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Golden Ratio
Member since Jan 7, 2010
Latest Review
Recent Comments
Re: “New lofts in East Central could fill in the cracks of development”
It's a shame they are covering the exterior in red brick rather than keeping the cool-grey look though. Downtown Charleston needs more "modern" buildings (like Cool Below) which utilize more concrete, steel and glass. Also, lost in any of these discussions about new developments is the lack of LEED certification requirements. If the City of Charleston really wants to promote sustainable living (which I am skeptical of, in spite of all the talk about local food and bike/pedestrian friendly streetscapes), then Tim Keane and the Planning Department need to require all new hotels and apartments achieve certain design standards. It's no secret that buildings are one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions, and with all the "green" options available today, why would the City accept anything less than the Gold standard? Growth is coming no matter what and the City is clearly willing to allow developers to reap big profits (while placing even larger burdens on the local infrastructure), so the least we can expect is for these projects to be well planned and forward thinking.
Re: “Here comes the boom: Upper King-Meeting St. development”
Ron, while I agree that growth will happen, I think the City really needs to embrace SMART growth. To me, there is nothing smart about all of these proposed projects. What benefits do they offer the year-round residents of Charleston? How do they incorporate the actual wishes (and needs) of area citizens? Although increased revenues from more hotel taxes sound like a good idea, what (in terms of local character and values) are lost in return?
I might be more inclined to support these plans if the City actually cared about alternative transportation and constructed a safe network of bike paths/routes, especially since all of these hotels/apartments will bring more vehicles that we do not need on the already over-crowded streets. And if my wildest dreams came true, all this growth would help encourage the permanent closing King Street to traffic, so we can all enjoy a beautiful promenade from Cannon to Market that would truly highlight the best of Charleston (walking, local business/food, enjoying the outdoors, healthy living and traffic reduction).
Re: “Here comes the boom: Upper King-Meeting St. development”
While it's not surprising to see so much development planned, the sheer volume proposed is sickening (and this is certainly not the end of it). Two things that particularly stand out are: the amount of out-of-town developers and the lack of townhomes/condos/owner-occupied properties. Charleston truly has a lot going for it, but the aspect that make this City so amazing are either overlooked or never even understood in the first place by profit-hungry investors. Add in the fact that almost all of the growth is for hotels or apartment rentals, and it's easy to see that the City doesn't care about the actual residents. The almighty tourist once again takes precedence over tax-paying citizens (you know, the people that still go downtown for shopping and dining in the winter months) and if it's the developer who actually owns all the buildings, what incentive do the residents have to actually care about the surrounding area. Charleston certainly has no lack of passionate people who deeply care about preserving the town's character; however, Mayor Riley and Tim Keane are definitely not those people.
And if Charleston's leaders really do want to sell-out to the developers (and turn our beautiful City into some crappy hybrid of Atlanta and Charlotte, with a touch of Myrtle Beach), then I say raise the taxes on all tourists and let us residents live here tax free. It's the least they could do since we are the ones who will have to face the negative effects of an overused infrastructure.
Re: “Four local architecture firms band together on new downtown housing development”
Please don't destroy my neighborhood. I moved up here to get away from the likes of St Phillips and Cannon streets. Plus, I really hope the developer is considerate of the current residents, many of whom have lived in this part of town for generations, and doing things that support/give back to the community. What plans do they have other than to cram as many homes as possible on this lot in the name of making money?
Re: “Best Dog-Loving Electronica Act”
I think there is actually a really good reason their album "didn't cause a pandemic of bootie shaking and love making"... they just aren't that good! While both gentlemen have some talent, they don't really produce anything very new or creative.
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Phuong Restaurant
Yes! -Paul Cheney
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Republic Reign touches down like a fabulously stylish mothership on King Street
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Charleston County considering a switch to paper ballots
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Re: “Pollo Tropical”
Just order a 1/4 chicken plate and you will be happy... especially if you add an order of plantains. So delicious, so filling. Sure, the restaurant decor is nothing to write home about, but nothing in that area of N. Charleston is all that nice. The people that run Pollo Tropical are super friendly with good service though. If you want good food, check this place out!