taxis but more than combis, collectivos are usually sedans, not vans, and they hold fewer passengers and make fewer stops. Cheaper combis pick up as many people as they can stuff--sometimes 15 or 20—and put the luggage on top. Buses are slow but dirt cheap. Most stop everywhere, and if you’re not in a rush you can meet the locals and often a chicken or two. Hence the phrase “chicken bus.”

cost of food and lodging there. We smuggled in our daypacks as they were filled with massive homemade lunches: sandwiches, fruit and a thermos of hot coca tea (the local cure for altitude sickness, hunger and upset stomachs). By the way, a room at the Machu Picchu Lodge costs a cool $915; with a view it’s over $1,000! It was raining in Aguas Calientes and a chilly rain was waiting for us at the summit. No postcard perfect sunrise arrival for us, just gray mist and no view. Instead of awe-inspiring grandeur, all we saw were tourists in multicolored plastic rain ponchos walking into clouds. So much for the dry season. Eventually, the clouds lifted and we were treated to the spectacle of an ancient city clinging to a mountaintop surrounded by fluffy, white clouds, both above and below. It was okay waiting out the rain by sheltering in a 500-year-old Inca hut, but it was even better getting out and exploring the vast acropolis. Unfortunately, the crowds were awesome as well, so Beth and I made a beeline in the opposite direction. A friendly park attendant had suggested we head away from the ruins and go instead on an Inca trail towards Intipunku, the Doorway of the Sun, the official end of the Inca Trail, where exhausted hikers get their first glimpse of the ruins.

Eventually, the clouds lifted and we were treated to the spectacle of an ancient city clinging to a mountaintop surrounded by fluffy, white clouds, both above and below. Our train to Machu Picchu took an hour and a half to get to Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu. Aguas Calientes is accessible only by train; sometimes it is not accessible as there can be landslides, flooding and labor or peasant unrest. There are local Peruvian trains that travel this route and several available strictly for foreigners. You can even walk, using the Inca Trail and bypassing Aguas Calientes--but that takes four days and costs just as much. For that matter, you can hike for free from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu up a well-marked trail, but you’ll probably be too tired to enjoy the ruins. Upon arriving, I began calling Aguas Calientes “Gatlinburg,” as it’s the same kind of ultra-commercial, touristy burg beside a rushing river at the foot of scenic mountains. As in Gatlinburg, everything (minus the candied apples) is for sale in Aguas Calientes. This being Peru, however, the power was out in town, so we purchased our Machu Picchu admission at the park entrance on top of the mountain. To get there we rode fancy, comfy Mercedes buses, though the road up was on a narrow one-lane dirt road with fourteen switchbacks, no railings, no chickens. Admission to the park was 40 dollars US, payable only in Peru’s nuevo soles. When prices are quoted in US dollars, that’s usually how payment is expected. But, with the weakening of the US dollar, our currency is less desired. Official park rules for admission state “no backpacks” and “no food,” so you can imagine the high 40

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The hikers we met were too exhausted to appreciate the spectacle, saying, “We just want a hot shower. We’re soooo tired.” These ruins are extraordinary simply because they were never seen by the conquistadores. Outsiders did not see them until 1911, when intrepid American Hiram Bingham first took note. As a result, the buildings weren’t leveled, nor were other structures built upon the foundations. Here the entire city is intact and the mountaintop is dotted with buildings, ruins, trails and unexcavated sites. In fact, throughout Peru people are regularly discovering new sites, buildings and even mummies. Traveling here, one feels like an explorer rather than a tourist and the mountains are so inspirational that many say the sights bring them to tears. We took the trail to Intupunku, which winds along a cliff. There were various stopping points, many unmarked, all of them mini-Machus or what looked like Inca rest stops. Now the weather was hot in the sun and cool in the shade. The snow-packed peaks of the surrounding cordillera became visible. By 2:30 pm the massive tour groups had left the ruined city and we made our way back, descending past the Inca guardhouse and wandering through the roofless remnants of a once powerful city. The park closes at sunset and we caught one of the last buses down. We returned to Aguas Calientes—still no power—but we found cold Cusqueno beers at the foreigners-only train station. This train station had power, using generators (hence the cold beer

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plus working computers), enabling us to catch an earlier train. We found the correct train even though there were no signs. We were tired, sun-baked and altitude sickened, but we didn’t care. As long as we got back to Urubamba, we were happy. We were back in sweet home Urubamba by 8:00 and, exhausted, in bed by 9:00. In Peru, we spent most of our time in Cuzco and the Sacred Valley but managed several trips beyond. Places like Quillabamba are beyond the mountains surrounding the Sacred Valley. Called the high jungle, it’s warmer, as it’s at a lower altitude, and much buggier. Buses and combis are irregular and we once rode back to town on top of a farm truck. Nice views from up there. We shared the space with some Quechua-speaking folk, sacks of coffee, organic bananas – they offered us some – a dog, and a chicken. Another trip was to Lares, which has possibly the best hot springs in Peru. It’s a rough dirt-road, bus trip over and around 20,000-foot-high peaks, but worth the effort. There’s nothing like sitting in natural, volcanic hot springs in the middle of the night, looking up at millions of stars on a clear, crisp night and letting the water massage away your aches and pains. Peru is making rapid economic progress, but it is still is not a toilet paper country. Hot showers are readily available, but mostly they are the dangerous electric-wiring-above-the-shower-head variety. Lima, Cuzco and the Sacred Valley are the most expensive places in Peru to visit, though still a bargain for most Americans.

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Water, yeast, flour and fire… pizza. If only it was that simple. Seemingly so if Domino’s and Papa John’s do it, but to compare Pie Town to those two would be like comparing Heidi Klum to Rosie O’Donnell. Sure, they both have the XX chromosome, but the similarities end there. The finer points of fantastic pizza are one thing, and running a new restaurant down on West Trade in Gateway is another. After the pizza has been perfected, realities set in. Like paying off a $50,000 pizza oven, the rent checks to cut, payroll to cover and dealing with electricians hooking up your gelato machine. It’s the glamorous side of the restaurant business, a side that the founding partners Pierre, Peter and Tim invited us in to see. We got a little flour on our hands in the process.

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9/26/2008 12:28:47 PM


words & pictures: todd trimakas

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tasted with those tiny gelato shovels. All the while, PreGel chefs and marketing reps are giving us the lowdown on presentation tips, the right temperature at which to serve and store, and displaycase nuances that make my eyes glaze over. I can’t help myself. I grab a small bowl of pistachio and strike up a conversation with PreGel Chef Abdullah, a Brooklyn-born transplant, professionally trained chef, and Alaskan dog breeder. We have plenty to talk about, until the gelato tasting ends and I slip out the side door before the tour is over; my ADD has kicked in with the help of gelato and I’ve gotta get moving.

meet Peter Reinhart and Tim Groody in Concord, about 30 minutes north of town, at the fantastically modern PreGel America building, a place that has absolutely nothing to do with any sort of gel or pizza, and everything to do with gelato. It’s the North American headquarters for this Italy-based, international, family-owned gelato manufacturer. We meet up and get the royal treatment from Marco, the CEO whose family owns the place. It’s 10:00 am and Tim and Peter are trying to decide the best way to offer gelato at Pie Town. We’re quickly moved into the kitchen where batch after batch of gelato is whipped up for us: hazelnut, blood orange, and stracciatella, all

Days later we’re at Pie Town getting ready for the friends and family opening later that night. The kitchen is snapping with chefs prepping pizza dough and toppings and Tim is about a foot away from the 600+ degree oven looking amazingly cool, prepping pizzas for some very shy photographers from Charlotte Magazine. I walk into the kitchen and immediately start to sweat from the heat. Admittedly I’ve watched too many episodes of “Hell’s Kitchen”, so I’m expecting a lot of screaming, cussing and yelling. None of that is present; everyone is working hard, with smiles on their faces. I joke with Tim that I can’t wait to see his pizza tossing technique. Tim quickly corrects me; there is no tossing at Pie Town. It’s more of a loving massage. He caresses a couple of pies for me, dresses them and offers up the pizzas for the sake of some great photos. Snap, click, eat. Snap, click, eat. Nice. After the photos are captured, it’s back in the kitchen to listen to

the seafood special pizza

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9/26/2008 12:32:21 PM


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tim groody in his element

Peter Reinhart give an impromptu lesson on managing the gluten in pizza dough. Yep, the exciting world of glutens. Peter is a widely acclaimed chef, winner of multiple James Beard awards, author of five books (one about pizza) and Chef in Residence at Johnson & Wales. He very calmly (without cussing or screaming) begins discussing the nuances of flour and gluten (proteins in the flour), the correct amount of time to stir and rest the mixture, when to apply the appropriate yeast, then to fold and organize the glutens. All the while he is making sure his chefs are using cool water to keep everything from sticking. (Thankfully, Kathy Purvis from the Observer was there. She filled me in on the details so I didn’t have to disrupt the class with my stupid questions.) At each step in the process, Peter was encouraging everyone to touch and feel the dough, noticing how it transforms from scratchy and lumpy to smooth and firm. I wonder if the new hires at Domino’s get this sort of education? After the process is completed, the dough is measured on an electronic scale, very accurately, and placed into what I can only describe as a massive cupcake tin, but made for 8-ounce pizza dough portions. Chefs have the coolest tools. Peter and his chefs go through this process for each kind of flour: white, multi-grain, and whole wheat, and discuss the differences in each, mainly due to the glutens. By the end of the session I’m a gluten fanatic and ready for the opening that night. I hope a bunch of folks show up; I’m nervous for them and wish the team well. As I leave the kitchen I peek into a mixing bowl of herbs, and what do you know: ol’ Rosemary Pete is selling them their spices. Pete from the farmers market on Yorkmount, local-kid-done-good Rosemary Pete. That’s all right. 50

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That night Julie and I show up to a packed house at Pie Town. Funny how free pizza and drinks will bring out the crowd. My nervousness was misplaced; I could have worried about something else altogether! I would say a couple hundred people and their kids are at the private event, eating, drinking, and enjoying some fantastic pizza. I get Julie to sample the bacon and eggs pizza, which even now makes my mouth water just writing about it. I later learn that this isn’t your normal run-of-the-mill Oscar Mayer bacon. It’s a guanciale bacon that is cured by Tim and produced from the jowls of a specific pig. Damn, it was good. At the end of the event, I make my way back to the kitchen, once again expecting a “Hell’s Kitchen” experience, and am once again amazed at the lack of anger in the kitchen. It was more like a delicious, pizza-smelling locker room after a winning game. The chefs were already prepping for the next day, enjoying the afterglow of a good night of cooking. Tim was in a good mood and asked about the pizza and whether we get enough. He then remembers the gelato that he whipped up and offers some to Julie, Peter, and me. Not one of us turns down the opportunity, and we recount the successful night over white bowls filled with flashy pink-and-green deliciousness. My final meeting with the partners at Pie Town is after the public grand opening and includes Pierre Bader, successful restaurateur, as well as Peter Reinhart and Tim Groody. Before the meeting begins they discuss the pros and cons of installing a 120-volt outlet versus a 220-volt outlet and whether they can or should hard-wire a water line into the gelato machine. Like I said before, glamorous.

