Buffalo-Charlotte connection revealed

(Buffalo skyline to right of Charlotte skyline.)

Are you a newcomer from Buffalo? You are not alone, according to radio reporter Scott Graf. Have a new friend here from Buffalo? Again, not alone.

Graf, of WFAE FM (90.7), will explore the so-called "Buffalo/Charlotte Connection" in a three-part series of stories airing Wednesday through Friday during Morning Edititon (6:35 a.m. and 8:35 a.m.) He will also be hosting an online Watercooler discussion 10 a.m. Wedensday. Go to WFAE.org for that. Stories will be archived on the Web as well.

So what are these stories about? Graf, who spent two days interviewing in Buffalo, described in an e-mail what will air each day.

On Wednesday: "Thousands of Buffalo natives have moved to Charlotte over the last several decades. Many feel like the rough Buffalo economy gave them no coice but to leave. Things like lower taxes and weather make Charlotte very appealing. But many say they're here simply for better professional opportunities than their hometown could offer."

On Thursday: "If you ask a Buffalo native why they came to Charlotte, many are bound to say it had something to do with a job. Buffalo struggles with new ecoomic development, but charlotte produces thousands of new jobs every year. Our second story looks at why there's such a discrepancy between the two cities when it comes to work opportunities."

On Friday: "When Buffalo natives move to Charlotte, they find a very different city than the one they left. Some love it and say they're here forever. Others have been here and moved back. Others are on the fence about Charlotte. Our third story examines the good and bad of a new life in Charlotte and why some have decided to go back home."

Any readers from Buffalo out there? What's your Charlotte experience?

Enjoy Charlotte without paying a Mint

In a recent column, I wrote about a free history lecture at the Duke Museum. A reader called me and said that she'd like to read about more freebie things to do. So I thought I'd share a few from time to time, starting now.

Last night, I went to the Mint Museum to see the Andy Warhol exhibit. On Tuesday nights from 5-9, admission is free. I'd been reminded that I wanted to see the show when out there last week to talk to folks out there about the vote-for-art effort going on. For more on that see, my Nov. 5 blog entry.

The Warhol exhibit features fabulous screen prints -- from the popular Myths series (i.e. Superman, Mickey Mouse and Uncle Sam) and Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century (i.e. Albert Einstein, Sarah Bernhardt and Sigmund Freud) to lesser-known stills of fruit and a sunset series. Oh, and you can see one of his Campbell's Soup Cans -- Cream of Mushroom -- too.

For more info on the Mint, click here. For a story about Charlotte's visual arts scene, which ran in Living Here magazine, click here.

What's your favorite free thing to do in Charlotte? Post your ideas here and I'll occasionally share mine as well.

Best Places to Raise Your Kids

Business Week has come out with a state-by-state list of best places to raise kids. In N.C., it's Jacksonville, home to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, and in S.C. it's Rock Hill. Rock Hill got props for "some of the best public schools in the state" and for being home to Winthrop University.

Thoughts on the mag's picks?

Get out the vote -- for art

Hoping to ride the election fervor, the Mint Museum of Art is trying to get out the vote -- for art. Basically, starting today through Nov. 30, patrons can vote on which of two works should -- and will -- become part of the permanent collection of American Art.

"It seemed like a great thing to do this year," said Jon Stuhlman, curator of American art. By putting the decision in the hands of the people, "it really makes you think of the art in a new way."

Stuhlman said it's ironic that like the political elections, there's a progressive choice and conservative choice. He has no projections which will come out the winner.

The two works are above.

On the top is the so-called "conservative" choice -- a pastel on paper. Laura Coombs Hills did "Peonies and Velvet" sometime in the 1920s. The card next to the painting says: "Laura Coombs Hills was an important member of Boston's artistic community. She was highly independent, working as both a `fine' artist and a 'commercial' one over the course of a career that spanned more than five decades. She produced designs for products ranging from posters and greeting cards to needlepoint patterns. ... But Hills is most highly regarded for her portrait miniatures and for lush floral pastels."

On the bottom is what Stuhlman meant by progressive -- namely for thick, loose brushstrokes. "Bouquet on Canvas," by Blanche Lazzell, done in 1914. Oil on canvas. The placard next to it at the Mint says, "Along with Georgia O'Keeffe and Marguerite Zorach, Blanche Lazzell was one of the first American women (and one of only a handful of American artists, period) to embrace the radical new ideas about modern art that emerged during the first half of the Twentieth Century."

The winner will be acquired by the Mint Museum Auxiliary on behalf of the museum. The two pieces were done by women, underrepresented in the collection -- something the auxiliary has been trying to address with its donations, Stuhlman said.

Want to vote?

You have to go to the Mint in person. There are no absentee (a.k.a. online ballots). For more info on the Mint, including hours, click here.

What toys are worth your money?

This is not a newcomer-related post. I do write unrelated stories and I am looking for help with one on holiday toy shopping. It's for our annual holiday guide.

The theme this year: frugal picks. Doesn't mean cheap. But rather good values. It's about choosing a few quality toys rather than a slew of so-so stuff that will fall apart or won't hold a kid's interest past December.

Anyhow, I'm looking for suggestions from parents. What toys do you recommend? What's really worth the money? Please post your thoughts here or e-mail me at abaldwin@charlotteobserver.com. If you e-mail please include your name and daytime phone number in case I want to follow up.

Thanks.

Do front porches make for friendlier neighbors?

I was reporting a column in Plaza Midwood last week and a resident there had an opinion on why she feels it is a close-knit neighborhood. "Everyone has a front porch. That is key," Kristin said. "It's a ready-made social life."

I don't have a front porch, but I can see the appeal. I'd love to sit on my front porch and read the paper, sip wine or coffee (depending on the time of day) and watch my kid play in the yard. But the houses in my South Charlotte 'hood don't have front porches. Still, it's a friendly neighborhood. We've gotten to know our neighbors through yard work, kids and dogs. But would we be tighter with front porches? I wonder.

What do you think? What are your front porch experiences?

Your favorite coffee shop?

I'm writing this post from Summit Coffee in Davidson. I'd heard that the the entire town passes through here every morning, and based on the never-ending line since I got here, that seems about right.

If I lived here this would be my favorite coffeehouse. The coffee is dark and strong but not bitter. There's this college vibe that makes me miss the student-run campus coffee shop at Ohio University.

So what's my favorite coffee place in Charlotte?

If I'm lingering or meeting up with someone I'd say the Starbucks on East Boulevard. But parking is such a hassle there that I have a feeling that the Caribou down the road is about to take its place.

If I'm running through a drive-thru it's going to be the Dunkin Donuts on South Boulevard near my house. It's a treat on the way to daycare for my toddler daughter and me -- coffee for me and a blueberry Munchkin for her.

Another place I like but don't get to that often is Julia's Coffee, attached to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore store on Wendover Road. There are stacks of used books to peruse and sometimes live music to enjoy with your cup of joe.

So what's your preferred coffee spot?