We love Charlottesville, we really do. But we also think it’s time to call out some overrated places, foods, scenes, etc in the area. As always, these lists are totally subjective, but they do represent our writers best guesses as to what might be commonly accepted opinion. There are so many awesome things about Charlottesville and you can read the rest of our blog if you don’t believe us.
Our list (in no particular order)…
#1: 29 North – Driving up 29 North for anything represents one of the worst experiences ever. If you have to go to Lowe’s/Sam’s Club/Target etc you have to brave this traffic. Sure you can head to Waynesboro, but does that really make sense? 29 North is a different city and it sucks.
#2: The Hardware Store The Nook – With the death of the tourist magnate hardware store, The Nook takes the cake as the place that’s trying to bank on its “Since 19XX” tagline. Nonetheless, it’s cheap for a reason, but not because it has a real history or good food. Read the comments.
#3: The Amtrak/Train System – With worse on-time history than airlines, it’s nearly impossible to travel on the railroad if you live in Charlottesville. We’ve heard stories of Amtrak calling passengers over 24 hours before their train leaves to let them know it’s going to be late. The DP explains “the New Orleans-New York train (which serves Charlottesville and D.C.) is on schedule only 68 percent of the time, and the New York-Chicago train (which loops down into Virginia) is on the mark only 18 percent of the time.”
#4: cVillain.com – It’s a gossip blog with a bunch of anonymous, acrimonious villains that scare away new commenters.
#5: Living Downtown - We had an epic discussion on downtown living a while back, but with no good grocery store, more mall vacancies everyday, expensive rents and impossible parking, downtown can present more of a hassle than anything. Compare downtown rents to any most major cities and you’ll see what we mean.
#6: University of Virginia and “Diversity”/Downtown Monoculture – While all colleges make a strong point to market diversity, it’s pretty obvious that Lily Pullitzer, jcrew, boat shoe, flip flop, khaki and polo culture dominates the UVA scene. On the flipside we have a town that votes 90% or so the same in every major election. Talk about diversity in opinion.
#7: The Downtown Mall Rebricking – With the negative business impact of the downtown mall rebricking, the slightly errant bricklaying job and the mess, the rebricking has been one of the most painful events we’ve seen yet. Does anyone actually think the bricks improved? I feel like the ladies will still get their heels stuck and there are plenty of weird bricks to trip over.
#8: Central Virginia Wine – Has anyone actually had a Virginia wine that was really good? Now let’s include the fact that it costs 5x as much as anything else. I understand wine is a big tourism driver for the region, but the prices on the bottles vastly overvalue the quality of the wine. Head to Market Street Wine Shop or Tastings and ask them to blow you away for $10. You won’t be disappointed.
#9: Singles Dating Scene – Sure, the dating scene seems robust with a big university, but when it comes down to it, it’s not easy to meet new people here. There are things like the Charlottesville Sports and Social Club, the Charlottesville Drinking Club and Hashing (for people who like to drink) and the Outdoor Adventure Social Club (pricey). The Corner is a a much friendlier place to meet people, but good luck getting numbers downtown.
#10: Pedestrian/Bike Friendly Town - Besides the downtown mall, I fail to see how this town is pedestrian and bike friendly. Sure they spent a ton of money on talking crosswalks and started revoking licenses for not yielding to pedestrians, but pedestrians are still killed too frequently in this town. Every time we bring up issues about biking on roads, we hear the pain.
Agree or no? What else is overrated?
Related posts:
- Is Downtown Living Overrated?
- Common Mistakes of New Graduates Living and Working in Charlottesville
- When Writers Review Charlottesville and, in All Probability, Have Never Been Here
This is going to get hell of interesting.
#11: Dave Matthews. Someone was going to say it eventually, doesn’t matter if I even agree with it.
#12: Thor. Thor is overrated.
agree. if people would help write more, then you wouldn’t have to experience my verbal throwup
I’d offer to write an article but I hear this website is overrated.
My friend got roughed up by the cops on Sunday. Maybe we should talk about that.
