My love affair with Charlotte started in the mid-'70s. My family would stop at the old Krispy Kreme on Independence Boulevard on the way to the beach.
Long before going to work as a call girl for Sallie Saxon, Charlotte's most notorious madam in recent history, Wendy Kohn needed money to pay her bills.
Cycling enthusiasts earned a major victory recently in making the city more “bicycle friendly.”

Slideshow: Eye's Holiday Gift Guide Here are some ideas for everyone on your holiday shopping list.

Remember Ethan's, the eclectic Elizabeth hot spot that lured a loyal crowd with a seasonally changing menu and cozy neighborhood vibe? You may even recall Pearl, which suffered an abbreviated stint before quickly handing over the sauté pan to Solera, a Mediterranean establishment that shared a similar fate.
Tucked away in a corner of Uptown is a neighborhood so charming and so thoroughly distinct, the uninitiated might think they've stumbled into another city. Steeped in a history of turn-of-the-century political power and whispered tall tales of brothels and bootleggers, Fourth Ward is a fascinating mix of Victorian architecture, modern condos, secret gardens and brick-paved sidewalks in the shadows of Tryon Street's skyscrapers.
In these uncertain times, traditional holiday entertainment doesn't always fit the bill.