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Pierre is the money guy, Tim the operations and Peter the mystic pizza man. In talking about Pie Town, a theme recurs with all three: it’s a passion for what they do, building new restaurants, running restaurants and food in general. The three share a passion for food-and pizza, in particular, is what brought them together. Peter elaborates on this, saying, “Good food--and in our case, good pizza--is about connections. Connections with local providers of fresh ingredients, and then cooking local ingredients in a specific way to create the best pizza we can. Also, most people have a connection with their “home” pizza, the pizza they grew up with and that they therefore consider the best pizza. We cannot match everyone’s ‘home’ pizza, and were not trying to, but hopefully when they come to Pie Town we can make a new connection to our style of pizza.” I imagine the connection you make with a Domino’s pizza would land you somewhere near Newark, New Jersey. Instead, make a local connection down on West Trade by clearing your dinner calendar and visiting Pie Town. Be sure to say hi to Tim, Peter and Pierre for us. U You can reach Todd at: todd@uptownclt.com For more info go to www.uptownclt.com

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9/25/2008 10:14:52 PM


words: kelly gray pictures: fenix fotography

no one is

Your love handles and man pooch really turn her on. Her saddlebags drive you wild with desire. That hairy back is always a hit at the Sand Bar. Don’t be silly… no one notices moles or sunspots. Practically everyone has told a white lie at some point. But it’s the ones we tell ourselves that chip away at the self-image and make us feel like Food-Lion brand cottage cheese at cottage cheese at an authentic French Comté cheese cellar. Speaking of cottage cheese, no one can see my cellulite, right?


W

e already know the answers to our most troubling body image questions. They’re the questions of the century. “Is there a way to look better and, in turn, feel better about my appearance,” seconded only by “Or

am I stuck with these thighs?” In many cases, the answer to question one is “Yes”, and then (thank the good Lord and a sharp scalpel) to the second question, a resounding “No.” And because no one is harder on us than ourselves, we’re doubly critical of our every fault. Do I believe the old adage that everyone is beautiful in their own way, just as they are, regardless of their physical differences? I absolutely do. However, simply accepting my genetic faults is no fun either. In 1997 I was delighted to learn that, thanks to modern medicine, you don’t have to. And while it may seem like people opt in for plastic surgery and cosmetic enhancements for vanity’s sake, for most people such choices are all about self-image, self-esteem, and developing a better relationship with your body. That certainly was the case for me. In the high-stress world of show business, where appearance is thrown on you like a wet blanket, I spent the nineties as a starving actor in New York City. Plagued with a major case of

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saddlebags (fat on the lower hips which is resistant to diet and exercise), I’d see myself on “All My Children” and cringe – “if only I could just chop off my hips!” I’d yell at the TV. I consulted a plastic surgeon and, a month later, walked out of the surgeon’s office with nary a saddlebag in sight. For every pound of saddlebags I lost, in its place was a boost of confidence. My story is not unique. The Internet is full of them, all about people for whom plastic surgery or anti-aging procedures lifted their spirits along with their brows, butt or breasts. From body contouring to rhinoplasty (nose job), liposuction to lasers, beloved Botox® to medications, you don’t have to simply sit back and watch the lines of time creep across your face. The days of hating your butt can be over for the right price and body type, and the gut that launched you headlong into that high school eating disorder can be sucked out under general anesthesia. But what treatments are breast implant available? Who can you trust? Which doctors are qualified? Are all procedures safe? Broc Lane Pratt, M.D. (Charlotte’s Dr. McSteamy), of Metrolina Plastic Surgery, clued me in on what’s new in the plastic surgery frontier. The Pennsylvania native received his Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of South Florida and then went on to the University of Florida College of Medicine, followed by five years of general surgery training at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. Pratt dedicated an additional year of research in minimally invasive surgery. Following six years of surgical training in Charlotte, Pratt completed a plastic and reconstructive surgery fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.


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At Metrolina Plastic Surgery, Pratt and Edward J. Bednar, M.D., focus on elective cosmetic surgery. Here, provided you are a good candidate, you can rid yourself of things like saddlebags, the pooch, your inner thighs, or those love handles you hate, among numerous other ailments. By the time my interview with Dr. Pratt ended, I found myself calculating how I could save enough to afford lipo, round two. All the colors of the rAinbow “Plastic surgery is like a rainbow, it’s a huge spectrum,” said Pratt, “And some elective plastic surgery can be deemed medically necessary, such as in the case of breast reduction. Women who need breast reduction can elect to have outpatient cosmetic surgical procedure to relieve shoulder, neck and back pain. So in addition to elective procedures that improve appearance, breast reduction and other functional problems can be solved with plastic surgery.” Another hot surgery right now is body contouring after weight loss from bariatric surgery. A patient who has lost a lot of weight can radically change his or her appearance by having the multitude of excess skin removed after surgery. Pratt said that for some patients, the excess skin from extreme weight loss is just as devastating as the obesity was. Gynecomastia, a condition in which males have excessive breast tissue, can also be corrected with less severe forms of lipo. More severe cases are managed with a combination of lipo and small incisions to remove the tissue. According to practically every fitness and medical expert alive, there are sexspecific areas where men and women tend

to deposit or retain fat. No matter how much we diet, how many hundreds of sit-ups we do, days we spend at the gym, there are stubborn areas that can’t be spot controlled. The culprits? On men, love handles and the lower abdominal fat deposits; on women,


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saddlebags, and fat deposits at the knees and inner thighs – you can’t spot reduce these. Not even those thousands of sit ups you did last week will do it. Exercise allows for losing weight all over, not in just one area. But looking or feeling better doesn’t mean you have to go under the knife. Many treatments, such as Botox and other fillers, and laser treatments can achieve a desired result that doesn’t resemble that appearance of being done. At ReGenesis Medical Spa and Wellness Center, Donald Sudy, M.D. (Charlotte’s Dr. McDreamy), uses non-invasive procedures to achieve a more youthful appearance. Treatments such as Botox and fillers like RestylaneŽ can shave years off your appearance and make you weep with glee when you first see yourself without wrinkles. I know because Dr. Sudy has been my go-to guy for Botox for a long while now. How well does Botox work in the hands of a medical doctor like Dr. Sudy? So well that if I had to choose between ReGenesis treatments and my car payment, I’d switch to public transportation. Dr. Sudy was a flight surgeon in the United States Air Force (talk about steady hands), established the health and wellness center on base and served as Chief of Flight Medicine. Following active duty, Sudy completed his emergency medicine residency. I’d be lying if I didn’t say how much more comfortable I felt knowing that if I had a panic attack during a treatment, Dr. Sudy’s

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ER skills could save me. Some of his patients travel to Charlotte for the express reason of getting injections and fillers at ReGenesis. “When treatments are being done correctly, with precision and artistry, you can achieve a renewed look without the exaggerated Hollywood lips you often see, and frozen face of being too ‘done,’� said Sudy, for whose natural results he’s earned a well-heeled following. “Many of our patients are trying to slow the aging process with good skin care, sun protection, fillers and lasers to try and prevent needing to resort to something drastic as they get older, such as invasive surgery.� The current economic climate has also affected the way people deal with the aging process, as patients who may have looked into surgery and found they can’t afford it are turning to less expensive and less invasive procedures which require less down time. Though not as costly, these can often achieve dramatic results. “Youth is about volume,� said Dr. Pratt. “A skeletonized face doesn’t make anyone think of youth.� Fat is another great vehicle to help restore youth to the face, which is why fat grafting is so hot right now. Marionette lines from the corner of the mouth to the chin can be treated with semi-permanent fillers. Fillers are popular treatments for beginners considering plastic surgery who don’t want an invasive procedure like a face or brow lift. And while some lasers require more downtime than others, they can treat www.uptownclt.com

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lines around the eyes (crow’s feet) and vertical lines around the mouth. Before you go In a world where “designer imposters” – medical spas which are not medically directed – permeate the anti-aging landscape, consumers need to take it upon themselves prior to undergoing any type of procedure to be sure that any medical treatment is conducted in an office that is not only medically directed, but that there is a medical an M.D.–a medical doctor--on site. What people don’t need to do is price shop and look for who has the lowest price for laser, Botox, surgery, et cetera. Invasive and noninvasive treatments are medical procedures. Real problems can occur when these are done poorly, even when everything goes as planned. Choosing a practice with a physician on site who knows how to deal with any complications that might arise from procedures is the best course of action for anyone considering surgery or anti-aging treatments. Many medi-spas exist where the names of medical doctors are used to market a spa, but there aren’t any doctors on site. At ReGenesis, Dr. Sudy is the medical director, and he is the on-site medical doctor. Likewise at Metrolina Plastic Surgery where Drs. Pratt and Bednar are on site. Dr. Pratt said it best when he explained, “I wouldn’t want

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my wife getting fillers or Botox at a place where a physician isn’t on site. Physicians know the relevant anatomy, and where the needle injection is going.” Sudy and Pratt agree that educated patients are the ones they want to treat. “What the public needs to know is that education is key; any physician can call themselves a cosmetic surgeon, but only someone who is formally trained in plastic surgery is a plastic surgeon,” said Dr. Pratt. Pratt believes that the sense of collaboration he offers often preempts a patient’s anxiety about a procedure. Preparing for plastic surgery means a commitment to several things. For example, you absolutely cannot smoke, no way, no how. Surgeons don’t like their patients to smoke. Every time you take a drag of a cigarette, you constrict blood flow to the skin, preventing it from getting nutrients. This makes incisions difficult to heal, and will make or break your aesthetic outcome. If you are a smoker, you are likely to be refused surgery by many physicians. “I would hesitate to do a facelift on a smoker, because the blood supply is potentially compromised,” said Dr. Pratt, a detail that was echoed by every medical professional interviewed. “There is literature out there that supports the claim that if you could stop smoking three weeks before and three weeks after, you may optimize chances of a better outcome.”

