Alive After Five: Every Thursday!
Jun 16, 2013
Alive After Five is every Thursday at the EpiCentre and is how the city kick-starts the weekend in style! As Charlotte’s largest weekly happy hour and free entertainment celebration, Alive After Five provides a destination for friends and co-workers to gather and unwind while enjoying great live music, tasty beverages and a fun, casual atmosphere. With its prominent location in the EpiCentre, it’s close to other great restaurants, bars and shopping, Alive After Five is the Launchpad for your summers nightlife and entertainment.
Thursday, June 6: Funky Monks
Thursday, June 13: Liquid Pleasure
Thursday, June 20: We Got the Beat/Girls Girls Girls
Thursday, June 27: 20 Ride
Thursday, July 3: Right To Party
Thursday, July 10: Same As It Ever Was
Thursday, July 18: Who's Bad
Thursday, July 25: The Breakfast Club
Thursday, August 1: Ill Communication and Wrong Way
Thursday, August 8: Early Ray
Thursday, August 15: The Waiting
Thursday, August 22: Draw the Line
Thursday, August 29: Ken Knox & Co.
Thursday, September 5: Mo Money
Thursday, September 12: Fantasy
Thursday, September 19: Trial By Fire
Thursday, September 26: Simplified
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
A Round of Cocktails
Jun 16, 2013
Creative Cocktails from around North Carolina
In my opinion, these are bad days to be a teetotaler: never before has the country seemingly been so awash in brilliant, exciting cocktails. As many of you may know, the cocktail culture has resurfaced in the United States, and North Carolina is definitely a part of it. We’re seeing new twists on old classics and places offering more than your standard vodka or gin martini. As I travel around the state selling spirits I get to see the creativity and innovation from all over the state. Here are a few standouts that I have come across this year in North Carolina. I definitely recommend stopping at any of the restaurants, bars and lounges if you are out in the state or give it a try yourself at home!
HEIST
Charlotte’s newest Contemporary brewpub in NoDa is a bold exquisite surprise that has created quite a buzz around town. Once home to the largest textile mill in Charlotte, Heist brings Charlotte award winning craft beers, wood fired specialties and interactive taste bud tantalizing shared plates. Not to mention my favorite part…the handcrafted cocktails. Heist’s mixologlist Stefan Heubner, GQ’s Magazine’s 41 Most Inspired Bartender’s in the Country created a delicious spin on an old cocktail staple…the Heisted Dark & Stormy, served in a cool Sailor Jerry tin mug.
Heisted Dark & Stormy
1.5 oz Sailor Jerry Rum
.5 oz Fresh Lime
4 oz Heist fresh Ginger Beer
Build over crushed ice in a pint glass and top with 1.5 oz Kraken Rum and garnish with Lime wheel.
Created by: Stefan Huebner
Location: 2909 N. Davidson St. S200 | Charlotte, 28205 | 704. 375.8260
BUSY BEE
The Busy Bee originally a breakfast and lunch spot opened in 1913 has been revitalized into a hip and trendy spot I frequent when I am in Raleigh. The Busy Bee is a restaurant focuses on local organic food. Their craft beer and specialty cocktails are unique and delicious! Hands down, the one standout to me is their specialty cocktail The Sting. A refreshing, yet spicy drink that is most definitely one of a kind!
The Sting
2 oz Skyy Passion Fruit Vodka
2 oz House made Sweet & Sour
Cilantro | Limes | Jalapeno Slices
Soda
Muddle jalapeno slices, lime and cilantro springs. Fill with ice, combine Skyy Passion fruit Vodka and Sweet and Sour, shake then top with Soda.
Created by: Penny Stewart
Location: 225 S Wilmington St. | Raleigh 27601 | 919. 424.7817
ARCHITECT BAR & SOCIAL HOUSE
The Architect Bar & Social House is one of Downtown Raleigh’s newest and most interesting late night locations. Located just a block east of Fayetteville street it sits in the middle of downtown’s newest hot spot. The Architect is a great place to listen to great music early in the night and stay for a great dance party. The Architect boasts a nice craft beer menu and specialty cocktail list…even a few beer cocktails like this one…
Architect Cocktail
2 oz Bird Dog Blackberry Whiskey
3.5 oz Rodenbach Grand Cru
Garnished with fresh Blackberries
Shake Bird Dog Blackberry Whiskey in a shaker with ice and pour in a chilled martini glass, top with Rodenbach Cru, garnish with blackberries.
Created by: John Martinez
Location: 108 1/2 E Hargett St. | Raleigh 27601 | 919. 833.4949
PISCES SUSHI
Jason Cheung and Bryan Li brought Charlotte something different with Pisces Sushi…a wall and bar of washed river rocks, circular entrances and the intriguing aquarium with small undulating jellyfish are just the visual aesthetics of this urbane sushi bar and lounge. The food ranging from your expected menu items such as the spider or rainbow roll to the delectable Maple Duck Breast and White Truffle Blue Fin Toro. To add to Pisces’s repertoire is there notable cocktail lineup and house infused vodkas and well as an impressive house barreled aged, 1792 Ridgemont Reserve small batch bourbon created by Charlotte’s own mixologist Bob Peters. You can find Bob behind the bar at Pisces creating rare and unique libations. A new fresh spring cocktail that you can try out at Pisces this summer is this little gem…
Sage Watermelon Gin Fizz
1.75 oz Hendrick’s Gin
.75 oz Sage Simple Syrup
2 One inch cubes of seedless watermelon (muddled)
Fill with Ginger Ale, Shake and Garnish with Sage
Created by: Bob Peters
Location: 1100 Metropolitan Ave. | Charlotte 28204 | 704. 334.0009
GIA
Drink. Eat. Listen.
GIA brings a fresh new sophisticated dining and cocktailing option to Greensboro. GIA is a 19th century modern dining experience with a variety delicious small plates ranging from "Schiacciata," Sicilian flatbread to pan seared Swordfish. Their bar consists of a wide array of wine, craft beer and their own interpretation of vintage cocktails. This gin concoction is inspired by the 1890’s gin Rickey.
Black Gin Rickey (1890’s)
2 oz Hendrick’s Gin
4 Fresh Blackberries
2-3 sprigs of fresh Mint
2 lime wedges
2 cucumber wheels
Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic
Muddle Blackberries, Mint, Lime, fill tall glass with ice, add Hendricks and top with Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic and garnish with cucumber wheels.
Created by: Nino Giaimo
Location: 1941 New Garden Rd. S208 | Greensboro 27410 | 336.907.7536
DIRTY MARTINI
The Dirty Martini in Wilmington is a stylish, sophisticated night spot with a twist. Come early to relax and lounge or mix things and dance into the late night with an upscale crowd. The Dirty Martini offers a lusty martini menu that will leave you shaken and stirred. The Dirty Martini is the perfect place to "Come Clean. Leave Dirty"! This concoction has been a popular new martini for this spring & summer featuring the new Bird Dog Blackberry Whiskey.
The Blackberry Martini
1.5 oz Bird Dog Blackberry Whiskey
.5 oz Peach Schnapps
3 oz Lemonade
Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice and pour in a chilled martini glass. Garnish with blackberries.
Created by: Darren Cansler & Kristine Turner
Location: 1904 Eastwood Rd. S109 | Wilmington 28403 | 910. 679.8050
Lauren Nguyen, Contributing Writer
On Premise Manager for Republic National Distributing Company, representing various portfolio of spirits for North Carolina.
Want to know where you can try these spirits? Want more recipes? Ideas? Have a question? Feel free to contact me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
“Lights. Camera. NASCAR.”
Jun 11, 2013
Stars Align at NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Newest Exhibit.
Facility unveils largest and most star-studded exhibit to date featuring more than 40 film-themed artifacts
The NASCAR Hall of Fame introduces its newest and largest exhibit in its three-year history, “Lights. Camera. NASCAR.” opens to the public May 17th. A never before seen look at NASCAR, the exhibit chronicles how the industry has influenced films, how NASCAR has promoted movies through sponsorship and how film has portrayed the sport’s legends over the years. With more than 40 artifacts on display, box office favorites represented include “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” Disney’s “Cars,” “Days of Thunder,” “Greased Lightning,” “Herbie Fully Loaded” and much more.
The new exhibit, located in the Great Hall within the NASCAR Hall of Fame, will open just in time for the excitement accompanying the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 18th and the Coca-Cola 600 on May 26th at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “Lights. Camera. NASCAR.” It opened on Friday, May 17th and will run through mid-October. For specific hours, visit NascarHall.com.
“This exhibit has an incredible universal appeal because movies have an extraordinary ability to connect with people of all ages and backgrounds," said Winston Kelley, Executive Director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “When you pair that fascination with the allure of NASCAR, it becomes an engaging representation of the sport’s reach that embraces five decades of entertainment. It includes movies that have captured the sport’s intensity, parodied its celebrities and benefitted from the type of national exposure that only NASCAR can provide.”
Among the 40+ artifacts that encompass items such as driver uniforms, hoods, scripts, stills and original cars, the exhibit also boasts the largest number of cars featured in the Great Hall to date. The six on display had starring roles in movies and film promotion:
• Cole Trickle’s City Chevrolet car from “Days of Thunder” (1990): Several real life NASCAR figures were the inspiration for the characters of “Days of Thunder” including Cole Trickle played by Tom Cruise, Harry Hogge played by Robert Duvall and Tim Daland played by Randy Quaid. The real life inspiration for each was driver Tim Richmond, crew chief Harry Hyde and team owner Rick Hendrick.
• Ricky Bobby’s Wonder Bread car from “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” (2006): “If you ain’t first, you’re last,” was the mantra for Will Ferrell’s character Ricky Bobby, who drove this car during filming at Rockingham Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.
• Herbie Volkswagen Beetle from “Herbie Fully Loaded” (2005): This car, complete with NASCAR racing components such as roll bars, a spoiler and racing slicks, reached speeds of more than 130 mph during filming at Auto Club Speedway in California.
• Doc Hudson car from Disney’s “Cars” (2006): The “Fabulous Hudson Hornet”-inspired car was built by Gunnar Racing, a private company in Palm Beach, Fla., as a tribute to Paul Newman and was driven at the “Cars” movie premiere at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 2006.
• 1962 Chevrolet built by Wendell Scott for “Greased Lightning” (1977): Based on the legacy of Wendell Scott, Warner Bros. commissioned Scott to build the car, which would be his last creation. To date, Scott is the only African American to win a premier series race and the first to be nominated for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
• Jeff Gordon’s Jurassic Park car “T-Rex” promoting “Jurassic Park: The Ride” (1997): Built by Hendrick engineer Rex Stump and used to promote Universal Studios new “Jurassic Park”-themed ride, the car picked up the nickname “T-Rex.” Jeff Gordon dominated the 1997 All-Star Race to make it one of the most legendary cars in NASCAR history.
Tickets to the NASCAR Hall of Fame can be purchased by calling (877) 231-2010 or at NascarHall.com. General admission is $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors and military, $12.95 for children 5-12 and free for children younger than 5. Annual Memberships are available starting at $25 for children and $50 for adults. For updates and details about the NASCAR Hall of Fame, guests can visit NascarHall.com, Facebook.com/NascarHall or follow @NascarHall on Twitter.
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Six Views on the Craft Brew
Jun 11, 2013
There couldn’t be a better time to be a beer lover in Charlotte. Since 2009, not one, not two, but six breweries have opened in the Queen City, and they are each on a mission to master the art of the brew. Each of these breweries has their own style, their own view, of what makes a great beer. What does this mean for Charlotte? It means that there is a craft beer for every occasion and every preference.
The Purely Authentic View: Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
The first brewery to open in Charlotte, Olde Meck is also the most passionate about keeping their beer pure. That means their beer is made with only four ingredients: water, malted barley or wheat, yeast, and hops. Their flagship beer, OMB Copper (Amber Ale) won EL’s BEST Ale. Copper is lagered, meaning that it has a full-flavored yet crisper, cleaner, smoother, and more refreshing beer than a beer that is not lagered. Their taproom is warm, welcoming, and authentic.
215 Southside Dr. Charlotte 28217 | 704.525.5644 | OldeMeckBrew.com
The Refreshing View: Triple C Brewing Company
The newest addition to the craft beer scene is Triple C Brewing. In a scene where higher gravity beer, more hops, and stronger flavor is all the rage, a return to a clean, consistent, and drinkable 3% or 4% craft beer is refreshing. This fresh approach has already won them several awards, including being voted BEST Brewery by EL readers’ Best of the City. Their most iconic beer is their Smoked Amber Ale. “The barbeque version of beer” has a sweet, smoky flavor and oaky finish, making this beer unique not only to the area, but unique to the country.
Triple C’s Scott Kimball has been brewing professionally for four years, but he still tries to keep a consumer’s mindset every time he brews a beer, considering what beer was like for him before he went pro. “My favorite thing about brewing is seeing people hanging out and socializing over a beer that I brewed,” Kimball shares, “and knowing that it’s the beer that is bringing them together.”
Their taproom is simply beautiful. Hardwood tables and original artwork soften the spacious warehouse, and create an amazing space. Their gated outside area, and their hours (4pm-9pm) make them family and dog friendly. “We are amazed by the repeat customers we have already,” remarks Chris Harker [co-owner, Triple C], “we’ve got some guys that come in for a beer three days a week.”
Triple C’s summer offerings include the Hyzer Hefe, the 3C IPA, and Sal’s Paradise. On June 22nd, BBQ Pitmaster Zach Goodyear, and band “Old Habits,” will be gathering from 2p-9p for some brew, barbeque, and bluegrass. See Facebook for details.
2900 Griffith St., Charlotte 28203 | 704.372.3212 | TripleCBrewery.com
The Artsy View: NoDa Brewing Company
NoDa has made a name for itself in Charlotte by being the innovative, inspiring, and eyebrow raising creators of interesting craft brew. “We, by trade, are not painters or fine artists. Beer is our art and the water is like our ‘blank canvas,” states Suzie Ford, co-owner of NoDa Brewing. EL readers voted them BEST IPA for their “Hop, Drop, and Roll IPA,” styled after the west coast India Pale Ales. Their organic coconut chocolate porter won a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival. Their summer brew features are: Monk’s Trunks, a Belgian Pale Ale; Ghost Hop, a white IPA; and NoDajito, a (very popular) mojito inspired wheat beer. Every Wednesday, about 150-200 people gather for a walk or run, and come back to the brewery for beer, food truck fare, and King of Pops local gourmet popsicles. NoDa Brewing has events seven days a week.
2229 N. Davidson St. S26 Charlotte 28205 | 704.451.1394 | NoDaBrewery.com
The Food and Brew View: Heist Brewery
What do you get when you take an award winning Chef, an award winning Brewmaster, and put them together? For the foodie and beer lover, the answer is Heaven! Chef Rob Mascone, from South Carolina, stays true to the foundations of the culinary art, but breaks every rule on the way to the plate. Brewmaster Zach Hart has won several awards for his brews—including a silver medal for his famous IPA at the Great American Beer Festival. EL readers voted Heist’s Peach Hefeweizen BEST Hefeweizen in the City. Join them for lunch, dinner, happy hour, or a late night brew—seven days a week.
2909 N. Davidson St. Charlotte 28205 | 704.375.8260 | HeistBrewery.com
The Hand-Built View: Four Friends Brewing
The Four Friends team is dedicated, if not driven; to provide quality craft beer to Charlotte citizens in its freshest possible condition. They literally BUILT their brewery in 2009 with their own hands, and from money out of our own pockets, so that they could start a craft beer scene in the Queen City. To Four Friends, Beer is King! They just released the SUNRYES Pale Ale. This modern twist on a traditional Irish Pale Ale is perfect for a hot summer day. For event updates, check their Facebook page.
10913 Office Park Dr. Charlotte 28273 | 704.233.7071 | FourFriendsBrewery.com
The Unfiltered View: Birdsong Brewing Company
The goal of Birdsong Brewing Company is to create outstanding unfiltered beer, to have a low impact on the environment, and to create personal relationships and ties to the local community. Every Wednesday at 6pm, their head brewer, Conor, takes customers on a tour and explains the Birdsong Brewing process, step by step. Birdsong’s most iconic pint is the Higher Ground IPA, and their unique Jalapeno Pale Ale is not to be missed. For summer, the best bet is the Free Will IPA, which has a floral and slightly citrusy hop aroma with a decent bitterness behind it.
2315 N. Davidson St. Charlotte 28205 | 704.332.1810 | BridSongBrewery.com
Olde Mecklenburg, Birdsong, NoDa, Triple C, and several local NC breweries, will be participating in the Whitewater Center’s “Brew Stash Bash” on June 15th. The Brew Stash Bash will have live music and starts at 11am. For more information, go to the Whitewater Center’s website: USNWC.com and search for Brew Stash Bash.
No matter the view, Charlotte’s got a craft brew for you. Happy Tasting!
Elizabeth Dickinson, Contributing Writer
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Summer Live Music 2013
Jun 11, 2013
Each summer, Charlotte's music scene blossoms with activity and diversity, bringing a wide variety of talented artists to town. This year has started with a bang for many acclaimed artists with the release of several long-awaited albums, bringing even more big-name tours through the Queen City. We've kept a close watch on the hottest venues in town and put together a list of some of this summer's highlights, including acts such as the 4th annual Jazz Fest, pop sensations The Jonas Brothers, and the 2013 Vans Warped Tour for the pop-punk crowd.
Marianas Trench with Air Dubai and Protector
Wednesday, June 5 at 6:55 p.m.
The Fillmore
Brad Paisley with Chris Young, Lee Brice, and The Henningsens
Friday, June 7 at 7 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Drop !t feat. Krewella and Le Castle Vania
Friday, June 7 at 9 p.m.
The Fillmore
Langhorne Slim with Matrimony and The Unlikely Candidates
Saturday, June 8 at 8 p.m.
The Fillmore
Earth, Wind & Fire
Sunday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
Passion Pit with Cults
Thursday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
Face to Face - Tribute to Billy Joel & Elton John
Friday, June 14 at 9 p.m.
The Fillmore
The xx with Grizzly Bear
Saturday, June 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
New Kids on the Block with 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men
Wednesday, June 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Arena
Heart with Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience
Friday, June 21 at 7 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
4th Annual Uptown Charlotte Jazz Fest
Friday, June 21 and 22 at 7 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
Fleetwood Mac
Monday, June 24 at 8 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Arena
Big Time Rush and Victoria Justice
Tuesday, July 9 at 7 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Luke Bryan with Thompson Square and Florida Georgia Line
Friday, July 12 at 7 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
O.A.R. with Andrew McMahon and Allen Stone
Saturday, July 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
Bad Company with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Black Stone Cherry
Saturday, July 13 at 7 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Marilyn Manson with Picture Me Broken
Monday, July 15 at 8 p.m.
The Fillmore
311 with Cypress Hill and G. Love & Special Sauce
Wednesday, July 17 at 6:30 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Hollywood Undead with Escape the Fate
Friday, July 19 at 6:30 p.m.
The Fillmore
Willie Colon
Saturday, July 20 at 9 p.m.
The Fillmore
The Black Crowes with Tedeschi Trucks Band and The London Souls
Sunday, July 21 at 6:30 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
Dave Matthews Band with John Butler Trio
Wednesday, July 24 at 7 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Barenaked Ladies with Ben Folds Five, Boothby Graffoe, and Guster
Thursday, July 25 at 7 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
Keith Urban with Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch
Thursday, July 25 at 7 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Lil' Wayne with T.I. and 2 Chainz
Friday, July 26 at 7 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Bruce in the USA - A Bruce Springsteen Tribute
Friday, July 26 at 9 p.m.
The Fillmore
Beyonc HYPERLINK "http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/100808/how-to-type-spanish-letters-and-accents-"é
Saturday, July 27 at 8 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Arena
Vans Warped Tour, feat. Hawthorne Heights, Forever the Sickest Kids, Motion City Soundtrack, and more
Monday, July 29 at 11:30 a.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Train with The Script and Gavin DeGraw
Tuesday, July 30 at 7 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Jonas Brothers
Tuesday, July 30 at 7 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
Kenny Chesney with Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves
Thursday, August 1 at 7 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Matchbox Twenty with Goo Goo Dolls and Kate Earl
Tuesday, August 6 at 7 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
American Idol Live!