Shen, what did your friend do/or not do?
That’s how they roll here. Then you hug them several weeks later at a bar to fuck w/ their tiny tiny brains which are no doubt way larger than their peckers. They fucking suck and we’ll leave it at that, because I could go on for a long time about this topic.
i’d like to hear more about this, T.
I always scan the threads for your longer comments.
At least you didn’t end up with cracked ribs after 6 cops stripsearched you. Over a paperwork error.
At least you didn’t end up with cracked ribs after 6 cops stripsearched you. Over a paperwork error.
Is there an echo in here?
i think many of us fellows at least would get that number of cracked ribs or more if, innocent, ANYBODY tried to do a body-cavity search on us.
did your guy-pal file a lawsuit? hoping so. Does Kevin Cox know the details? I bet he’d be on that in a heartbeat, Good Man that he is.
My friend is a GIRL. And I think she is suing.
Not as often as there used to be.
You have slandered Chandler’s and deserve a slap of a elephants ear for your insolent diatribe. Chandler’s is a fantastic value and you have the taste buds of a garbage rooting swine if you can’t tell the difference between this lovely old school bakery and food lion. If you can’t figure out the proper combination to make their cakes sing the sweet siren song it’s probably your fault.
Chandler’s cakes are mediocre at best (frankly I prefer the boxed mixes—they’re much lighter)…however their breads, rolls, and other confections are great.
Best desserts in town, in my opinion, come from Hot Cakes. I find a lot of their other food eh, but the baked goods win hands down. Sloan’s cheesecake, ahhhhh!
OMFG their tiramisu is just mouth heaven.
Flooze, your mouth is garbage. Why all the crap language?
@1: Hahahaha way to get that one out front in no time
#12: Bodos. Everyone nuts themselves over Bodos, and while their bagels are good, for god’s sakes, they’re just freakin bagels…
and they don’t toast them Shen! But they do have plenty of parking?!
Yes! AMEN! When I read the title of this article I thought, “Bodos better be on this list.” They are the most disappointing bagels I’ve ever had. Sausage egg and cheese sandwich? White sausage (not brown?), unmelted cheese, untoasted bagel. Gross.
Friday’s After Five, I mean really? How much pleasure can you derive from drinking beer with your high school classmates more than 10 years after you graduated? UGH.
I call Friday’s after Five Fluvanna After Four Fifteen…
I think Belmont is overrated. Not talking about Byo but the hipster wannabes who brag about living there. With their multiple roommates. And their PBR.
@1 YES! DMB should be #1 on the list.
The Nook? Must you? I loves me some Nook. That one makes me sad.
You really should have done the 100 Most Overrated Things. 10 barely scratches the surface.
#13: This is a healthy city. Only if you compare us to the contestants on Biggest Loser.
we’re not that bitter
Hey Thor, way to link to comments from our first three months in operation. I would say The Nook in underrated the way you trash it regularly.
as always this site is an open invitation for readers to dispute, critique or add criticism. i didn’t really see anyone disagreeing with those original comments, nor was that review written by me.
maybe you should look to our readers as your customers and then, maybe, if you listen to them, maybe you can improve things and maybe people will like it, but that would be nonsensical, right?
I’ve lived in Hampton Roads, guy. Charlottesville’s doing alright.
#8 Check out Cardinal Point Vineyards, always have a killer Cab Franc and Horton Vineyards does some interesting things. Also buying from the winery itself is a much better deal. Plus, there’s some beautiful countryside if you get out to some of these smaller vineyards.
“interesting” is not a good things when by “interesting” you mean “nasty berry-flavored goo.”
How can 29 N be over rated? Doesn’t it have to be, like, yaknow, rated in the first place. I have never once heard some one say “Ooooh! I get to drive up 29 N, Its soooo awesome.”
My root canal was totally over rated.
My period is soooo overrated.
Tila Tequila’s MySpace pictures are overrated. GET IT?!
I think 29 is overrated because people claim we have “great shopping,” a picturesque town and little traffic, none of which are true when you head up 29N.