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9/26/2008 2:56:49 PM


Beautiful pain In researching this article, I spoke with other people who have had plastic surgery and non-invasive procedures. I asked plastic surgery virgins to give me their most fervent questions to ask professionals. Time and again, people asked about pain. My answer is this: everyone is different – some patients experience little discomfort, while others (me, for example) felt afterward as if I had been hit by a truck, dragged behind a tractor over gravel, and then dropped from Hearst Tower. But that was 1997 in Manhattan, in the somewhat early days (and worth every bit of pain in any case.) Thankfully, things have changed slightly since the dark ages of lipo, and most of today’s procedures are not extremely painful. On a relative scale, the ones that are most uncomfortable are those which involve deeper layers of tissue, like a tummy tuck. The Botox injections were scary at first, but Dr. Sudy advised that it felt like Rice Krispies cereal. He was right – it doesn’t hurt per se, but you can feel the solution “crunching” as it goes in. Quite frankly, it works so well I wouldn’t care if he were injecting Rice Krispies treats. noBody’s perfect Plastic surgery means different things to different people. Unless you’re an alien (or my close friend, Dutch supermodel Marvy Rieder) most of us have something about our appearance

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that makes us cringe. Even the most beautiful people in the world have something they dislike about their body or face. Surgery can balance the face and create more harmony. It’s not a solution for weight loss, but you’ll look better in clothes. What you think is your problem may not be the problem after all. Someone who thinks they might have a large nose may actually have a weak chin, which gives the illusion of a large nose. The goal of a good plastic surgeon is to know what the ideal is and do everything possible to create that face, breast, or stomach surgically. The bottom line (excuse the pun) is that hating a part of your appearance is exhausting, because everywhere you go, there you are. Love yourself the way you are – for who you are. But if you have a physical issue that drives you to the point of insanity, consider consulting a qualified plastic surgeon. The result may be just the boost you need to finally begin a love affair. With yourself. U You can reach Kelly at: kellygray@gotgraymatter.com For more info go to: www.uptownclt.com

u resources u www.drbednar.com u www.regenesismedicalspa.com www.uptownclt.com

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9/25/2008 10:15:35 PM


words: amanda agliarini & matt kokenes

sexy?


By now you’ve seen the cover and its corresponding story. You’re familiar with the absolute sexiest people of Uptown Charlotte. Some of them are local celebrities and some are really big players on the Charlotte scene. All of them are sexy. But what if you don’t have a couple grand to fork out at the charity auction later this month and “buy” one of them? Surely there are sexy women out there to be found for a regular guy like myself. I insisted to my editor that there are in fact many more sexy people than just the three on this month’s cover, and I assured him that I could find them. So I was given the green light to go in search of sexy, but with one not-so-small stipulation. “See, Matt, there are six sexy people on the cover, not three. Go look for sexy women. Amanda Pagliarini (who?) will team up with you and scour Charlotte for sexy men.” So sorry to all my female readers; I forgot all about you. I’m as dedicated to Uptown Magazine as it gets, but I draw the line at even the thought of attempting to locate Charlotte’s sexy guys. I’ll take a good water boarding session over that impossible task. I must admit I didn’t like the idea of sharing this space with anyone, but when faced with the alternative, a begrudging “Welcome aboard, Amanda!” seemed like my only option. A sarcasm-laden, full-time salesperson (like myself), Amanda and I really hit it off. No, really. What’s not to love about an abusive, bossy young executive from up North? So as a team, we’ve canvassed the Queen City high and low, far and wide in search of sexy. Along the way, one of us found a date, the other learned to turn focus inward (or at least fake it), and both just might have met our sarcastic match.

her search... We all have differing definitions of what we consider sexy. If you ask Matt to describe sexy, he would probably describe himself and then wink at you with an arrogant yet jovial glimmer in his eye. If you ask me to describe sexy, I would list such qualities as humility, wit, charm, ambition, self-awareness, and open-mindedness. In other words, everything Matt is not. I kid—one of the reasons guys find me irresistibly sexy. Sexiness is not necessarily good looks. Sexiness has to do with being attractive. I have lusted over some otherwise very aesthetically displeasing men because they have embodied what I consider to be a sexy quality. At other times I have fallen under a spell of someone traditionally gorgeous, only to converse with them and have the spell be abruptly broken. A man I pass on the street who might be neither particularly attractive nor unattractive gives a wave and a smile to a baby passing in a stroller and for a moment, my heart (and ovaries) flutters. Sexy. I’m in stitches with an adorable charmer over dinner, when he suddenly becomes aggressively flippant with the waiter. Not sexy. In fact, check, please. I personally find Winston Kelly, our appointed leader for the new NASCAR Hall of Fame, to be one of Charlotte’s sexiest. If you are questioning my taste, you haven’t sat in on a conference call with that Southern drawl of his. During a meeting I had with him last month, he described himself as long-winded by stating, “If you ask me the time, I’ll tell you how to build a watch.” Hell, tell me how to build a grandfather clock; I’m listening. At the same time, I have a particular weakness for my college-aged neighbors who routinely invite me over to their garage for a game of beer pong. In theory, not sexy, but there is just something about them that makes drinking cheap beer out of dirty cups sound like the best invitation I’ve had all week. 64

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And so in this fine city of apparent sexiness, Matt and I embarked on an adventure to pinpoint exactly where these sexies could be found. Surprisingly, it wasn’t necessarily where they played. I found that sexiness truly shone through where they worked, ate, shopped, commuted, and frolicked unsuspectingly under my microscope. Here are my top three. Harris Teeter At first glance, it appears the Harris Teeter on East Boulevard plays host to the Charlotte sexy crowd. While this isn’t necessarily untrue, these sexies are already adorably paired up. Typically frequenting the East Boulevard Teeter after their Saturday morning co-trips to the gym, these happy couples can provoke nausea or thoughts of suicide in Charlotte singles. If you belong to the latter category, let me suggest a late evening trip to the Uptown Harris Teeter, preferably on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. On these nights at the Fifth and Poplar location you can find multiple single, overworked, cute corporate types just longing for someone to cook for them. But be strategic with your grocery selections. A cart overflowing with rice cakes, tofu, tampons, and US Weekly and you’ll be sure to be lugging those bags up your flights of stairs alone. I’m not suggesting you alter your purchasing habits, but when you are in search of sexy, some concessions, in the form of lasagna ingredients and barbecue chips, simply have to be made. Throw a case of beer on the undercarriage of that cart, and you might go home with more than groceries. Freedom Park Tree-hugging outdoorsmen are not my particular style, but when you and your friends have dogs, there’s a potential for killing two


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birds with one stone. This trip in the name of research was my first to Freedom Park. Upon arrival this particular Sunday morning, at first blush it appeared to be the after-party venue for churchgoing families. So when the rollerblading man and his two rollerblading children rolled into me and my girlfriends and asked about my dog, I answered his questions without giving it much attention. When they rolled away and I found my two girlfriends looking at me as if I just ignored a homeless child sweetly requesting a bite of food, I pointed out the fact that he was clearly married. Then they pointed out how clearly he was without a ring--and, further, that if he was still married, he would probably reserve such fatherly activities for a non-football filled day. Realizing their point and feeling slightly defeated for missing an opportunity, I carried on my search for sexy. Much to my surprise, the park was filled with more than just your everyday nature-loving bird watchers. Dog owners, soccer players, runners. It was like ordering off a menu. Much more to my surprise was the rollerblading Mr. Mom who reappeared on the way to my car, fresh with a business card and invitation to drinks later that week. Trade and Tryon The intersection where it all happens. I’d estimate to say that 70 percent of all business

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that keep Charlotte ticking occurs within a few blocks of this intersection. When the clock strikes 11:45 a.m. on any business day of the week, you can estimate a rate of 70 percent sexy of the owners of all of the feet pounding that pavement. Like I said, I’m not a big outdoorsman type of girl, but crowd-surfing amongst a sea of collared shirts is a reccurring fantasy of mine. It would require closer inspection to separate the married from the available, but not every journey must have a destination. Sometimes a midday break from the office in this troubling economy simply demands scenery to zone out in. I, for one, cannot think of better scenery than the blue ocean of buttoned-down Brooks Brothers so unique to Uptown Charlotte. So if you are feeling a bit jaded, and this article—or entire sexy issue for that matter—has only raised your level of cynicism, perhaps it’s not those who surround you, but your surroundings themselves that have led you astray. Go to the bar for fun, but don’t go in search of sexy. You’re not going to find sexy in a guy who spiked his hair, just slammed his fifth shot of Jäger, and can’t take his eyes off the pairs of tatas so neatly displayed by the latest Bebe trends. But you might just see the sexy in him when he’s sober and has his hair at a more manageable and appropriate level of slick. I have been out with Mr. Mom from Freedom Park three times now. If sexy was the search, I below: lunchtime at trade & tryon think I just might have found it.

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his search... Ask three people to define sexy, and you’ll likely get five different answers. Without fail, physical attractiveness will come up first, but as we all know, that is subjective. What looks like a brand new BMW M5 to me, might look like a gold 1979 Datsun 280ZX (with t-tops) on its third transmission to the next guy. When on a serious quest, though, it’s imperative to know in advance what you’re looking for, and in preparation for this mission, I found it necessary to have a good idea of just exactly what sexy is. After several conversations with seemingly knowledgeable friends, acquaintances, and even a few strangers, a basic definition of sexy emerged. Sure, sexy is good looking. But it’s also an unmistakable blend of confidence and personal appeal. Sexy has its own aura that’s impossible to miss, like a lightning strike in the back yard. Given my employment by Uptown Magazine, I spend a bit of time in Uptown Charlotte. It’s mostly routine media sales stuff. You know, convincing companies that when you pick this issue up, you’ll see their ad and do business with them (which you should do just as soon as you’ve finished reading this article). But while in the course of doing business inside the beltway, I’ve noticed an ever-growing number of well-dressed, physically appealing, power-lunching, professional, and very sexy ladies. For one who is in search of sexy between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., I suggest a trip Uptown. Stake out a seat within sight of Trade and Tryon and take in the view. The sidewalks are packed with beautiful, well-dressed and confident-looking 20- and 30- somethings, and if it’s love at first sight, grab a $10 bouquet of flowers from one of the busy street vendors and go for it. But gentlemen, beware. These busy looking women seem like the type that could rip your heart out of your chest, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom-style, -style, stomp it into the sidewalk, and still be back at the office fully composed and in time to give that 2 p.m. presentation. Those same man-eaters usually become a bit more approachable and soften up after a few drinks, so if you lost your nerve at lunch, head straight for the “so new it’s still under construction” EpiCentre after quitting time. Shamelessly sucking the lifeblood out of the “original” Alive After Five event just a few blocks away, every Thursday, “EpiCentre at Five” boasts a better layout and better sound amidst cooler bars and clubs right there onsite, and, well, sexier people. Having been to this event a half-dozen times or so, I can say without a doubt that there is sexy to be found. But in order to find it, you must navigate a sea of revelry—buttoned-up-and-buzzed office folk packed shoulder to shoulder, $4 domestics in plastic bottles, and live music so deafening you’ll have some trouble communicating with your sexy newfound friend when you do find her amongst the crowd. The event is so popular, in fact, that when you do spot the girl of your dreams, be patient. It may take 20 68