Thursday, August 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Arena
The Cult
Saturday, August 10 at 8 p.m.
The Fillmore
Smash Mouth with Sugar Ray, Fastball, Gin Blossoms, and Vertical Horizon
Sunday, August 11 at 7 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
Ke$ha with Mike Posner
Thursday, August 15 at 7 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
OneRepublic with CHURCHILL and Mayer Hawthorne
Friday, August 16 at 7 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
Slightly Stoopid with Grouch & Eligh, Tribal Seeds, Atmosphere, and The Budos Band
Saturday, August 17 at 6:29 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
Bruno Mars
Wednesday, August 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Arena
Miranda Lambert with Dierks Bentley, Randy Rogers Band, and Gwen Sebastian
Friday, August 23 at 7 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Sound Tribe Sector 9 with Umphrey's Mcgee
Wednesday, August 28 at 7 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
The Allman Brothers Band with Steve Winwood
Saturday, August 31 at 6:30 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Muse
Tuesday, September 3 at 7 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Arena
John Mayer with Phillip Phillips
Wednesday, September 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Kid Rock with ZZ Top and Uncle Kracker
Tuesday, September 10 at 6:45 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Maroon 5 with Kelly Clarkson and Tony Lucca
Wednesday, September 11 at 7 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
The National with Frightened Rabbit
Wednesday, September 11 at 8 p.m.
The Fillmore
Rebelution with Matisyahu
Thursday, September 12 at 7 p.m.
The Fillmore
Steely Dan
Tuesday, September 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
Sarah Hudson, Entertainment Contributor
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Live Performances in Charlotte
Jun 11, 2013
As home to the Northwest School of Arts and the Art Institute, it's no wonder Charlotte is host to a diverse range of live arts performances. Over the course of summer, there are plenty of events at venues such as Ovens Auditorium and Knight Theater, with several well-renowned productions coming through town. Of these, you'll find shows that range from light-hearted renditions of beloved TV shows and films, thought-inducing dramas, and plays on fantasy. No matter whether you're looking for a family night or an evening on the town, our theaters have a lot to offer!
Catch Me If You Can
If you've ever dreamed of reclaiming your youth and running away to create a brand new, glamorous life for yourself, then Catch Me If You Can is perfect for fulfilling that fantasy. The story follows a teenage boy by the name of Frank Abagnale, who runs away to claim notoriety, fortune, and the girl he's always dreamed of by posing as a variety of characters – including a pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer. As one might expect, along the way he runs into trouble with the FBI and becomes a man on the run, leading viewers to wonder – will he pull through? The show consists of high energy, smart choreography, poppy song numbers, and a character you'll be rooting for until the very end.
Catch Me If You Can opens on Friday, June 7 at 8 p.m. at the Belk Theater and runs through Sunday, June 9.
Northwest School of the Arts presents: The Color Purple
The Color Purple, based on the award winning novel by Alice Walker, follows a young, African-American girl by the name of Celie, who has lived a hard and oppressed life at the hands of her abusive father and, later, her husband. The story takes place in the Deep South, chronicling the racism and sexism the characters face – and how they overcome it. As the first high school to earn the rights to perform the Broadway version of The Color Purple, the Northwest School of the Arts more than just does the production justice, utilizing the opportunity to showcase their passion and their natural talent. Not only is the school one of only two schools with the rights to the play, but they are also allowed to use props from the original Broadway production. Students sing and dance in southern 1930's period dress, so practiced and convincing that it is hard to believe they are not already on Broadway.
The show will open on Sunday, June 16 at 4 p.m. at Ovens Auditorium.
The Broadway Dolls
Mixing the classics with the contemporary, from 1960's influences to modern pop to classic show tunes, The Broadway Dolls put on a show that anyone can enjoy. Composed of performers from hit Broadway musicals, The Broadway Dolls are a talented group of women who can sing and dance in a variety of styles. Numbers consist of anything from ballet routines, Lady Gaga songs mashed up with a retro edge, modern choreography from the latest pop sensations, tap dance, and songs from productions such as The Wizard of Oz, providing a show that is both sensual and classy.
The Broadway Dolls will be at the McGlohon Theater for one night only on Saturday, June 22 at 8 p.m.
Cirque du Soleil: Quidam
Renowned troupe Cirque du Soleil will be returning to Charlotte with their classic show Quidam, a journey that blends fantasy with remarkable acrobatics and an imagination that artistically conveys the world of the young, lonely Zoé. In true Cirque du Soleil fashion, Quidam employs a talented cast of 52 acrobats, musicians, and actors to portray these larger-than-life characters, performing jaw-dropping feats from the graceful aerial contortion in silk to juggling to Spanish webs. What sets Quidam apart and brings viewers in is the use of modern, everyday clothing and traits in the performers, allowing the audience to imagine the possibilities and come to understand that seeing is believing.
Quidam will open on Wednesday, July 3 at 7:30 p.m. at Time Warner Cable Arena and will play through Sunday, July 7.
The Lion King
It's been six years since The Lion King has made an appearance in Charlotte, but the acclaimed Broadway production is returning August 6 at the Belk Theater! Experience the Disney classic from a new perspective, from the cleverly designed set and vivid colors mimicking the great pride lands to the culturally inspired costumes, bringing beauty and drama to the beloved characters. Performers don stilts and masks to complete the look and move with grace, evoking their token animals so clearly through each motion and dance that it will take your breath away. Songs performed include the renowned opening sequence “The Circle of Life” as well as “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” All in all, The Lion King is perfect for any lover of theater, whether young or old.
The Lion King opens Tuesday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m. and will run through Sunday, September 1.
I Love Lucy Live On Stage
If you're nostalgic for the golden years of Hollywood – or are looking for a family-friendly night on the town – then the production of I Love Lucy by Blumenthal Performing Arts is an ideal pick. The show completely immerses you in the 50's, from the show's beloved characters – Lucy, Ricky, Fred, and Ethel – to the replication of vintage commercials and lively jingles. To top it off, the show portrays two episodes of the original I Love Lucy show, the actors and actresses perfectly capturing the characters we've all come to know and love! All in all, I Love Lucy Live on Stage is a terrific way to time travel – or just escape.
The show will open on Wednesday, August 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the Knight Theater and will play through Sunday, August 18.
~ Sarah Hudson
Entertainment Contributor
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Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
indie GLO
Jun 11, 2013
CAPTIVATE and [[crEAte]] have joined forces to collaborate on the event of the summer. Providing Charlotte and surrounding areas something that it's never seen before! A fashionable event in support of the 5K Electric Run coming to Charlotte in July at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
It’s a high end, high energy experience with a glow concept. Cirque Du Soleil meets a GLÖ concept. Located at LABEL; one of Charlotte's newest and hottest clubs with some insanely good music and drinks. Sure to be one of Charlotte’s largest events with an extreme twist. The event will be held on July 20th at LABEL, located at the NC Music Factory.
Attendees should expect to see amazing art and stunts performed by aerialists, stilt walkers, glow in the dark models, contortionists, body painters, go-go dancers and more. This event will cater to Charlotte's young professionals with over 3,500 attendees. The first 300 people in the door will receive swag bags and the guest who comes with the best “glo” will win the prize of the evening. GLÖ is sure not to disappoint in the realm of unique events with a huge turnout. Two guest DJ’s are slated to make a special appearance. This interactive show will be one to remember.
Steve Caldwell, Publisher
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Friday LIVE!
Jun 11, 2013
Bud Light Friday Summer Concert Series at NC Music Factory event Fridays in June from 6 pm - 10 pm. Friday LIVE! at the Factory is Charlotte's largest weekend kickoff party! Tickets include admission to The Saloon, OSSO, Wet Willies, Small Bar, Label, Saddle Up Saloon, VGBG Beer Hall and Garden and Mattie’s Diner. A portion of the proceeds from Friday Live! will benefit Amped for a Cure.
Friday LIVE! is presented by Charlotte Center City Partners Bud Light, Hendrick MINI, Clear Channel Radio, Creative Loafing, Red Bull, DFV Wines, Primo Cards and Kinky Liqueur.
JUNE SCHEDULE:
Modern English on Friday, June 7
Modern English is an English rock band best remembered for their songs "I Melt with You," "Hands Across the Sea," and "Ink and Paper". The group disbanded for a period in 1991, but later recorded in 1995 with some new members. The original members reformed in 2009 and are currently touring with plans for a new release in 2013!
Yacht Rock Revue on Friday, June 14
The Greatest Show on Surf and the finest tribute to ‘70s light rock to ever perform anywhere. Ever. Their spot-on renditions of Hall & Oates, Michael McDonald, Steely Dan, and the rest of the Time-Life Infomercial Catalog have enthralled fans across the United States. It goes without saying they have taken their act to the high seas, performing showcase sets on music cruises with Weezer, Kid Rock, Train, Zac Brown Band, Sister Hazel, and fitness guru Jillian Michaels.
Cowboy Mouth with Jon Linker Band on Friday, June 21
The term 'Cowboy Mouth' has been used in the poetry of Shakespeare and Bob Dylan as well as a play by Patti Smith and Sam Shepard. Usually meaning one with a loud and raucous voice, it describes the band well. With over 2500 concerts under their belt and many years of reviews lauding their live show, there is still one quote which best captures their show….. "...on a bad night they'll tear the roof off the joint and on a good night, they'll save your soul." Cake Magazine
Cracker with American Aquarium on Friday, June 28
Alt-rock icons Cracker have signed with 429 Records and are preparing to unleash a collection of new songs, SUNRISE IN THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY. Long-time musical co-horts David Lowery and Johnny Hickman have teamed up again with drummer Frank Funaro and bassist Sal Maida and along with stellar producer David Barbe (Drive By Truckers), have created a uniquely eclectic trove of new tunes. Well-worn words used to describe their sound—brash, irreverent, sharp-witted, anthemic and riveting—all descriptives are in full-effect on the new project that bursts with their trademark rock, punk, glam, surf and country aesthetic. Friends John Doe, Patterson Hood and Adam Duritz also make spirited guest turns on SUNRISE..
Tickets can be purchased at NCMusicFactory.com
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Flip My House
Jun 11, 2013
CBS Radio and Superior Walls of North Carolina present FLIP MY HOUSE. You will have a chance to win a “Total Home Makeover” worth $100,000! Do you think your home needs a makeover? It couldn’t be easier to register; simply go to CBSCharlotte.com and send them a photo of your home and explain why your home deserves to be the winner of the $100,000 makeover.
This “Total Home Makeover” wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for all the great businesses that CBS Radio has partnered up with. Below are details about each company and the products and services they offer.
Superior Walls of North Carolina
The foundation is the first thing built in your new home, but often it’s not the first thing on your mind. It should be. The Superior Walls system is the revolutionary alternative to centuries-old building techniques. The process begins with your custom design and ends with your pre-insulated basement, ready to become valuable added living space.
Building with the industry's leading precast foundation wall systems can help increase the value of your home by adding valuable additional living space. Superior Walls are fast and efficient, providing savings on new home construction cost by utilizing an energy efficient product. They offer precast concrete wall products to fit a variety of foundations and above grade project applications.
3570 S. Main St., Salisbury 28147
704.636.6200 | SuperiorWallsNC.com
ATLANTIC CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS
Atlantic Construction Solutions offers you the strength and experience required from a professional roofing contractor. They strive to provide the highest quality roofing because their loyalty is to their customers. They are a licensed and insured business and the work is under warranty. Your home will increase in value with the quality of work Atlantic Construction Solutions provides. If you want professional service from a trusted business that is locally owned and operated, don’t look anywhere else. With excellent customer service and attention to detail, Atlantic Construction Solutions brings extraordinary quality work to your home. They are not satisfied unless you are!
5015 West W. T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte 28269
704.598.0555 | ACSCharlotte.com
Garage Door Guru
Charlotte area's premier commercial and residential garage door company for sales, service, and installation is the Garage Door Guru. Three generations of Cardone's have installed and maintained garage doors and openers. Paul, your Garage Door Guru, is committed to providing you a fast, reliable and top quality garage door service, repair and installation source. The Garage Door Guru installs and services garage doors in Charlotte, NC and surrounding areas. Since opening for business in 2001, his skills, hard work, and customer service have made the Garage Door Guru the #1 garage door company to call in the Charlotte area.
2210 Hawkins St., Charlotte 28203
704.661.9070 | GoGarageDoorGuru.com
Southend Home Improvement
The Southend Home Improvement team has built their company on one simple principle: providing quality work while constantly striving for unsurpassed customer service and communication with our clients. With over 50 combined years in the homebuilding industry, Southend Home Improvement has the knowledge and experience to take your project from beginning to end. As a licensed general contractor, they are bonded and insured to provide an extra level of comfort making you feel at ease no matter your project size, big or small.
101 Freeland Ln., Charlotte 28217
704.527.8553 | SouthendInc.com
Charlotte Mechanical
They have been taking care of Charlotte’s Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Plumbing needs for more than 20 years. Customer satisfaction is Charlotte Mechanical’s most important asset and remains their only goal, as you can see the results of their work by looking over the many testimonials on their site. Their quick, reliable, friendly, knowledgeable staff is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are very competitive in the Charlotte market and offer $59 ANYTIME Comfort Calls and they offer Simplified Plumbing and HVAC Service Plans and Customer Care Agreements as well.
1624 Cross Beam Dr., Charlotte 28217
704.847.1198 | CharlotteMechanical.com
Charlotte Flooring and Design
Charlotte Flooring and Design was founded in 2005 in Charlotte, NC. Their team is composed of knowledgeable, dedicated specialists with years of experience in the flooring industry. They know that you are not just looking for a great price on flooring, but a true specialist to install it. Their professional staff can install pre-finished, unfinished and custom hardwood flooring, hardwood staircases, tile flooring and laminate flooring.
Looking to update or replace flooring in your bathroom, kitchen, play room or dining room? Not sure where to start? Whether you are looking for eco-friendly, green flooring, durability or value, our experts can assist you in picking out the perfect flooring to meet your needs. Charlotte Flooring and Design is open 7 days a week to answer your flooring questions and give you valuable expert advice for picking out your flooring material. They stand behind their work with the best installation warranty in the industry.
2727 Interstate St., Charlotte 28208
704.391.9845 | CharlotteFloor.com
Greenspring Energy
Founded in 2007, their goal has been to permanently reduce their customer's utility bills through a unique combination of solar energy systems and energy saving products and services. Greenspring Energy sells and installs Solar Electric Systems, Solar Hot Water Heaters, Kohler Back Up Generators, tank-less Water Heaters, and Day lighting Systems. Solar and Energy Efficiency are…simply put, very smart investments that offer guaranteed returns for years. You can save for years and eliminate worries of unpredictable future utility rate increases with solar and energy saving products from Greenspring Energy.
4324 Barringer Dr. S108, Charlotte 28218
704.525.6767 | GreenspringEnergy.com
ASG Security
ASG Security understands you want more than just a security system. You want an easy to use, affordable, smart security system for your home. That's why they offer the industry's first self-contained home alarm and home automation system for the Charlotte, NC homeowner. You can arm your alarm system and secure your home from any PC, web enabled smart phone or tablet. Lock and unlock your front door with the touch of a key fob.
Forget to turn off the coffee maker? Want to dim the lights in your home or start the oven from your office? Want to receive email or text alerts when a restricted area of your home such as a medicine or gun cabinet is accessed? It's all possible with the most technologically advanced home security and home automation system from ASG Security.
3420 St. Vardell Ln. SA, Charlotte 28217
704.602.5909 | ASGSecurity.com
Tyndall Furniture Galleries
They have been the premier provider for upscale, affordable furniture for the Charlotte area for over 28 years. Tyndall Furniture Galleries invites you to visit one of their five greater Charlotte furniture galleries and see their beautiful, stylish and quality collection first hand. Along with exceptional service, their furniture stores in the Charlotte area offer un-matched customer service and expert interior design recommendation. They have furniture for every room in your house. You can contact Tyndall Furniture Galleries for a one-on-one consultation in one of our upscale Charlotte area furniture stores today!
Multiple Locations | TyndallFurniture.com
Southend Benjamin Moore
As an independently owned store Southend Benjamin Moore can offer you a level of service you thought no longer existed while supporting your local community. They are proud to deliver the kind of specialized attention and help that you simply won’t find in larger chain stores. Their store professionals are trained specialists whose experience and helpful advice will ensure the success of every project. You’ll also find an array of superior quality products, including premium Benjamin Moore® paints and stains, for all of your projects, simplifying your shopping to one convenient stop – their store!
1443 South Blvd., Charlotte 28203
980.207.2164 | SouthendBenjaminMoore.com
Impact Design Resources
As seen on "Extreme Home Makeover" with Ty Pennington Impact Design Resources have embraced “custom” projects for over ten years with a CAN DO attitude and affordable pricing on Cabinetry, and Custom Closets with local specialty manufacturing! Working with their clients directly or through treasured trade partners, Impact Design Resources desires to become your home’s IMPACT design resources, inside and out.
305 Foster Ave. S200, Charlotte 28203
704-778-6814 | ImpactDesignResources.com
Imagine you’re coming home from work, turning onto your street and seeing the new siding from South End Home Improvement and your perfect roof from Atlantic Construction Company; Your home looks like a completely different house! You hit the button and your Garage Guru Garage door opens. What a way to come home! Step inside onto the beautiful new flooring from Charlotte Flooring and Design, and then disarm your new alarm from ASG. Your home is the perfect temperature thanks to a the HVAC system from Charlotte Mechanical and because of the Solar Power from Greenspring Energy, your whole house is going to be greener and cost less to power. Set down your things on your new cabinetry from Impact Design Resources and begin to really relax. Take a seat on your new Tyndall Furniture in your favorite room freshly painted by Benjamin More. It’s your house…only way better!
Steve Caldwell, Publisher
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Electric Run
Jun 11, 2013
Electric Run™ is a 5k run, show, participation art, and a celebration of life. Incredibly talented artists and lighting technicians with experience creating beautiful art and light works at Coachella, DreamWorks Animations, Disney, and some of Vegas’ hottest shows have come together to create a world that will fill you with wonder. It will be here in Charlotte on Friday, June 26th at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Participation Art / What to Wear
The Electric Run is a show; the course is the set and the participants are the cast! Come let your light shine and your creative juices flow. Add your own creative spark by dressing up in other-worldly costumes that glow, shine, blink, and dazzle. Show them all what you’ve got!
Lighting Elements
The Electric Run travels to nearly 40 cities across the country, from Seattle to San Diego and from Boston to Miami. Each course will have 5-10 distinct lighting experiences which will include different artistic elements and different moods. Some will be very energetic others will be more ethereal. Their in-house DJ’s will be working with their Art and Lighting Directors to create custom mixes that work with the visual mood in each world.
Each event is unique. Depending on the event you participate in you may experience many of the following:
• Glowing neon trees changing colors to match the music
• Tunnels with dancing patterns and figures on the walls, ceilings, and floors
• Tunnels of light created by a rainbow of lasers
• Glowing arches and columns
• Glowing arches changing color in tempo
• Colored fountains dancing to the beat
• Entire buildings lit so brightly that they can be seen from space
• And so much more.
Whatever event you participate in, we promise that it will transport you to a new world of light and sound™ unlike anything you’ve ever seen or experienced.
You can participate as an individual, or gather your friends together and participate as a team of 4 or more. Teams save $5 per person.
Individual Runners/Walkers
55.00 Per person until 11:59 pm July 4th
60.00 Per person until 11:59 pm July 18th
70.00 Per person until the day of the event
Teams of 4 or more
50.00 Per person until 11:59 pm July 4th
55.00 Per person until 11:59 pm July 18th
65.00 Per person until the day of the event
You can sign up at Active.com, just search for Electric Run.
In addition to an incredible event with a stunning one of a kind light show, participants will receive these high quality items:
• High quality cotton-poly event shirts custom designed by Neff. Shirts come in men’s and women’s cuts (that’s right ladies, no baggy boy shirts for you!)
