Google is offering an upgraded ‘YouTube TV’ service for $35/month in 10 new cities, including; Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, Washington, D.C., Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando.

The service lets users live stream ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, regional sports networks and cable networks instantly, in real-time, on their phones, computers, or smart TVs. It’s aimed at so-called “cord cutters” – people who are trying to get rid of their cable/satellite TV subscriptions.

Google said that they’re specifically targeting younger viewers (YouTube’s current user base), as well as the slightly older millennial group. According to their blog post, “YouTube TV was built for the YouTube generation that loves live TV but wants it delivered in a way that suits their mobile and flexible lifestyles. In fact, we see more Millennials using YouTube TV than any other generational group. Now – with this expansion – millions more people will be able to stream their favorite live sports and must-see shows from top broadcast and cable networks.”

The live-streaming YouTube TV first launched back in April in 5 of Youtube’s biggest target markets, including; San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.

The new upgraded YouTube TV service is now available in Charlotte on TV.Youtube.com. You can also click here to learn about recent updates to traditional cable/satellite TV services.

A massive cold front is sweeping down from the Midwest and bringing freezing temperatures to the Carolinas.

We’re currently feeling a frigid 26° in Charlotte this morning, compared to a pleasant 35° in Bangor, Maine;

The unique cold front that’s pushed down to the South East is actually making Charlotte colder than most of the country, including Washington, Oregon, Montana, and even parts of Canada;

The high pressure band will begin to dissipate later today and we should be back in the 50s by tomorrow afternoon.

Visitor spending hit record highs again in Mecklenburg County and the Charlotte region in 2017, continuing to surpass all other tourism-centric destinations in the Carolinas. In 2017, the Charlotte region hosted approximately 28.3 million visitors, an increase of 500,000 from 2016, according to research firm Longwoods International. The Charlotte region also continues to boast the largest number of direct tourism employees and the largest payroll in the state. The leisure and hospitality industry represents 1 in 9 or 136,300 jobs and is the fourth largest industry in the Charlotte region, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“We look forward to seeing this data every year because it tells the story of the profound impact of tourism in the Charlotte region,” says Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority CEO Tom Murray. “Charlotte’s visitor economy has grown every year since 2010, continuing to fuel job growth, provide tax savings for residents and help improve the quality of life for our entire community.”

The table below shows in detail the breakdown of the most recent visitor spending data in North Carolina counties (2017) and South Carolina counties (2016) in the Charlotte region, defined here as the Charlotte Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The employment directly supported by visitor spending is also highlighted.

You can find out more specific data on 2017 visitor spending in our state on VisitNC.com

Last spring, Charlotte residents got a welcome reprieve from the annual onslaught of cankerworms dangling from trees and clinging to hair, clothing and everything else in their path. No one knows for sure why they vanished, but city arborists believe cankerworms are still a threat to Charlotte’s trees, especially large oaks.

The City of Charlotte just sent out a press release this morning asking all residents to band their trees as soon as possible.

How to Band a Tree

Step 1: Install a two-inch strip of cotton or insulation around the tree at least three feet from the ground and the lowest limb.
Step 2: Position a band of roofing felt over the strip and attach it to the trees with the staple gun.  Avoid using staples on small, young or thin barked trees. Instead use electrical tape to hold the bands.
Step 3: Using disposable gloves and a putty knife, put a film of Tanglefoot™(glue) directly on the band, approximately 1/8″ thick.
In order to be effective, all trees need to be banded. The worms feed on all types of trees. Large trees (taller than a two-story house) are the main focus of banding. Small trees can also be banded.”

Click here for tree band supplies – if we join together, we can save our beautiful canopy!

Renters’ living habits changed over time, as did the floor plans of rental apartments. The average size of a new apartment completed in 2018 in the U.S. is 941 square feet, 52 sq. ft less than the size of an apartment built ten years ago.

Rent Cafe just released their latest study of apartment sizes across the country. According to the study, 4 Carolina cities were ranked as having the largest average apartments in the nation.

While cities in the South East still have spacious apartments, the sizes have been decreasing overall and prices have been going up.

According to the data, over the past decade the average rent for new apartments went up by 28%;

What do you think about our current apartment sizes and rental rates?