Lake Norman to Uptown Charlotte Living: North Carolina: Davidson

 Davidson Day School Receives Local Honor

At a ceremony last week in Charlotte, Davidson Day School was honored for its selection as the number one small business in greater Charlotte and sixth in the state of North Carolina by Business Leader Media's 2010 list of Top-100 Small Businesses.
   Officials with Davidson Day say they are particularly proud that theirs is the only school named to the annual list, and that the honor is indicative of the growth the school has experienced during the last four years.
   "Being recognized for outstanding excellence in our field is an incredible honor for us," said Head of School Bonnie Cotter. "I am very proud of all that we have accomplished and look forward to our bright future."
   Enrollment at Davidson Day for the 2009-10 school year was up more than 27 percent over the previous year, and a similar jump is expected for the coming school year that will begin this August. As part of the top small business honor, Davidson Day will be featured in the August issue of Business Leader magazine. To learn more about the school, visit www.davidsonday.org.

Davidson Day is a Pre-K through 12th grade college preparatory school located in Davidson, North Carolina, a college town with a rich tradition of educational excellence.

If you're looking for strong academics in small, personal classes, you'll find it there -- and much more. They provide outstanding arts and sports programs, and emphasize character and community service to help prepare children for the challenges of college and life beyond.
 
Founded in 1999, the school holds dual accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS)

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Mike Carpino
Mike@LakeAndTown.com
704-301-9264

I now have lived in the Lake Norman region of Charlotte for over 10 years and love all of the small town events in the area. For over 12 years rsidents of the Davidson and neighboring towns have gathered on selected Sunday evenings for Concerts on the Green at the town's Main Street green space.

We pack picnics, blankets and chairs and enjoy a great evening of music and fun. This year, concerts, will be held on certain Friday evenings, too.

Downtown Davidson, sees the addition as a boost for downtown businesses. Since most businesses are closed on Sunday this should help walk-in traffic to many of the shops and restaurants.

Organizers are proud to announce the 2010 entertainment line-up.

Sunday, May 23 Band of Oz (beach / variety)
Friday, June 18 Rough Draft (variety)
Saturday, July 3 Da Throwback Band - Independence Day Celebration (70s show band)
Friday, July 16 Alabama Blues Brothers (Blue Bros. tribute band)
Friday, August 13 Pushh (pop rock)
Friday, September 10 The Extraordinaires (variety)

Concert hours are 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., with music beginning at 6:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to come early, bring a blanket and chairs for the whole family, or make it a date night in Davidson by visiting some of our local restaurants and retail establishments, then strolling on over to the Village Green and enjoying some great music under the stars.

Our first family College Basketball game at Davidson College.

The boys started playing organized basketball this year, so yesterday my wife and I took them to their first College Basketball game at Davidson College. Located only 20 minutes from our home in Huntersville, NC it was a great opportunity to expose our boys to "big boy" basketball.

It turned out to be a great afternoon with the family and they are still talking about it today with their friends. I believe they are now Davidson Wildcat fans for life.

Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,700 students located 20 minutes north of Charlotte in Davidson, N.C. Since its establishment in 1837 by Presbyterians, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently regarded as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Through The Davidson Trust, the college became the first liberal arts institution in the nation to replace loans with grants in all financial aid packages, giving all students the opportunity to graduate debt-free. Davidson competes in NCAA athletics at the Division I level, and a longstanding Honor Code is central to student life at the college.

As you can see Davidson would be a great institution to attend and we would be very proud parents if they were able to get accepted. Can anyone say "Scholarships"?!!

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Mike Carpino
Mike@LakeAndTown.com
704-301-9264

Cycling around Lake Norman may become a reality in near future.

Hopefully, by the middle of next year, work crews should put up the first signs proclaiming "Lake Norman Bicycle Route," a 94-mile lariat that will snake through four counties and five municipalities and encircle 520 miles of shoreline.

The working model for the regional cycling plan includes about 12 miles in Mecklenburg County, from N.C. 115 north of Davidson to the N.C. 73 bridge crossing the Catawba River into Lincoln County.

After the State Board of Transportation approves the Lake Norman Bicycle Route, towns like Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson can apply for bicycle-friendly grants to make improvements like adding wider, paved shoulders, Hansen said.

If state officials give final approval, the first official signs might go up by the middle of the year.

Mike Carpino
Mike@LakeAndTown.com
704 301-9264
www.LakeAndTown.com

The town of Davidson, NC has fianlly gotten a movie theater to call their own. Here is a recent article from the Charlotte Observer that reviews the latest addition to Davidson.

Our Town Cinemas, a first-run, four-screen complex, quietly opened over Christmas weekend with four "must-see" blockbusters.

There was a family film: Disney's "The Princess and the Frog." There was a romantic comedy: "It's Complicated." There was the hit film "Sherlock Holmes," which grossed the second most over the Christmas weekend next to "Avatar." And there was an insightful, independent-type film: "Invictus."

And this is just a sampling of the variety of programming coming to the area.

"It shows we have the ability to get first-run movies, but we also will blend them in with a combination of other of types of films," said Jan Black, the theater's director of marketing. "Can we get 'Sherlock Holmes' on Christmas? Yes. Did we open on Christmas? Yes."

Our Town Cinemas is the vision of Curtis Fainn, a 38-year veteran in the theater industry who has worked as a film buyer and theater operator. He will move to the Lake Norman area shortly.

The nearly 10,000-square-foot space has two 90-seat and two 40-seat theaters. Both have bistro-style seating and adjustable leather chairs. Ticket prices range from $7 to $9 and matinee showings are available.