Overrated? How about state medical record security.
BRB, gotta go fill 43 limbaugh/elvis strength prescriptions while their tracking ability is being held hostage by a 14 year old script kiddie…
@18 and #8 – A recent panel of internationally esteemed tasters did a blind tasting with the best-rated Virginia wines and a highly rated wine from the country/region of the vine’s origin. In some cases, it was clear which was which. But the sommelier I work with was at the event and told me that and a good many wines from VA vineyards that we’re all familiar with were indiscernible from their world-class counterpart. That is, 50% of the tasters thought the VA wine was the world-class one, and the other 50% guessed the world-class one correctly.
/not too shabby
//still pricey
///usually more expensive at the vineyard, b/c “they’ve got you there already”
Forgive me, but…that’s a pretty glib list there, guy. As our pal belmont yo pointed out, “overrated” is not the word for this list. Maybe “Top 10 list of Gripes” would be more appropriate, or just “10 Shitty Things About Cville.”
There are plllllenty of overrated things about the haven of Cville. But I mean…how many people have honestly touted the merits of the ridiculous rebricking project? Or navigating your way through 29N? The train station? Central VA wine??? Come on. Those things aren’t overrated; most people accurately rate them as “terrible.”
You want overrated? How about 90% of the corner(/corner bars) at any point in time during the year other than the summer? How about the “deep artistic culture” that’s seen three major venues shut down in just the past year? And my god, the University alone is rife with items for this list.
Anyway, not trying to be an asshole
Most of these are pretty valid as complaints. I just think everyone in their right mind agrees these things suck.
hello cub. welcome to cvillain, the place where you hate to stay, but can’t leave because the free meth.
/please stay and don’t be scared away!
Please stay…. I love your snappy claws and big red lips. You look like a cross between Rob Smith(The Cure) and Eddie Izzard… minus stiletto boots and leather trousers.
@ #1 – i always go to waynesboro to shop at lowe’s or home depot instead of heading up to c’ville’s pathetic attempt at a home improvement store. the employees at the c’ville lowe’s are rude, indifferent and don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground. conversely, the employees at both lowe’s and HD in waynesboro are helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. i love the home depot there. every employee i walk past says hello. if someone doesn’t know where something is, they go find someone who does instead of just saying “i think it’s on aisle 13″. i swear, when i go to the c’ville lowe’s, i’m convinced that every item in the store is crammed onto aisle 13. at HD, they ask what i’m doing w/ the items i’m buying and offer suggestions or alternatives that might work better (even if they don’t cost as much as what i’m looking at buying). here, they look at you sideways if you interrupt one of their many personal conversations to (gasp!) ask them a question. and don’t get me started on the misinformation. i made the mistake of trying to buy a large appliance at the local lowe’s. fortunately, the CSR’s errors were so transparent that i managed to avoid a major mistake. instead, i drove 30 minutes across the mountain and got a much better unit for much less at HD.
i’ll also add that the lowe’s in waynesboro is almost as good as HD. probably b/c they’re right across the street from each other and the competition actually makes them give a shit about what they’re doing. of course, the lowe’s at zion’s Xroads doesn’t have any neighboring competition and they’re not as rude or ignorant as the c’ville store. which leads me to believe that our local lowe’s just sucks.
Maybe this has more to do with the Charlottesville labor pool. Maybe Charlottesvillians are just meaner/ruder/ignorant/arrogant than Waynesboroans?
I’ve heard rumors that Waynesboro blog commenters are less snarky as well, and genuinely seek to respond and help out.
Have any of you been to the Old Navy on Barracks recently? I ran in there to buy cheap sunglasses for Foxfield and the employees were so friendly it was scary.
I have been there three times in the last two months to buy cheap socks. They are out of men’s socks. The hell? Socks. Out. Of. Socks. Two months.
“Did you find everything ok?”
“No. You are STILL out of socks.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I keep coming back, because I have a penchant for repetitive masochistic dissappointment.”
“Well hopefully the truck will bring socks soon.”
“Yes. Hopefully.”
