FAQ City

Editor's note: A version of this story was originally published in December, 2018.  

WFAE listener Chappy Garner has been mountain biking for about five years, and one of his favorite spots in Charlotte is the Backyard Trails — a 12-mile network of twisty, turvey paths winding through 140 acres of woods in south Charlotte.

Editor's note: A version of this story was originally published in March 2019.

Many Charlotte residents have long heard tales of abandoned gold mines left buried beneath uptown. Aaron Hopping, a WFAE listener, wanted to know more. Like, where are they? What happened to them? And are any still accessible?

Waking up is hard. Even harder when you're a teenager who has to be at the bus stop at 6 a.m.

One WFAE listener, Jennifer Morell, wrote in to "FAQ City" wondering why our high schools start so early in the morning, and if our kids might be better served if we pushed back the opening bell.

Native Charlotteans are sometimes described as unicorns — so rare they also seem mystical. Transplants, on the other hand, seem far more common, and one WFAE listener says it feels like their numbers have grown considerably in the last decade.

Editor's note: A version of this story was originally published in October 2018.

Few Charlotteans may remember Earle Village, the public housing community built in First Ward just outside uptown. It was a bustling community that stretched from Sixth Street to 10th Street, roughly bordered by Myers Street and Caldwell Street. It was the place where 400 of the city's poorest families resided — until the village was condemned to demolition in the 1990s.

The 60th floor of the Bank of America Corporate Center is a mysterious, mythical place. At nearly 776 feet above the ground, it's one of the highest spots a person can visit in Charlotte. It's situated higher than the top of the Space Needle and the Washington Mounument, and it presumably offers unparralleled views of not just the city, but the entire region.

And it's strictly closed off to the public.

Editor's note: This story was originally published in December 2018.

Mooresville resident Lauren Sullivan has a boat she takes out on Lake Norman from time to time. She and her husband will cruise across the water, sometimes towing a wakeboard from behind. Like most people, she knew the lake was man-made, and that got her wondering: what might have been swallowed up by all the water, and what happened to the people who once called the area home?

Sharon Road, Sharon Lane, Sharon Amity, Sharon Woods Lane, Sharon Township Lane, Sharon Avenue, Sharon Chase Drive, and ... well you get the point. With so many roads named after her, it's no wonder Charlotteans are curious to know who Sharon is.

We all know the feeling. You're in a rush on your way to work or to drop the kids off, and you end up hitting back-to-back-to-back red lights. Your blood pressure kicks up, your body tenses, and your brain screams LET'S GO! Turn green already!

It's summer, and lots of us are headed to the beach to play in the sand and see the marine wildlife. But some of our listeners say they've seen coastal creatures right here at home.

Editor's note: A version of this story was originally published in June 2018.

Does it seem like something's missing around Charlotte? Something small, green, or brown? Listener Hope Nicholls thinks so. She wrote in to FAQ City wondering about what seemed to be a total absence of cankerworms this spring.

How do you respond to tragedies? We all face them periodically over the course of our lives. Sometimes there's little we can do to remedy the situation. Other times, we're given the opportunity to fight back.

There's something awfully suspicious about that pine tree off the side of Interstate 485. You know, the one with the perfectly smooth trunk and the oddly sparse branches. Seems strange that it would grow so much taller than the other trees. Oh, and the giant panels on the top are interesting. Perhaps they're a type of fruit?

So you've finally binged all of "The Great British Baking Show" on Netflix and now you're left wondering how to get some of those scrumptious-looking baked goods. But what bakery in Charlotte carries hazelnut dacquoise or kouign-amann?

Many Charlotte residents have long heard tales of abandoned gold mines left buried beneath uptown Charlotte. Aaron Hopping, a WFAE listener, wanted to know more. Like, where are they? What happened to them? And are any still accessible?

A version of this story was originally published on May 8, 2018.

Orlando has tourism, Nashville has music — it seems like Charlotte has always been defined by its banks. But have you ever wondered why?

Google Fiber's internet speed may be lightning fast, but its rollout has been painfully slow around the United States, including in Charlotte – where the company has requested no new construction permits so far in 2019.

A version of this story was originally published Feb. 13, 2018.

Imagine two roads in Charlotte — one in the north, one in the south. Both have four lanes and plenty of rush hour traffic, but one has streetlights while the other doesn't. Seem weird?

Twelve weeks after the 2018 election, residents of North Carolina's 9th Congressional District still don't know who officially won their race for Congress.

Maybe you've seen one in a parking lot at Wal-Mart, or outside the mall during the holidays. A keen-eyed television viewer might spot them among the crowd at the Superbowl, or in Times Square on New Year's Eve.