A film society also is being organized. The group will help provide a voice for the area's cross-section of movie-goers, as well as help organize film festivals and themed movie nights.

Since opening, the theater hasn't sold out but there has been a steady flow of patrons and even some repeat customers, Black said. And audiences' perception of what a movie theater can be may change after visiting Our Town Cinemas.

The size of the theater is designed to enhance the social aspect of the movie-going experience and organizers hope the theater will be used as a model for other towns.

"People are amazed we turned a dollar store into a movie theater," Black said. "They can't imagine how we got this theater into the old space."

Lisa Fischer of Denver checked out the theater last week and said it was very "homey."

"This is going to go over real big, I think," she said.

Pamela Barney, 19, of Huntersville works at the concession counter. She said patron traffic was consistent during opening weekend and agrees the theater's size helps make the whole experience more personal.

"It's impersonal in big theaters," she said. "Here, you can move the chairs and get more of a home feel. It just surrounds you and it being smaller makes it more interesting. You're more into the movie because you're closer to it."

Right now, unique items at the concession counter include Nathan's hot dogs and White Castle hamburgers. Staple concession items range from $2 to $4.

Beer and wine and personal pizzas from Brickhouse Tavern will make their way to the menu soon, Black said. And organizers hope to form alliances with other community businesses that may want to provide goods or services to the cinema or its patrons.

"It's a neat idea," he said. "You can get something to eat, see a movie - I'm glad they did it. I'm just glad they're improving the area and not junking it up."

The Davidson Clinic located in Davidson, North Carolina is who we rely on for quality health care.

Staffed by board-certified physicians in pediatrics and family medicine, Davidson Clinic is committed to providing the best medical care for your entire family from birth through the golden years.  

Our physicians and entire team of compassionate medical professionals are dedicated to providing the highest quality care and excellent service to our patients.  Our physicians will work with you to strengthen and maintain your health for many years to come by developing a productive patient-physician relationship.

To provide the best possible care to our patients, one of our physicians is on call through our  after-hours answering service which consists of a clinical triage team for established patients who have an emergency or serious medical problem.

Our Services

The following is a list of services currently offered by our practice:

• Same-day appointments 
• Newborn care
• Immunizations
• Sports injuries
• Gynecology
• Minor surgery
• Pediatric/adolescent medicine
• Physicals
• In-office X-rays and labwork

I know that Health care can be very important for families when moving to another city. I have been going to the clinic since my triplet boys have been born 6 yrs ago and continue to get quality service. Not only do I take my boys, but I also have received great service from their Doctors.

If you would like more area information please go to: www.lakeandtown.com

Mike Carpino
704 301-9264
Mike@LakeAndTown.com

After driving a client around the towns of Huntersville NC and Cornelius, NC I remembered a neighborhood called River Run located in Davidson, NC. It is just minutes from the quaint downtown area of Davidson, as well as, The Village of Birkdale in Huntersville, NC.

Situated on over 1000 acres of landscaped and natural rolling terrain, including a centuries-old forest, four lakes and the Rocky River, River Run offers residents a true sense of community and relaxing lifestyle in one of our area's most beautiful settings. Located in the lovely college town of Davidson, North Carolina, River Run residents enjoy the ambiance of small-town living while only minutes away from all the conveniences Charlotte has to offer.

So whether you enjoy gourmet dining in the elegant setting of our clubhouse, playing a round of golf with at our 18-hole championship course or a friendly set of tennis at our 16-court indoor/outdoor tennis facility, taking a vigorous hike on our many walking trails or a leisurely dip in one of our pools, River Run provides you with the opportunity to live life your way.

There are six custom builders who offer quality construction, and harmonious service throughout the building-buying process and beyond. Whether you purchase a custom inventory home or design the perfect floor plan, River Run invites you to be part of our community.

View Charlotte MLS

I am sure most of you have heard real estate sales happen in cycles. Here is a short article that just reinforces what most of you believe but have not seen yet.

A History Lesson on Real Estate Cycles                                                                     

 About every ten to twelve years, as an average, real estate values tend to double in most major metropolitan areas.  For example, in the 1920's, the original colonial homes sold for just under $2,500 in Long Island, New York.  Since then, real estate prices have doubled almost eight times over the last 80 years.  That averages out to a 100% increase approximately every ten years.  An interesting note to this is that about every ten to twelve years, real estate values must correct before they enter their next "doubling cycle". 

 It's Not a Matter of If, It's a Matter of When

 The evolutionary process is three steps forward and one step backwards.  For example, imagine a 100% increase occurring in three steps of one-third parts each.  The last market cycle of the 1980's was one in which real estate values doubled, followed by a correction of the early 1990's, which equated to a 20-30% decrease over a three to five year period.  This cycle was then followed by the post-millennium cycle boom of 100% from the last high point of the previous cycle.  We are now in the naturally-occurring phase of a correction in the cycle.  This essential and beneficial adjustment gives the market pause to reflect and re-gather momentum and strength for the next doubling cycle.  This has occurred time and time again because the long-term demand for housing is growing an exponential rate based on population growth to almost double in the United States by 2050.  This will continue to drive prices higher as it has for the last 100 years.

 Since we now know based on history that nearly all real estate prices will double again, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when your existing houses will sell.  Sharing these facts with your prospective buyers will put them in the right frame of mind to buy now versus next year if they plan on staying in the home more than five years.  If a buyer is apprehensive about being the right time to invest, ask him if he'd like to buy his parent's home for the price they paid for it - the answer will be obviously "yes".

Charlotte and the Lake Norman area area already beginning to see a lot more activity. I believe this spring and summer we will start to get back on tract and ease people minds about our economic recovery.