Kazba:

We started the night with a reservation at Kazba which was nice, but itty bitty.  It reminded me a lot of some of the better clubs in Vegas, which I would say is a plus. The bartenders were on point with drinks and were mixing up a lot of tasty martinis for us to try (they were on special for $5, which I found very reasonable).

Skylar bought a bottle of champagne for our group and then her friend followed by buying a bottle solely for the birthday girl.  Our waitress hesitated in bringing the second bottle (because why would people paying for a VIP table want two bottles?), which was one of the few negatives of our experience.

My only other major complaint was the bathroom situation.  We spent about half of our night at Kazba and each time I had to pee I had to walk out of the bar, down the sidewalk, into Mez and then down the hall into the Mez bathroom.  The distance between the club and bathroom is probably not all that great, but with the sidewalks outside of Kazba packed with people, it was a hassle (also Mez’s bathroom has an attendant which I think is incredibly tacky).

Suite:

After we were done with Kazba, we went to Suite because our group wanted to dance.  We got there at about 11:30pm and the place was pretty much dead.  We were the only people dancing for a long time, I saw a guy by the bar who had all gray hair and was balding on top, and all of the VIP tables were empty. All of them.  I think it’s safe to say that Suite has fallen to the disgraced status of ‘only cool on college night’.

I just need to ask this: why oh why do Charlotte clubs let their VIP tables sit empty?  Take a cue from places like Vegas and recruit hot girls to sit in your VIP areas for free.  If the tables are full of beautiful women, the people will come. If the tables are all empty, the people will think your club is lame and leave.

Eggheads After Dark:

Saturday night at around 11, my friends and I were hungry and unhappy with our limited choices. Then I remembered that Brittney Cason recently blogged about a late night diner in Uptown, Eggheads.  Located in the Brevard Court area behind Latta Arcade, we called Eggheads before we left to make sure they were still serving their lunch menu in addition to bar food.   But when we arrived we found that this was not the case, and we were stuck with the limited late-night menu. Besides the fact that our waitress seemed more interested in texting and talking to her friends at the bar than helping us, I was extremely disappointed in the food selection and quality. Those looking for something more substantial late night Uptown would have better luck at Cedar Street Tavern.  I’m happy that inner circle residents finally have a place to get breakfast on the weekends, but as a late night option Eggheads falls short.

There is a caste system at Alive After Five.

For men:

At the bottom are the people wearing jeans or shorts. Who invited those guys? Go back to NoDa.

Next is the khaki-pants-and-polo-shirts crowd. Nice try. That’s not what real people wear to successful jobs.

The middle caste wears standard business casual. They have their best shot with the girls wearing jeans and high heels. Smart to accesorize with expensive-looking watches and neat shoes. A five-o-clock shadow means you’re lazy, not too busy to shave.

Near the top are the suits. Take off your tie and unbutton the top of your fancy shirt. This suggests you came right from an important job, are looking for a good time, and will definitely pay for drinks. The suits have their pick of most females. Every man not wearing a suit looks at them with trepidation and envy. Except the guys in the jeans and shorts. They’re too drunk to understand. If you’re just wearing a blue blazer, that’s kind of weird, and it might seem like you’re showing off.

The highest caste are the men who had the leeway to return to their uptown condo and change into classy casual attire. Nice chinos, a pastel button-down, and leather sandals or boat shoes signify a man of leisure. They often show up with a lady in tow.

For women:

It doesn’t really matter. There are so many freakin‘ men.

The classic “I-want-to-marry-a-banker” look. A shiny, expensive-looking dress, just short and revealing enough to convey the following: You can probably take me home tonight if I think you’re successful and attractive enough, but I’m a classy girl and don’t do that for just anyone, so you should feel extremely lucky, and compelled to date me, if it happens.

The standard currency for any Yup-Town gala. Tickets. First you buy the tickets, then you use the tickets to buy the beer (or tiny clear plastic cups of wine). Tickets cost $4 apiece (please tip your ticket-tender). But a Bud Light only costs one ticket (please tip your bartender)!

Can you sneak liquor in? Yes. Use a flask (not plastic), and buy a small bottle of coke. But you’re letting everyone know you can’t afford to get drunk off $4 beers.

The proper way to show you’re down with the funky music from the band. Every once in a while, nod your head, slightly, to what you have identified as “the beat.”

Dancing? Don’t even think about it.

Of course, I’ll be in attendance doing a case study on these subjects. It’ll be interesting to see if that bugger we know as “the economy” will influence the appearance and behavior of attendees, or for that matter, the price of drinks. With the current uptown condo and apartment vacancies, I predict more people in business wear and less people who have gone home to change (but still spent too much time picking out their outfits). The boundaries of appropriateness for office attire will be pushed by young women all over uptown tomorrow. Denim minis and sundresses will be stuffed into laptop bags. Friday morning call outs will spike.

Hooray for summer.

1) keys to her new apartment in uptown

2) tickets to Saturday’s Panther game

2009 is off to a great start.

I also have a lot of exciting things planned for KUWTB in 2009. More posts, more pics, different formats, etc, so stick around and tell your friends. I’m looking forward to another year working, playing, LIVING, writing, and growing up in uptown.

The list is all well and good, but come on – we can do better than that. Brotha Fred, but not CJ? And no Morgan Fogerty? She is lesbian crush material. And where are the sexy athletes – none of the Panthers or Bobcats were good enough? No drivers that they could think of? I can think of several from each. I can think about them all afternoon actually, mmmm…………..

