THE GOOD LIFE
Present-day holiday lights at Trade and Tryon.
with street-level restaurants, including fancy 5Church, with condos and a minihotel above. To the left, the exuberant marquee of the Carolina Theatre stands out, even though it’s partly obscured by “VERA LEE Junior Miss Frocks.” One of the Thin Man comedy films is playing, with snappy repartee by William Powell and Myrna Loy. The Carolina closed in 1978 during the suburban exodus, and it would stand vacant for more than 40 years. Fortunately, the Landmarks Commission stepped in again. When wrecking crews demolished the front part of the structure, HLC helped get the terra cotta façade carefully disassembled and stored.
Sometime during 2022, it’ll be reassembled in a new glass lobby as Foundation for the Carolinas remakes the theater into a glittering venue for lectures and events. If you stroll downtown to admire the holiday lights this December, you’ll see a vastly different North Tryon Street than in 1940. Shopping is almost gone, unlikely to return in the age of Amazon. But restaurants, rarities in the 1940s, abound in these blocks. The cacophony of lighted signs has vanished. But a canopy of trees now shades the sidewalks. For all its transformations, Tryon Street is once again Charlotte’s comingtogether place. Office workers and LYNX riders venture back by day; theatergo-
ers and nightclubbers converge at night. Friends visiting Charlotte? Take them for a jaunt uptown, a museum visit, a meal— especially under the holiday lights. Says Robert Krumbine of Charlotte Center City Partners, which installs the decorations these days: “Everything feels a little bigger, a little brighter—a place of warmth, wonder, and magic.”
BUILDING HISTORY is a monthly series that highlights Charlotte’s historic buildings. Tom Hanchett, a local historian since 1981, is the author of Sorting Out the New South City: Race, Class, and Urban Development in Charlotte and former staff historian at the Levine Museum of the New South. Follow him on Twitter at @historysouth.
R E AL E STAT E
Hot Listings
1113 MYRTLE AVE. $1,399,000 DILWORTH The main level of this two-story red brick home has white oak hardwood floors and 10-foot ceilings. The gourmet kitchen has custom wood cabinetry, Thermador appliances, and an oversized island with seating for four. 4 BD, 3.5 BA, 3,095 sq. ft., Helen Adams Realty, helenadamsrealty.com
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3700 BENARD AVE. $520,000 NODA High ceilings, wide hallways, and hardwood floors give character to this classic bungalow. The living room has a gas fireplace and French doors that open to the dining room. 3 BD, 2 BA, 1,567 sq. ft., Dickens Mitchener & Associates, dickensmitchener.com
437 STATE ST. $875,000 SEVERSVILLE This threestory Craftsman has a two-car garage and finished basement suited for a home gym or bonus room. The primary suite’s balcony overlooks a turf-covered, fenced backyard. 4 BD, 3.5 BA, 3,685 sq. ft., Savvy + Co., savvyandcompany.com
Homes available as of Sept. 30, 2021.
CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // DECEMBER 2021
2409 KENMORE AVE. $945,000 ELIZABETH Cobalt-blue shingles and a rocking chair front porch add charm to this arts and crafts-style home. The chef’s kitchen has stainless steel appliances, custom cabinets, and quartz countertops, and the great room opens to a screened-in porch and a stone patio. 5 BD, 3.5 BA, 2,985 sq. ft., Allen Tate Realtors, allentate.com
AUSTIN CAINE/CHARLOTTE CENTER CITY PARTNERS; COURTESY
Cozy homes near the city center. —Taylor Bowler
