Its been a year or so since I have been to a Charlotte Checkers hockey game, so I forgot how fun they can be! I went to see them yesterday in a match against the Florida Everblades, and the Checkers had an excellent showing! They won 8 to 0!!

If you are looking for a fun winter event to attend in Uptown Charlotte, definitely make time to visit them in Time Warner Cable Arena before the season ends. Tickets are very reasonably priced and you’ll be entertained the entire time you are at the arena.

The Garrison at Graham condos in Fourth Ward, Uptown Charlotte, are really starting to move along. In the picture above, you can see that the windows are already installed, so the outside shell is almost complete.

Condos in The Garrison at Graham will be two level lofts with high-end finishes including hardwood floors and designer kitchens, while still keeping an industrial feel with exposed ductwork.

If you are planning on visiting the seasonal ice skating rink in Uptown Charlotte, you only have a couple more weeks. “WBT’s Holiday On Ice” runs through January 10, 2009. It is open daily from 11 am and 10 pm.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit Chima Brazilian Steakhouse (pronounced “She-ma”) located in the former Home Federal Savings and Loan Building. Chima occupies the lower two levels of this building, while The Trust luxury condos are on the floors above.

If you decide to go to Chima, you better take your appetite with you! For $40 per person, you are served food until you tell the servers to stop. Whether you are on the first or second floor, there is a centrally located salad bar on each floor that is self serve. Then your servers bring you various meats that they cut from large skewers right at your table. Some of the meats that I sampled were: beef ribs, swordfish, flank steak, baby top sirloin, filet mignon, chicken wrapped in bacon, and ribeye. The food was excellent and I would definitely suggest trying it if you are a meat lover and have a big appetite!

The picture below is of an area on the second floor adjacent to Chima’s bar area.

The Bechtler Art Museum and Wachovia/Wells Fargo Cultural Campus is beginning to take shape. With the contractors working nearly round-the-clock, the Cultural campus seems like it will be complete in the very near future.

When finished, the Bechtler Museum will house works from artists including: Braque, Degas, Ernst, Giacometti, Klee, Mir, Picasso and Warhol.

Avenue Market is finally open in Avenue Condominiums. Residing in roughly 1240 square feet on N. Church St., Avenue Market carries various convenience store items including sandwiches, beer, wine.

Have you been searching for a new condo in Uptown Charlotte and just can’t seem to find one that “fits the bill?” Well, Elizabeth Phares with Centro City Works (formerly Boulevard Centro) gave me a tour of Quarterside about a week ago and they still have quite a few affordable condos available.

Quarterside currently consists of three buildings, with the possibility of one additional building in the near future. The three buildings currently being built each have different names: The Quad, The Ledge, and The Row. Of these buildings, Centro City Works is currently selling in both The Quad and The Ledge.

Prices of the available condos in The Quad range from $137,600 for a one bedroom one bath condo up to $329,900 for a multi-level, one bedroom, one and a half bath, with study condo.

Prices of the available condos in The Ledge range from $142,500 for a studio up to $338,750 for a two bedroom two bath.

If you have ever been in a Centro City Works development, the finishes and floorplans are similar to developments they have completed in the past. They are well designed and a good value for the space.

One of the most exciting components of the Quarterside development is the inclusion of commercial real estate. Tenants haven’t been finalized, but there have been rumblings about a sports bar, a restaurant, and a coffee bar. Again, none of the tenants are finalized, but its exciting to know that First Ward is looking to have additional places to dine and entertain without having to actually make your way to the heart of uptown.

For additional details on pricing, floorplans, and availability in Quarterside, email me.

I visited O1NE again today to take a look at the progress of the upfit of the store. The contractors have now started cleaning and installing all of the cabinetry that will eventually be home to the shoes, t-shirts, hats, and hanging clothes. Take a look below at updated pictures.

While touring the build-out of O1NE yesterday, I got caught in some nasty rain. Luckily however, the rain brought out a really neat rainbow above The Vue, currently being built at Pine & 5th Streets. So, I thought I would share. Enjoy!

If you don’t have plans yet for tomorrow night (Friday, Devember 12th, 2008), you should definitely make some time to explore Uptown Charlotte’s newest restaurant located in Epicentre. I had the opportunity to visit Mez last weekend for a pre-grand opening dinner and tour and really loved it!

While the dining areas and decor were great, I think my favorite element was the open, lounge-type bar in the center of the restaurant. It is sure to be an uptown favorite for those wanting a cocktail before or after a night on the town.