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Good article on oldster Charlotte memories! Here are some more from a REAL old Charlottean. Do you remember:
1) Shoney’s Big Boy drive in restaurant on Morehead— THE place for teen’s cruising adventures.
2) When all of SouthPark was still part of Governor Cameron Morrison’s estate and farm, including a deer farm.
3) Starting on South Tryon Street: American Trust Company merging with nextdoor Commercial Bank becoming American Commercial Bank, then growing and becoming North Carolina National Bank, growing and becoming Nations Bank, and now one of the country’s largest banks— Bank of America.
4) The YMCA on South Tryon Street uptown.
5) When most of the people of Charlotte were native Charlotteans!
I'm thankful the Ivey's building is still uptown as a hotel and condos, and it highlights its history as a local department store with a collection of large photos inside the lobby. I miss shopping at Ivey's and eating a delicious casual lunch downstairs at Arthur's or a fancy luncheon at Tulip Terrace with a view.
The old convention center was indeed located where EpiCenter was built. I remember going there many times; I moved to Charlotte in March 1978. It was torn down in the 2005-2006 time frame. The current convention center was built in the mid-1990s. You can see photos of both on: https://timemachine.mcmap.org/.
CityFair should have been on this list. CityFair was a collection of shops and dining spots. It was mildly popular (in the late 1980s and early 1990s) but fizzed out and was torn down after only a few years. It was located where Truist Plaza (or the Hearst Tower as I still call it) is located.
The old Duke Power Building on South Church Street (which included a barber shop) and the Charlotte Observer Building on South Tryon Street were also memorable.
Great content as always, one more to add, you might be old(er) if you remember when 485 wasn’t finished and didn’t form a complete loop around the city.
Just a point of note. The Epicenter was not built on the site of the “old” Charlotte Convention unless there was one there in the 1960s. The convention center as I’ve known it, with several upgrades, has been on South College St (and what used to be Stonewall St.) since I moved here in 1977.
Charlotte native here:
1. Going to the Pineville dinner theatre meant two lane curvy road through farms and the theatre was a barn
2. Ditto traveling to Davidson College football games--two lane road through countryside
3. Park Place Pharmacy beside Manor theatre
4. The real man at the corner of Providence and Queens directing traffic, not the statue.
5. Riding the bus downtown to eat at the Tulip Terrace and shop at Montaldo's (now Foundation for Carolinas)
6. The Epicurean restaurant one of only fine dining sites, now empty corner on East Blvd and Kenilworth
Good article on oldster Charlotte memories! Here are some more from a REAL old Charlottean. Do you remember:
1) Shoney’s Big Boy drive in restaurant on Morehead— THE place for teen’s cruising adventures.
2) When all of SouthPark was still part of Governor Cameron Morrison’s estate and farm, including a deer farm.
3) Starting on South Tryon Street: American Trust Company merging with nextdoor Commercial Bank becoming American Commercial Bank, then growing and becoming North Carolina National Bank, growing and becoming Nations Bank, and now one of the country’s largest banks— Bank of America.
4) The YMCA on South Tryon Street uptown.
5) When most of the people of Charlotte were native Charlotteans!
I'm thankful the Ivey's building is still uptown as a hotel and condos, and it highlights its history as a local department store with a collection of large photos inside the lobby. I miss shopping at Ivey's and eating a delicious casual lunch downstairs at Arthur's or a fancy luncheon at Tulip Terrace with a view.
Don’t forget Gus’ Sir Beef - Fresh my Farm.
Thanks for this article.
The old convention center was indeed located where EpiCenter was built. I remember going there many times; I moved to Charlotte in March 1978. It was torn down in the 2005-2006 time frame. The current convention center was built in the mid-1990s. You can see photos of both on: https://timemachine.mcmap.org/.
CityFair should have been on this list. CityFair was a collection of shops and dining spots. It was mildly popular (in the late 1980s and early 1990s) but fizzed out and was torn down after only a few years. It was located where Truist Plaza (or the Hearst Tower as I still call it) is located.
The old Duke Power Building on South Church Street (which included a barber shop) and the Charlotte Observer Building on South Tryon Street were also memorable.
Great content as always, one more to add, you might be old(er) if you remember when 485 wasn’t finished and didn’t form a complete loop around the city.
Just a point of note. The Epicenter was not built on the site of the “old” Charlotte Convention unless there was one there in the 1960s. The convention center as I’ve known it, with several upgrades, has been on South College St (and what used to be Stonewall St.) since I moved here in 1977.
LOL Colleen! Loved this.
Big Ben’s was replaced by a T-Mobile store (which has recently closed, BTW)