• LED bracelet
• Glow necklace
• Glow sunglasses
Finish Line Celebration
The lights and sounds will kick up a notch as you cross the finish line. Neon trees, glowing arches, lasers, glowing beach balls and other lighting effects will all dance to the music celebrating your return. Stay and dance as long as you like as DJs will mix the latest EDM tunes from the main stage.
Steve Caldwell, Publisher
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Chelsea Bain
Jun 11, 2013
THE ALL-AMERICAN COUNTRY GIRL THAT THE BUZZ IS ALL ABOUT!
If you don’t recognize our “Cover Girl” Chelsea Bain, you soon will. She is an up and coming Country Music Artist. We had a last minute opportunity of meeting her, and having the pleasure of her to be on our June issue. A big thanks to Jim Merrill with JMT Photographer and Erica Arcilesi with Salon e Arcilesi for clearing their schedule to make it happen!
Chelsea Bain is as comfortable on a horse as she is on a motorcycle racing through the Arizona desert, and the 10-time equestrian champion approaches her career as a singer/songwriter with the fire of an athlete. Her fiery, up-tempo new single, “James Dean,” just shipped to country radio.
It was written by Luke Sheets and Kata Rhe Gillespie, the new release fits Chelsea like she had written it herself and is the first single on Jobe Entertainment. Chelsea’s new album is being produced by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stan Lynch and Billy Chapin, who were also the creative team behind Don Henley’s upcoming release.
Where Chelsea is most comfortable is on stage dazzling crowds with her explosive performances. Rare for any artist – let alone a new country artist – Chelsea is firmly entrenched in the auto racing world, spending close to 30 weekends a year performing on the Coca Cola stage at NASCAR and NHRA races.
This past week, Chelsea and her band headed to Charlotte for NASCAR’s premiere Speed Street events, beginning with a performance at The North Carolina Lottery 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race on Friday, May 17th then they performed at the NASCAR All Star Race on the 18th and additional performances and events lead up to a performance prior to the Coca Cola 600 Sprint Cup Race on Sunday, May 26th.
Chelsea is very busy aside from performing at 22 NASCAR Sprint Cup Races this year; she is developing her own apparel line and retail branding initiative. She is launching a branding relationship with Bass Pro Shops. She is being featured musically on ISC's Motor Racing Network, and weekly e-blasts to more than 4 million NASCAR fans through The Official NASCAR Members Club. She has licensed her music for broadcasts of NASCAR, the NFL, MLB, & the NHL Stanley Cup Play-Offs on FOX, SPEED TV, DIRECTV, and FSN.
To learn more about Chelsea, or keep up with tour dates, hear her music and more, visit ChelseaBainMusic.com. You can follow her on You Tube at ChelseaInterrupted, on Facebook at ChelseaBainMusic, and on Twitter @ChelseaBain.
Steve Caldwell, Publisher
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Charlotte Roller Girls: One Kick Butt League
Jun 11, 2013
The 2013 Sports season has started for our very own sports team! Not the Bobcats, um Hornets, not the Panthers…no, not the Checkers either. It’s the season for The Queen City’s own Charlotte Roller Girls to whip it (pun intended) into action. A league all its own, this sport has all of the best classic sports league elements, Refs, Fans, Stats and not to mention it’s a full on organization, probably better organized than the NFL and NBA put together. The amazing part is one key element no other athletic league or association can claim….they’re all superheroes. You read right, SUPERHEROES! In that these women lead completely different full time lives off the track.
Okay, so maybe we should back it up a bit and give a brief outline of how the sport works. Roller derby takes place on a flat skate track. The game is played in two 30 minute periods and is a series of races between two teams of five players – three Blockers, one Pivot and one Jammer (scorer). Each play is called a jam and lasts up to two minutes. The Jammer is the only player able to score points. Their goal is to become the first player to legally pass all opposing players in the pack. Blockers attempt to stop the other team’s Jammer while propelling their own forward. The Pivots act like the pace car in a NASCAR race and control the speed of the pack while also acting as a blocker. Even though a bout may appear to be a no-holds-barred free-for-all, the sport is governed by a strict set of rules.
Our Charlotte Roller Girls (CLTRG) league is comprised of two inter-league teams, the All-Stars and the B-Dazzlers, team placement is based on skill level. An athletically-focused organization, CLTRG was established in 2006 and admitted in June 2011 as a Full Member League of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). Roller Girls may be theatrical and highly individual, but first and foremost they are athletes and team players. While speaking with some of the All Stars and B-Dazzlers, I learned one main factor they’d like to convey to those not in the know about the derby…they are ATHLETES, not a movie version of girls in fishnets and glitter, this is a tough sport that takes endurance and dedication. Yea, you may see some fishnets and glitter, but it’s more a reflection of the individuals’ personality and flair than it is necessary to barrel through opposing players.
Now back to why these players are modern day superheroes….Wonder women if you will. Chris “Tasty Murder” Armstrong, a mother, a B-Dazzler co-captain with the league for 2 years, works full time at a Pediatric rehab center tenderly caring for children by day, and competing fiercely in derby by day, night and in between; also she’s the Head of Events within the league itself. Genea “Just Swan” Swan, didn’t don a name, she’s “Just Swan”, also a B-Dazzler, she is a housewife and mother of 2. Just Swan handles Public Relations for the teams; she also juggles her time between her day life and derby life. Lorissa “Give em Hell Vetica” joined the B-Dazzlers in 2011 all the way from South Africa (and UK) is a Jammer and part of the Marketing team as well as a League Liaison. Hell Vetica is the owner of her own web design company. Lastly, I spoke with Meredith “Hellin Felon” Leber a Blocker and Jammer, is an All Star who has been with the team since 2006 and is now the Vice President of the CLTRG’s, she also works full time for leading business Technology Company. She summed up well, the overall consensus that “this is a REAL sport; they are REAL athletes, who are as diverse within the team as they are in their everyday professions, and are wholly committed to derby, family, fans and their community”. Being skater-operated means that they do everything from websites and promotions to bout posters and community service; dedicated to our community they offer support through volunteerism, donations, and partnerships with local charitable organizations. They work with numerous charities year-round and a portion of proceeds from home bouts supports local causes.
They look tough (and they are fierce on the track) but when the skates come off, they are our neighbors. Living and working among us. They find time to do what is necessary and do what they love…derby. A well-oiled machine, our Charlotte Roller Girls are an impressive force to be reckoned with. Thanks to the efforts of their dedicated organization comprised of skaters, officials and volunteers, your derby experience is sure to be high excitement and high energy. They are Fiercely Competitive. Community Focused, they are your Charlotte Roller Girls. So support your team and check ‘em out.
You Only Die Once.
Charlotte Roller Girls
charlotterollergirls.com |F|T
~Teka Rose
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Charlotte Hounds
Jun 11, 2013
The Charlotte Hounds were announced as a Major League Lacrosse expansion team in January 2011 and began play in April 2012 at historic American Legion Memorial Stadium. In their first season, the Hounds averaged 5,700 in attendance and finished with a 5-9 record as an expansion team. The 2013 season began April 27 featuring seven regular-season home games, as well as the 2013 MLL All-Star Game presented by Moe’s Southwest Grill.
Charlotte Hounds Upcoming Home Schedule:
Saturday, June 8 vs. Ohio Machine 7:00pm Game Time
Saturday, June 15 vs. Boston Cannons 7:00pm Game Time
Saturday, June 22 vs. Chesapeake Bayhawks 5:30pm Game Time
Saturday, July 13 MLL ALL-STAR GAME 7:00pm Game Time
Saturday, July 20 vs. New York Lizards 4:00pm Game Time
Saturday, August 3 vs. Hamilton Nationals 7:00pm Game Time
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster by visiting charlottehounds.com/tickets or calling 704-206-1515. Pro-rated season tickets for the five remaining regular-season home games and MLL All-Star Game start at just $48, while single-game tickets are available starting at $10 per seat.
Upcoming Promotions:
*June 15 is Yelp! Night, featuring a Sam Adams look-a-like contest.
*July 20 is Autism Speaks Night
*August 3 is Breast Cancer Awareness/Pink Night
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
High-Flying Zip Line
Jun 11, 2013
Canopy tours may seem like something only a tropical and far-off locale can offer, but did you know there’s a high-flying zip line adventure right here in North Carolina? Navitat Canopy Adventures in Asheville, NC, launched its fourth season in March and is excited for a great year of tree-adventure experiences!
The course itself is unique and innovative, so it’s only fitting that the name of the business is a novel one, too! Navitat is a blend of two words and means “to navigate the forest habitat in a unique and different way.”
Called “one of the best in the nation” by USA Today, and mentioned as a “must-do in Asheville” by the New York Times, Navitat’s course is a spectacular three hour experience which features rappelling, hiking, and zip lining. The fully guided 100-percent tree based tour showcases the beauty of North Carolina’s majestic Blue Ridge Mountains.
Navitat specializes in high-adventure zip line tours with an emphasis on educating guests about the natural environment, history, and culture of the surrounding area. Because of this desire to teach and inspire, Navitat pairs one guide to every four participants to ensure the most intimate active-participation.
Tour highlights include: Ten exhilarating zip lines, ranging from 120 to 1100 feet long, soaring more than 200 feet above the forest floor with some reaching speeds up to forty miles per hour! Three short hikes break up the zip lining action and provide further opportunities for forest exploration. Also included are two rappelling experiences from as high up as 35 feet from a tree and two sky bridges up to 200 feet long and 40 feet high.
Throughout the tour, guests experience breathtaking long range views of the surrounding mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and feel totally immersed in the quiet beauty of the Appalachian forest.
Navitat is a busy place so far in 2013. Along with the day-to-day operations, the Navitat team has been working hard building a brand new tour for 2014! Abby Burt, Branding and Marketing Director for Navitat, says it will be “unlike any other zip line adventure in the country.” How’s that for anticipation?
Construction begins this spring on the new mountaintop-to-mountaintop zip experience. With zip lines between 2,000 and 3,500 feet in length and at heights of more than 400 feet, the tour will provide mouth-gaping 360-degree views of the surrounding Black Mountains, Craggy Mountains, Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah National Forest.
"This is a massive project, and when it's complete it will be a massive new experience for our guests. We can't wait," Burt said.
If you’ve ever wanted to feel the wind in your hair like Tarzan and experience the rush of flying through the trees, now you can. Tours run daily through the end of November and reservations are required. Tour price is $89 per person on weekdays and $99 on weekends. For ages 10 and up and for all experience levels. Visit http://www.navitat.com or call 1-855-NAVITAT (855-628-4828) to book your tour.
NAVITAT SPECIAL DISCOUNTS IN 2013
WNC RESIDENTS: Residents of the 23 westernmost counties in North Carolina who book Tuesday tours receive a 15-percent discount on the regular tour price. An ID showing proof of residency is required.
EAST TENNESSEE & UPSTATE SC RESIDENTS: Residents of the 33 easternmost counties in Tennessee and the 10 counties in northwestern South Carolina who book Wednesday tours receive a 15-percent discount on the regular tour price. An ID showing proof of residency is required.
ACTIVE MILITARY & GROUP: Active military members and their immediate families and groups of eight or more receive a 10-percent discount on the regular weekday or weekend tour price.
Other great local outdoor adventures to experience this summer:
The US National Whitewater Center is another great place to play, relax, and learn. They offer over 24 activities like kayaking, mountain biking, and rock climbing, live music and outdoor festivities, and summer camps for kids, families, or individuals. http://usnwc.org/ 5000 Whitewater Center Parkway | Charlotte, NC 28214 | 704.391.3900 | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Crowder’s Mountain State Park is a popular hiking destination in Gaston County. Wander the trails through the rolling landscape of the North Carolina Piedmont. Crowder’s is the second highest point in the county and offers views that stretch for more than 25 miles. Great for a day trip with friends! http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/crmo/main.php 522 Park Office Lane, Kings Mountain, NC 28086 | (704) 853-5375 | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Canaan Zip Line Canopy Tour in Rock Hill, SC, is only miles from Charlotte and offers many exciting outdoor adventures and retreat opportunities. http://www.canaanzipline.com | 803-327-6932
Hawksnest Zipline is located in Seven Devils, NC, between Boone and Banner Elk and has over 20 zip lines. http://hawksnestzipline.com/default.php 828-963-6561
Mecklenburg County Parks & Recreation website is a great resource for all types of outdoor activities to do this summer. Hiking, boating, camping, fishing, and more! http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/ParkandRec/Athletics/Outdoors/Pages/default.aspx
Corinna Kahn, Contributing Writer
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Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
The Beer Store(s)
Jun 11, 2013
There seems to be an epidemic of beverage stores popping up in Charlotte whose focus is on one type of beverage. These stores are unique establishments that specialize in selling, (surprise) BEER! However these establishments do not simply stock their shelves with Michelob Ultra and Bud light. The average beverage store stocks nearly 200 different varieties of local, domestic, and foreign brews. Similar to wine bars, these beer focused stores contain rows of different brands of brew but feature tables and couches as well. I visited three stores in the Charlotte area.
Carolina Beer Temple is located at 131-1C Matthews Station in Matthews across from the town hall. Clever owner Rob Jacik is a former Microsoft employee who decided to do something a bit a bit different and opened the store early May. Rob allows his patrons to bring in food and even have delivered if necessary. Try the Kostel Rouge and the Son of a Peach. Both are great Summer time beverages. The store sits about 30 people with some outdoor seating as well. Even more impressive is Rob’s knowledge of all things beer and as well as North Carolina distribution law. Customers Jason and
Christy Kurtz expressed to me how thrilled they are to have the store in Matthews. “Definitely better than driving all the way to NoDa, Matthews needed a place like this” said Jason. “Great place!” said Christy.
Good Bottle in Southend at 125 Remount Road is a bit larger and has already has a loyal following from all over Charlotte and when you walk in you can see why, It’s literally overwhelming. Chris Hunt the owner is a locally well known expert in brewery and it seems he developed a place that purposefully gives off the feel of a Hogwarts School for learning about Beer (not in a pretentious way). Armed with twelve taps and considerably larger than its counterpart in Matthews; Good Bottle boast brews from local Charlotte, regional and national brewers. Tucked in Southend not far from already well known establishments such as Mac’s Speed Shop, World of Beer and Common Market, Good Bottle is already a must see stop when bar hopping. You can enjoy your choice of bottles, cans, growlers, draft pints and draft half pints. You would just be cheating yourself if you don’t try the NoDa Coco Loco. Notice the presence of locally brewed beers like IPA and Free Will Pale Ale from local Charlotte Birdsong Brewery.
Brawley’s Beverage is at 4620 Park Road. They even boast a nonalcoholic brew for dogs. This place is definitive “Old Skool”. The building is small and older but if you need a keg…Brawley’s is your place. Owner Mike Brawley clearly has kept things the same for years, and it WORKS; as I watched dozens of people go in and out with Kegs and cases on the Saturday prior to Memorial Day. Brawley’s seems to have the most brawny selection and variety compared to the others. The staff was friendly and helpful and if you are trying to find that hidden gem of a beer that you cannot locate at Common Market or Good Bottle, chances are, Mike will have it. One major difference from Brawley's, Good Bottle and Carolina Beer Temple, Mike uses his cash register. The other places are a little more modern and use an Ipad for to ring up their beer savvy customers who can pay via credit/or debit card. Guess there’s no school like the old school.
Sean McKelvey, Contributing Writer
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Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Brandon Kirkley and the Firecrackers To Release New Acoustic EP
Jun 09, 2013
CHARLOTTE, NC—On June 13th, Charlotte, NC rock/pop act Brandon Kirkley and the Firecrackers will release their latest effort, Timing EP. The four song acoustic EP will be available on Noisetrade, iTunes, Amazon and other major online retailers.
Since forming in 2010, BKTF’s sonic blend of small-town southern charm and big-city life has garnered a strong grassroots following. With influences ranging from Tom Petty to Michael Jackson to Matchbox Twenty, the band produces a tasteful mix of sincere rock and hook-laden pop, with a hint of country flair.
Recorded in Atlanta, GA studio The Delivery Room, BKTF’s upcoming EP is the follow up to their 2012 release, Years, which captured the attention of Niner Times for its “straight up addictive, all-American rock from start to finish.” A proven success, Years yielded singles “Come On” and “Settle It Down,” the latter receiving airplay on Charlotte rock station 106.5 The End. The band also released music videos for “Come On” and “Settle It Down,” both receiving over 1,000 YouTube views within 24 hours.
Featuring two new songs and two acoustic versions of songs from Years, Timing EP showcases the maturity and growth of the band’s songwriting. “I feel like we’re really honing in on our sound,” Brandon says. “We were able to achieve exactly what we wanted in the studio. I’m really proud of how these songs turned out.”
BKTF are celebrating the release of Timing EP at Charlotte venue, The Evening Muse on June 13. The all-ages show begins at 8 PM; tickets are $5 in advance, $7 at the door. Luke Cunningham will provide direct support.
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Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Beautiful Weather at Walk MS: Charlotte
Jun 09, 2013
Beautiful Weather at Walk MS: Charlotte | 1000 Participants at May18 Event. RALEIGH, N.C. (June 6, 2013) — The Greater Carolinas Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is excited to announce that 1000 people came together at Symphony Park at SouthPark Mall for this year’s Walk MS: Charlotte on May 18. Walk MS, presented by Biogen Idec, is an opportunity for individuals to support the more than 14,400 individuals who are living with multiple sclerosis in the Greater Carolinas area. Walk MS: Charlotte has raised over $155,000 so far, with an overall goal of $200,000. Including 12 other Walks in the Greater Carolinas area, the total goal is to raise $1.26 million by the fundraising deadline, June 21. These dollars raised support life-changing programs and cutting-edge research for those living with multiple sclerosis.
“The turnout of supporters was fantastic,” says Jeff Furst, President of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Carolinas Chapter. “We appreciate the efforts of everyone who worked so hard to make this event a success, and we look forward to seeing continued fundraising efforts push us closer to our goal.”
Sixty percent of all the funds raised will go toward programs, services and advocacy for people living with MS in the Greater Carolinas, and 40 percent supports national research to find the cause and cure of MS.
“The Society’s services are needed now more than ever, and it’s inspiring to see the community come together to bring help and hope to those living with MS,” says Furst. “However, the hard work is not over yet. We encourage everyone to make their donation by June 21.”
Participant Ben Stepowany says of the event, “What a day! It's not often that you have a day that you want to repeat every day for the rest of your life. Today was one of those days.”
In addition to the 1-4 mile walk route, the event featured hot dogs and barbeque provided by Golden Corral and bagels provided by Brueggers. Olde Mecklenburg Brewery also donated 75% of their event proceeds to the Greater Carolinas Chapter. There was also a large team tailgating area where participants enjoyed the day’s festivities with their friends, family and co-workers, as well as face painting, bounce house and K-9 Korner.
Walk MS: Charlotte is one of four Walk MS events in western North Carolina. Both Walk MS: Cabarrus and Rowan County and Walk MS: Shelby were held Saturday, April 20. Walk MS: Fletcher was held Sunday, April 21. To make a donation or to register, visit http://www.walkMScarolinas.org or call 1-800 FIGHT MS.
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body and stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and 2.5 million worldwide.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. The Greater Carolinas Chapter, serves the over 14,400 individuals affected by MS. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. In 2011 alone, through its national office and 50-state network of chapters, the Society devoted $164 million to programs and services that assisted more than one million people. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested $40 million to support more than 325 new and ongoing research projects around the world. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. We are people who want to do something about MS NOW. If you or someone you know has MS, please contact the National MS Society today at http://www.nationalMSsociety.org/nct or 1-800 FIGHT MS to learn about ways to help manage multiple sclerosis and about current research that may one day reveal a cure.
###
Mary Rachel Current
Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator
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Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Aislin Spangler
Jun 06, 2013
Aislin Spangler
Age: 26
Company Name: Spray Soleil
Position: Owner/Entrepreneur
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
Over the last 4 years, I have grown my company into becoming the "Go-To" company for mobile spray tans in Charlotte, Greensboro, Asheville, and Charleston. We have increased our sales and local charity donations every year since we opened our doors in 2009.