I agree they have no socks-appeal.
Pssssst, it’s nice enough for flip flops. I bet they have TONS of flip flops.
You can’t wear flip flops with socks…. unless you want a major camel-toe …. err toe.
That was the point. Once it hits above 60, you don’t need to wear shoes that require socks anymore. I figure I’m good until about October now.
Pity I don’t work for Jimmy Buffet. Pity my offspring cant run track in flip flops. Pity I cant make flip flop puppets to plead with the demons that plague my twilight hours with whispery vague threats of endless hollow spirituality.
Bahahaha
Competition’s the thing. I have friends who hate their HDs, and there’s not a Lowes nearby. I get MDF board for my work a lot, and I gladly drive to Wboro. Their HD rocks.
Zion’s Lowes only doesn’t suck cause it’s new. Maybe? Or maybe ours does just suck.
Another thing about the Wboro HD. Every time I’m there they seem to have cool music playing over the speakers in the store. I mean, maybe not like exactly what I’d pick out myself, but you’re walking thru a big box and they’re playing Arcade Fire…? That alone makes me wanna go back there.
I have so many breathtakingly stupid C-ville Lowe’s stories. It really has to be one of the worst retail stores of any kind on the eastern seaboard. It makes me want to die almost every time i go in there. “If only the sweet merciful kiss of death would put this spectacle of dante’s customer service to a bitter end. For the love of god and all that is holy, I just need some quarter rounds!”
Never EVER have them send their contractors out. EVER.
I will make the trip to W’boro HD next time.
I can remember three times in the last year or so when I’ve been standing at the checkout at Lowes and ended up walking out. Either they can’t figure out what the price is, they can’t even figure out what I’m buying, they can’t figure out where their own frickin nose is on their own frickin face. Sometimes I have to go there for my “real job”, but I never EVER spend my own money there.
Quarter rounds? I thought all them quarters wuz round?
AMEN
But he might have toes like a velociraptor. Ask him. Quick.
A. Do like Barboursville Vineyards’ Italian varietal reds, but am biased — worked out there for a few years. I do think those are about the only local wines that have pleased me, except for maybe the Pinotage out of Lovingston Vineyards.
B. What do I think is overrated? How About the JPJ! Have they had a show I have even remotely considered seeing? Uh uh.
Oh — that most certainly includes tonight. Zzzzzzzzzzzz….
Ding ding ding, we have a winner! JPJ sucks!
There is nothing wrong with JPJ. it’s the booking company SMG that blows as they have trouble selling out a second Springsteen show (who is a portrait of the overrated performer to be sure)
Same diff
NOW I HAVE REALLY GOT THE ARSEHOLE….why the fuck could Byo reply to Shen but there was no reply option when I tried to reply, so I had to start a new post. This new style sucks rancid balls and I am throwing my toys completely out of the pram.
Would you say this thread system is overrated?
oh look at that you can respond… threaded responses now go 8 responses deep .. it’s not going higher.
We need a poll…. old school versus new design… two styles enter one style leaves.. two styles enter one style leaves…
FFA please.
See @2 / #12.
But where’s the bathroom? I have to pee and I’m all tangled up in the threadz
Bodos – it’s JUST a bagel, and they don’t toast them
Suburban neighborhoods – no sidewalks or street lights?!
Charlottesville drivers, specific to Route 29 – “Oh I just rememebered I have to go to Big Lots so I will cut over two lanes of traffic to the turn lane 20 feet before the interesection”
South Street brewery – get some friggin’ pub food on the menu. less entrees please.
Also that Dogwood Festival. I’m all for town festivals but this one of so scatter-brained. It’s over the course of lik 3 and 1/2 weeks. The festival is too long and there are too many events. Cut it down to a week, and FOCUS!!!
THE LACK OF BLODDY PARKING!!!!11111
/Oh goodness. I have to sit down.
Nitpicking: You probably meant “tourist-magnet,” not “tourist magnate.”
William Randolph Disney?
Also: guess I have to mention Foxfield, even though calling that “overrated” is to be quite generous.