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minutes to advance just 20 feet. I did meet a very sexy woman there once, though, by (accidentally) showering Bud Light on her from head to toe. Although it all worked out just fine in the end, I do not recommend this method as an icebreaker. Come to think of it, I have no icebreakers (or “game” as many call it) to recommend in situations like this. Sure I like live music and cold beer after work like the next guy, but what I discovered in this quest is that truly sexy women can be easy to spot but tough to meet. After substantial trial and error, it was devastating to discover that the Uptown library was not full of Elizabeth Hurley look-alikes wearing those irresistible “smart glasses.” Or that my time at the Plaza Midwood Harris Teeter was better invested in the fresh-produce department than the cookie, cake, and soda aisle. But just when I thought all was lost, I finally found them: the sexiest women in Charlotte. They weren’t chain-smoking Marlboro Lights and downing Jäger bombs at Dixie’s Tavern on a Friday night while trying to make it on Girls Gone Wild part 46. They weren’t even unapproachably striding through the crowds in Uptown Charlotte at lunchtime. They were drenched in sweat and deftly working through the most brutal physical experience I’ve personally ever been exposed to: a 90-minute power vinyasa class at Yoga One on Central Ave. Being in the basement of the building I work in, they had quite literally been right under my nose the whole time. It seemed so obvious now, as I twisted my body into all sorts of odd shapes, in a room heated to 95 degrees. Glancing around the studio during transitions from Warrior One to Warrior Two (which my instructor Daniel specifically discouraged: ”Don’t worry about what others are doing, focus inward,” he insists), I saw over 50 women of all ages, body types, and fitness levels. Their confident, fluid transition from one difficult pose to another was sexy. Their focus inward and on improving their physical and mental well-being was very sexy. They weren’t bad looking either. Unlike a traditional gym workout where women only seem to turn inward to their iPods, there’s a feeling of camaraderie here; a feeling of accomplishment as a group forms a bond that you’ll never get swilling beer after work. Yep, after searching high and low and investing time and money in this quest for sexy, I think I just may have found it. I recommend you join the folks at Yoga One for a few classes. There’s no doubt you’ll find sexy women there. There’s also a good chance you’ll come away stress free, in possession of some rock hard abs, and with some genuine new friends as well. U You can reach Amanda at: apagliarini@tribblecreativegroup.com You can reach Matt at: matt@uptownclt.com For more info go to www.uptownclt.com


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What’s one thing you’d change about Charlotte and one thing you wouldn’t? I hope it continues to grow and keep up with this fast growth period while maintaining its reputation as a classy city. I wouldn’t change its cleanliness. It doesn’t feel nitty-gritty. Charlotte is home to a lot of different people. What are some things that newcomers and veterans alike often overlook about the Queen City? I used to be jaded, complain there was “nothing to do” and I know a lot of people like that. However, there are so many things Charlotte has to offer. We have beautiful parks, great museums that throw great parties, the night life is really growing, and we have fun people. What does Charlotte need to increase its sexy factor? It’s on the right track as far as getting new venues (entertainment, retail, boutiques) that make an “A” city. We need to continue to add all those big-city things while we continue to be welcoming to new folks who complement the people we already have. What are you passionate about? Family, clothes, having goals—I need to always strive. I would love to own my own boutique someday. I’m basically a personal shopper for my mom and sister and I have fun with that. Where do you live? Work? Play? I live in 4th Ward and play mostly in Uptown, though I get all around Charlotte as the “Paid to Party” columnist for the Charlotte Observer. Some of my favorite casual spots are the Thirsty Beaver and Loft 1523. To dance I like Forum and Suite. What are your most sexy qualities? I don’t think of myself as sexy. I’m a goofball. But I guess that is sexy, not taking myself too seriously, being able to laugh at myself and have a good sense of humor. You’re given $100,000 free and clear, but you have to spend it now. I’d take $10,000 off the top and hit Nordstrom SouthPark for a shopping spree. Then I’d pay off some debt, put some to savings, put a down payment on a house since now is a good time to buy! Tell me some things you are good at and some things you aren’t. I think I’m a good writer since it is my job to be. I’m also a good listener, not just on the job but with my friends, too, They can talk to me. I’m not good at most things athletic; tennis is my best option, but my boyfriend still kicks my butt in straight sets. What strategies do you have for keeping out of the rat race, or do you like to be all up in it? I really like going to the Uptown dog park with my dog to relax and unwind. And I like to get out of Charlotte – usually to Atlanta, where my boyfriend lives, or to Miami for vacation. Pop Quiz: Panthers or Bobcats? Beer or Martini? Dress Up or Go Casual? Sushi or a Burger? Car or Light Rail? Panthers, beer, dress up, burger, car. Go to uptownclt.com to view Sarah’s auction package and to find out more about the auction for charity on October 24th at HOM www.uptownclt.com

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What’s one thing you’d change about Charlotte and one thing you wouldn’t? I wouldn’t change its central location to the beach and mountains. I wouldn’t change anything, in fact—I love this place! Charlotte is home to a lot of different people. What are some things that newcomers and veterans alike often overlook about the Queen City? Its overall beauty. When I moved away for a while for a job in Toledo, Ohio, I really realized how good we had it here. It’s clean, has a great skyline, beautiful trees and a friendly atmosphere. What does Charlotte need to increase its sexy factor? Honestly, as a city Charlotte is very sexy. There are so many draws with the sports teams, the nightlife is great, and people dress well. It was a dream for me to get back here. What are you passionate about? Fitness, music, and I’m a news and entertainment junkie. Definitely my yellow Lab, Baxter. Where do you live? Work? Play? I was born and raised right here in the Queen City. I work at Fox Charlotte as the morning co-host of Fox News Rising and I’m also a Turbo Kick Instructor at the Harris and Dowd YMCAs. I play at Wrightsville Beach. What are your most sexy qualities? Passion, intelligence, spunk. You’re given $100,000 free and clear, but you have to spend it now. I’d buy a boat and something huge for my parents for all their support. Tell me some things you are good at and some things you aren’t. I have really terrible handwriting and I’m sometimes messy. I’m good at running and participate in marathons. What strategies do you have for keeping out of the rat race, or do you like to be all up in it? I think if you stay true to who you are and what your values are, it’ll bring you to the top. Pop Quiz: Panthers or Bobcats? Beer or Martini? Dress Up or Go Casual? Sushi or a Burger? Car or Light Rail? Panthers, beer, dress up or casual—it’s a toss up, sushi, car. Go to uptownclt.com to view Anna’s auction package and to find out more about the auction for charity on October 24th at HOM 74

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What’s one thing you’d change about Charlotte and one thing you wouldn’t? I’d increase attention and dedication to infrastructure. We are doing better, but the light rail needs to be expanded and 485 is still not complete. These are necessary infrastructures we need to continue to enjoy our quality of life. And that’s what I wouldn’t change about Charlotte. We have great weather, entertainment options, good schools…I just hope we work together to maintain that lifestyle. Charlotte is home to a lot of different people. What are some things that newcomers and veterans alike often overlook about the Queen City? The Speedway! It’s 16 miles from Uptown and this whole region is motorsports-based. 90 percent of the NASCAR teams have their home base within 100 miles of Charlotte. Many people haven’t experienced the passion of racing. What does Charlotte need to increase its sexy factor? Charlotte has a good handle on being a diverse community. We are experiencing such huge population growth and we can incorporate newcomers into our culture to provide a better living experience for everyone. What are you passionate about? My children. I feel strongly about being a mother; it is my greatest accomplishment. I also love history. I feel we are raising a generation that doesn’t understand history. Given our current geopolitical situation, we are going to need professionals and leaders who have an understanding of history in order to provide a secure future for our country. Where do you live? Work? Play? I live in Myers Park and work at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. I am the Executive VicePresident of Lowe’s Motor Speedway, which means I oversee all aspects from ticketing to logistics, legal, finance, communication, guest services and event planning. I play in my backyard on our trampoline. What are your most sexy qualities? Well, I don’t know, but I consider confidence to be a sexy quality. You’re given $100,000 free and clear, but you have to spend it now. The majority of it would go to a children’s organization that helps kids who are in tough, difficult situations to have opportunities. Tell me some things you are good at and some things you aren’t. I’m a good cook and I’m a good reader and mom. I’m a terrible scheduler, double-booking and such. I also can be a procrastinator. What strategies do you have for keeping out of the rat race, or do you like to be all up in it? Well, I realize when it’s time to get off. You can get so wrapped up and get so busy that you lose focus of your priorities. I think its important to have awareness of “ah, I’m stuck in the rat race,” so you can then pull back, make time for family, for the gym and just good, oldfashioned down time with yourself. Pop Quiz: Panthers or Bobcats? Beer or Martini? Dress Up or Go Casual? Sushi or a Burger? Car or Light Rail? Panthers, martini, casual, sushi, light rail. Go to uptownclt.com to view Lauri’s auction package and to find out more about the www.uptownclt.com 75 uptown auction for charity on October 24th at HOM