In 2010 and 2011, hosted a charity golf tournament, in honor of a close friend and local police officer, and raised over $3,000. The money funded the “Top Cop Award,” a scholarship for the student who finished at the top of their Basic Law Enforcement Training at South Piedmont Community College.
I have also raised over $1,200 for the “Out of the Darkness” charity walk to benefit suicide prevention.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
I have lived in Charlotte for nine years, but I’ve been traveling to Charlotte for the past 14 years to participate in Irish dance classes and other community events.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I already knew I loved Charlotte, and I had seen the exponential growth of the city. So when it came time to choose a college, Charlotte was at the top of my list. I chose to attend Johnson & Wales University. I was awarded a Century Club (Top 100 Students) Certification, Delta Epsilon Chi Scholarship for outstanding dedication and contributions to DECA, and the Presidential Academic Scholarship.
I was in the first graduating class of the Charlotte campus, and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. While attending JWU, I helped to create the Student Chapter of Society for Human Resource Management in Charlotte, where I also served as President elect.
I have lived in Charlotte for roughly nine years and have witnessed the growth of the metropolitan and suburban areas. I lived uptown in Fourth Ward for eight years, and I have been in in Plaza-Midwood for the past year. I enjoy watching this young, vibrant, melting pot of a city grow day-by-day, as one of the fastest growing cities in the country. We live in a city that brings the best talent to the Southeast, and I am proud that it is my home. Thanks to my career, I am able to travel around Charlotte, see a variety of neighborhoods, and meet a variety of people. I love meeting new people on a weekly basis and making new connections around town.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
I enjoy donating my time and resources, as well as participating in events.
I participate in a variety of charities and fundraisers: Arthritis Foundation; Alzheimer’s Association; Humane Society of Charlotte; Young Affiliates of the Mint; Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; Carolina Breast Friends; American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; Mental Health Association of the Central Carolinas; and “Out of the Darkness” Community Walk to support suicide prevention. I also enjoy teaching Irish dancing to young students at the YMCA, fostering dogs for local rescue groups, and walking in the St. Patrick’s Day parade (which I have done for over 10 years)!
What are your hobbies and interests?
I enjoy riding my bike around my neighborhood and on the greenway, spending time outdoors with my dog Riley, participating and donating to charity events, and visiting the White Water Rafting Center. I really have a soft spot for animals, so I particularly love the events and places where furry friends are welcome. I enjoy yoga, running, and relaxing with friends and family. On the weekends you can find me exercising with my dog or catching up with friends at some of our favorite restaurants, such as Soul Gastrolounge, Peculiar Rabbit, Heist Brewery, Zada Jane’s, CowFish, and Crisp…just to name a few!
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I was born in Dayton, OH and started Irish dancing at the age of three. When I was eleven, my family moved to Greensboro, NC. The closest Irish dancing studio was the Walsh-Kelley School of Irish Dance, in Charlotte. My amazing, dedicated mother drove me to Charlotte, at least twice a week, just for dance class. I have enjoyed helping my dance school grow. We have danced at many community events, such as the Hornets halftime show and the St. Patrick's Day Parade. When they started offering classes in Greensboro, I helped teach and recruit new students. Irish dancing was an amazing experience and has made a huge contribution to my life and individual growth. I have had the incredible opportunity to travel all over the United States. I also have traveled to Ireland (7 times in 4 years) for competitions including the Irish Dancing World Championships, which I qualified for 3 years in a row.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I look forward to continuing to grow in my personal and professional life. I will be continuing to grow my business, and mentoring others who also aspire to be entrepreneurs and grow successful businesses. I plan on continuing to increase my sales annually so that in 5 years I will be able to donate over $10,000 a year to local charities. I hope to be able to continue to train others in my field to help contribute to the economy here in Charlotte and across the Carolina’s. I am excited to take the next steps with my boyfriend, Justin Graupensperger, and in five years begin starting a family with him, and further grow our roots here in Charlotte.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
Something that’s always been a big passion of mine is traveling. Through the blessing of dance, I was able to see a lot of the US and beyond. I hope to expand my list of places visited, and at least hit every continent. My top places to visit are New Zealand, Brazil, Germany and Italy. Along with traveling to Germany, driving on the autobahn is at the top of my bucket list!
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” -Maria Robinson
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Allison Dulin
Jun 06, 2013
Allison Miller Dulin
Age: 25
Company Name: Davidson College
Position: Presidential Fellow
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
I was recently selected for the “World Economic Global Shapers Community,” a global group for leaders under 30. We are selected on the basis of our achievements, leadership potential, and commitment to make a difference.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Two years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I went to Davidson College for four years and frequented Charlotte as a student. Now I am living in Charlotte, and I work to build bridges between Davidson College and Charlotte. My favorite thing about living and working here is the intimate, cross-sector networks that the people in this city build. People know each other, personally and professionally, and seek collaboration on complex social issues—ranging from educational equity to entrepreneurship.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
Yes, everything about my work connects to community activities and projects. I will list a few here as examples:
I developed and launched the Entrepreneurship Initiative, which is a campus-wide collaborative project designed to inspire, connect and enable a dynamic community of entrepreneurs. In only six months, I have developed a robust Entrepreneurship Internship Program called the “Davidson Venture Fund,” and I have created a Venture Lab to accelerate the growth of student companies. Most of these programs connect to, and support, the burgeoning entrepreneurial community in Charlotte. At Davidson, entrepreneurship is now a mechanism for our students to pursue meaningful jobs and to exert impact for good in our community, locally and globally.
I also designed and directed two summer experiential learning programs for Davidson students. One program is for students passionate about driving change in the education system, and the other enables students to address critical sustainability issues. In these programs, students work on capacity-building projects in high-impact organizations in Charlotte. I facilitate the curriculum to focus on systemic change-making. These students are challenged to translate their classroom learning to applied projects, which helps them better understand their talents and how they can apply these talents to create change.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I enjoy hiking in the Appalachian Mountains, mountain bike racing, the psychology of learning and of groups, hosting community potlucks, and imagining the future of education.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
During my year in Thailand, I documented deep political unrest and conflict between ‘Red Shirts’ and ‘Yellow Shirts,’ and I watched the country’s youth rise-up to build a democratic revolution. Meanwhile, I followed news on revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, and the subsequent political unrest that it sparked throughout the Middle East. I wondered how these events could influence popular uprisings and struggles for democracy in other parts of the world—and how this translates to my quiet city of Charlotte, North Carolina. I aspire for my work to harness and focus the power of young leaders to shape a more just, democratic future. Utilizing education as a tool for local and global change is at the core of my identity, personally and professionally.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
All three jobs I have held since graduating from college did not exist before I held them. The field of education is innovating rapidly, and so are the careers that most impact education. In 5 years, I hope to be working at the intersection of sophisticated learning sciences, emerging “education technologies,” and community-based learning. I hope to be an entrepreneurial educator, helping to reimagine the future of education.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
My favorite book is: We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on Education for Social Change. This book is the translation of a conversation between my two favorite educators: Myles Horton and Paulo Freire. Together, they reflect on education and social change through the rich, personal narratives of their own lives. When I am old, and have a full life behind me, I hope to “speak” a book with my long-time best friend Annika, who is the most inspiring educator I know. I hope we can, together, unravel the complex narratives of our lives and, in the process, pass on useful knowledge to the next generation of educators.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“The teacher is of course an artist, but being an artist does not mean that he or she can make the profile, can shape the students. What the educator does in teaching is to make it possible for the students to become themselves.”
― Paulo Freire, We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on Education and Social Change
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Allison Purmort
Jun 06, 2013
Allison L. Purmort
Age: 28
Company Name: Charlotte Bobcats
Position: Senior Manager, Legal Affairs (Attorney)
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Five years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
Charlotte has the perfect mix of small town charm and big city amenities. Like any big city, there are good restaurants, culture, theater, community involvement, and interesting people. However, you still have small town benefits: being able to walk into restaurants without a reservation, having tennis courts in public parks, and—my favorite—actual trees.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
I am the Vice President of the Young Affiliates of the Mint Museum of Art; I am the pro-bono chair of the North Carolina Sports and Entertainment Bar Section; and I’m active in the Mecklenburg County Bar Young Lawyers Division.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Running, biking, and generally being active. I love the White Water Center. I’ve played the piano since I was six, and I still play when I have free time. And I go from highbrow to lowbrow with my taste in entertainment. I love literature; Ayn Rand is one of my favorites. However, I’m completely obsessed with The Walking Dead and all of Real Housewives (except New Jersey).
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
If there’s anything that I’ve learned from working for a professional sports team, it’s that you are going to take your losses with your wins. I think in all aspects of my life—personal, career, philanthropy, anything—I try not to get weighed down in momentary losses or setbacks. Even though it’s hard, I try to maintain the character traits that I think have been the keys to my success: loyalty, commitment, and being genuine.
As for non-abstract concepts about my life, I’ve had an interesting path to get to Charlotte. I’ve lived in many major cities on the east coast, and I’ve spent extended periods of time in Southeast Asia and Paris, France. I didn’t always want to be a lawyer. My first career was in luxury retail goods. I see photographs of my friends who still work in that field and sometimes I miss it—it was nice to have a job where I had a wardrobe allowance.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I love working in the entertainment and sports industry, and I would like to stay in-house as an attorney. I would like to see a general counsel position in my future, regardless of whether it happens in five years or not.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
I want to touch Mount Everest. I don’t need to make it to the top; the base camp trek would be enough. I also really want to be on Jeopardy.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” -William James
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30: Ashley-Victoria Smith
Jun 06, 2013
Ashley-Victoria Smith
Age: 28
Company Name: P.S. Captivate
Position: Co-Founder and Creative Director
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Five years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I love the fact that Charlotte is a transplant city, with so many cultures intertwined together! Being a part of growing an innovative city is rewarding in more ways than one.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
My company supports and sponsors local fashion shows and events such as: Style Night Out, Elope to Paris, and our very own: LACE. The charities that we support include Mercy Ministries and Carolina Breast Friends.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Singing, dancing, writing, camping, hiking, swimming, and traveling.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I’m from the country; where sweet tea was our champagne, and cornbread our dessert! I am not a stranger to hard work, and I believe you get out what you put in. I strive to better myself everyday; I practice good karma, I accept constructive criticism, and I help others help themselves.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Expanding my business in Charlotte and helping more charities.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
1. Skydiving
2.Visit the Coral Reef.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“The poorest of all men is not the man without a cent, it’s the man without a dream” - Unknown
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Blayr Nias
Jun 05, 2013
Blayr Nias
Age: 30
Company Name: The Comedy Zone
Position: Stand Up Comic
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
Charlotte Magazine’s Best of the Best 2013: Best Twitter Feed (Humorous)
Best of the Carolinas Showcase (2nd place) – Charlotte Comedy Zone (October 2012)
Performed in “LaughYourAshevilleOff” Festival, headlined by Jim Gaffigan (August 2012)
Creator and Producer of the monthly “Almost Famous Comedy Show” at Charlotte Comedy Zone (since March 2012)
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Nine years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
My favorite thing about Charlotte is that it is ever growing. There is a distinct southern charm and style, but the influx of Yankee transplants and constant additions to business, culture, and good food give it a metropolitan feel. That makes for an interesting and delicious melting pot. Be it Pinot Noir or PBR, Caviar or Krispy Kreme, Charlotte is the city that never sleeps…on an empty stomach.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
I recently donated a portion of the proceeds from the second round of competition in the “Almost Famous Comedy Show”—that I produce at the Charlotte Comedy Zone—to the Isabella Santos Foundation for children with cancer. While participating in an on air interview with Woody and Wilcox from 106.5 The End, I was dismayed to find out that children receive the fewest donations of all groups of people with cancer. Wood and Wilcox are huge supporters of Isabella’s foundation. During the six months I held the shows, the morning show duo helped promote the comics and the cause. I also participate in Charlotte Pride and American Cancer Association events.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I write and perform comedy. That is pretty much my life. I also love supporting all live local arts: music, poetry, dance, theater, film, and visual art. Local artists need love too! Not everything has to be famous or expensive to be entertaining or enjoyable. Many of my favorite events take place for free or very cheap in Plaza Midwood, NoDa, and Elizabeth. I love spending lazy Sunday afternoons discovering new exhibits at the Light Factory with my boyfriend. It’s the best date no money can buy.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I am the most humble and amazing person in the entire world. On a serious note, I am glad I finally found my calling as a stand up comic, and that I have convinced my mother that this is not a waste of my degree from George Washington University. I see comedy as an art, but also as a therapy—not only for myself, but for others. If you can come to my show and laugh at your problems or at least forget them for a while, then I have done my job. I work hard everyday, and not just on stage. Show Business is still a business, and to be successful you have to be equal parts professional, ambitious, and prepared for every and any opportunity.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In five years I see myself as a comedic actress and writer, splitting my time between L.A., New York, and Charlotte. I will still be performing stand up, be married with 2-3 kids who are fluent in 3 languages, and have a couple rescue pets, who in turn have rescued other pets. I will also have perfect skin and a body not quite as scary as Madonna’s, but definitely defying gravity—thanks to yoga and Pilates.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
I would like to swim naked off the coast of Greece.
I would like to buy my mother a house big enough to hold all she cares to hoard, and a surrogate daughter for her to complain to when I need a break.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“I succeeded by saying what everyone else was thinking.” - Joan Rivers
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Christine White
Jun 05, 2013
Christine White
Age: 27
Company Name: On A String Bead Shop/ Beads, Inc.
Position: Owner/Designer
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
Four recent Best of the Best (BOB) awards from Charlotte Magazine, and various accolades from industry trade publications.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Twenty-two years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I love living in Charlotte and recommend it to all of my out of town friends and family. Charlotte is so friendly and welcoming. It is an easy city to call home, and I find a lot of pride in telling people I am from Charlotte. Doing business in Charlotte is a blessing. The people are receptive to new ideas and they are always looking for new local “gems” in the community. Charlotte is so supportive of small business growth!
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
I try to be involved in as many projects as possible. My husband and I sponsor the Siskey YMCA. I am a firm believer and supporter of the United Family Services “Art With Heart” Auction, as well as the local chapter of NEDA. Through my company, I collect donations for The Florence Crittenton Center and Thompson Child and Family Focus. I am also a very firm believer in random acts of kindness and using your resources to lift up others.
What are your hobbies and interests?
My hobbies and interests outside of work include art, crafts, fashion, philanthropy, cooking, current events, popular culture, human rights, animals, travel, etc.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I founded my company eleven years ago when I was a junior in high school. Over the years, I have grown it into the thriving, full-service company it is today. Along with my highly skilled and trained staff, I am confident that I provide Charlotte with the foremost fashion jewelry experience in the southeast.
My sister works full-time for me as my business manager. We are best friends and it takes a special balance to make this work. My husband and I have been together for 10 years. We are both young entrepreneurs. He owns a company called Providence Produce Markets, Inc. We share the same values of growth and giving back. Neither of us are college educated. We take pride in being self-made.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In five years, I would like to see my brand continue to grow. I enjoy the hands-on aspect of what I do, so I would never give that up. I continue to look to the internet as the next frontier in business (including retail). I believe in never becoming complacent. I always want to be better. I always want to do more. I am lucky to say I love what I do.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
On my bucket list… Well, if I’m being lofty, I would love to have a media empire (Think Rachel Ray or Martha Stewart). If I’m being more personal or selfish… my bucket list would consist of a month (or two) in Asia.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“Excellence is doing a common thing in an uncommon way.”
-Booker T. Washington
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Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Chrystal Rose
Jun 05, 2013
Chrystal Rose
Age: 30
Company Name: Dollhouse Marketing
Position: Owner/CEO
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
I was recently asked to speak at the upcoming women’s empowerment conference for an organization called “The Indie Chicks,” and I was featured in their online magazine. To me, this is an incredible honor.
Realizing my dream of starting my own business has definitely been a huge, recent achievement as well.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Four years in September.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I just love living in Charlotte. I have lived in several states over the last several years and Charlotte has been the only place that feels like home. The networking here is incredible; it feels like a city and a small town at the same time. There are also a lot of fantastic restaurants and fun things to do close by. From lakes and wineries, to the arts community and the White Water Center—It’s very difficult to be bored here! The weather is great too.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
Yes, I’m currently a troop leader with the Girl Scouts. Not only do I love being someone they can look up to as a positive female role model, but I also love that we get involved in giving back to the community through various charities and non-profit organizations.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Travel. I have no idea where I would be if I couldn’t travel as much as I do. I love cooking and baking. I write and I recently started dabbling in painting. I also enjoy to singing/dancing/acting. I used to be very involved in the performing arts, but has taken a backseat because it’s so difficult to find the time—but I sing every chance I get!
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
When I first started out in business, I didn’t have anyone to look up to. I want to be that person for girls in business that need help or don’t know where to start. It is very, very important to me to be that role model. So right now I offer internships every semester to female business students. It’s not the typical “gopher” sort of internship, but more of a “hands on CEO experience.” Having the opportunity to give that back is something I’m very proud of.
I have a very full, happy life. I love my job and never want to actually retire. I just want to keep working to achieve my current goals, and then create new ones. At home, I try to be the best girlfriend and mom (to a cat and a rescue puppy) that I can be. I also would do anything within my power to help out a friend, family member, or even an acquaintance in need.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully, I’ll have reached the point where I could have the ability to pursue other business ventures, like possibly opening a restaurant of my own. I would also like to have an organization underway that pairs strong, successful women with female business students, in a sort of a mentorship program.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
I actually don’t have a Bucket List—I have what I call an Awesome List. Basically, I do awesome things and add it to the list. This year I’m going on my dream trip with my mom to Italy, which is a cooking retreat at a villa in the hills of Tuscany. I also would like to take a month or so off work to pursue a teaching opportunity in Ghana. The children over there absolutely amaze me.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“A life without passion is like living without air. Suffocation is inevitable.”
-Unknown
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Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Daniel Valverde
Jun 05, 2013
Daniel R. Valverde
Age: 26
Company Name: Green Valley Photography
Position: Owner, Event and Fashion Photographer
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
My fashion photos have been published in Charlotte Style Magazine, SHEEN Magazine, and Ryze-Up Magazine. Additional photos have also been published on a book cover and several business web sites.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Four years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I moved here in 2009 from Arkansas, and I love the big city feel for such a small area.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
I have donated my time and photography to several local charities, such as All We Need is L.O.V.E (Human Trafficking Awareness), Pink Soles (Breast Cancer Research), and Safe Alliance (Shelter for Battered Women in Charlotte).
What are your hobbies and interests?
When not involved in photography, I enjoy playing soccer, am a huge movie buff, and love to travel.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
My last name is Valverde, which means “Green Valley” when translated from Spanish. My father was born and raised in Costa Rica, and I lived there for six months with my extended family after I graduated from college. This allowed me to experience their culture as well as travel this beautiful country.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I’m going to answer this as any fashion photographer would, I want my photos published in Vogue Magazine.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
I would love to travel to the historical regions of China. Also on the list would be to photograph the runway shows at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“It’s one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it’s another thing to make a portrait of who they really are.” – Paul Caponigro
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Dennis McFadden
Jun 05, 2013
Dennis L. McFadden
Age: 29
Company Name: Platinum Coating, Inc.
Position: Vice President
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Seven years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
Charlotte is a clean and modern city that is filled with young business professionals. And, of course, the weather is great for a guy who came from the snow belt in upstate New York.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
Actively involved with Back to Life, a non-profit organization that works with amputees and their families throughout the recovery process, both emotionally and physically.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Growth for the Back to Life Foundation! Working out is an important part of most days. I also have been getting in to this fixed-gear bicycle craze. Have built a few bikes of my own.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
My family and closest friends will always remain the most important factors in my life. However, I take great pride in my work, and the success of my business. And at the end of the day, I don’t mind cutting loose and having a few laughs.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I intend to have my business successfully expanded to the West Coast.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
A safari through Africa. Living abroad for a short while, hopefully Italy.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
”More than anything else, I believe it’s our decisions, not the conditions of our lives, that determine our destiny.” – Anthony Robbins
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Charlotte Sports Foundation Created to Bring Major Events to Region
Jun 04, 2013
Nonprofit to Enhance Current Events and Recruit New Professional, College and Amateur Sports
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 20, 2013) –A new nonprofit group will help spearhead Charlotte’s continued growth as a preferred host for premiere national and regional sporting events.