Come to mama.

Ok, back. The mag does score some points because Chris Lanston is their make-up artist and he is fan-fing-tastic. In fact, put him on the list.

Enough rant. Who do you think is uptown’s sexiest?

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/galleries/gallery/230581.html

They also want you to know, apparentely, that Charlotte’s got a lot. Get it. A lot. Like the letters in Charlotte! OMG! I saw a link for the the new tourism campaign on the front page of the Observer online, and I have to say, it’s pretty sad. Seriously, we can’t come up with anything better than Charlotte’s got a lot? I guess Banktown doesn’t work anymore, but is this really the alternative?
The site does provide a handy PDF of 101 things to do in Charlotte. The list does have some good ideas and some things I definitely need to check out (Whitewater center, Spa at Ballyntyne). But some are just jokes. For instance, all three races at Lowes Motor Speedway are on there. Yes, we get it, Charlotte loves NASCAR. But are we lacking that much to do that we have to put every single race on the list. They might as well have put all the Panthers and Bobcats homegames on there. This is in addition to Speed Streets (yes), the motorsports hall of fame (maybe), and NASCAR speedpark (NOOOO). They also include a trip to DEI, numerous racing school and a tour of Lowes motor speedway. Diversification what?
Also, they mention Plaza/Midwood, Noda and the fourth ward as cool neighborhoods to check out. But no Dilworth, no Elizabeth, no Myers Park house gawking? Check out 49ers basketball, but not the campus. But oh, you must go to Northlake mall and ride the lynx when you are here. I know when my family comes to visit, I’m super excited to take them to get a starbucks at the mall and ride the train – because that’s a true Charlotte experience. Come to think of it…*sigh*.
http://www.charlottesgotalot.com/resources/pdfs/101-things-to-do-letter.pdf

Saturday night I went out in uptown with Skylar and some other friends to celebrate Kalie’s birthday. We were supposed to have a nice dinner at Rock Bottom (don’t get me started on RB, I just don’t understand the appeal. Actually I do. It’s the only mid-priced casual dining restaurant in the city and it’s located on Tryon street. This is where people who are college eat out when they want to go out on the town. But let’s not pretend it’s any nicer than Red Lobster). Unfortunately, my friends don’t venture much into uptown except for drinking and assumed we would be able to get a table for eight when we showed up at 9pm that night. Denied.

Starving, we made our way to Brixx where, luckily for us, there was free entertainment. About mid way into our feast of sandwiches and beer, the group of ten people next to us, obviously intoxicated, starting screaming at each other. It went something like this:

Drunk blonde, pointing: No, you shut-up! She is a smart lady!
Drunk guy smiles
The short haired blonde girl next to him lays her head down on the table, presumably for a drunken nap.
Drunk redhead stands up and gets between them: You leave her alone. She is smart and beautiful.
Drunk guy crosses arms and shakes his head, still smiling
Drunk blonde: She’d do a better job running the country than YOU would!
Drunk guy: whatever
Drunk guy’s friend, standing up: BARACK OBAMA, BARACK O-BAM-A!
Drunk blonde storms out.

I’ve seen MSNBC get uglier than that, but the alcohol did make the arguments slightly more ridiculous. I’m still not sure if they were talking about Sarah Palin or whether or not black-out girl should have gotten the nomination.

That’s how you debate in the QC.

Today in charlotte, it is. Now I’m at a much larger law firm, and while that comes with an illusion of safety from economic turmoil, the truth is, the stakes are much higher. The reality of the situation is this: it’s not just about the loss of Wachovia, the loss of the company’s highest paying jobs to NYC as well as thousands of lost jobs to come. The implications reach so much further than just that company. Charlotte commercial and residential real estate will take another blow (imagine all those empty houses in already crime striken university city), vendors that serve the company, lawyers and accountants, uptown restaurants and high end boutiques frequented by wachovia’s i-bankers, charities that benefitted from their generosity. Everyone will feel the pinch.

For now we still have Bank of America and USAir. But the swagger is gone, and with it some of the yuppiness. Yesterday afternoon people were looking up at the skyline, wondering if the new Wachovia tower would be finished, and if they would soon find themselves without a job. What does this mean for any of Charlotte? Will we be able to keep up with the Belks if there aren’t any of them left, or will be too concerned about keeping up with the price of gas?

Yesterday we had a meeting at work. I don’t work for Wachovia, but the room was still full of grim faces. The loss of the bank was all that was on the agenda. What does it mean for us? We were reassured that it’s not that bad, that we will rebound. Just like the reassurances echoing throughout uptown. But the truth is no one knows how bad it will be or for how long. And for all the optimism, no one can really say when, or if, it will get better.

Today is a new day, and we’re all holding our breath.

Charlotte is getting even more riled up at the pumps, as continued gas shortages are causing long lines, traffic problems, and even fights. CMPD officers have been deployed to keep the peace at some high traffic stations [kissfm].

UNCC and American Idol alum Clay Aiken has FINALLY come out of the closet. Congrats!

The traffic reporter on 95.1 has taken to saying “the uptown” in reference to traffic in or around the uptown area. Isn’t uptown uppity enough? I guess it could go both ways. On the one hand there is “The Plaza”. On the other, “The Ohio State University”. Two negatives don’t equal a positive!