What’s one thing you’d change about Charlotte and one thing you wouldn’t? All I’d change is diversifying the arts and cultural scene. We can be more expansive in business, cultural and recreational opportunities in an effort to be a city that is many things. I wouldn’t change Charlotte’s can-do attitude. It has been one of our greatest assets—the fact that we believe we can do whatever we set out to and focus our investing and ourselves into growing our community. Charlotte is home to a lot of different people. What are some things that newcomers and veterans alike often overlook about the Queen City? The river! The Catawba River flows through the city and few people even recognize that or embrace and engage it. What does Charlotte need to increase its sexy factor? We’ve got to continue to build diversity, focus on niche things that are attractive to creative mindsets, not just things attractive to mass appeal. We often focus on what’s popular in other cities. I’d like to see more organic, internal ideas being implemented. What are you passionate about? This is tough because I’ve got family, work, and recreation. For me it’s balancing these three things and making sure I’m passionate about all. Even if you love it, though, you can’t let work consume you. I’ve got a wife and three kids, so I want to spend a lot of time there. And I also think it is imperative to stay active, and outdoor sports are what I love. Where do you live? Work? Play? I live in Cotswold and work at the Whitewater Rafting Center along the Catawba River. I play all over the area—the trails, the roads, the river—either by biking, running, or swimming. People don’t know they can get right into the river and swim! What are your most sexy qualities? I don’t know what the hell “sexy” means! I don’t know if I have them, but I when I think of sexy qualities I think of self-awareness: being aware of who you are and what you want. Someone who embraces their weaknesses and can laugh at them and build around them while being comfortable with who they are. You’re given $100,000 free and clear, but you have to spend it now. In a practical sense, I’d retire some debt. But honestly, if you really just stumbled upon it I think you should do something fun, something you could see results from. If my goal was to create the biggest benefit, I guess I’d donate it to the needs of lower-income schools. And I really believe if you want to make an impact and change lives, then education is the point to begin. Tell me some things you are good at and some things you aren’t. I’m not very good at listening patiently, which may be because the “patience” part isn’t separate from listening at all--actually it’s the essence of listening. Instead of immediately starting to form my own thoughts and ideas, I need to listen and absorb. I’m good at seeing possibilities and building a team. What strategies do you have for keeping out of the rat race, or do you like to be all up in it? Less and less do I want to be in the rat race. It’s funny because you work so hard to get into it and then want out! My strategy is staying active. It doesn’t matter what your choice of activity is; in fact I think it’s better to mix it up, not get stuck in one form of activity. Pop Quiz: Panthers or Bobcats? Beer or Martini? Dress Up or Go Casual? Sushi or a Burger? Car or Light Rail? Panthercats! Beer, casual, sushi or burger depends on the day and I ride my bike! 76

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Go to uptownclt.com to view Jeff’s auction package and to find out more about the auction for charity on October 24th at HOM


What’s one thing you’d change about Charlotte and one thing you wouldn’t? It’s an organized, clean environment, which makes it a nice settle-down, familyoriented place. I’d change the way we think about our growth. Instead of following what other cities do, we need to create our own identity and grow into a unique city. Plus, Charlotte needs to extend its nightlife hours! Charlotte is home to a lot of different people. What are some things that newcomers and veterans alike often overlook about the Queen City? How nice and clean it is! We take it for granted here, but other cities are gritty, sometimes nasty, and we don’t realize how good we have it. What does Charlotte need to increase its sexy factor? Fashion and design. We need clothing and hair designers here, creating and proliferating a modernized, metropolitan look. What are you passionate about? There are so many things. Definitely travel, exploring different cities and meeting other people, learning their culture. Where do you live? Work? Play? I live on Providence Road and am co-owner of the Sunset Club, Kiss Lounge and Beautiful Club. When in Charlotte, I mostly play at my club, or else I hit Miami or Vegas. What are your most sexy qualities? Do I have any? I guess you could count my accent, the dark hair. But mostly my easygoing personality. You’re given $100,000 free and clear, but you have to spend it now. Invest, pay off some debts, boring stuff. Tell me some things you are good at and some things you aren’t. I’m good at business, I’m great at what I do and love to work hard. I focus on being the best. I’m bad at following up on things like birthdays and anniversaries. What strategies do you have for keeping out of the rat race, or do you like to be all up in it? Oh, I like to be right up in it. I’m full go, I always have energy and if I’m in it, I’m in 100%. Then, I’ll just take a vacation and just drop out completely. Pop Quiz: Panthers or Bobcats? Beer or Martini? Dress Up or Go Casual? Sushi or a Burger? Car or Light Rail? Bobcats, beer, dress up, sushi, car. Go to uptownclt.com to view Sonny’s auction package and to find out more about the auction for charity on October 24th at HOM


What’s one thing you’d change about Charlotte and one thing you wouldn’t? I’d find a way to make it a little less conservative, more openminded, if only for a moment. I wouldn’t change aspects of Charlotte’s charm, like the personality of the classic neighborhoods such as Dilworth and Plaza Midwood. What does Charlotte need to increase its sexy factor? Get fewer guys like me. Bring in some real sexy people. What are you passionate about? Broadcasting, free speech and expression, and aviation--I’m a pilot. Where do you live? Work? Play? I live in SouthPark. I work out at Billy Graham and I-85 (is that an area, does it have a name?). Anyway, I do Brotha Fred!’s AM Mayhem show on 96.1 The Beat and for Fox Charlotte doing Fox News Edge. I play all around Uptown. What are your most sexy qualities? My voice, my eyes, my personality—I’m liberated. You’re given $100,000 free and clear, but you have to spend it now. I’m taking a trip around the world. Tell me some things you are good at and some things you aren’t. I’m good at talking, repelling women, and texting. In fact, I might be the world’s fastest texter. Apparently, from this experience, I’m bad at being interviewed. What strategies do you have for keeping out of the rat race, or do you like to be all up in it? Laying low; surprisingly, I’m occasionally introverted. Plus, remaining single. Pop Quiz: Panthers or Bobcats? Beer or Martini? Dress Up or Go Casual? Sushi or a Burger? Car or Light Rail? Panthercats, they’re both good. Beer, dress up, sushi, and car… what’s light rail?

What’s one thing you’d change about Charlotte and one thing you wouldn’t? I was born and raised in Atlanta and just love it here in Charlotte so don’t have much I’d like to change. I do wish people would stop complaining about the cost and effort that goes into a growing city. People want Charlotte to be a world-class city, but then bitch when it comes time to put money behind those improvements. The fact is, we need things like light rail. What does Charlotte need to increase its sexy factor? We’re doing it. We are growing a diverse group of people and then veteran Charlotteans are influenced by that influx of people in terms of style and ideas. It’s a natural progression and we are headed in the right direction. What are you passionate about? Style, rescuing and saving animals. Running a shelter or rescue organization would be my dream job. Where do you live? Work? Play? I live in Uptown but am headed for South End. I run J. Studio Salon and am the fashion editor for Uptown Magazine. I play mainly in Uptown; when you live there you tend not want to go out of that realm. What are your most sexy qualities? I consider myself more stylish and fun than sexy. You’re given $100,000 free and clear, but you have to spend it now. I’d pay off some debt, unfortunately, and donate a bunch to a local animal shelter. Tell me some things you are good at and some things you aren’t. I’d like to think I’m good at doing hair, since I am a salon owner. I’m terrible at speaking in front of a large group, and I’m a poor listener—but I’m working on that. What strategies do you have for keeping out of the rat race, or do you like to be all up in it? I don’t know that I necessarily have a rat race. I live in Uptown, work in South End, so everything is close and manageable. Pop Quiz: Panthers or Bobcats? Beer or Martini? Dress Up or Go Casual? Sushi or a Burger? Car or Light Rail? Panthers, neither—gin and tonic, always dress to impress, sushi and light rail. Go to uptownclt.com to view Brotha and Joey’s auction package and to find out more about the auction for charity on October 24th at HOM

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* 2009 All-Star Race Experience * Honorary Crew Member on Dale Jr’s Team * Attend Drivers Meeting * Attend Drivers Introductions and Pre-Race Show * 2 – VIP Suite Tickets, Pit Passes and Garage Passes * Richard Petty Driving Experience – King Experience * Dinner in The Speedway Club for 4

* Flatwater Kayak Micro-brew Cruise for 6 people. The US National Whitewater Center is offering a flatwater kayak trip for 6 individuals to experience the Catawba River like never before! You will have the opportunity to take an evening paddle, exploring Sadler Island and Long Creek, while keeping your eyes open for Osprey, River Otters, Blue Herons and Turtles. Upon return you will head up to the River’s Edge Restaurant patio for a magnificent sunset, while enjoying delicious food and a variety of ice cold beer! Micro-brew cruise includes: Guided flatwater tour for six (6) Dinner for six at the River’s Edge Bar & Grill Micro-brew tasting

* Neiman Marcus: Personal Shopping Experience and Professional Makeover * Boris and Natasha: $50.00 gift certificate * Sloan / Step By Sloan: $200.00 gift certificate * Berhan’s Jewelry: $75.00 (value) * City Supply: $100.00 gift certificate * Nikko Sushi: $200.00 gift certificate * Ruth’s Chris: $50.00 gift certificate * Urban Skin Solutions: $350.00 (value) * Jeffre Scott Apothecary: $125.00 (value) * J.Studio Salon: $300.00 (value) * J.Studio Gift Bag: $100.00 (value) * Om Spa Message For Two: $180.00 (value) * Suite at Epicenter: $75.00 GC * Pearl Limousine: $200.00 (value) * Carolina Panthers Tickets For Two: $190.00 (value) * Jim McGuire Photography: $250.00 (value) * Appearance with Brotha Fred for 96.1 The Beat and Fox News Edge: PRICELESS!!!


South Tryon

pictures: fenix fotography | fenixfoto.com makeup: chris lanston hair: joey hewell | jstudiosalon.com clothes: kristen davis collection | belk.com models: wilhelmina-evolution | evolutionmt.com

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purple trapeze charm top | $68 five pocket wide leg jean | $72 jewelry | $15 - $60

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grey asymetrical ruffle cardigan | $78 button blouse | $58 five pocket skinny wide leg jean | $72 patent leather black vansice-mary jane pump | $82 jewelry | $15 - $60

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long sleeve white tee | $38 boyfriend belted vest | $98 wide waistband straight leg jean | $72 black leather bootie | $82 helena patent mustard bag | $82 jewelry | $15 - $60

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v-neck boyfriend cardigan | $84 bow-tie cami | $68 catherine patent n/s tote | $108 jewelry | $15 - $60

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ombre print dress | $138 jewelry | $15 - $60

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201 West Park Avenue Charlotte NC 28203 704.330.5757

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Slender Threads of Attachment

CLARICE IS SEATED AT A TABLE in Gateway Village’s massive open-air terrace. She’s typing away on her laptop, like a handful of individuals sitting at some of the various tables that surround her. There’s a red-haired man, late 20s, with blue eyes and a ruddy Irish complexion. Clearly the khaki pants, blue-shirted aspiring junior executive type. Probably working on some kind of Excel spreadsheet. Then there’s the light-skinned African-American teenage girl with a head full of shoulder-length braids who more than likely is chatting with friends on MySpace or Facebook. The one Clarice can’t quite figure out is the elderly Caucasian woman. Her hair is an impeccable swirl of white that frames her face in the style that Liza Minnelli wore in “Cabaret.” She’s wearing what appears to be a vintage Chanel pantsuit, in black, and sporting large, dark sunglasses. With the hairstyle and glasses, most of her facial features are obscured, save for her lips, which have obviously been plumped very recently. Her mouth is a full swell of matte-finish crimson. When she realizes she’s being studied, she glances in Clarice’s direction with a friendly nod. Clarice feels her face flush ever so slightly as she returns the nod. She then turns her attention back to the computer. So many of us, so close and yet so far apart. I often wonder to myself, in this world where we live side-by-side, never knowing or speaking to our neighbor, what stories, what experiences are we missing out on? What joys might we have on a pleasant day like today, warm but with an edge of early fall coolness in the air, if we stopped to share conversation and a cup of coffee with a friendly face we had just laid eyes on? Clarice’s cell is ringing from the dark recesses of her voluminous shoulder bag. She reaches for the multicolored behemoth and digs around for a few seconds before she extracts the small silver flip phone and places it to her ear. ”Marshall!” “Clarice! What are you up to?” “Writing. Writing and people watching.” “That sounds like some fun...where are you?” “I’m at the Gateway Village plaza. It’s pretty outside and I wanted to get out of the apartment. Plus, I had some thoughts I wanted to get down on paper so this seemed like a good place to go. You know...surrounded by people but technically alone. It’s weird but nice at the same time, somehow.” “What are you writing about?” “Not quite sure yet...but I’ve been thinking about my life, your life, Saul’s and really all the people in my world and some of the crazy, insane shit we’ve been through over the past few years. I just felt it needed to be written about before it all got forgotten.” “So you’re working on a book?”

