Charlotte, North Carolina, known by the locals as ‘The Queen City’, referencing the wife of King George III, lets you know this city is rich in history. Currently, Charlotte is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas, 20th in the nation. There’s so much to see and do, you might end-up booking extra days at one of the best Charlotte hotels in order to fit everything in or even to visit all 10 distinctive neighborhoods like Uptown, NoDa, Universal City, Plaza-Midwood, Myers Park, Dilworth, South Park, South End. Elizabeth and Ballantyne.

Uptown, is the place to go for a great night out on the town, with your choice of several upscale, fine dining restaurants, like the Monticello or for something easier on the wallet, Mert’s Heart and Soul; going for drinks at the Ri Ra Irish Pub, a locals favorite watering hole; and then attending a sporting event, like a great Carolina Panthers game at Bank of America Stadium.

North Davidson Street, better known as NoDa, which is Charlotte’s version of New York City’s SoHo, located north of Uptown and oozes with creativity. This one time textile manufacturing area has been transformed into art galleries, hot restaurants, theaters and bars. Hopefully, you’ll be in town during the highly touted ‘Gallery Crawl’ , which is where galleries and studios open their doors to the public.

University City, in the Northeastern part of Charlotte, is the most densely populated sections of the city, plus the University of North Carolina and all its students and faculty adds to the over 200,000 residents. There are also a good amount of shopping centers, but what’s more important to all Charlotte is just outside of University City is NASCAR at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Plaza-Midwood – consists of the most beautiful historical southern homes alongside cafes, tattoo parlors, record stores and art galleries, basically, it’s an historically hip place to hang around. Myers Park – was the first commuter neighborhood, so it lacks in the familiar street grid design, giving this neighborhood a unique, relaxed feel. Dilworth – is a typical blue-collar neighborhood with homes that date back to the 1900s.

SouthPark, is for the serious upscale shoppers, even though this is mostly a residential area, SouthPark is consistent with its high-end stores. Once you’ve purchased that new high-fashion outfit, there’s no better place to wear it other than at SouthPark’s restaurants, which tend to be on the fancy side such as Upstream or The Palm.

South End, was revamped from old cotton mills and industrial buildings into restaurants, shops, offices and condominiums. Elizabeth neighborhood, originally named after the Elizabeth College, is known for Independence Park, the first public park in Charlotte. Finally, Ballantyne, located on the south side of Charlotte, is another residential part of the city, but a good place to play golf at the Ballantyne Resort or at the Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation.

See? Way too much to do, but all worth a visit.

People come from all over the world to spend some time on the tranquil Beach’s of Marco Island. They spend the afternoons wandering around the little town, snorkeling off the beach or sifting sand for some shells. This area was a focus of exploration way back in the 1890s. Archaeologists set up camp and did some major digging to learn of the ancient Indian Tribe that lived in the area. They found the Key Marco Cat which is now on display at the Smithsonian. The Marco Island Historical Society wants it back some day. They have been building up their museums in hopes of getting big enough to getting the Key Marco Cat artifact back to Marco Island. They have a good collection of artifacts from the original Pepper-Hearst Expedition of years ago. They continue to study the area for more clues into the lives of the ancient villagers. Ask any of the hotels Marco island is famous for and they will point the way to the museum for you.  

Otherwise, the history of the area lies in nature. There would be a story in every shell on the beach if it could speak. Sifting through the sand may not get you a clay pot but it is a fun activity to do while visiting. Some of the other fun activities include endless water sports. Check out what Marco Island Water Sports has available. You could rent a wave runner and move through the everglade water ways or you could see a new view with the para-sailing. Catch a cruise and see how many dolphins you could spot. Maybe they will even give you a show. After all the ocean is the big attraction to the area so grab your sunscreen and suit and head out for some action.

Miami is a city that’s very much on the verge of everything interesting in contemporary pop culture. It’s uniquely poised to set the stage in a way that the other big cities in the country are not. While New York and Los Angeles have wildly eclectic urban scenes that can take any regular evening and spin it into sizzling, Miami has a rhythm that no one else could ever aspire to. So while retro is still in its peak in those places, Miami has moved into what’s tantamount to a Disco Rebellion.

This is evidenced by the wildly popular Disco Ball that hits the city every February. This past year’s event was another smashing success, and such disco luminaries as the Tavares came to bring everyone back to the day that they all long for. To make sure that no one could forget, the Sugarhill Gang was also on hand. There’s no one better to celebrate the original wave of hip hop than the band that most critics place at the very top, and the very beginnings.

People do tend to forget the important things, and when disco went downhill in its first incarnation, it was written off as vapid music for a vapid time. But it also saw the birth of the urban music that has earned a place in contemporary culture. Rich, sophisticated, and anything but vapid, the roots were in the carefree stylings of disco, because at its roots, disco was fun. And fun never goes out of style.

Especially in this city, where five star hotels in Miami are like a VIP pass to luxury in a world-class setting. Disco fever might not be evident throughout the year, but there is an energy to the clubs that certainly reminds the last generation of their idea of fun.