Maybe you were saving it for the list of “Things That Suck in Charlottesville”?
it is getting a little overrated, isn’t it?
Ooo the ethical implications of horse racing, that would be a great threadjack wouldn’t it?
We already did that in the FF thread
i go every year. Perhaps it starting to wear on me. I wish they could figure out the traffic/alcohol situation and stick with something. That’s the part I hate. FIGURE IT OUT!
You know, I feel the same way as donk. Im not sure exactly why though.
Cuz you luvvvvvvvvv him
I don’t luv him… the occasional sex is fun though.
That was @ B yo, not you
I know… read it again.
/hey Donk… Myspace me baby xx
Go for it, I know the Cialis isn’t really helping your hubby
He uses that shit when he’s with you? Wow… never needs it with me.
What about over-priced mixed drinks?
/misses the casino’s $.50 house liquor mixed drinks and the average $3 mixed drinks at the bars back home.
mmmm. tang screwdrivers.
Howabout the fact that there is no affordable middle-of-the-road, casual, non-chain dining downtown. I don’t want an Applebee’s on the mall, but a dinner under $15 would be nice.
Charlottesville bars, with a few exceptions SUCK. most are over-priced and pretensious, or college bars with frat boy crowds.
and MAS is one of the worst restaurants I have ever been to, hands down. everything tastes like eating burt wood chips.
Also there are far too many magazines/newspapers. C-VILLE and Hook both suck and should join forces so maybe they’ll suck less. Alb. Family and the rest are just worthless.
I bet you’re a blast at parties
explains the fact that DaveGuy’s icon is a little gray cloud.
with chicken feet.
chains – try eppies, aqui es mexico
bars – try 12th street
MAS – food is really good if you know what to order.. i think you meant to say service?
local – couldn’t agree more.. but then again we have an obvious bias and that’s why we are here.. to not suck
How do you know how Burt Wood tastes? Dirty little bastard.
I love me some Burt Wood
To be fair, I don’t think all C’ville bars suck… some are quite nice (12th st.)
I’m assuming most of us live here for a reason. Anyone can gripe about anywhere, but I think most of us really do love Charlottesville…my cranky self included.
But I still can’t stand Mas’ food.
To be fair I had a shitty meal at Mas recently… (sorry Tomas but it’s true.) That new fish dish that cost a baby’s ransom was dreadful.AND NO FLIPPING SCALLOPS AGAIN…GRRRRR
fwiw, the Cabrito asado (tenderly-braised in White wine, herbs, milk-fed, local, organic baby goat from Caromont Farm w/ carrots) is on my list of BEST FOOD EVAR.
I’m assuming most of us live here for a reason
True. Its a condition of my parole.
Maybe this individual is a little like me — because I can go there and enjoy the drinks and atmosphere, but when it comes to digesting the food successfully… not so much. I don’t normally have such problems; I have had them there on three separate occasions.
So they’re on my blacklist — along with Five Guys. (God knows what they’re doing There — but they have lawyers, it seems, that make it mandatory that your burger must be made well-done. RETARDED.)
Add Five Guys to the Overrated list. See you at Riverside Lunch.
Slightly off topic: Can someone fill me in on what the really squiggly road is in the bottom left of the picture?
I found the place on googlemaps (here), and there is a spiral road (driveway?) that leads to what looks like a pretty large house. Is this just someone’s private residence, or am I all disoriented from seeing something familiar from a bird’s eye view? Thanks.
looks residential. what a pain-in-the-a$$ driveway.
It’s the house on Lewis Mountain. Sort of next to O-Hill. You can see it from all over town, esp in the winter. I don’t think you can drive up there, but there are lots of hiking/mt biking trails that run up that way. I remember that there a lot of local lore about the place, but I don’t remember it well enough to pass along… Anyone else?
colfer will know, i think?
i heard some story, probably false, about a wealthy alum who was somehow scorned by the university and built it there as a faux-rotunda or faux-monticello to irk… but that’s not it.
