Myers Park Neighbor of the Year Gregory Abrams

This video has been out for about a week maybe longer, so here's that back story as CP understands it. 

Over in Myers Park on Brandon Drive lives Gregory Abrams and his wife Jessica. They are from New Jersey via Florida. They've been a thorn in Myer's Park since they started an endless renovation project in 2016. 

The home has swelled from 3,200 in 2013 to just shy of 8,000 in 2019 and the construction projects continue. 

Literally every square inch of the back 2/3rds of Abrams lot is paved over or built on, creating massive amount of run-off that cascades into the adjoining neighbor's yards. 

This run off has repeatedly flooded neighbors yards and in the case of  the guy who confronts Dr. Abrams his garage which happens to be home to his 80 year old mother. 

Apparently her son the guy in the yellow shit decided to "have a word" with Greg about the flooding and the recent rains. Seems the son a Charlotte Country Day student is the one doing the video taping and can be heard encouraging his Greg to "woop his ass". 

Bonus fun: Entry in the property tax records states "discovered improvements" opps, no permit? 

A quick look at the county aerials shots and you can see why the neighbors hate the guy and construction has gone on for five years. Look at the mud covered street in the 2018 photo. Finally in 2020 it is done but the run off floods the neighbors yard.

And you can't do that. You are responsible for your runoff as I understand Mecklenburg County code. 

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Cedar's Take:

Myers Park is or at least was until now home to Charlotte's "old money" and if you didn't live in Myers Park or Eastover you either hadn't "made it" or you never will. 

Those who didn't fit in moved to the Quail Hollow or the Carmel Road areas. As other neighborhoods developed they all tried to emulate Myers Park. And still Myers Park withstood the test of time, the people, the streets and tree canopy the entire area dripped Southerness like a fresh cut honey dew melon. 

And then there's the McMansions like Dr. Abrams', you see them in front of Freedom Park the neo classical style gone to hell. The bigger the better and more stuff the merrier to hell with the neighbors.

And here we are.

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Charlotte's Levine Museum of the New South Featured in the New York Times

New York Times reporter Edward Rothstein penned a well thought out story on Charlotte's Levine Museum of the New South. The piece ran in the February 12, 2010 Time but was completely over looked by the Charlotte Observer.

Meckburbia thought it noteworthy:

It is unlikely that anything resembling the impressive Levine Museum of the New South would exist anywhere else. A museum of the New North or the New East would be merely peculiar, but here the term “New South” has a venerable heritage, recalling unrealized hopes and great expectations. There is also much at stake in trying to understand just what the term really means.



It came into use in the aftermath of the Civil War, signifying the changes that had to take place in the Old South. A rural agricultural world dependent on slave labor had to remake itself under the tutelage and dominance of the industrial North. This imposition of liberal modernity and urban life incorporated a demand for social transformation, an urgent call for restructuring the economy and a conviction that the South’s deepest beliefs must be jettisoned. It called for a full-scale reinvention. But there was little follow-through, so in the decades that followed Reconstruction, the process was punctuated by reversions and rebellions. The New South was always contested terrain.

The rest of the story is here.

The Levine Museum of the New South is at 200 East Seventh Street, Charlotte, N.C.; (704) 333-1887, museumofthenewsouth.org.

Big Ben Pub Burns

A Charlotte British termed restaurant has been destroyed in a fire this Sunday morning. The location at 810 Cottage Place has be operated under a number of names over the years. As far back as the late 1970's the home has been a restaurant.

My brother even manged the "Cottage" back in 1978. It's longest run was as Proposition XLV. While Fenwicks holds the title for longest continuous operation. Other names that have come and gone Saucy Crepe, Kakies

The building is a total loss, with damages estimated at about $1 million, Charlotte Fire Department Capt. Rob Brisley said.

The blaze started at about 6:30 a.m., and Providence was closed until almost noon.

No injuries were reported in the blaze, which took 60 firefighters to control.

The investigation into the fire's cause is still underway, but Brisley said the fire is believed to be accidental.

Big Ben, a British-themed pub and eatery, opened in 2006.

Senor Tequila Cantina Grill is a hidden gem in South Charlotte

There’s a little strip mall in southeast Charlotte, NC that is home to one of Charlotte’s hidden gems: Señor Tequila Cantina Grill, a Mexican restaurant and tequila bar that has a decent selection of tequilas and a menu packed with food choices from south of the border.

Tequila Examiner By Ryan Kelley

First thing to note is that Señor Tequila is cozy. That’s real estate lingo for “small.” There’s about a dozen tables inside and a few outside, with four stools at the small bar in the back of the restaurant. You do not step into a whole new world from the suburban strip mall that’s outside, but the warm, brightly decorated interior attempts to convince you that you are elsewhere, with bright yellow and deep blue walls, geckos painted with southwestern flair, and a Mexican mask or bronze sculpted sun here and there. The coolest decorations are the barrels that hang from the ceiling which are labeled with brand names of different tequilas. Strangely enough, I thought the bathroom was also really cool (see slideshow for a picture).

The menu is huge. There are tacos, enchiladas, chimichangas, burritos, steaks, seafood, beer, margaritas, and, of course, tequila. There are about 20 or so listed on the menu, but they are not always available - they were out of the first few I ordered. I ended up with Cabo Wabo resposado, which was brought out in a kitschy green cactus shot glass and garnished with a lime. I sipped the Cabo while enjoying my complimentary chips and salsa and watched a Carolina Panthers game projected onto the wall. According to user reviews on restaurant review web sites, there have been complaints about the wait on weekend nights. On this particular Sunday afternoon, however, it was a great place to relax. There were only a few other people, and service was friendly and attentive.

I always have a difficult time selecting from a large menu, especially one with standard Mexican fare. Prices at Señor Tequila are reasonable bordering on inexpensive, with entrees ranging from about $10 to $15. Even though it was only lunch, I selected one of the larger plates, the carne asada steak that comes with rice and beans. I also ordered a margarita, made with Hornitos.

The food was fantastic! It arrived piping hot, with a wonderful, spicy beef aroma. The carne asada was perfect - moist, juicy and tender. I didn’t even bother with tortillas, preferring to fill up on the meat and the unremarkable (yet still good) rice and refried beans in a fried tortilla shell. Unfortunately, the margarita was not great. It is your typical, run-of-the-mill Mexican restaurant margarita that is made with a bottled mix. It was too sweet, and the taste of the tequila was all but lost.

With my stomach full, my tequila palate still needed to be quenched, so I opted for a shot of Cuervo Reserva de Familia Añejo. I was planning to finish with Cabo añejo, but I have never had the Cuervo Reserva and my server was rather emphatic that I try it. He even brought out the bottle to show it to me. (I humored him with some ohhs and ahhs). Señor Tequila seemed like it would be the perfect place to try some top-notch Cuervo, which also arrived in that kitschy cactus shot glass. I was not blown out of the water by the Cuervo, but it is certainly one of Casa Cuervo’s better offerings and was a great way to end a satisfying meal.

OVERALL GRADE B
Tequila Selection C+
Food and Cocktails B+
Service A-
Ambiance B


Señor Tequila Cantina Grill
Piper Glen
6414 Rea Road
Charlotte, NC 28277-2528
(704) 543-0706‎