The Charlotte Sports Foundation (CSF) evolved from Charlotte’s two primary sports development groups, Charlotte Collegiate Football and the Charlotte Sports Commission.
The foundation’s mission is to create, recruit and execute high-caliber athletic events on par with its existing ones, the Belk Bowl and the Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game.
While it will seek to enhance the existing college football properties, the foundation also will work to secure additional professional, collegiate and amateur events that will enrich Charlotte’s sports landscape.
“This is a great step forward for Charlotte,” said Will Webb, executive director of the new foundation.
“We’re bringing the best of two groups into one organization, allowing us to coordinate priorities and bring new sports events and the resulting economic benefits to the region.”
Webb has served as the executive director of Charlotte Collegiate Football, which manages the Belk Bowl and ACC football title contest. The events have attracted hundreds of thousands of fans from across the Southeast to Charlotte.
“Charlotte is already a proven destination for big-league sports, and our desire is to host other specialty sports events that widen the scope to engage broader participation from the community,” said Johnny Harris, foundation board chairman and CEO of Lincoln Harris.
“We will target more NCAA tournaments and championship games, as well as a range of sports – from football, basketball and baseball to soccer, lacrosse and golf. Clearly, we have the opportunity to bring more significant events to Charlotte,” he said.
The organization’s board of directors is comprised of regional business, industry and civic leaders who have a track record of bringing sports and economic development to the area.
“The board and staff have vast expertise in identifying sporting events that appeal to a host of different audiences,” said Tom Skains, foundation vice chairman and CEO of Piedmont Natural Gas. “We are well-positioned to find great partners like Belk who are committed to the growth of Charlotte sports.”
The foundation also aims to add new highly visible participatory events and elevate existing ones, such as the upcoming Race to the Top stair-climbing event and Thunder Road marathon.
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Another Broken Egg Cafés in The Carolinas
Jun 04, 2013
Lafayette, LA (May 15, 2013)— Double R Restaurant Group is pleased to announce four summer openings of Another Broken Egg Cafés in both North and South Carolina. In July, Another Broken Egg Café will open downtown at 99 S Market Street, Charleston, SC, 29401. It will be followed in North Carolina, with an opening in Southpark at 3920 Sharon Road, Ste 160, in Charlotte, NC 28211, which is slated for August 2013, with a second location in the Ballantyne area. Then the fourth ABE Café will open at Biltmore Park at 27 Schenck Parkway, Ste 100, Asheville, NC, 28803, in September.
Double R Restaurant Group is based in Lafayette, LA and is currently Another Broken Egg Cafe's largest franchisee. With six units currently operating in Louisiana, Georgia and North Carolina, the company plans to open six new locations in 2013 and 2014. Aside from Another Broken Egg Cafe, they operate multiple concepts and are focused on expanding their brand into several different markets in Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia over the next five years. Double R plans to open additional stores annually, with each store creating 30 new jobs in the community. Currently they are seeking talented management to join their veteran team. http://www.dblrrestaurants.com
Another Broken Egg Café is an award-winning breakfast, lunch and brunch restaurant, well known and loved in the Florida Panhandle, Louisiana and beyond. Ron Green founded the first ABE Café in 1996 on Girod Street in Old Mandeville, Louisiana. He undertook a two-year renovation of a 1908 Creole cottage, while developing his “egg-ceptional” menu and within two months, Green was breaking more than 1,400 eggs a week.
Another Broken Egg Café currently has 26 locations with more opening throughout 2013. It serves from 7 A.M. through 2 P.M. seven days a week, closing only on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The restaurant offers 114 different menu choices including six varieties of Eggs Benedict, 11 different omelettes, including a Skinny Omelette, Belgian waffles, French toast, along with savory, unique burgers, hearty sandwiches and fresh salads. Menu items range in price from $8 to $15 with all major credit cards accepted. Call-ahead seating is available. For more information about restaurant locations, the history of Another Broken Egg Café, and complete menus please visit. http://www.AnotherBrokenEgg.com.
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Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Domaine de Canton at Le Bernardin
Jun 04, 2013
Chef Eric Ripert mixes it up with Domaine de Canton at Le Bernardin, Multi-course menu features Domaine de Canton in each dish
Click the picture to watch Eric Ripert and Domaine de Canton founder John Cooper as they source baby ginger in Vietnam
(May 20, 2013; Miami, FL)—Domaine de Canton, the world's first super-premium ginger liqueur, will host a multi-coursed dinner tonight at Le Bernardin restaurant in New York. This sold out event is part of the 2013 Manhattan Cocktail Classic and Domaine de Canton's cocktail and culinary tour, wherein the best chefs from select cities showcase his or her culinary talents using Domaine de Canton in the dishes and in the glass. Savory and sweet, this culinary pairing event promises to deliver an unforgettable gourmet experience. The menu includes:
Fluke:
Slivers of Fluke; Micro Watercress, Baby Carrots, Domaine de Canton Vinaigrette
with Bonsoir: Domaine de Canton, Fords Gin, Strawberry, Ginger, Verbena Tea, Sparkling Water
Langoustine:
Sautéed Langoustine; Chayote Squash, Sea beans, Domaine de Canton Sambal
with Don Quixote of La Mancha: Domaine de Canton, lemon juice, orange bitters, Champagne
Striped Bass:
Wild Striped Bass; Bhutanese Red Rice, Green Papaya Salad, Domaine de Canton-Red Wine Sauce
with Jackie: Domaine de Canton, Manzanilla Sherry, berries as garnish
Mango-Ginger:
Macerated mango; Black Sesame Meringue, Domaine de Canton Sorbet
with Le Mexique: Domaine de Canton, Tequila Cabeza, Mango purée, Agave, lime juice, grated dark chocolate
Chocolate Ganache:
Madagascan Chocolate Ganache; Domaine de Canton Foam, Salted Chocolate Ice Cream
with Le Fin: Domaine de Canton, Armagnac, Mole/Chocolate bitters, demerara sugar syrup
Recipes and photos of the dinner will be available upon request. Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Domaine de Canton
Launched in 2008 by Maurice Cooper et Cie as the world's first super-premium ginger liqueur, Domaine de Canton continues its ascent in popularity as more and more mixologists—and celebrity chefs—embrace the elixir's fresh, vibrant flavor and smooth profile as a key ingredient in cocktails and fine cuisine. Bursting with the fresh essence of baby Vietnamese ginger fortified with the finest eaux de vie and Cognac, Domaine de Canton stands to become one of the most exciting top shelf brands in the home bartender's collection and in the foodie's pantry today—not to mention an ideal hostess gift from savvy guests hoping for a repeat invitation. The liqueur, which is hand-crafted in small lots by artisan blender Jean Francois Bardou in the heart of France's Cognac region, retails for $32 (750 ml) and is available in all 50 United States as well as 13 foreign countries. To learn more, go to http://www.domainedecanton.com.
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
H&M to Open First Location in Pineville in Fall 2013
Jun 04, 2013
GLOBAL FASHION RETAILER H&M CONTINUES NORTH CAROLINA EXPANSION.
H&M, Hennes & Mauritz, the popular global retailer known for offering fashion-forward apparel and quality basics, is thrilled to announce a brand new location in Pineville. Set to open in the fall of 2013, H&M will debut at Carolina Place Mall, the premier shopping, dining and entertainment destination in the Charlotte-Pineville metropolitan area.
2013 is a year in which the Swedish retailer plans to expand greatly in the southern market. H&M is excited to offer more shoppers in North Carolina access to the retailer’s quality collections in a brand new 17,000 square foot store. H&M at Carolina Place Mall will include collections for ladies, men, young ladies and young men, with separate “store within store” sections for lingerie and accessories. This location will also carry H&M’s fantastic children’s collection, which features quality clothing for kids ages newborn to eight.
Since H&M opened its first store on New York’s Fifth Avenue thirteen years ago, the U.S. has been one of the retailer’s most important markets. With its emphasis on expansion, H&M continually seeks out the best properties and locations for its customers. Now offering U.S. consumers access to quality fashions at the best prices through 268 locations across the country, H&M is excited to enter another important U.S. market.
For more information on this store and all the latest from H&M, please visit http://www.hm.com.
Contacts:
Nicole Christie
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Telephone: (646) 495-7384
TJ Allers
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Telephone: (212) 206-7447
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Donnie Malpass
Jun 04, 2013
Donnie Malpass
Age: 27
Company Name: Skanska USA Inc.
Position: Enterprise Engineer
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
My most recent professional achievement is being promoted, and relocating to Charlotte, to be the youngest Infrastructure Services team member for Skanska USA IT.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Eighteen months.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
Easy! The people! Charlotte has such a diverse group of people who know their stuff, and aren’t afraid to help. If it be at work, or you have a cause, there will be somebody there.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
This year I was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundations Guys & Dolls Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction. We spent over five months selling tickets, organizing fundraisers, and putting together date packages to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I was one of 24 bachelors and bachelorettes that raised more than $260,000.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Traveling is my biggest interest. I’m most proud of an exchange program where I was able to live in Stockholm, Sweden for 3 months and visit every Scandinavian country. I also really enjoy music. I am always combining these two things by traveling to see shows.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I am originally from Virginia Beach, where I grew up with my one younger sister. Early on, my dad put me in Boy Scouts. I didn’t know it at the time, but I learned a lot of life lessons that I probably would not have learned anywhere else. For my final Eagle Scout project, I organized the renovation of an old church bathroom. I have felt the need to help other people ever since.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I don’t know what my title will be but I’d love to think I will be with the same company, maybe working at the global level; continuing to learn and contribute.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
I recently found out two things on my grandmothers bucket list, and I want to do those same two things with her: Ride in a limo and go up in a hot air balloon.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Elle Bunn
Jun 04, 2013
Elle Bunn
Age: 24
Company Name: Charlotte Checkers
Position: Community Relations/Marketing
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
I developed two elementary school programs. the PowerPLAY program encourages kids to eat healthy and keep active, and the Science of Hockey program teaches students the fundamentals of science that are implemented in a hockey game. The programs have grown from 200 participants in year one to more than 1,700 this year. They now serve as models for other teams in our league, and other sports leagues, to follow. I was promoted in September, and have played an important role in setting organizational highs in volunteer occurrences and player appearances for the Checkers in 2012-13.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Two years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
My favorite things about living and working here are the people and the variety of activities one can participate in. Charlotte has a young, fun, diverse population. It also has great arts, music and sporting events.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
I am involved with many community activities in my personal and professional time, including educational programs throughout CMS, our employee/player volunteer program and many other projects with local non-profits, including Beginnings of NC. I am also a motivational guest speaker for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JRDF) school rallies.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I enjoy traveling, golfing, fitness, hockey games, and live music—especially country!
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I grew up in Virginia Beach and went to college at James Madison University. I am a beach girl who loves NASCAR and any live sporting or music event. I grew up performing theatre, and played Peter Pan in my high school’s two-week long production. I love my job and enjoy making a difference in the community.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself continuing to be involved in the Charlotte community and would ultimately like to sit on the board of a non-profit organization. I also would like to continue to move up in my current organization/career and eventually pursue a Master’s degree.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
I would definitely like to skydive and become fluent in another language.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.”
-Winston Churchill
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Emily Trapani
Jun 04, 2013
Emily Trapani
Age: 28
Company Name: Sprint Business
Position: Major Account Manager
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
In November 2012, I was honored as a 2012 Standout Charlottean by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, for my professional success and my involvement in local community service. In February 2013, I was awarded the National Solutions Engineering Partnership Award for my innovation in solutions sales recognizing my achievements in application development. The application I developed, along with my solutions engineering team and machine to machine engineers, has been deployed throughout the United States. In May of 2013 I was honored with the South East Masters Award, Vice President Elect. This award recognizes the highest level of achievement in sales performance, new business development, and outstanding portfolio development. I was chosen out of all Sprint employees in the southeast region, and my performance year-to-date is ranked one of the highest among of my peers nationally.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Four years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
Charlotte is where all my dreams have come true. I started my first job here after college, got engaged and married here, and started my very first home with my husband. The city of Charlotte provides me with the resources and people that help me to be successful—personally and professionally—and I value the long terms connections I’ve made. The city has been so warmly welcoming to me even though I’m not a native Charlottean. Most of community service I choose to do is a “thank you” to my community of friends, colleagues, and clients that have given me so much.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
Since 2003, I have been a legislative ambassador for the American Cancer society, helping to promote prevention and awareness through community activities and advocacy. In 2012, I was named on the board of ‘The Checkered Ball’, one of Charlotte oldest running black tie charity functions. My work with the Checkered Ball will provide funding for a Charlotte based long term 24 hour care facility at Hinds Feet Farms for adults living with a brain injury. I also volunteer as a high school competitive cheerleading coach in the Mecklenburg school district. In addition to these commitments, I volunteer with at least one community service event or organization each month—and have done so since 2003. Because of this service and my personal impact on the culture at Sprint, I was the recipient of the “Culture Coin” award at Sprint in 2011, which was given by John Dupree, Senior Vice President Business Sales. I am also the president of “Quick WIT”, an elite networking group of professional women in Information Technology in Charlotte.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I love my job and I’m lucky enough to have a career that is also a hobby to me. I’m a subject matter expert in Social Media for Enterprise and Creative Content, and I spend a lot of time developing and optimizing social media analytics. I serve on a focus group that develops corporate social policies at Sprint, and I teach webinars about social media for business. I maintain a blog, where I give my professional opinion about new apps and social sites, and share best practices. As a member of the Sprint Culture Team, I contribute to the planning and execution of my company’s corporate. Outside of work—and in addition to charity events and cheerleading—I love to connect people. I am constantly introducing a friend to a friend, organizing social activities, and creating opportunities to practice being a hostess (and use all those pins I’ve saved on Pinterest!)
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
Most recently my favorite hobby has been juggling all of my regular activities while preparing for a baby! I’m expecting my first child in September and I’ve been having so much fun designing a nursery and preparing for our family with my husband David and our puppy Wegman (yes, I named my dog after the best grocery store in the country!). I’m also starting a third blog, “Mobile Mommy,” where I will be evaluating and optimizing mobility apps that are practical or necessary for a new mom—as I soon will be one!
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I definitely see myself in a corporate director role within my company, in corporate strategy and media design. I’d like to be in a position where I can take my love of research and creative ideas and apply resources behind them to impact the direction of our company, operationally and through product development. I also see myself being the best wife and mommy I can be, and showing this little baby girl I have on the way that a woman really can have it all (with proper time management, a smartphone and a supportive husband!)
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
Traveling to Europe, and working abroad on special assignment for 3-6 months, is definitely a long term goal of mine. Another “bucket list” item is writing a book. I write a blog that has anecdotal stories and inspiration (and a little bit of comic relief). It talks about what it’s like to be a woman in the boardroom, and in the kitchen as a newlywed (and now a new mommy to be). I would love to turn my stories into a book that would inspire other woman to achieve great things, set super high goals, and to be confident enough to laugh at the mishaps along the way—kind of like a collection of real-life stories that teach a life lesson, and a wife lesson. There is definitely a hilarious learning curve when you’re first starting out, and I don’t mind being the butt of a joke if it can help another aspiring professional woman out!
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“You grow up the day you have your first real laugh - at yourself” - Ethel Barrymore.
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30: Eric Liebich
Jun 04, 2013
Eric Waldemar Liebich
Age: 29
Company Name: Paychex
Position: Sales Consultant
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
In my first year at Paychex I qualified for “President’s Club”, which is our company’s annual sales award for outstanding performance achieved by ~15% of the company. I was also the #1 ranked sales consultant in December 2012, March 2013, and May 2013 in our Central Region (#1 of 665). Outside of Paychex, I’m actively involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I participated as a bachelor in the 2012 Guys and Dolls Charity Auction, which benefits Cystic Fibrosis. I was honored for raising the most funds by any bachelor or bachelorette in the 2012 charity auction (>$15,000), while also developing two live auction packages. Prior to Paychex, I worked with Bank of America. At Bank of America, I was honored as the “Pinnacle Award Winner” for outstanding performance in Bank of America’s Supply Chain Executive Development Program (#1 out of 40).
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
I’ve lived in the QC for just under 6 years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I moved to Charlotte in July of 2007 after graduating from Michigan State University’s Supply Chain Management program. My favorite thing about living and working in Charlotte is the people. Charlotte is a young, up-and-coming city with a lot of opportunity for those that are willing to get out there and get involved. Being a Michigan native, the weather is certainly a close second.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
Forest Hill Church – I’m an active member of my church, and I recently participated in a 10 day medical mission trip. Our group built a medical clinic in the Dominican Republic (La Bamba), and provided medical care and treatment to over 2,000 Dominican’s in need.
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Participated as a bachelor in the CF’s 2012 Guys & Dolls Charity Auction. Responsible for raising > $15,000 (most of any participant).
Habitat for Humanity – I have been actively involved with Habitat’s local building/construction efforts to put partner families into affordable homes. I participate in one construction project every year, and I also participate in the Habitat’s annual mud volleyball tournament to help eliminate substandard housing.
Second Harvest Food Bank – I support the Second Harvest Food Bank’s effort to battle hunger in and around charlotte by volunteering at their local distribution center a couple of times per year. There I’ve helped sort, inspect, and pack food for distribution to people in the Charlotte area who are at risk of hunger.
Big Brothers Big Sisters – Have previously served as Big Brother at First Ward Elementary school to an at risk fifth grader.
Operation Christmas Child – I have volunteered annually since 2007, assisting with the distribution of shoebox gifts that are donated by local churches and ministries to people all over the world.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Community Service – There is no better feeling than giving back.
Health & Fitness – Crossfit (Crossfit Dilworth); Dowd YMCA.
Mud Runs – I do one USMC mud run, and one “Tougher Mudder” mud run each year.
Travel – I love visiting and learning about other cultures. I go on one “big trip” per year.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I’m the oldest of three, with one younger brother (Christopher) and sister (Melissa), and I have two amazing parents (Wally and Carole). I’m honored to be one of Charlotte’s Top 30 Under 30, and I dedicate my nomination to my mother and father. I owe any and all successes and accomplishments that I’ve attained throughout my life to them. For as long as I can remember, they’ve always told me to remember three things: first, treat others the way I want to be treated; second, work hard for the things that are important to me; third, be thankful, and make the most of the opportunities that I come across in life. Keeping these things in mind throughout my life has have gotten me where I am today, and dedicating this award to them is just one small way that I’d like to show my appreciation for all that they’ve done for me.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In five years, I see myself here in Charlotte, hopefully ready to start a family, and running my own real-estate investment company and/or non-profit organization. I’m hoping to have convinced my immediate family to move down to the QC as well (have been working on getting my brother and sister down here since 2007).
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
Attend a Super Bowl live and go Bungee Jumping.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“You miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Erica Arcilesi
Jun 04, 2013
Erica Adele Arcilesi
Age: 25
Company Name: Salon e Arcilesi and {[crEAte]}
Position: Owner
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
2012 Winner of Best Recyclable Makeup Artist for Charlotte Fashion Week.
2013 Winner of Elevate's Best Female Makeup Artist.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Charlotte is the place I call home. I have been here my entire life, this is where I grew up.
No matter where my career or passions my take me, I will always come back to Charlotte.
What is you favorite thing about living/working here?
There are so many things I love about Charlotte. First of all, I love how it is evolving and growing. The Queen City has come so far in such a short amount of time, and I take pride in our continuous progress. Secondly, I love the melting pot that Charlotte has become, where I can meet people from all walks of life, and from all over the globe. Mixing cultures and ideas—and learning from one another—is very exciting because it encourages new ways of thinking and creativity. Thirdly, I love the ever-constant versatility in things to do and places to go. There is always something new happening and somewhere different to explore—from Crowder's Mountain to the Metropolitan—and that keeps things interesting.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
My career has allowed doors to open in so many ways. I stay very involved in Charlotte's Community through the fashion shows, film productions, and photo shoots I take part in—and I feel so fortunate for that. Since 2012, I have been involved as a mentor at The Boys & Girls Club (Gastonia), The Sandbox Charity: Evening of Believing (Prom), Water for Malawi Charity Event (Supporter), The Pink Ribbon Charity Auction (Headpiece), People Before Profit (To Benefit Teachers & Give Back), Carolina Breast Friends (Fashion Show Benefit), Junior Achievement of the Carolinas (Donations), and—most recently—I was an ambassador with the Fashion Department at South Mecklenburg High School.