I was a little saddened the other day at Zinc. Dropped $20 for the steak and got a laughable portion that was stringy. I was kind of curious what the half portion would have looked like. Really loved the decor though… Conclusion: Zinc is not where you go to get full.
i had a lovely half steak on beaujolais nouveau day.
Did you pay for it?
Girls pay for food?
Deets where have u been dude? Thor has been nasty to me, and only Shen was here to stand up for me.
Thor is a whiny little demi-god that stuff rolls of quarters in his shorts to impress the girls in a desperate attempt to make sense of his growing homosexual panic- NTTIATWWT
Specially since spam -stuffing ones pants has been a major topic here today (go look for Springsteen shit)
well I come back from my Mcquit so I could ignore Springsteen (who is the most overrated thing in Charlottesville tonight).
as seldom as possible!
i don’t remember.
Yes she did.
that’s what you get for paying $20 for a hanger steak.
in no especial order:
1.appalachia-roots bluegrass music played by kids from Delaware, New Jersey and NoVA suburbs.
1. UVA’s tradition of southern courtesy and southern gentility and southern friendliness
yoga-drumming-moderndance-vegetarianism-ACAC as self-improvement tools
downtown mall reputation for hard-partying decadence and promiscuity and moral relativism
downtown mall for being ‘historic’ (was created in 1972?)
every rock&roll show in town since Of Montreal at Satellite
sorry, but PCA for helpfulness, LiveArts for theater, McGuffey for art, Paramount for everything.
BookFest, FilmFest, BluesFest, PhotoFest, VegetarianFest, WineFest, BrewFest, FoodFest
all coffeehouses (none are loungy, conversational, smoking, reading, hangouts–just uva kids with laptops)
national op-eds and dull-ass ten-page investigative articles about local shit that old people care about, like safety, zoning, real estate
tried to number those, but my keyboard is slippery with bile…
“historic” probably refers to the 19th-C buildings that compose the DT mall.
quite possibly. i think most of them are 1930s, though? the historic ones are up at Court Square? i could be wrong. either way, it should be:
The Mall in Historic Downtown
you’re wrong, sorry. i got a flyer from the BAR that has all the buildings’ dates. i think the earliest are 1880s.
i agree though. when i first visited we followed the signs for historic DT mall, then, convinced we got lost, parked in the water street lot, ate at rev soup, & left, convinced we’d never seen anything historic.
delighted to be wrong, of course.
but even in Virginia 1880 isn’t much. I live in a shitty condemned unheated shack that was (primary structure) built fifty years before that, on property that was deeded (not to me) in the 1720s. i took one of my degrees from a Virginia college founded in 1693. Cville just ain’t that old, or that historic, overall. UVA wasn’t started until 1819? Even little Hampden-Sydney College was 1776.
but ‘historic’ is close enough, good tourist-marketing, etc. Technically, i think Barracks Road is more ‘historic’ than the Downtown, in the sense of having a prior claim to form and function.
ooo of montreal at satellite was good!
and i keep going, but veg fest never really has much going on…
hey isabella! Of Montreal is awesome always–glad you saw the show. I followed then down thru NC, too. I keep hoping they’ll come back–any deets? They were with Loney,Dear–i blow hot and cold on them but Saturday Waits is astounding. Praying they’ll tour with Superfantastics or Jon & Roy.
Overrated in no particular
1. Christan’s Pizza- It was good at one time but today it seems to be phoning it in
2. Blue Ridge Pig-people rave about this place and I think it’s ok but pig ain’t even what their best at
3. the entire downtown mall- we love it but visitors are perplexed what the big deal is all about
4. the liberal paradise of Charlottesville- It’s down right hostile and disdainful of those not as “open minded” as they are
5. not building the Meadowcreek bypass- people whine about parkway lost not mentioning the fact that several more times will be created than lost- Oh and we get a new road.