words: david moore

“Who knows? Maybe.” “Hmmmmmmm.” “Hmmm? What’s that supposed to mean?” “I just never thought of you as a writer. You’re a painter. You tell stories with imagery.” “I’ll have you know I recently had my ‘Renaissance woman’ card stamped and that cleared me to do anything I want, thank you.” “You don’t have to be so testy.” “I’m kidding, kind of. I was just surprised by your comment. It sounded almost sexist.” “Sexist? How so?” “Okay...well not exactly sexist, but it was definitely something-ist, because you were acting as though I shouldn’t do one thing because you’re used to me doing another.” “That’s not what I meant, Clarice. I guess I was trying to casually dissuade you.” “Huh? Why would you do that?” “Your wit and your tongue are equally sharp. So is your gift of sarcasm and embellishment. Just be kind when you write about me.” “Oh! So that’s what that was about. Don’t worry. You’re my best friend. I would never do anything to hurt you.” “Okay. I’ll trust you. You want to get together for dinner this evening? You can bring Saul if you like. I’ll cook.” “Saul’s out of town, but I’ll come. Maybe I’ll bring a friend, though?” “That’s fine. See you at seven?” “Sounds perfect. See you then.” Clarice closes the phone and tosses it gently on top of her bag. She looks casually in the direction of the woman she had spied earlier, only to realize she is no longer there. “Damn,” Clarice says under her breath. There’s no doubt in my mind she was full of interesting stories. Clarice is looking down at her computer keyboard when she sees two hands appear off to the left of the table, holding a cardboard carton with two cups of Starbucks coffee. The hands appear to be female and are weathered with age, but not unattractive. No gaudy jewelry. Just a single—but impressive—diamond ring on her wedding finger. The nails are perfectly manicured and painted the same red the elderly woman was wearing earlier. Clarice looks up in to the face of the unknown coffee-bearer. “Young woman, would you care to join me for a cup of coffee?” She says in a throaty voice. “You read my mind,” Clarice replies. “People have accused me of that before,” the woman chuckwww.uptownclt.com

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les. “Have a seat, please.” “Thank you. The coffee’s black, but I brought some cream and sugar, or sugar substitute, if you prefer.” The woman pulls out a chair and places the coffee carrier on the table. She then removes a black computer bag from her shoulder, which she carefully positions in the unoccupied chair beside hers. Taking the chair directly across from Clarice, she slides into a comfortable position and begins to parcel out the coffee and various accessories: napkins, stirrers, cream and packets of sweeteners. “There!” She announces after completing her task. “It’s all so very civilized, don’t you think?” “One of the perks,” Clarice replies, as she stirs cream and sugar in to her coffee. She peers at the white-haired woman’s sunglass-covered eyes. “What prompted you to come over here and bring coffee?” The woman removes her sunglasses to reveal sparkling green eyes that seem both wise and youthful at the same time. “You looked like someone nice to talk to. Coffee is always an excuse to be social.” “What’s your name?” “Adria.” “I’m Clarice...” Adria raises a slender hand in protest. “I know who you are,” she says. “I’ve seen your artwork before. I’ve seen you on the news. You’re Clarice Tuthill.” “You’ve seen my work?”

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“Yes. I’ve even been to a couple of your openings,” she says, adjusting a medium-sized diamond earring that matches the ring on her finger. “Well...it’s very nice to meet you Adria. I hope you liked the work.” “Of course I do. It’s always full of so much commentary. I’ve been thinking about buying a piece sometime.” “That’s very kind of you. I’m so flattered.” “You’re very talented, Clarice. I have to be honest about something with you though, dear. My motives for sitting down with you are more than just social. I was hoping I could convince you to help me with something.” Clarice takes a long sip from her coffee. “What might that be?” “It’s a bit complicated, but let me start by telling you something else about me.” “Please!” Clarice laughs aloud. “Tell me you’re not a stalker or a serial killer or something else obsessive.” “Oh, darling, no.” She reaches for Clarice’s hands. “Not me. But the propensity does run in the family, I’m afraid.” Clarice feels the soft hairs on the back of her neck stand up as a chill spreads out across her back. “What’s your last name?” She asks Adria pointedly. “You didn’t mention it earlier.” “Setzler. My name is Adria Owens Setzler.” U You can reach David at: davidmoore@post.com Read the stories leading up to this one online at uptownclt.com

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Dining and Nightlife Guide AMERICAN Alexander Michael’s – $ 401 W. 9th St. 704.332.6789 Brevard Court Sundries – $ 145 Brevard Court 704.342.4700 Camilles – $ 1518 E. 3rd St. 704.342.4606 Cans – $ 500 W. 5th St. 704.940.0200 Cedar Street Tavern – $ 120 N. Cedar St. 704.333.3448 Champions – $ 100 W. Trade St. - Marriott Hotel 704.333.9000 Comet Grill – $ 2224 Park Rd. 704.371.4300 Cosmos Cafe – $ 300 N. College St. 704.372.3553 Dogwood Cafe – $ 138 Brevard Court 704.376.8353 East Boulevard Grill – $ 1601 East Blvd. 704.332.2414 Ember Grille – $$$ 601 S. College St. WestinHotel 704.335.2064 Fenwick’s – $ 511 Providence Rd. 704.333.2750 Fox and Hound – $ 330 N. Tryon St. 704.333.4113 French Quarter – $ 321 S. Church St. 704.377.7415 The Graduate – $ 1308 E. The Plaza 704.332.8566 John’s Country Kitchen – $ 1518 Central Ave. 704.333.9551 Pike’s Soda Shop – $ 1930 Camden Rd. 704.372.0097 Presto Bar and Grill – $ 445 W. Trade St. 704.334.7088 Providence Café – $ $ 829 Providence R d. 704.376.2008 Providence Road Sundries – $ 1522 Providence Rd. 704.366.4467 Rock Bottom – $ 401 N. Tryon St. 704.334.2739 Selwyn Pub – $ 2801 Selwyn Ave. 704.333.3443 Simmons Fourth Ward Restaurant – $ 516 N. Graham St. 704.334.6640 Something Classic Café – $ 715 Providence Rd. 704.347.3666 South 21 – $ 3101 E. Independence Blvd. 704.377.4509 Southend Brewery – $$ 2100 South Blvd. 704.358.4677 Stool Pigeons – $ 214 N. Church St. 704.358.3788 The Gin Mill South End – $ 1411 S. Tryon St. 704.373.0782 The Graduate – $ 123 W. Trade St. 704.358.3024 The Penguin – $ 1921 Commonwealth Ave. 704.375.6959 The Philosopher’s Stone – $ 1958 E. Seventh St. 704.350.1331 The Pub – $ 710 West Trade St. 704.333.9818 Thomas Street Tavern – $ 1218 Thomas Ave. 704.376.1622 Tic Toc Coffeeshop – $ 512 N. Tryon St. 704.375.5750 Union Grille – $ 222 E 3rd St. – Hilton Towers 704.331.4360 Vinnie’s Sardine – $ 1714 South Blvd. 704-332-0006 Zack’s Hamburgers – $ 4009 South Blvd. 704.525.1720

AMERICAN MODERN 131 Main – $$ 1315 East Blvd. 300 East – $$ 300 East Blvd.

704.343.0131 704.332.6507

Bentley’s on 27 – $$$ 201 S. College St. Fl. 27 704.343.9201 (Charlotte Plaza Building) Bonterra Restaurant – $$$ 1829 Cleveland Ave. 704.333.9463 Carpe Diem – $$$ 1535 Elizabeth Ave. 704.377.7976 City Tavern – $$ 1514 East Blvd. 704.343.2489 City Tavern – $$ 214 N. Tryon St. 704.334.6688 Custom Shop – $$$ 1601 Elizabeth Ave. 704.333.3396 Fig Tree – $$$ 1601 E. Seventh St. 704.332.3322 Harry & Jeans 201 S. Tryon St. 704.333.4300 Lulu – $$ 1911 Central Ave. 704.376.2242 McNinch House – $$$ 511 N. Church St. 704.332.6159 Mimosa Grill – $$ 301 S. Tryon St. 704.343.0700 Monticello – $$ 235 N. Tryon St. – Dunhill Hotel 704.342.1193 Pewter Rose Bistro – $$ 1820 South Blvd. 704.332.8149 Ratcliffe on the Green – $$ 435 S. Tryon St. 704.358.9898 Taverna 100 – $$$ 100 N. Tryon St. – Founder’s Hall 704.344.0515 Zown Restaurant – $$ 710 W. Trade St. 704.379.7555 Zink – $$ 201 N. Tryon St. 704.444.9001

ASIAN 88 China Bistro – $ 1620 E. 4th St. 704.335.0288 Cherry Blossom – $ 2001 E. 7th St. 704.376.0880 China King – $ 128 Brevard Ct. 704.334-7770 China Queen Buffet – $ 127 N. Tryon St. Ste 3 704.377.1928 China Saute – $ 2214 Park Rd 704.333.1116 Creation – $ 1221-A The Plaza 704.372.2561 Cuisine Malaya – $ 1411 Elizabeth Ave. 704.372.0766 Dim Sum – $ 2920 Central Ave. 704.569.1128 Eggroll King – $ 8907 Steelechase Dr. 704.372.6401 Emperor Chinese – $ 337 S. Kings Dr. 704.333.2688 Fortune Cookie – $ 208 East Independence Blvd. 704.377.1388 Fujiyama – $ 320 S. Tryon St. 704.334.5158 Fuse Box – $ 227 W. Trade St. 704.376.8885 Ginbu 401 – $ 401 Providence Rd. 704.372.2288 Great Wok – $ 718 W Trade St. Ste M 704.333.0080 Ho Ho China Bistro – $ 1742 Lombardy Cir. 704.376.0807 Hong Kong – $ 1713 Central Ave. 704.376.6818 Koko – $ 6609 Elfreda Rd. 704.338.6869 Monsoon Thai Cuisine – $ 2801 South Blvd. 704.523.6778 Orient Express – $ 3200 N Graham St. 704.332.6255 Pho An Hoa – $ 4832 Central Ave. 704.537.2595 Pho Hoa – $ 3000 Central Ave. 704.536.7110 SOHO Bistro – $ 214 N Tryon St. 704.333.5189

Thai Taste – $ 324 East Blvd. 704.332.0001 Taipei Express – $ 731 Providence Rd. 704.334.2288 Tin Tin Box & Noodles – $ 101 N. Tryon St. 704.377.3223 Zen Asian Fusion – $ 1716 Kenilworth Ave. 704.358.9688

BAKERY Cloud 9 Confections – $ 201 S. College St. Suite 270 Great Harvest Bread – $ 901 S. Kings Dr. Marguerite’s Bakery – $ 2424 N. Davidson St. Nova’s Bakery – $ 1511 Central Ave. Panera Bread – $ 601 Providence Rd.