What are your hobbies and interests?
My Hobbies and interests include: traveling, spending time with loved ones, hot yoga, my dog Gizmo, crafting, spa days, beach road trips, walking the Greenway, Sunday breakfast with Charlie, and sleeping-in(a rarity).
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I live life to it's fullest.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years, I hope to have a smile on my face, to have grown my salon into a full luxury day spa, and to have visited at least 5 countries (I visit 3 this summer - Rome, Monaco & Spain.)
I picture beginning a family and loving life, the same way I do at this moment.
Can you share one or two things that are on your "Bucket List?"
My bucket list is in categories, from things I want before I settle down, to lifelong goals. This fall, I will be working at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in NYC. I hope to, one day, do hair for Fashion Week in cities, such as Milan and Berlin. Retiring one day on the beach with my loving family, and writing a book, are also on the list.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
" I will make everything around me beautiful - and that will be my life."
- Elsie de Wolfe
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Erin Ann Burns
Jun 04, 2013
Erin Ann Burns
Age: 25
Company Name: North Mecklenburg High School; MyTownhome Realty; SideKicks Mentoring, INC.
Position: Biology Teacher; Realtor/Broker; Co-Founder (respectively)
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
I was recently accepted into a Masters of Educational Leadership program at Columbia University, in New York City. Over the last year, I was “Realtor of the Month,” for 2 consecutive months at the Cotswold Office of MyTownhome Realty.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Almost four years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I moved to Charlotte in 2009, directly after graduating from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I purchased a condo in Uptown last spring, and love being able to walk to so many restaurants and nightlife spots. Charlotte is such a beautiful, vibrant, clean city, and full of so many fun, young people.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
I attend Elevation Church and focus most of my energy on my non-profit company, SideKicks Mentoring. At Sidekicks Mentoring, take high school students and match them with young professionals, who mentor the students through monthly community service and social events. SideKicks partners with a lot of other great non-profits and businesses, such as: Charlotte Family Housing, Beds for Kids, and Samaritan’s Purse. This helps to expose the students and young professionals to the needs of others in our city, and form bonds with one another through the experience.
What are your hobbies and interests?
When I’m not working, I enjoy working out, grabbing a drink with friends, or traveling—whether it be a weekend trip to Chapel Hill, or week-long trip to a foreign destination.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I have a wide variety of interests—hence having three jobs at the moment. I love the satisfaction of helping a real estate client find their perfect home and educating them through the purchase transaction. I love teaching my diverse group of students about science, and seeing the hard work pay off when I have an almost perfect pass rate on the state End of Course exams. I love connecting a generation of young professionals to the next generation through my non-profit. I keep being obedient in what I’m called to do during this season of my life; knowing and trusting that all of this diverse work will culminate and make sense in a few years. Each day, I realize more and more how real estate development, school assignment boundaries, property values, educated individuals, and public schools really are intertwined.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years, I hope to be reforming public education in some sense; whether that be leading a turn-around school as a principal, or serving on the Board of Education. I really believe that a solid public education is the answer to solving so many of our other social issues; I want to invest my life in making the next generation of students(regardless of their socioeconomic, ethnicity, etc) become well-rounded individuals that can make sound decisions for themselves, and for society as a whole.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
Next up on the bucket list is riding elephants in Thailand. Hiking on a glacier would be pretty cool, too.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
"Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around." - Henry David Thoreau
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Gretchen Rohleder
Jun 04, 2013
Gretchen Rohleder
Age: 29
Company Name: YMCA of Greater Charlotte
Position: Senior Financial Development Officer for Camping Services
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
I changed jobs last year, from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Charlotte Chapter, to the YMCA of Greater Charlotte. While at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, I received the Circle of Excellence Award for achievement in fundraising and development, three out of five years. My event, the Guys & Dolls Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction, was voted “BEST Charity Event” by Elevate Lifestyle readers. My biggest achievement so far in 2013 is helping create and raise funds for the YMCA’s new “Game Changers” program. This program provides deserving youth, in the McCrorey YMCA’s afterschool program, with life-changing resident camping experiences at Camp Thunderbird and Camp Harrison.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Seven years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
My favorite thing about Charlotte is its active group of young professionals. I am grateful to be surrounded by a peer group who is so passionate about serving the community in which we live.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
I volunteer extensively for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, including just signing up for a 30 mile fundraising hike, which I will complete this fall. This summer, I will be volunteering for the YMCA’s “Y-Readers” literacy program. I am fortunate to have ties to two outstanding organizations doing life-changing work right here, in Charlotte.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I love to be outdoors, especially hiking with, Lily, my black lab. I am passionate about traveling and exploring different cultures. I am a music fanatic! I love going to shows and festivals, and adding to my growing record collection.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I’m originally from Charleston, SC, but my family has deep roots in the Charlotte area, going back to my great-great grandparents. I am a born-and-bred “Carolina Girl”.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Still in fundraising, and following my passions!
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
Have a family, backpack through Southeast Asia, and swim with Great White Sharks in South Africa.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Seuss
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Heather Barbour
Jun 04, 2013
Heather Lauren Barbour
Age: 29
Company Name: Wine & Design Charlotte
Position: Business Owner
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Two years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I have lived in Charlotte since 2011, when I re-located to open my business. I love living here. I moved from Raleigh, and the dynamic is totally different. There is such a wide variety of cultures and people from all over the country, making life here interesting and exciting. Charlotte is a great place to meet new people. I enjoy hearing about why they moved to Charlotte, and what they have accomplished—both personally and professionally. The environment in Charlotte is so supportive of new business endeavors and philanthropic activities.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
Through my business; I have had the opportunity to partner with various non-profit organizations (Great Danes of Ruff Love, Humane Society of Charlotte, Boston Terrier Rescue of NC, Lupus Foundation, Team in Training, Breast Cancer Research of NC among others) on a monthly basis. We host events and donate time, talents, and financial support. I also am the Co-Chair for Blondes vs. Brunettes Charlotte (BvB). BvB is a fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association of NC, which is a cause close to my family and my heart. BvB 2013 just wrapped up last week. and I am already busy working on a new project for the Alzheimer’s Association, called The Longest Day. If I could donate the majority of my time to charities, I would!
What are your hobbies and interests?
I enjoy my job and the flexibility it gives me to go out and meet people, to grow my business, and enhance the appreciation for arts in my community. I also enjoy hot yoga, running, live music shows, and anything outdoors.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I have always been an extremely independent person with an entrepreneurial spirit. I knew at a very young age that I wanted to have my own business someday. My parents and family are all very hard workers. Along with providing me with a great education at East Carolina and Western Carolina Universities, they have given me the tactical tools and emotional support that I needed to make my dream a reality.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years, I hope that my business partner and I will have expanded our Wine & Design business, and have the opportunity to open other businesses. I believe this is just the beginning for me in Charlotte, and I am excited for the coming years I will be spending here.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
Definitely Skydiving, and traveling to Africa to assist in providing water sources to villages in need.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Ivey Moore
Jun 04, 2013
Ivey Moore
Age: 27
Company Name: Pink Soles, Inc.
Position: CEO and Founder
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
Recently elected to serve on the State Executive Committee for my political party.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Eleven years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I’m one of the rare people who has actually lived here most of my life as opposed to relocating here as an adult. I love to watch Charlotte as it grows. Being here since 1997, I’ve seen the city of Charlotte make some great transformations. I enjoy catching a glimpse of the Charlotte skyline as I’m driving down I-77 or I-277. It inspires me; it reflects the energy and potential of the city.
My favorite thing about living in Charlotte is that you get the best of both worlds. Here, we have the energy and buzz of city-life with tons of great restaurants and entertainment. On the other hand, Charlotte encompasses the comfort and reasonable cost of living of a suburban area. I also love that the city is buzzing with entrepreneurs, working to build their own unique futures. It is encouraging to have resources here, like the Packard Place, to help cultivate small business growth.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
I am CEO & Founder Pink Soles Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization. Pink Soles is a contemporary initiative to benefit breast cancer research and awareness. We produce fundraising events to benefit breast cancer research, using the arts (i.e. art & fashion); we work to provide breast cancer awareness to our target market—young adults.
My mission as Founder is to promote philanthropy among young professionals. I see it as my duty to be the spark that ignites the passion of philanthropy within members of my generation.
In addition to leading my organization, I currently work at Vanguard as an Investment Professional. In this position, I work with shareholders to find investments that meet their objectives, and I consult with them about the process of asset consolidation.
My nonprofit organization gets a lot of my attention as I’m passionate about what I do, who it affects, and the impact I make as an example for my generation. However, I do volunteer with the Urban League of Central Carolinas and the Harvey B. Gantt Center. Through my work on the State Executive Committee, I will help make decisions about the platform & governance of my political party.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I love fashion. It has been something that has intrigued and inspired me since I was a child. One of the degrees I earned in college was Fashion Merchandising & Design, and since graduation I have worked closely with different businesses and events in the fashion industry, both in Charlotte & New York. I’ve done fashion and style reporting for several magazines, and worked as a wardrobe stylist. In Charlotte, I was featured on Fox News Rising’s “Wardrobe Wednesday” segment (2011). I also presented runway trends for Mercedes-Benz fashion week on the Debra Kennedy Show (2012). Through my nonprofit, I produce the Annual Pink Soles Ultimate Fall Fashion Event. This allows me to work with my two loves: philanthropy and fashion! I continue to stay connected to the fashion industry by hosting and collaborating with local fashion and style events.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I am a health/wellness enthusiast and I’ve done extensive research on the major issues that affect our health in this country. I do my best to educate others, so they will be informed about health and nutrition and can make better decisions. I’ve presented to business and social groups on nutrition, wellness, and some of the “hidden” toxins in our food supply.
I am in the process of writing my first book. The subject is nonprofit fundraising, and it’s scheduled to be released in 2014.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I plan to be a best-selling published author. I plan to be transitioning my organization into a nationally recognized brand.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
1) Major international travel. I just feel like I can’t leave this earth without seeing some of the great wonders, places, and spaces it has to offer. My top places to visit include London, Paris, and several cities in Italy & India. 2) Become an international thought leader, inspiring my generation.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.” –Matthew 5:16
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Jessica Coniglio
Jun 04, 2013
Jessica Coniglio
Age: 29
Company Name: Dixon Hughes Goodman
Position: Certified Public Accountant
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
Each year since 2009, I have been recognized as a top fundraiser and co-chair of the Guys and Dolls auction benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). Since 2009, I have personally raised almost $60,000 for the Foundation. In 2011, I was recognized as a top Chapter volunteer for the CFF, and attended the annual volunteer leadership conference. In 2012, I was honored to be selected as a board member for the CFF Charlotte Chapter, and continue to serve in that role.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Seven years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
My favorite thing about this city is the strong philanthropic environment for young people. My parents taught me from a young age about giving back, and I always knew I wanted to attach myself to a charitable cause. The city of Charlotte made that very easy for me, and my roles with the CFF have changed my life in the best way.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is my biggest community activity. I also participate in volunteer activities through my office. I was involved in planning annual days of community service for a “Big 4” public accounting firm with an office of over 200 people. This program included walking for AIDS, JDRF, and March of Dimes; and volunteering time, at Thompson Family Center and A Child’s Place.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Free time is hard to come by with my career and the time I invest in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, but when I do get a chance to relax love to do the following: find great food and beverages, cook, spend as much time as possible with my sweet yorkie Little Richard, and catch up on my DVR (especially anything on Bravo and melodramatic medical shows! Don’t judge—you know you like them too!)
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I grew up on both the West and East Coast, spending my early years in California, and my later years in New Jersey. I’m an only child, but come from a tight knit extended family that resides in a small town outside of Buffalo, New York—and I still consider it home! I have the best friends and family anyone could ask for, and I’m just grateful to be doing what I love—in my career and my community!
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself continuing to follow my philanthropic passions; working in an environment that challenges me and allows me to grow my strong accounting and people management skills; and a fair amount of hanging with my dog—while watching bad reality TV!
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
Exploring Hawaii, and visiting my Sicilian roots with my family.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.”
― Coco Chanel
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Jessica Harvey
Jun 04, 2013
Jessica Earp Harvey
Age: 26
Company Name: fab’rik Charlotte and ETS
Position: Boutique Owner (fab’rik Charlotte), Director of Marketing/Business Development (ETS)
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
I was named Mrs. North Carolina America 2012, 1st runner-up at Mrs. America 2012, and my boutique won 2 Elevate Lifestyle “Best of the City” awards this year.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Six years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
Charlotte gives me the best of everything: I live out in the country, can’t get enough of the lake, but the city is also so accessible when I need some excitement.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
My boutique will be hosting our first “free fab’rik” event this year, which is a charity that supports young women and teens with free shopping sprees. While I was Mrs. North Carolina America, I served as a national spokesperson for the Angelman Syndrome Foundation, which supports research for a cure for my sister-in-law, Whitney.
What are your hobbies and interests?
At this point in my life, I try to spend as much time with my family as I can outside of work, so lots of baseball games and toddler entertainment.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
While my family members tend to label me as a work-o-holic, I am also really focused on growing as an individual and with my family. My husband played baseball professionally for 8 years and I had the time of my life traveling to different cities watching him live his dream. We have been married for 6 years, have a 3-year-old daughter, and another little girl on the way.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
On a top 40 under 40 list! I hope to have multiple locations of my boutique open, I’d like to see my career continuing to advance and challenge me, I’d also like to be playing a larger role in helping women in the their 20’s set goals and move toward their dreams. I know first hand the benefits of starting young; I think more young women should take the steps toward building their futures.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
For my husband and I to travel to Europe together, to read the Bible cover to cover.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“If it is meant to be, it is up to me” - William H Johnsen
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Jillian Mourning
Jun 04, 2013
Jillian Lynne Mourning
Age: 25
Company Name: All We Want Is LOVE
Position: Founder and CEO
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
I was nominated for the Do Something Awards, and I have been selected as a finalist. This is a grant for individuals who are 25 and under making an impact in the world. This grant recognizes projects and organizations that can make a difference in their community and the surrounding world. Being a semi-finalist means that, out of ten thousand nominees, I am in the top 5.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Thirteen years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I love the amount of people in our community who are willing to help in their community. It’s truly amazing to be surrounded by a vast amount of individuals who want to make a difference, without anything in return. There are a lot of injustices in our world, but having a plethora of individuals in my own community wanting to help fight things provides much needed hope.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
Most of my community projects relate to All We Want Is LOVE, which is a non-profit that I started last summer. We are committed to fighting human and sex trafficking in Charlotte, in other cities in the United States, and in the world. We host educational events and programs for youth in schools, and we are organizing training for community and business members to help combat human trafficking in their daily lives. Through our programs, we have reached hundreds of thousands of people.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I love foreign moves, documentaries, and autobiographies. Learning more about our world, the differences within it, and helping to fight any human rights abuse have always been passions of mine. I love being outside, so I am a big fan of any activity where I get to be outdoors!
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
My life is exceptionally busy. In addition to running my non-profit full time, I’m working on collaborations with non-profits on the west coast; helping to design curriculums for human trafficking courses in colleges. I was recently asked to train groups of employees at Duke Energy, which is an honor. I’m thankful for the opportunities that God continues to provide for me. Outside of the non-profit, I spend a lot of time cooking and with my dog Mika and my cat Dexter.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Professionally, I would love to have an even more successful non-profit with greater community support, and the budget to hire those who also have a passion to fight this injustice. I remember watching “Half the Sky” and listening to all of these women who are world changers and making a difference, and saying to myself: “I will be there someday.” Maybe in 5 years I will be? Personally, I would love to have a family or be close to it! I love kids so I hope that is in the cards for me.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
First and foremost, I want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Accomplishing something like that is a true challenge and commitment; a test of your emotional, physical, and spiritual strength. Secondly, I want to swim with manatees. They are my favorite animals, and I love anything that has to do with water.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“People were created to be loved; things were created to be used. The reason why the world is in chaos is because things are being loved and people are being used.”
-Unknown
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Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Jina T. O’Neill
Jun 04, 2013
Jina T. O’Neill
Age: 29
Company Name: Parties with a Cause
Position: Co-Founder and Event Manager
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
I recently served on the leadership committee for GOCLT (young professionals affiliate for Charlotte in 2012 (DNC Convention))
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Seven years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
My favorite thing about the city is that everyone is so kind and personable. I feel like I am on a permanent vacation, rather than in a city where I work and live.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
Parties with a cause is involved with several community initiatives. Currently, we are managing Charlotte’s largest African-American golf tournament weekend, called The Gray Classic. At the end of the summer, we will manage a Back to School Bash for low-income students in Mecklenburg County, in partnership with Prodigal Son Foundation.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Traveling, attending charitable events, listening to good music, and playing golf.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I am an introvert by nature, but I love being on the social scene and meeting new people. My passion is to help others; I like making connections with people who also want to make difference in the lives of others. This is why I co-founded Parties With a Cause in 2011.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In five years, I still see myself having a base in Charlotte, but I hope to be able to travel to others cities to bring awareness to great causes. I also hope to begin a PhD program, specializing in Cultural Studies.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
Skydiving & Travel to Asia
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“As I change my thoughts, the world around me changes.” - Louise Hay
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Jon West
Jun 04, 2013
Jon West
Age: 29
Company Name: AddShoppers.com
Position: Co-Founder & CEO
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
Empact (http://www.empact100.com/about), in cooperation with The White House, recently selected My first company as a Top 100 company run by young entrepreneurs. See:https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/601114_10100564536820778_742601252_n.jpg
In the past few years one of my companies was #2 in the Charlotte Business Journal's Fast 50 and #236 overall in the Inc 500 (#4 in Retail). I consider it an achievement to get Google to put a billboard in Uptown: https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/321909_10100170354570168_1932700220_o.jpg
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Seven years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I moved straight to Uptown after graduating from Appalachian State in 2006, and I have lived here ever since. Living in the center city is particularly great because most everything I need is walkable—including our office.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
I’m becoming more involved in the Charlotte startup scene. I enjoy helping entrepreneurs follow their dreams, and I try to add value whenever I can. I also donate to various charities around town, and I serve on a few boards at ASU.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I spend the majority of time willing my startup to victory. Aside from that, I really enjoy traveling. Over the past few months I’ve been to California, Hawaii, and Vegas; and I’m gearing up for Oktoberfest in Munich this fall. I can watch stand-up comedy for hours on end. Although I’m usually busy working, I try to stay active; playing basketball and working out, whenever my schedule allows.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I’m an only child from a military family. I was born in Germany and have lived all over the US—from NY to Washington—until moving to NC in high school. After getting a taste of working for a large corporation (during an internship my Junior year of college), I realized it wasn’t for me, and set out to be my own boss by graduation. I accomplished that goal, and I’ve enjoyed the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship ever since.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years, I’ll be in a position where I can invest in world-changing startups, give them advice, and help them realize their vision. Charlotte's tech ecosystem is really coming together, and it's exciting to be a small part of it.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
Not exactly lofty, but the first thing that comes to mind is that I want to attend a live taping of SNL. I never seem to time it right.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“True happiness is…to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future.” - Seneca
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Jonathan Burgess
Jun 04, 2013
Jonathan Burgess
Age: 28
Company Name: CLTFun.com & ConcordFun.com
Position: President
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
A big achievement for me has been helping one of my clients increase their revenues by over 35% from 2011 to 2012. They are on track for another big year this year as well! The past 12 months has been a great year for CLTFun.com as well. Another big achievement was becoming the "Official Photographers" for Alive After Five - EpiCentre and Piedmont Town Center - Concert in the Rounds Series.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
I have lived in Charlotte all of my life.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I love this city and have enjoyed watching it grow over the years. I like the people and the opportunities there are in Charlotte.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
We host several fundraising events, throughout the year, in efforts to raise money for different organizations. The biggest one being our Lake Norman Summer Soiree, benefiting Little Smiles. This year the event will be held on Thursday, June 13th.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I enjoy spending time and traveling (whenever possible) with my beautiful wife Lisa, and hanging out with family and friends. I enjoy playing and watching most all sports.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I am passionate about my business and am always eager to learn more! I am a hard-worker who does not stop until the job is done. I put God first and am thankful for all of the opportunities he has blessed me with over the years. Oh, my wife and I are expecting our first baby end of July!