6. light rail- in a town that hasn’t grown in population for several decades this sounds like a huge waste of money
7.Top ten list
I just wanted to announce to everyone downtown who’s been requesting a grocery store that I am starting a grocery store and deli on the corner of 4th and market. We open to be open for business around September 1st. We welcome your suggestions and support!
canNOT be left out since I have such an unbiased view of Charlottesville:
1. UVeh. (already mentioned but so deserving of being mentioned once more).
2. Sperry loafers, khakis/chinos, baby pink and powder blue oxfords.
3. Volvos.
4. High rents.
5. Foxfield.
6. Claiming Charlottesville is “home” to Richy McRicherson and/or Molly Moviestar. (do any of them really even live within the city limits?)
7. Apparently knowing how to drive is overrated. (especially when entering three and four way stops.)
8. The quote on quote (see what I did there) upper crust society here. It’s only Charlottesville, for pete’s sake.
Really, though, I enjoy it here. Although sometimes I feel as if it’s like Randall said to Dante, “This’d be a great job if it weren’t for the customers.”
Charlottesville has much more to offer than Charlottesville…if that makes any sense to anyone else.
I’m a townie, I like FF but I didnt start going until I was 24.
You know what’s overrated? The “World Class city” misnomer. On any given Sunday or weeknight past 9, there is practically nothing open where you can get good quality yet not expensive carryout food.
true. and almost nothing is open 24-hours. Certainly no coffeehouse or respectable diner (no fries-n-gravy at waffleshouse, are there?). Cambridge had a 24-hour bookstore.
IHOP?
If Blue Moon were open 24 hours, I would die of happiness.
no fries-n-gravy at waffleshouse, are there?
Nope, just bullets.
I have to agree that that would be a great post.
Perhaps wrong category, not so much overrated as overly irritating, but whoever is driving that itty-bitty EC-2 Smart car around… I pray for you every time I see you.
there have to be more than one, or else i see that guy everywhere!
I’ve counted at least 3 around the city.
I’ve seen two so far. One is blue…I think. Memory escapes me.
There are 2 yellow/ black and one silver. They had to individually import them as they are not actually available in US yet… how cool is that. They deserve safe passage (even if it is v-e-r-y-s-l-o-w)
Just a note to say the SNeetLe isn’t a Smart car. It’s akin to a golf cart (electirc and very rattly…it’s a POS.)
Those things are safer than you would imagine. Their crash tests are online (75 mph into a concrete barrier!). I think smart is a division of mercedes, if I am not mistaken.
The smart sports car looks pretty cool
in my opinion.
Linkypoo Fail
I would be more interested to see 45mph under an 18 wheeler
45mph under an 18 wheeler
To be fair, if that is the situation, it pretty much doesn’t matter what you are driving.
How about 15 mph, under a twelve wheeler… on a horse?
Well what was the link on 131? It does nay work.
The Smart Sports Car.
A pretty cool looking hoopty, imho.
People assume you’re gonna get hit cuz you’re in a smaller car. I would think iyt’d be easier to get out of the way in a smaller car.
i think you’re right, small, light and quicker (like motorcycles) can often let you zip out of the way. I’ve been in three major accidents in open two-seaters, though, where drunks or idiots ran lights/stopsigns and ploughed into the side of me. Oddly, tiny brit sportscars do pretty well in major impacts. I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt for any of the smash-ups, and the worst that ever happened to me was that the cigarette flew out of my mouth on impact and burned a hole in a nice cashmere sweater.
Those smart-cars are made out of melted 2-litre bottles and AAA batteries though… not sure that’s adequate defense against Lincoln Town-Cars.
It’s not so much assuming you will get hit as much as it is “if and when” you get hit. Goes for big cars and little cars.
/can’t remember when and where I had heard this, maybe some comedic bit somewhere, but they were remarking upon how absofuckinglutely amazing it is that more people don’t die in car wrecks considering we’re driving two ton metal death machines at ungodly speeds in precarious situations under various circumstances.
I’ve never driven anything smaller than a boat, so my perception is a bit skewed. After my car accident in 07, my rental was a 2008 Toyota Camry and “Toy”ota is right. I felt like I was in a bloody plastic box. Give me my now defunct Pontiac anyday.
