Greetings from the (sort of) deep South - Charlotte

Work has led me to Charlotte, NC! It's lovely here in the spring time - rhododendrons are in full bloom, lawns are already lush and being mowed. I had an occasion to drive through the city, and so far my path has only led me through relatively affluent areas. Tomorrow, I have a few hours in the AM, so I will seek out the more middle - lower class neighborhoods. As a community relations "professional", I always make a point to seek out under-served areas of the cities that I visit - helps me keep grounded in my work. All too often, it's easy for visitors to see the bright and shiny parts of the city. I try to make sure I get a balanced point of view of the city.

Clearly a large group of affluent "old money" residents here - you know, like back to colonial days old money, like civil war old money. Drove down Billy Graham highway, and eventually saw the NASCAR building - a skyscraper in downtown Charlotte... a picture is starting to form. We'll see how tomorrow's adventures prove or disprove this image so far.... hmmmm...