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself continuing to grow my business and setup Fun.com sites in additional markets.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
I want to vacation in Bora Bora, and I have a novel that I have been working on for a couple of years that I would like to get published.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Kari Parekh
Jun 04, 2013
Kari Parekh
Age: 29
Company Name: Wells Fargo
Position: Commercial Real Estate Asset Manager
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
I recently received the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Graduate Scholarship for my Masters of Science in Real Estate.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Five years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
Everything! Charlotte is the perfect size; and it has incredible people, just enough of each season, and easy access to both the mountains and the beach. I’ve had opportunities to move multiple times; but I can’t seem to justify leaving when I feel like Charlotte has everything—with only more growth, development and opportunities to come.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
I was on the board of the Wells Fargo Young Professional Network, as the Community Outreach and Networking chair for 2 years. I remain active in both Community Outreach and Professional Development programs today. I am an active member of the Charlotte Gator Club (University of Florida Alumni Association) and was formerly a part of its Networking Committee. While I enjoy volunteering in events throughout the city, I especially enjoy organizing events with Habitat for Humanity and 2nd Harvest Food Bank throughout the year. I am also a member of Urban Land Institute and Commercial Real Estate Women Charlotte chapters.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Like most people, I love to travel—I have been lucky enough to explore a lot thus far (e.g. India, Greece, Czech Republic, and Brazil). I love learning about new cultures and taking parts of each one home with me. I definitely value staying active and strongly believe physical fitness is essential to achieving a balanced lifestyle. I try to spend every night I’m free at the YMCA and I look forward to anything from Athletic Conditioning and Pilates, to FlyWheel and Kickboxing. Majority of my other interests are affiliated with real estate, since I have been involved in some aspect of the industry since I was young. It’s incredible how many skills are needed to be successful—and I love learning about every aspect of the field to build a solid foundation.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I am currently in the Masters of Science in Real Estate program at UNC Charlotte. The curriculum covers a variety of topics and the program has far exceeded my expectations. While being a part time student has impacted my involvement in the hobbies listed above, I am proud of my performance thus far and think it’s a great program for the Belk College of Business.
I live in South End/Dilworth and adore the area, but I also love exploring the different neighborhoods within the city. I've really enjoyed watching Charlotte grow over the years, and look forward to becoming a part of the growth and new development in the future.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years I will have completed my Masters while continuing to maximize the value of my portfolio as an Asset Manager with Wells. I ultimately hope to build my own real estate consulting company here in Charlotte. While my business plan is ever evolving, it will feed off of my experiences, both within the workplace and in the classroom- in addition to the lessons I’ve learned from my exposure to the “great recession”. I plan to increase my involvement in the community through organizations like CREW; and continue to offer my time and support to the community through volunteerism. Personally, I hope to have traveled a minimum of 5 new international destinations and continued to put a dent in my never-ending bucket list.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
The list is endless so I listed 5 below:
1. Go skydiving again- but this time somewhere unique like Dubai.
2. Safari in Africa- where you can get within a couple feet of the native animals.
3. Build a Real Estate Consulting business—as explained in my 5 year plan.
4. Rescue a puppy.
5. Learn to cook… like my mother.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door”- Milton Berle
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Marit Anderson
Jun 03, 2013
Marit Anderson
Age: 29
Company Name: The Twelve In Twelve Foundation and Shine Salon
Position: Executive Foundation Director and Assistant Director (respectively)
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
Twelve in Twelve is a local not-for-profit that benefits twelve different community projects across the globe. Our most recent fundraiser for Twelve In Twelve raised enough money to build desks for the nearly 800 children at The Mwiko School in Rwanda. The school lacks so many resources, and being able to provide something so important to a classroom has been incredibly rewarding. I was recently recognized by the Melanoma Research Foundation for my tremendous fundraising efforts. Supporting them has become really close to my heart. Being named one of the Top 30 Under 30 means a lot to me as well!
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Four years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I love so many of the neighborhoods here, and really enjoy living in NoDa. There is always live music, and an eclectic art scene, within walking distance from our house. The US National Whitewater Center is my favorite place to hang out. We take our dogs swimming in the Catawba and take advantage of all the activities they offer, as much as we can. I’m always there on Thursday evenings, listening to live music, and relaxing with my boyfriend and our friends.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
Twelve In Twelve keeps me active in the community through all of the different events that we host. I am also an avid supporter of the Melanoma Research Foundation and just had a tap placed at Dillinger’s Taproom that donates a percentage of sales from that beer, every month, to the Foundation. I have recently dedicated myself to becoming more active in the community. The older I get, the more I realize how incredibly important it is to be involved locally.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I am incredibly passionate about traveling. I love vintage clothing, cooking, listening to vinyl on my record player, enjoying live music, and spending time with my favorite people—my family, my boyfriend, and our two pups.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I feel like I’ve truly come into my own at 29. Only in the last year do I feel like all of the things I am passionate about have finally culminated into my career, which could not be more fulfilling. I have learned, even more importantly, the value of time. Spending more time with friends and family has become a bigger priority for me. I think that it is incredibly important to truly be living life, versus allowing it to pass by you without appreciating how wonderful it is. We all take so many things for granted these days. We all should take time to really appreciate everything we have.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In five years, I see myself living overseas, working with Twelve In Twelve’s community projects internationally, and immersing myself in giving back. I will still be focused on traveling and enjoying life as much as possible. Hopefully, I’ll have knocked a few things off my bucket list and continue to be surrounded by all the people that I love so much.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
I have always wanted to go to Chiang Mai, Thailand, and spend a few weeks working at the Elephant Nature Park. Rio has been high on my list as well. I want to experience Carnival first hand. My most recent addition is my desire to visit Salar de Uyuni (the salt flats) in southwest Bolivia.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“Someone once told me the definition of hell: ‘The last day you have on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become.’” - Unknown
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Merritt Rea
Jun 03, 2013
Merritt Rea
Age: 26
Company Name: FashionFrontRunner,™ REA/boutique
Position: Owner and Operator
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
I recently styled Miss South Carolina 2013, Megan Pinckney, for a promotional photo shoot, before she competes in the world-renowned Miss USA Pageant, owned by none other than Donald Trump.
Won Elevate Lifestyle Magazine’s BEST OF THE CITY AWARDS for Best Cultural Event for 2012: “Pin-Up, Pin Down Fashion Show” produced by FashionFrontRunner.™ (Also, received a great write up in The Charlotte Observer Style Section regarding that show).
My first (PRINTED) fashion editorial “Raising the Bar” was recently featured in the May issue of Elevate Lifestyle Magazine.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
I was born and raised in Charlotte.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
Considering my past work experience in Manhattan, my favorite thing about working in Charlotte is that I am literally a “frontrunner” for the Charlotte fashion scene. I am very proud to call Charlotte home; Charlotte is establishing itself as a fashion city, offering a variety of on-trend boutiques, luxury department stores, reputable publications, and local socialites.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
FashionFrontRunner™ has produced two charity events in its short six months of operating time. The two charities that FashionFrontRunner™ has sponsored are Levine Cancer Institute and Catawba Lands Conservancy.
What are your hobbies and interests?
My (SUMMER) hobbies include vegging out by the pool, outdoor concerts, dining at one of my favorite local spots, people watching, and taking it easy. I work a lot, so I enjoy relaxing in my spare time.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
My internship with Marie Claire Magazine taught me a lot. I was able to express my passion, drive, and creativity for the fashion industry, all while learning the “ropes” of the corporate hierarchy. The demanding work environment taught me to be organized, professional, and assertive. I have the utmost gratitude for the opportunity to venture out on my own, and develop my brand with my vision.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Influencing prominent fashion industry leaders, and working on costume design for major motion pictures.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
1. Travel as much as possible. I simply love life and am intrigued by foreign culture. I want to experience the world.
2. To style a “Best Dressed” Academy Award Winner.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."
-Marilyn Monroe
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Nyshia Cook
Jun 03, 2013
Nyshia Cook
Age: 29
Company Name: NC Music Center, LLC.
Position: Owner/Executive Director.
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
2013 YGB Awards Community Mentorship and Awareness Award
2012 CPCC Alumni Success
2011 Best of Charlotte Award (USCA)
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
For over 14 years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I think Charlotte is very competitive; there are a lot of people working very hard to be the best at what they have to offer. Charlotte also provides many opportunities for creative individuals who want to earn a living from doing what they love.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
Women’s Inter-Cultural Exchange (WIE), a mentor program for college students; Pride Entrepreneur Education Program (PEEP), a program that encourages youths to explore the option of becoming an entrepreneur. I am also very active in my community, volunteering with numerous organizations.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I am always looking to try something new; I like to spend a lot of time learning new things about different cultures and philosophies. I am a musician, and I enjoy learning new repertoire. I am a very active member of my church, and I also enjoy spending lots of time playing with my nieces and nephews.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I am very hardworking, because I think your work ethic speaks volumes on who you are as a person and your character. If you are lazy and careless, it will show up in your work; if you pay attention to detail, that also will show up in your work.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years, I hope to accomplish everything on my vision board and I hope to already have a new vision outlined.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
Before I die, I want to travel the entire world and interact with people from all walks of life!
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“Don’t get sidetracked by people who aren’t even on track.”
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: PJ “Drex” Rener
Jun 03, 2013
PJ “Drex” Rener
Age: 30
Company Name: CBS Radio/Kiss 95.1
Position: Morning Show DJ
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
We were voted BEST Radio Morning Show by Elevate Lifestyle Magazine Readers.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
Two years.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I love that this is a big city with a small town feel. I love Park Road Shopping Center, with all the mom and pop stores—the cigar shop is awesome! Also, there is a great Chinese place behind the shopping center, shhhhh don’t tell!
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
We have The Drex and Maney Kids at Levine Children’s Hospital, and in the last we’ve raised almost 100K for them.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I LOVE to play golf! I belong to Raintree Country Club, and love it.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
I became a father this year, and it is the greatest thing I have ever done. I have never loved anyone as much as I love my wife and daughter. People are always looking for the “why” in life; well, I have found mine.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully one more baby and doing the exact same thing: making people laugh on their way to work.
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
I’ve been to Augusta golf course to see the Masters Golf Tournament, but I would love to play there. I would love to host a couple Special Olympic functions, and really do something great for them. I have a special sister and I have been to some of her events. There is no greater joy than watching my sister bowl—she could beat you!
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
9 words, 9 syllables, “If it is to be, it’s up to me!” - William H Johnsen
My father-in-law had this printed on a card and laminated; and he gave it to me the day I married his daughter. He told me if I follow this rule, I’ll be alright by him.
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
TOP 30 UNDER 30 WINNER: Sara Staab
Jun 03, 2013
Sara Kathryn Staab
Age: 26
Company Name: Sugarfin Public Relations and Marketing Solutions
Position: Owner and CEO
Have you received/earned any recent achievements/awards?
Awards: 2012 “Standout Charlotte” Honoree.
Achievements: Senior role on core team that founded, and executed, the first annual Tyler’s Hope Season of Hope 5K in Charlotte in November 2012; Core script team for a TED talk about Tyler’s Hope and Dystonia research (February 2013); garnered placement for three clients on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing companies in America in 2010, 2011, and 2012; key roles in the launching of three new companies in 2012; helped one of my clients win “Small Business of the Year” recognition.
Sugarfin Public Relations and Marketing Solutions (http://www.sugarfin.com) is a full-service PR and marketing strategy firm based in Dilworth. Sugarfin helps companies of all sizes in a wide range of industries, from small tech startups to healthcare Fortune 500's, leverage an arsenal of tailored, creative tactics in order to grow. In the three years since Sugarfin was founded, my clients have won numerous awards, been featured in major national press, improved customer satisfaction scores, expanded their charitable outreach programs, and significantly increased their overall profitability.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
I have lived in Charlotte all my life.
What is your favorite thing about living/working here?
I know it sounds cheesy, but the thing I love most about living in Charlotte is being here to watch it grow. Charlotte, as a city, is in such a cool phase right now. Arts, culture, entrepreneurship, education, sports—we’re expanding exponentially in every area. Okay, maybe not sports…we’re working on that. Every time I go to a different part of town, it’s a little more beautiful and vibrant than last time I was there. You can’t go two weeks without discovering something new and awesome—TEDx talks, food truck rallies, a strong and growing community of entrepreneurs, you name it. Charlotte’s always had a special place in my heart, but I am so proud of the personality she’s developed over the past 10 years.
Are you involved with any community activities or projects?
I am active with several civic groups in Charlotte, including the Jaycees and the Charlotte Carolina Club (the UNC-Chapel Hill alumni group). I’m also very involved in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and sit on their Standout Charlotte committee. I try to be a regular at Habitat for Humanity builds, am a business plan judge for the NC REAL Youth Entrepreneurship program, and teach a monthly career skills workshop for women at Hope Haven recovery community. I’m a proud member of the burgeoning entrepreneurial community in Charlotte. I am active with many local groups supporting startups, specifically those that focus on growing the network of young entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs—including the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and Under 30 CEO. I am also active in professional groups in Charlotte, including the American Marketing Association and the Public Relations Society of America (specifically, their Young Professionals and Agency Owners groups).
What are your hobbies and interests?
I am probably most passionate about working with my family’s non-profit, Tyler’s Hope for a Dystonia Cure. Tyler’s Hope funds research for a cure for Dystonia, a painful movement disorder that afflicts over 500,000 Americans. Two of those 500,000 are my sweet young cousins, Tyler and Samantha. Through my PR, marketing, fundraising, grant writing, and event planning contributions, I’ve been a part of the Tyler’s Hope team that has raised over two million dollars over the past five years. This money has funded multiple research projects, a designated dystonia research lab (the first of it’s kind in the United States), and a Center for Comprehensive Dystonia Care at the University of Florida.
In addition to Tyler’s Hope, I enjoy running (I’m currently training for a "Tough Mudder" mud run), tennis, reading, working in my yard, cooking vegan food that my boyfriend can’t tell is vegan, and hosting dinner parties for my friends!
Tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What do you want us to know?
Balance and adventure are very important in life. My insatiable sense of adventure is what led me to start my company, and it drives a lot of the decisions I make, in business and in life. I think that my sense of adventure, and the curiosity and appetite for new challenges that come along with it, have led me to my greatest successes, most valued friends, and favorite places. I also have figured out that balance has to go hand-in-hand with a fearless sense of exploring. It’s important to work hard and give fully of yourself to passions and challenges, but when it comes down to it, life is about your family, friends, and other people you impact, and you can’t ignore that while you’re out chasing down success.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
A long time ago, I learned the idea of reverse engineering. The basics are to set a goal and work backwards from that goal. It’s a thought process I use a lot with my clients. On a personal basis, I want my company to be very important to my clients and my employees—immediately and in the next five years. I don’t know what those numbers will look like exactly, but I hope that they blow past my expectations, the way my goals for the first three years of my company did. If my company is still growing, giving back, and excelling as a valued, critical part of it’s clients’ and employee’s lives, I’ll be happy!
Can you share one or two things that are on your “Bucket List?”
I have a pretty lengthy bucket list. Two of my favorite things on the list are swimming with sharks and owning the patent on something. I also want to buy my dad a car and my mom a horse. Specifically, a 64 ½, candy apple red, white leather interior, 450 4-barrel engine, Mustang convertible, and a brown horse with a star on his face. Those are two things that they’ve always dreamed about. When I look at my bucket list, I realize how much I’m already living my dream life, and so much of that is because of my parents. I would consider my life complete if I could make some of their dreams a reality for a change.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.” – T.E. Lawrence
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
June Calendar Events at EPICENTRE
Jun 01, 2013
The EPICENTRE offers a large variety of both family friendly and adult events this season CHARLOTTE, NC (June 3, 2013) – Every month new and exciting events are happening at the EPICENTRE making it the ultimate destination in uptown. Live music, art and kid friendly events are not in short supply this summer.
Every Thursday night during the month of June Alive After Five rocks the Queen City from 5 p.m.- 9 p.m. at the EPICENTRE. Live music is played in both The Commons of the EPICENTRE, as well as at the Pavilion. Bands from across the country come to be a part of this Charlotte tradition. As the city’s largest weekly happy hour and free entertainment celebration, Alive After Five provides a destination for friends and co-workers to gather and unwind, while enjoying great live music, tasty beverages, including a variety of local and specialty wines, all in a fun, casual environment.
With its introduction last year, every Friday noon to 7 p.m., the Plaza Commons Artisan Showcase is home at the EPICENTRE. A select group of artisans will be featuring and offering delicious foods, artisanal breads, fresh snacks, hand-made wearable art of all kind, flowers and so much more.
Starting Friday, June 7, Silent Disco returns to the Pavilion at EPICENTRE. This not to be missed experience will continue every Friday throughout the month of June. The 5-week Silent Disco Series is completely free. National Redbull DJs, including Tony Aser and Drex, will rock the Pavilion each week spinning the hottest music Charlotte will experience this summer. Come dance the night away or just enjoy watching the event of a lifetime.
Kicking-off June 10 and running until August 16, Studio Movie Grill presents the Children’s Summer Series. Family focused movies are presented everyday at 11 a.m. with the purchase of $1 child ticket and a $2 adult ticket. Families can now take advantage of discounted movie rates all summer long.
On Saturday, June 15 and June 29, from noon until 4 p.m Saturday Epic Art takes over the EPICENTRE featuring local art of all types, including music with selections changing each week.
This Father’s Day, June 16, Kids Club Central celebrates the magic of Dad. It’s all about Dad, with special games, prizes, crafts and fun activities that a perfect for kids of all ages running from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m.
EPICENTRE is located at 210 E Trade Street in uptown Charlotte.
EPICENTRE is the Southeast’s hub for dining, entertainment, recreation, nightlife and hospitality. Featuring an innovative design and accommodating layout, EPICENTRE is home to over three dozen unique concepts encompassing over half a million square feet. The restaurants, shops and nightspots at EPICENTRE are perfectly situated around an open air pavilion offering dramatic views of the Charlotte skyline. Located at the intersection of Trade and College Streets, EPICENTRE is in the heart of vibrant uptown Charlotte, just blocks away from prominent businesses and venues such as Bank of America Corporate Center, Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte Convention Center and the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Museum. Best of all, EPICENTRE is easily accessible from anywhere, including a convenient stop on the LYNX Blue Line. EPICENTRE is proudly managed by Jones Lang LaSalle.
EpiCentreNC.com facebook.com/EpiCentre.Charlotte twitter.com/EpiCentreNC
Contact: Dana Nigro, WhirlWind Creative
office: 704.936.5648 - mobile: 704.787.6522- email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Charlotte Haunts Scares Up New Riding Ghost Tours
May 28, 2013
Charlotte, NC - City Haunts LLC announces their new Riding Ghost Tours. Working in conjunction with Charlotte Party Charters; Charlotte Haunts will be introducing two unique Ghost Tours to the greater Charlotte Area. Beginning May 31st, Charlotte natives and visitors can board a passenger bus to experience the haunted history of the Queen City in climate controlled comfort (regardless of weather).
Charlotte Haunts expects the new tours to be a welcome addition to Charlotte’s Friday & Saturday nightlife. All guests will board at Kennedy’s Premium Bar & Grill on Caswell Road and will enjoy a guided tour of Charlotte’s ghostly locales or enjoy spirits with the spirits in one of several haunted pubs. Each tour is different and we encourage you to sample them both.
Kennedy’s provides easy parking and a central location for tour-goers. The Riding Ghost Tours are approximately an hour and a half and depart Kennedy’s promptly at 7pm. Tickets are $30 for adults, $15 for children ages 6-13 (children under 5 are free). The Haunted Pub Tour lasts 2 and a half hours, stops at 3-4 pubs and costs $45 (no one under 21 is admitted). This tour departs Kennedy’s promptly at 9pm. Tickets for both tours are only available online, group rates are available for 20 or more.