“Safer than you imagine” doesn’t really amount to a hill of beans, in my opinion. I am far more safe in my car than I would be in that thing.
Most overrated: Albemarle County Service Authority
http://www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv/news/headlines/44507892.html
I think the one comment to that article is kind of funny:
Posted by: Buck Location: Keswick on May 7, 2009 at 09:30 AM
“The term ‘white money’ is a redneck slur referring to tax money,” explained Kevin Lynch” As if the word ‘redneck’ isn’t also a slur! What a noob!
The most overrated thing in Charlottesville (since Springsteen has left) is Spring.
At least this year’s spring. first it’s too cold, then it’s suddenly summer, now I look outside and see the animals walking around two-by-two. What have we had, 3 or 4 days of actual spring weather?
we use a very liberal meaning of overrated here. thor used it to mean “sucky” (re 29 north). heart used it to mean “popular” (re volvos). dieter used it to mean “nonexistent.” …
I think that Arch’s is extremely overrated. I’d rather travel 20 minutes down the road to get some DQ, that’s the good stuff.
Agreed. I just was there on the way home. Wish we had a TCBY–used to love their yogurt.
overrated – Cville night life…. for the love of booty shakin’ could this “city” please get a better place to get down
Its all subjective, i guess. What’s better for you?
/sincerely curious as I am the ‘getting down’ business…
Just sayin’ Cville could use a little South Beach (not sand of course) but outdoor dance space (in the spring/summer/fall) the occasional steel drums: a la Jade Seahorse Utila Island, Honduras http://www.jadeseahorse.com/about.html or Parco delle Cascine, Florence http://www.worldsbestbars.com/public/venue_listing.jsp?categoryId=18¤tVenueId=110
Potential threadjack. I don’t have time to do it right now (maybe this weekend), but I’d like to see a 10 Most Underrated Things thread.
29 North is not overrated. It’s every bit as awesome as its reputation suggests.
Shen, it would be great if she could use discovery in the case to find out if the cops were on steroids. I suspect there’s abuse in the ranks, judging from what I’ve seen.
Taliesin got roughed up a bit by her arresting officer too. Is this a trend or two unrelated incidents?
4 words: stand alone ABC store!
Do you mean the one beside Kroger on 29N? That place is enormous…. it’s an alcoholics paradise.
I think the hopped-up bad cops are tolerated by the rest, unfortunately. One or two video events might change that.
Thomas Jefferson.
I know it’s not Charlottesville, so this is a stretch for the post topic, but can someone explain the big fuss over Crozet?
they have really expensive pizza!!!!1!!!111!1
pretty mountain views, wineries and greenwood grocery!
man, c-ville sux. And with all the little hoodlums packing guns n what not n shooting their stolen pea shooters at one another, how can this be a world class city? I mean one of the 4 major hoods is right one freakin block from the DT mall. hahaha rent is fucking crazy, look up a 1 br apt n u will see, hahaha all the restraunts think they are the shit and over price, and GAS STATIONS!!!! has anyone else besides me noticed they have a fucking monopoly on gas in charlottesville? Its very very very sad when i drive out in bung fuck egypt and stop at a service station that is 15 cents cheaper a gallon, now with my experience, the little no where stores are a hell of alot more expensive. not so in charlottesvill, just a bunch of money squandering and political blow jobs. and the millions, yes many many millions wasted on a stupid ass new pool which the old one was dozed over, costing even more, when the facilitys for the little pool pissers where already fine. The millions on the stupid ass downtown malls new bricks, which everytime i would walk by, one or maybe two guys out of 29 that i counted several times , would actually be working. the lazy city officials that drive the water , sewer, gas cars you always see hidden off to the side in a cut just chyllin on the clock. I could go on for days, fuck charlottesville, move to staunton or waynesboro, its the same bullshit, but a hell of alot cheaper, and they will actually fucking let big corporations move in, IE SUPER WALMART, HOME DEPOT, ect……. to many to list, save your self now n move while u can
Of Montreal = hipster aphrodisiac
Sons of Bill, forgodsakes!