704.334.7554 704.333.0431 704.675.5756 704.333.5566 704.374.0581

BARBEQUE Art’s Barbecue – $ 900 E. Morehead St. 704.334.9424 Jolina Tex Mex & BBQ – $ 500 S. College St. 704.375.0994 Mac’s Speed Shop – $ 2511 South Blvd. 704.522.6227 Rib Palace – $ 1300 Central Ave. 704.333.8841

BREAKFAST Art’s Barbecue – $ 900 E. Morehead St. 704.334.9424 Coffee Cup – $ 914 S. Clarkson St. 704.375.8855 Einstein Brothers – $ 201 S. Tryon St. 704.332.4015 Einstein Brothers – $ 1501 South Blvd. 704.333.4370 IHOP – $ 2715 E. Independence Blvd. 704.334.9502 Monticello – $$ 235 N. Tryon St. – Dunhill Hotel 704.342.1193 Owen’s Bagel & Deli – $ 2041 South Blvd. 704.333.5385 Tic Toc Coffeeshop – $ 512 N. Tryon St. 704.375.5750

BRITISH Big Ben’s Pub – $ 801 Providence R d.

704.334.6338

CAJUN & CREOLE Boudreaux’s Louisiana Kitchen – $ 501 E. 36th St. 704.331.9898 Cajun Queen – $$ 1800 E 7th St. 704.377.9017

C A R I B B E A N Anntony’s Caribbean Cafe – $ 2001 E. 7th St. 704.342.0749 Austin’s Caribbean Cuisine – $ 345 S. Kings Dr. 704.331.8778

CHINESE 88 China Bistro – $ 1620 E. 4th St. 704.335.0288 Vanloi Chinese Barbecue – $ 3101 Central Ave. 704.566.8808 Wok Express – $ 601 S. Kings Dr. 704.375.1122

COFFEESHOPS Caribou Coffee – $ 100 N. Tryon St.

704.372.5507

Dilworth Coffee – $ 1235 East Blvd # B, 704.358.8003 330 S Tryon St, 704.334.4575 Dilworth Playhouse Cafe – $ 1427 South Blvd. 704.632.0336 Einstein Brothers – $ $ - 201 S. Tryon St. 704.332.4015 Einstein Brothers – $ 1501 South Blvd. 704.333.4370 Java Passage – $ 101 W. Worthington 704.277.6558 Jump N Joe’s Java Joint – $ 105 E. Morehead St. 704.372.3217 La Tea Da’s – $ 1942 E. 7th St. 704.372.9599 Nova’s Bakery – $ 1511 Central Ave. 704.333.5566 SK Netcafe – $ 1425 Elizabeth Ave. 704.334.1523 Starbucks – $ 545 Providence Rd. 704.372.1591 Starbucks – $ 101 S. Tryon St. 704.374.9519 Tic Toc Coffeeshop – $ 704.375.5750 512 N. Tryon St.

DELI Adams 7th Street Market – $ 401 Hawthorne Ln. 704.334.0001 Art’s Barbecue – $ 900 E. Morehead St. 704.334.9424 Common Market – $ 2007 Commonwealth Ave. 704.334-6209 Dikadee’s Deli – $ 1419 East Blvd. 704.333.3354 Dogwood Cafe – $ 138 Brevard Court 704.376.8353 Fresco Cafe & Deli – $ 3642 Moultrie St. 704.376.5777 Grand Central Deli – $ 101 N. Tryon St. 704.348.7032 Great Harvest Bread Co. – $ 901 S. Kings Dr. 704.333.0431 Groucho’s Deli – $ 201 N. Tryon St. 704.342.0030 Halfpenny’s – $ 30 T Two First Union Ctr. 704.342.9697 Jersey Mike’s Subs – $ 128 S. Tryon St. 704.343.0006 Jersey Mike’s Subs – $ 1408 East Blvd. 704.295.9155 Jersey Mikes Subs – $ 2001 E. 7th St. 704.375.1985 Jump N Joe’s Java Joint – $ 105 E. Morehead St. 704.372.3217 Laurel Market South – $ 1515 South Blvd. 704.334.2185 Leo’s Delicatessen – $ 1421 Elizabeth Ave. 704.375.2400 Li’l Dino – $ 401 S. Tryon St. 704.342.0560 Matt’s Chicago Dog – $ 425 S. Tryon St. 704.333.3650 Owen’s Bagel & Deli – $ 2041 South Blvd. 704.333.5385 Panera Bread – $ 601 Providence Rd. 704.374.0581 Philadelphia Deli – $ 1025 S. Kings Dr. 704.333.4489 Phil’s Tavern – $ 105 E. Fifth St. 704.347.0035 Rainbow Café – $ 400 South Tryon 704.332.8918 Reid’s – $ 225 E. 7th St. 704.377.1312 Ri-Ra Irish Pub – $ 208 N. Tryon St 704.333.5554 Salvador Deli – $ N. Davidson St. 704.334.2344 Sammy’s Deli – $ 1113 Pecan Ave. 704.376.1956


Dining and Nightlife Guide Sandwich Club – $ 525 N. Tryon St. Sandwich Club – $ 435 S. Tryon St. Substation II - $ 1601 South Blvd 1941 E. 7th St.

704.334.0133 704.344.1975 704-332-3100 704-358-8100

DESSERT Ben & Jerry’s – $ 507 Providence Rd. 704.333.1003 Dairy Queen – $ 1431 Central Ave. 704.377.4294 Dolce Ristorante – $$ 1710 Kenilworth Ave. 704.332.7525 Luce Ristorante – $$ 214 N. Tryon St. – Hearst Plaza 704.344.9222 Monticello – $$ 235 N. Tryon St.– Dunhill Hotel 704.342.1193

ECLECTIC The Melting Pot – $$$ 901 S. Kings Dr. Stuite 140-B 704.548.2431 Therapy Cafe – $ 401 N. Tryon St. 704.333.1353 The Fig Tree – $$ 1601 E. 7th St. 704.332.3322

FRENCH Terra – $$ 545-B Providence Rd.

704.332.1886

GREEK Greek Isles – $$ 200 E. Bland St. Showmars – $ 2004 East 7th St. Showmars – $ 214 N. Tryon St.

704.444.9000 704.376.0565 704.333.5833

INDIAN Copper – $$ 311 East Blvd. Maharani – $ 901 S. Kings Dr. Suruchi’s – $ 129 W. Trade St.

Luce Ristorante & Bar – $$$ 214 N. Tryon St. – Hearst Plaza 704.344.9222 Mama Ricotta’s – $$ 601 S. Kings Dr. 704.343.0148 Open Kitchen – $ 1318 W. Morehead St. 704.375.7449 Pasta & Provisions – $ 1528 Providence Rd. 704.364.2622 Portofino’s Italian – $$ 3124 Eastway Dr. 704.568.7933 Primo Ristorante – $$ 116 Middleton Dr. 704.334.3346 Cafe Siena – $$ 230 N. College St. 704.602.2750 Salute Ristorante – $$ 613 Providence Rd 704.342.9767 Terra – $$ 545-B Providence Rd. 704.332.1886 Villa Francesca 321 Caldwell St. 704.333.7447 Volare – $$ 1523 Elizabeth Ave. 704.370.0208 Zio Authentic Italian – $$ 116 Middleton Dr. 704.344.0100

L AT I N Cloud 9 Confections – $ 201 S. College St. 704.334.7554 Latorre’s – $$ 118 W. 5th St. 704.377.4448 Coffee Cup – $ 914 S. Clarkson St. 704.375.8855

M E AT & T H R E E Dish – $ 1220 Thomas Ave. 704.344.0343 Mert’s Heart & Soul – $ 214 N. College St. 704.342.4222 Blue – $$$ 214 N. Tryon St. 704.927.2583 Intermezzo Pizzeria & Café – $ 1427 E. 10th Street 704.347.2626

MEXICAN 704.333.0063 704.370.2824 704.372.7333

I TA L I A N Carrabba’s Italian Grill – $$ 1520 South Blvd. 704.377.2458 Coco Osteria – $$ 214 N. Tryon St.–Hearst Plaza 704.344.8878 Dolce Ristorante – $$ 1710 Kenilworth Ave. 704.332.7525 Fig Tree – $$$ 1601 E. 7th St. 704.332.3322 Frankie’s Italian Grille – $$ 800 E. Morehead St. 704.358.8004 Hawthorne’s NY Pizza – $ 1701 E. 7th St. 704.358.9339 Intermezzo Pizzeria & Café – $ 1427 E. 10th St. 704.347.2626 Little Italy – $ 2221 Central Ave. 704.375.1625

Cabo Fish Taco – $ 3201 N. Davidson St. Johnny Burrito – $ 301 S. Tryon St. La Paz – $$ 1910 South Blvd. Phat Burrito – $ 1537 Camden Rd. Salsarita’s – $ 101 S. Tryon St. Taqueria La Unica – $ 2801 Central Ave.

704.332.8868 704.371.4448 704.372.4168 704.332.7428 704.342.0950 704.347.5115

MIDDLE EASTERN Kabob Grill – $ 1235-B East Blvd.

704.371.8984

OUTDOOR DINING Big Ben’s Pub – $$ 801 Providence Rd. Cans Bar – $ 500 W. 5th St.

704.334.6338 704.940.0200

East Boulevard Grill – $ 1601 East Blvd. Ember Grille – $$$ 601 S. College St. - Westin Hotel Ri-Ra Irish Pub – $ 208 N. Tryon St Sullivan’s – $$$ 1928 South Blvd. The Corner Pub – $ 335 N. Graham St.