For more information, go to their website http://www.charlottehaunts.net. They can also be reached at (704) 879-1313, or through email at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
About City Haunts LLC
Charlotte Haunts was founded by paranormal investigator and author Jamie Roush Pearce. Jamie has enjoyed success with her book "Historic Haunts Florida" and is expecting her second book “Historic Haunts of the South” to hit bookshelves by fall (Charlotte will figure prominently in her upcoming book). Roush, a former Haywood County resident, has also been seen on tv’s “Most Terrifying Places in America” and “My Ghost Story". She has worked for over 16 years in the paranormal and has worked with many notable figures and groups in the field.
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
NEW FASHION BOUTIQUE HIGHLIGHTS THE ART IN DESIGN
May 13, 2013
Local design and community make D+ Boutique a must destination spot.
For women tired of redundant fashion options, D+ Boutique offers a fresh approach to the concept of clothing. Inside this unassuming storefront, located in a quiet strip mall in Waxhaw, North Carolina, the hum of sewing machines fill the air, clothing racks of denim jeans, maxi dresses, and vintage designed shoes line the walls, and the walls themselves are lined with fine art and a community chalkboard. Suddenly you're transported to a shop that seems to have dropped right out of the West Village in New York City. Thriving on community and local creativity, D+ Boutique knows how to keep it straight when it comes to threads. The best part about all of this? With a full sewing studio located on site, all clothes at D+ Boutique are designed and made in house. An added benefit to a sewing studio on location at your local boutique, is the ease of getting alterations and custom fittings for any piece in your wardrobe.
As fashion houses are faced with increasingly higher production costs overseas, many realize the benefits of producing their clothing at home in the USA. The future of fashion lies in supporting our local communities with opportunities for work. Producing small lines of clothing not only empowers our workforce, but give designers more freedom to create a variety of new designs and in turn, give women more options when searching for that perfect summer vacation outfit.
Owner Clinton Allen has been involved with fashion for decades, and he believes in creating a community space where people can live and learn. Sourcing local designers, seamstresses, and artisans, Clinton Allen describes his need for opening a shop that focuses on local production, “If we're not making things that create a legacy, then we're not making anything at all.” D+ Boutique not only offers well made fashion and local artisan works, but a host of fashion community events such as, denim parties that include custom fittings, fashion design workshops, clothing swaps, and fashion camps for youth.
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For more information or to request an interview, please contact Clinton Allen, 704-843-1256 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). D+ Boutique is located at 3913-D Providence Rd, Waxhaw, NC and is open Monday-Saturday, 10am-7pm, Sunday by appointment.
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
CSA Names New Executive Director
May 13, 2013
May 8, 2013: Community School of the Arts (CSA) announced today that it has named Devlin McNeil as its new President and Executive Director. Devlin assumes her new role on June 17.
“I’m enthusiastic about the future of Community School of the Arts under Devlin’s leadership,” says Board of Directors chairperson Julie Szeker. “Devlin’s experience and skills, coupled with her personal passion for the arts and a keen understanding of our mission, make her ideally suited to lead the School.”
Devlin comes to the School with a broad range of experience and skills in non-profit leadership, most recently as the Chief Operating Officer at McColl Center for Visual Art. She has a strong business background coupled with over 10 years of experience in the arts including public art, arts education, community outreach, collaboration, and as a photography instructor. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from University of North Carolina at Charlotte and is a Masters Candidate in Arts Administration at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC.
“Community School of the Arts and I share the belief that arts education transforms the human spirit and improves the quality of life,” said McNeil. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to marry my passion for education and the arts with an organization that exemplifies outstanding and accessible arts education.”
Former CSA board chair Kristi Walters led the search committee. Generous donations enabled the Board to retain Martin Godwin, with the executive search firm Cameron Carmichael to lead the search, which included extensive local, regional and national candidates.
Now 43 years old and serving more than 3,000 students each year, Community School of the Arts is one of the largest arts education providers in the Southeast. With a mission of 'transforming lives and inspiring community through outstanding, accessible arts education,' the School is passionately committed to instilling confidence, nurturing creativity, and helping children become lifelong learners. At more than a dozen neighborhood studios across Charlotte, CSA teaches music lessons, art classes, summer camps, ensembles, workshops and master classes to children, youth and adults.
CONTACT: Allison Lange, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 704.887.0290
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Easy, Breezy and Low-Maintenance
May 13, 2013
Summer is supposed to be easy, breezy and low-maintenance. But the hot sun can melt your makeup and the humidity can sink your style, creating high upkeep for your looks. Help is on the way from your local Beauty Brands salon/spa/superstore. A treasure trove of products will help make you effortlessly beautiful and cool even during the cruelest of summers. Here are some favorite melt-proof, wilt-proof picks for summer 2013 from the store’s team of beauty experts:
• Body: Want to look naturally sun-kissed? Put on Per-fekt Body Perfection Gel/Tan Matte, featuring Smart Color Technology that allows all skin tones to use one shade. You’ll get a flawless matte finish minus the streaks and scents that come with many other self-tanners.
• Face: There are several ways to prevent runaway makeup when the temps start to climb:
- Start with a pristine matte canvas, using philosophy matteness collection. This skin-soothing formula performs double duty as a deep daily cleanser and a weekly purifying mask. It features glacial clay. How cool is that?
- Then, prep the face for the day with an all-in-one product like SmashBox Camera Ready CC cream—it primes, corrects imperfections, hydrates and helps makeup stay in place. Or try water-resistant Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm SPF30, another perfecting primer that’s great for outdoor activity.
• Eyes: Look cool in the pool with eyeliner that stays put. Try Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner. A marker tip applicator creates a flawless line with no skipping, smudging or pulling.
• Hair: What if you could create a force field between summer humidity and your hair? Well, Sexy Hair Weather Proof Spray does just that. It contains polymers that make a humidity resistant shield to protect blow-outs, updo’s and curls from wilting in the weather.
• Nails: Give yourself a long-wear, super shiny manicure that lets you have fun in the sun without worrying about chipping. CND Vinylux Weekly Polish and Topcoat sticks around without a base coat and works with natural light to dry for a flawless finish. Choose from 60 shades that match Shellac colors. You can get a Shellac manicure at the salon & spa at Beauty Brands chip-free shine that last up to two weeks.
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Whisky River Celebrates 5 Years in Charlotte
May 06, 2013
Brett Michaels returns to Uptown for a one of a kind anniversary concert
CHARLOTTE, NC (April 22, 2013) – Since its inception five years ago, Whisky River has transformed Charlotte’s restaurant and entertainment industry, being one of the first venues if its kind to open in the heart of Uptown in EPICENTRE.
Whisky River has hosted headlining artists such as Blake Shelton, Cobra Starship, P.O.W, Gary Allen and Dirks Bentley. With the addition of a full service kitchen and dinner and lunch menu, Whisky River remains one of the most popular destinations in the Queen City.
In honor of this milestone, Brett Michaels will rock the Whisky River stage with a special concert on Thursday, May 16 to commemorate Whisky River’s five year anniversary.
Michaels is known best as the front man of Poison, including three multi-platinum albums and six top 10 hits in the 1980s and early 1990s. In addition, Michaels has released three solo albums, including 2010’s Custom Built, which peaked at No. 1 on both the Billboard Independent Album and Hard Rock Album charts.
Michaels also enjoyed success as a reality television personality appearing on VH1’s “Rock of Love” and “Bret Michaels: Life as I Know It.” Most recently Michaels won “Celebrity Apprentice 3” and co-hosted the Miss Universe pageant with Natalie Morales.
“I am proud of Whisky’s success in Charlotte. When we opened our doors, I never could have imagined such a warm welcome,” said Owner Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Doors open at 8 p.m. and 21 and up are welcome. Advance tickets are available at WhiskyRiverCharlotte.com, regular price is $20.
Whisky River is located at EPICENTRE, 210 E Trade Street in the heart of uptown Charlotte.
Owned by NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Whisky River is one of Charlotte, North Carolina’s most popular evening entertainment venues in the heart of the vibrant uptown scene at the EPICENTRE. With its unpretentious charm and electrifying blend of live music performances, celebrity guests and dynamic DJs spinning everything from rock to country and more, Whisky River is the ideal destination for casual, feel-good fun. So grab your friends and get ready for a revved-up time at Charlotte’s favorite place to unwind – Whisky River. Oh, and don’t forget to take a ride on the famous, and always entertaining, mechanical bull – if you dare!
Media Contact: Dana Nigro, WhirlWind Creative
office: 704.936.5648 - mobile: 704.787.6522- email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
3rd Annual Mac & Cheese Eating Contest
May 05, 2013
In conjunction with Whiskey Warehouse’s participation in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Brewer’s Ball charity event in September, a competitive eating contest will be held at the Plaza-Midwood bar/restaurant on Tuesday May 14 at 7pm. The contest will pit several local gluttons (including Whiskey Warehouse manager Al Giacomucci and former Charlotte Observer food writer Larken Egleston) against each other in an eight minute battle to consume as much of Whiskey’s signature Macaroni & Cheese as they can. Participating eaters will each make a contribution to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and spectators are welcome to make donations in the name of their favorite contestant in hopes of winning great prizes. All donations will go directly to the Foundation and its research to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. Everyone in attendance will have the opportunity to win great prizes as well as enjoy Big Boss beer and Mount Gay Rum & Cointreau cocktail specials before, during, and after the main event.
Whiskey Warehouse is located at 1221 The Plaza, Charlotte, NC 28205. For more information on Whiskey Warehouse, visit their website at WhiskeyCharlotte.com.
Brewer’s Ball is a beer and food sampling event that will be held on Saturday, September 7th at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. For more information on the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Brewer’s Ball, or to purchase a ticket or make a donation, please visit CFF.org/LWC/LarkenEgleston20622.
Spots are limited for contestants and require advance registration and a $20 participation fee. If you would like your company to be a sponsor of this event, for $50 you can enter one contestant and will receive your name/logo in all promotional materials for the event. All entry and sponsorship fees will go directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
The contest winner will receive a prize pack including two tickets to Brewer’s Ball ($150+ value). Spectators can make $5 donations in the name of their favorite contestant, which will give them the chance to win prizes from Big Boss Brewery if their chosen contestant is declared the winner.
For more information on the Mac & Cheese eating contest email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or to register as a contestant or sponsor, visit TicketsSoEasy.com/cheese
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Shepard’s Pie Isn’t One To Miss
May 05, 2013
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill has revamped their menu to highlight fan favorites like their harp lager battered haddock, delivering a great crunchy exterior and tender, flaky interior along with new items such as their chicken parmesan which has a gooey mozzarella stick stuffed right inside. Kennedy's Shepard's pie isn't one to miss either. Chef Luis stews Angus beef for hours in a thick Guinness spiked gravy, producing fork tender meat.
Elevate Lifestyle: What inspired the new menu?
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill: We aimed to simplify the menu to bring our patrons their most favorite dishes and concentrated on layering even more dimensions of flavor. Also included on the new menu is some stand out entrees. We added top sirloin beef medallions with caramelized peppers and onions, and bleu cheese, all in a slightly sweet and smoky balsamic reduction and pan seared mahi mahi coated in nutty, toasted almonds. Our southwest chicken salad comes with your choice of grilled, blackened, or fried chicken, fresh pico, crunchy multicolored tortilla chips, and zesty chipotle ranch. The chicken cordon bleu sandwich comes with a juicy chicken breast, crunchy apple wood smoked bacon, all crowned with a generous portion of thinly shaved ham and melted over with Swiss cheese and finally, we have our new crab cake sliders. Petite cakes lightly breaded and pan fried to a gorgeous crisp. We added some new sides, too. The sautéed spinach is softly wilted with a hit of aromatics and sprinkled with cheese. The rice pilaf is served piping hot with diced peppers and tomatoes, cooked in a lovely broth for extra flavor and you can always rest assured that all of our burgers are made with 100% certified black Angus beef.
EL: What has been the most popular item off of the new menu?
KP: The smothered chicken has been a hit. It's a substantial dish that comes with two breasts, smothered with sauce, onions, bacon, and cheese (how can you go wrong)? and two sides. We're very proud of it.
EL: What is Kennedy's food philosophy?
KP: If you wouldn't eat it, don't serve it. Make it how you'd want it brought out to you.
EL: Tell us about any other exciting events at Kennedy's.
KP: In addition to our new menu, just in time to celebrate spring and the warmer weather to enjoy on our expansive patio outdoors, we also always have our all-you-can-eat crab legs on Mondays for $24.95 and the garbage plate challenge. If you can polish off four 6 oz. patties, a pound of fries, a pound of macaroni drenched in our meat sauce, and four slices of garlic bread all in 45 minutes, it's on us. Are you up for the challenge?
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is open every day so it's perfect to drop in anytime to enjoy a flight of Irish Whiskey with friends out on their deck or a delicious Irish/American inspired meal from their new and improved menu. They also deliver and have an available private bar upstairs to cover all your needs!
Open daily from 11:00am-2:00am
366 N Caswell Rd. Charlotte, NC 28204
704.375.0218 | KennedysCharlotte.com
Contributing Writer, Angela The "Squishy Monster"
Foodie | Chef | Blogger
TheSquishyMonster.com
twitter: @ASquishyMonster
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
The Squishy Monster
May 05, 2013
Angela Kim is a food blogger and hosts a cooking channel with Tastemade. She appears on local news circuits and teaches people how to cook. She is also involved in her community through Pack Away Hunger (an initiative to feed the hungry). Check her out to tap into over 250 original recipes that reflect both her Korean and American heritage. These recipes are complete with instructions and video tutorials.
The Squishy Monster: What inspires you?
Anglea Kim: Seasonal ingredients are always exciting, but you can pull inspiration from almost anything around you be it a color, a smell, a memory. That's the beautiful thing about food. It can instantly transport you across the globe with eclectic, ethnic flavors or even back to your childhood on your grandma’s front porch.
TSM: What is your most requested dish?
AK: Recently, I've really been drawn to fusion dishes. It enables me to fuse my Korean-American background. My most popular dish to date on my food blog (TheSquishyMonster.com) is my Korean bbq pizza. It features authentic Korean bbq and it's draped along with caramelized onions on Indian flatbread that's been smothered with a sweet and spicy Korean sauce, all melted with cheese. It's also the first dish I made for the beginning of my segments for WCNC Charlotte Today.
TSM: What is the most exciting thing about being a food blogger and cooking channel host?
AK: Meeting such amazing, like-minded individuals from all over the world. It's a thrilling experience to have people write me from Asia and beyond about how much they really enjoyed my cooking videos or my recipes. Locally, I've been able to share my love for food on Fox, WCNC, Creative Loafing, and The Charlotte Observer. This exposure also helps me spread the word about my philanthropic mission for Pack Away Hunger, which aims to feed the needy in our community.
TSM: What are your plans for the future?
AK: Last year, I gained partnership with Tastemade, a food company based out in California, and we create fun cooking tutorials. In my future, I hope to have my very own show and pen my own books! Whether I am talking about it, writing about it, or spending as much time as I can cooking and baking, my passion is for food. It’s what I love!
Contact: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Food Blog: TheSquishyMonster.com
Cooking Channel: Youtube.com/TheSquishyMonsterTSM
Facebook.com/TheSquishyMonster
Twitter.com/ASquishyMonster
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
FESTA ITALIANA
May 05, 2013
It’s that time of the year again for the 8th Annual St. Anthony Festa Italiana Charlotte. It will be on Sunday May 19, 2013 starting at 1pm. The Festa is all about charity and the Best Italian Food in Charlotte, for the 8th year in a row.
Pay one admission charity donation and enjoy unlimited spectacular Italian Food, delicious Italian Wines, Prosecco, Peroni Beer, wonderful live entertainment, a large first class silent auction and this year a Kids Zone! The Festa will be held on the beautiful surroundings of Queens University of Charlotte, our gracious and generous Host Sponsor. This all benefits the Nevins Center, creating opportunity and quality of life for those with special needs and disabilities.
Last year they raised $24,000 with the FESTA 2012 for The St. Anthony Foundation of Charlotte.
This year we are Celebrating the Year of Italian Culture with Guest Chefs from LAGO di COMO, ITALIA: Maria Victoria and Massimo Zaina. They will be demonstrating, teaching and serving specialties from the Lake Como Region of Italy.
There will be celebrity chefs from Charlotte’s best restaurants presenting their incredible appetizers, breads, desserts & espresso. So far, these restaurants will be participating: Brooklyn South Pizzaria; Blue; Osso; Vivace; Mama Ricotta’s; Bistro la Bon; Toscana/Luce; il Bosco; Fiamma; Delectables by Holly; The Coffee Boss; Nova’s Bakery; Pasta and Provisions…and there are more to come!
Enjoy Live Entertainment from wonderful performing artists including: Soprano Gina Gutierrez; Tenor Charlie Lang; Franco Londono; Carlo Martini; The TBA GIRLS; Tiffany; Brianna & Amanda; Pianists Keiko Aloe and Randy Jones; Anna Belle Lusk & Trenton Durham; Dmitriy Solomakha; Gabriela Sevillano; the Opera Carolina Chorus and more!
Festa Italiana Charlotte will bring you the best Italian food in Charlotte, a large silent auction, fantastic entertainment, children’s activities, and a great cause.
What are you waiting for? Purchase tickets TODAY at: FestaItalianaCharlotte.org.
EAT | DRINK | PLAY | LIVE
Charlotte's Best Uptown Directory at your Fingertips
Kennedy’s Premium Bar and Grill
Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Located on the corner of 7th Street & North Caswell, open
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub
Fitzgerald's Irish Pub is the newest addition to uptown Charlotte. Located on the corner of 5th St and N. College St, open seven days a week,
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival
May 05, 2013
SPRINGTIME IS BEER, BOURBON, AND BBQ TIME.
This year's show is lookin’ better than ever. Over 58,000 beer and bourbon lovers have come together for the last five years, and this year is sure to be another SELL OUT! Get ready to squeal like a pig!
What All the Excitement Is About…
Experience a great day of beer sippin', bourbon tastin', music listenin', cigar smokin', and barbeque eatin'. Your admission buys you a sampling glass so you can enjoy an ALL-YOU-CARE-TO-TASTE sampling of beer and bourbon. Join in on seminars in the Tasting Theatre, eat some of the best BBQ from on-site vendors, and enjoy the all day LIVE music!
What You Can Expect…..
A Souvenir Glass! This is included in the ticket price, and will get you unlimited beer and bourbon tastings from any of the 40 bourbons and 60 beers on tap. Enjoy, but please drink responsibly.
BBQ Galore! Enjoy the great barbeque selection - pulled pork from whole hogs, ribs, brisket, chicken, sausages and any fixin' you could imagine. The.. food vendors keep the portions heavy and the prices low.
Learn their Secrets! Attend seminars with Master Distillers, Brewmasters, and Pit-Masters in the Tasting Theater.
Live music and Contests! Listen To Live Rock & Blues Music and great Bluegrass on The Main Stage. There will also be a BBQ Bean Eating Contest and the BBQ Babe Contest—both on the Main Stage.
And More! Browse through exhibits featuring: “Brewerania;” hot sauces; bbq accessories; and even a cigar tent for all guests. Lots of FREE Parking!
VIP ADMISSION & TASTING GLASS:
$45 - ADVANCE TICKETS ONLY - Valid Saturday from Noon-6pm. Includes admission into the event, a souvenir tasting glass, unlimited beer and bourbon sampling, TWO EXTRA hours of tastes, and all live entertainment.
REGULAR ADMISSION & TASTING GLASS:
$35 ADVANCE / $45 ONSITE Valid Saturday from 2pm - 6pm. Includes admission into the event, a souvenir tasting glass, unlimited beer and bourbon sampling, and all live entertainment.
DESIGNATED DRIVER TICKET
$25 ADVANCE & ON-SITE
Valid during any Saturday session. Includes admission into the event only.
KIDS 12 & UNDER ARE FREE.
This event is not designed for children, though they are welcome to attend.