704.332.2414 704.335.2064 704.333.5554 704.335.8228 704.376.2720

PIZZA Brixx – $ 225 East 6th St. 704.347.2749 Donato’s Pizza - $ 718-A West Trade St 704.714.4743 Domino’s Pizza – $ 343 S. Kings Dr. 704.331.9847 Fuel Pizza – $ 214 N. Tryon St. 704.350.1680 Fuel Pizza – $ 1501 Central Ave. 704.376.3835 Hawthorne’s NY 1701 E. 7th St. 704.358.9339 Italian Village Pizza 1225 East Blvd 704.332.2880 Latta Pizza – $ 320 S. Tryon St. 704.333.4015 Papa John’s Pizza – $ 1620 E. 4th St. 704.375.7272 Picasso’s – $ 214 N. Church St. 704.331.0133 Pizza Hut – $ 901 S. Kings Dr. 704.377.7006 Rudino’s Pizza & Grinders – $ 2000 South Blvd. - Atherton Mill 704.333.3124 UNO Chicago Grill – $ 401 S. Tryon St. 704.373.0085 Villa Francesca 321 Caldwell St. 704.333.7447 Zio Authentic Italian – $ 116 Middleton Dr. 704.344.0100

QUICK BITES Bojangles’ – $ 310 E Trade St. 704.335.1804 Boston Market – $ 829 Providence Rd. 704.344.0016 Burger King – $ 310 E. Trade St. 704.334.3312 Chick-fil-A – $ 101 S. Tryon St. 704.344.0222 Chicks Restaurant – $ 320 S. Tryon St. – Latta Arcade 704.358.8212 Church’s – $ 1735 W. Trade St. 704.332.2438 Dairy Queen – $ 1431 Central Ave. 704.377.4294 Domino’s Pizza – $ 343 S. Kings Dr. 704.331.9847 Fuel Pizza – $ 214 N. Tryon St. 704.350.1680 Fuel Pizza – $ 1501 Central Ave. 704.376.3835 Green’s Lunch – $ 309 W. 4th St. 704.332.1786 Mr. K’s – $ 2107 South Blvd. 704.375.4318 Papa John’s Pizza – $ 1620 E. 4th St 704.375.7272

Pasta & Provisions – $ 1528 Providence Rd. 704.364.2622 Pita Pit – $ 214 N. Tryon St. 704.333.5856 Quiznos Sub – $ 127 N. Tryon St. 704.374.9921 Quizno’s – $ 320 S. Tryon St. – Latta Arcade 704.372.8922 Roly Poly Sandwiches – $ 317 S. Church St. 704.332.6375 Sbarro – $ 101 S. Tryon St. 704.332.5005 Simply Subs – $ 212 S. Tryon St. 704.333.0503 Spoons – $ 415 Hawthorne Ln. 704.376.0874 Subway – $ 201 N. Tryon St. 704.333.3302 Wendy’s – $ 211 N. College St. 704.376.8577 Woody’s Chicago Style – $ 320 S. Tryon St. - Latta Arcade 704.334.0010 Zack’s Hamburgers – $ 4009 South Blvd. 704.525.1720

S E A F O O D Aquavina – $$$ 435 S. Tryon St. 704.377.9911 Cabo Fish Taco – $ 3201 N. Davidson St. 704.332.8868 Capital Grille – $$$ 201 N. Tryon St. 704.348.1400 Fig Tree –$$$ 1601 E. Seventh St. 704.332.3322 GW Fins – $$ 525 N. Tryon S 704.716.3467 LaVecchia’s – $$$ 225 E. 6th St. 704.370.6776 McCormick & Schmick’s – $$$ 200 South Tryon St. 704.377.0201 McIntosh’s – $$$ 1812 South Blvd. 704.342.1088 Outback Steakhouse – $$ 1412 East Blvd. 704.333.2602

SOUTHERN & SOUL Lupie’s Cafe – $ 2718 Monroe Rd. 704.374.1232 Mert’s Heart and Soul – $ 214 N. College St 704.342.4222 Price’s Chicken Coop – $ 1614 Camden Rd. 704.333.9866 Savannah Red – $$ 100 W. Trade St. 704.333.9000 Marriott City Center

S P A N I S H Arpa Tapas – $$$ 121 W. Trade St. 704.372.7792 Sole Spanish Grille – $$$ 1608 East blvd.. 704.343.9890

S T E A K H O U S E Beef & Bottle – $$$ 4538 South Blvd. Capital Grille – $$$ 201 N. Tryon St.

704.523.9977 704.348.1400


Dining and Nightlife Guide LaVecchia’s – $$$ 225 E. 6th St. 704.370.6776 Longhorn Steakhouse – $$ 700 E. Morehead St. 704.332.2300 McIntosh’s – $$$ 1812 South Blvd. 704.342.1088 Morton’s – $$$ 227 W.Trade St.- Carillon bldg. 704.333.2602 Outback Steakhouse – $$ 1412 East Blvd. 704.333.2602 Ruth’s Chris – $$$ 222 S. Tryon St. 704.338.9444 Sullivan’s – $$$ 1928 South Blvd. 704.335.8228

S U S H I Cosmos Cafe – $$ 300 N. College St. Fujo Uptown Bistro – $$ 301 S. College St KO Sushi – $$ 230 S. Tryon St. Nikko – $$ 1300-F South Blvd. Restaurant i – $$ 1524 East Blvd. Ru-San’s Sushi – $$ 2440 Park Rd.

704.372.3553 704.954.0087 704.372.7757 704.370.0100 704.333.8118 704.374.0008

T A P A S Arpa Tapas – $$$ 121 W. Trade St. Cosmos Cafe – $$ 300 N. College St. Town Restaurant – $$ 710 W Trade St.

704.372.7792 704.372.3553 704.379.7555

V E G E T A R I A N Dish – $ 704.344.0343 1220 Thomas Ave. Something Classic Café – $ 715 Providence Rd. 704.347.3666

V I E T N A M E S E Pho An Hoa – $ 4832 Central Ave.

704.537.2595

B A R S Big Ben’s Pub – $$ 801 Providence Rd. Alley Cat – $ 300 N. College St. Amos SouthEnd – $ 1423 S. Tryon St. BAR Charlotte – $ 300 N. College St. Brick & Barrel – $ 200 N. Tryon St. Buckhead Saloon – $ 201 E. 5th St. Cans Bar – $ 500 W. 5th St. Cedar Street Tavern – $ 120 N. Cedar St. Connolly’s on 5th – $ 115 E. 5th St. Cosmos – $$ 300 N. College St. Coyote Ugly – $ 521 N. College St. Crush – $ 300 E. Stonewall St. Dilworth Bar & Grille 911 E. Morehead St.

704.334.6338 704.375.8765 704.377.6874 704.342.2557 704.370.2808 704.370.0687 704.940.0200 704.333.3448 704.358.9070 704.375.8765 704.347.6869 704.377.1010 704.377.3808

Dilworth Billiards 300 E. Tremont Ave. 704.333.3021 Dixie’s Tavern 301 E. 7th St. 704.374.1700 DoubleDoor Inn 218 E. Independence Blvd. 704.376.1446 Ed’s Tavern 2200 Park Rd. 704.335.0033 Evening Muse 3227 N. Davidson St. 704.376.3737 Fox and Hound – $ 330 N. Tryon St. 704.333.4113 The Graduate – $ 1308 E. The Plaza 704.332.8566 Grand Central Deli – $ 101 N. Tryon St. 704.348.7032 Hartigans Pub – $ 601 S. Ceder St. 704.347.1841 Hawthorne’s NY Pizza – $ 1701 E. 7th St. 704.358.9339 Howl at the Moon – $ 210 E. Trade St. 704.936.4695 Jillian’s SouthEnd – $ 300 E. Bland Street 704.376.4386 Loft 1523 – $$ 1523 Elizabeth Ave. 704.333.5898 Madison’s – $$ 115 Fifth St. 704.299.0580 Morehead Tavern – $ 300 East Morehead St. 704.334.2655 Phil’s Tavern – $ 105 E. Fifth St. 704.347.0035 Picasso’s – $ 214 N. Church St. 704.331.0133 Pravda – $$ 300 N. College St. 704.375.8765 Presto Bar and Grill – $ 445 W. Trade St. 704.334.7088 Ri-Ra Irish Pub – $ 208 N. Tryon St 704.333.5554 Selwyn Pub – $ 704.333.3443 2801 Selwyn Ave. Southend Brewery – $$ 2100 South Blvd. 704.358.4677 Stool Pigeons – $ 214 N. Church St. 704.358.3788 Suite – $ 210 E. Trade St. 704.999.7934 The Attic – $ 200 N. Tryon St. 704.358.4244 The Corner Pub – $ 335 N. Graham St. 704.376.2720 The Forum – $$ 300 N. College St. 704.375.8765 The Gin Mill – $ 1411 S. Tryon St. 704.373.0782 The Graduate – $ 123 W. Trade St. 704.358.3024 The Penguin – $ 1921 Commonwealth Ave. 704.375.6959 The Pub – $ 710 West Trade St. 704.333.9818 Thomas Street Tavern – $ 1218 Thomas St. 704.376.1622 Tilt – $$ 127 W. Trade St. 704.347.4870 Tremont Music Hall – $ 400 W Tremont Ave. 704.343.9494 Tutto Mondo – $ 1820 South Blvd. 704.332.8149 Tyber Creek Pub – $ 1933 South Blvd. 704.343.2727 Vinnie’s Sardine – $ 1714 South Blvd. 704.332.0006 Visulite Theater – $ 1615 Elizabeth Ave. 704.358.9250 Whiskey River – $ 210 E. Trade St. 704.749.1097

Your “Crackberry” only stores your errand list. We will complete your errand List. Let us handle your... • Errands/Shopping • Auto Services • Packing/Moving • Waiting on Servicemen • and much more

Call Today. 704-969-7414

or visit www.absolutelifesavers.com

TAKE YOUR FREETIME BACK!


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All Brick Townhomes With A Two Car, Attached Garage In Uptown!

Enjoy The Best Value Per Square Foot In Uptown From The Upper $200’s • Located in the popular Gateway Center Area of 4th Ward • 1,704 Sq.ft. • 3 levels • 3 to 4 bedrooms • 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 baths 2-car attached garage • Huge great room • Dining room • Eat in kitchen • Study •Walk in closets • And so much more!

Phone: 704.334.0375

Sun. – Mon. 1 - 6, Tues. – Sat. 10 - 6 Prices, offers and financing are subject to change without notice. See sales representative for details.

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