The rental property industry can be a very rewarding field; however it can also be stressful if you try to do it all yourself. There are a lot of areas that you need to have good solid understanding of: such as regional rental codes, lease agreements, real estate, and real estate law. Not to mention the day-to-day complaints and problems from the tenants. All of this combined can be quite overwhelming, particularly if you try to do it alone. It is for this reason that many property owners hire property managers like Transglobe Property Management services . Property managers can be extremely beneficial, especially if you own multiple properties or live outside the area. There are, however, a few things to consider before making the final decision of who to hire.

One of the most important aspects of running any business is the cost. At the end of the day, the profits need to exceed the costs. This is also true when considering hiring a property manager. Most property managers charge a monthly fee for their services, sometimes as much as 20%. Ideally, you want to consider their price compared with the services that they offer to find the best deal. It is also important that you consider the rest of your budget when you are determining what you can afford. Also in the area of finance, it is important to ask how often they send out income/expense reports. The best situation would be monthly so that you can quickly address any problems.

Maintenance, repairs, and general problems are a daily occurrence with rental properties; therefore, it is important to address how such problems will be handled. Does the property manager fix the problem him or herself or the do they contract it out? When do you want to be notified of expenses? Communication is an important part of any relationship, especially business relationships. Making sure you are both on the same page and working toward the same goal is an important part of being successful.

Lastly, it is important to address up front how termination would occur if things don’t work out. Some companies charge fees or other penalties for early termination. Make sure that you are clear on the process.
The best way to ensure positive results is to ask lots of questions and don’t settle for the first company that you interview. There are many property managers out there like Transglobe property management that can help you. They may take a little work to find, but they are worth the search.

Salt Lake City has a fascinating history, having been founded in the 19th century, but with a very long period of human habitation well before that. It’s not exactly the Old West, but it shares enough of the same geographies and relation to space that the stories tend to overlap. The myths certainly do, and Salt Lake City is home base to a number of very interesting characters over the years. Filmmakers, visual artists, actors, and novelists, there are all sorts that make up Salt Lake City, and all these sorts make it a splendid place to visit.

One of the 20th centuries most fascinating creatures, however, never wrote a novel, although he certainly started plenty, and his correspondence was rather massive. Some of the most important letters in contemporary literature were from him, addressed to his dear friend Jack Kerouac.

Neal Cassady was born here, in 1926, while his parents were on their way to California from Des Moines. They didn’t stay long, but long enough for him to claim it as his birthplace. Leaving town was one of his best talents, and apparently it started at a very young age, soon after birth, in fact. This points out some of the characteristics of the Old West, and particularly the ones that are attached to the idea of a contemporary hero.

Restlessness seems to haunt most of the great figures of contemporary fiction, and Neal Cassady was a living testament to restlessness. His personality was strong enough to inspire a place in two masterpieces of modern writing, both The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, and On the Road . His restlessness was iconic, and it was the heart of the inspirations for both of the journeys that the books depict.

Hearing about him is a reminder of a time of great rootlessness, and goes back to a distinctive romantic aura that not only haunted Salt Lake City’s past, but is still here. It can be touched again when a visitor is passing through, staying at a hotel. Salt Lake is constantly opening up for new generations and new dreams.

The shoes of John Belushi were awfully big, and really much too big for any other human being on earth to fill. He was a Chicago man, through and through, born here and grew up here. The formative years were spent honing a remarkable genius capability at the Second City. This is still one of the great improv companies, and perhaps the most eminent one in the world, devoted to helping new comic performers hone their skills. Here, John learned what everyone learns at the Second City, working on timing, responding to the needs of the moment, and how to think quickly.

These are all gifts that seemed to come very naturally to the talented performer, and there was truly a great deal of fantastic raw material to draw from. But everybody needs to learn, and spending some time learning how to take the wild horses of inspiration and discipline them so they don’t run you over is a good thing for everyone. Perhaps it didn’t take with John, in the final tally, because it does seem as though discipline either failed him or left him. It’s hard to say.

For those who want to explore the great city and mine it for signs of inspiration that have fed comic talents for a couple generations now, there are plenty of options. It has its share of excellent hangouts and four star hotels. Chicago also has lots of comedy clubs where you might catch the next rising star.

The chances of someone filling those shoes, however, are zero. The only one who could ever come close was his brother Jim , who followed in some of the same footsteps, including Second City and SNL fame. He has found a comic voice that is very different than his brother’s, however, and has come into his own comedic identity, and it’s a wonderful thing to see. There are certainly other young talents out there with the same wild horses driving them, and perhaps the lessons of one generation might be passed to the next, if they’re smart enough to pay attention.

The Australian Open begins the season of tennis championship tours and is the first on the agenda of the Grand Slam series. These are the main four tournaments, also known as the Majors, and they occur from January through October. The Australian Open takes place at the Melbourne Park. This annual Grand Slam event was first established in 1905 and at the time took place on grass courts. This was the standard until 1988 when the court floor was replaced by a hard surface, which is now the standard. The Wimbledon schedule just outside of London is the only Majors tournament to continue to be held on a lawn court.

The Australian Open takes place in January and the two main courts that are used for its competitions are the Rod Laver Arena and Hisense Area. Both of these feature state of the art elements and include retractable roofs that can be open or closed depending on weather circumstances. This is an important because January happens to be in the middle of the Australian summer and temperatures can reach extreme highs and the humidity can be painful. In addition, the Open is one of the most popular events in the city of Melbourne and public safety concerns in such extreme weather are a priority. As of course, is the well being of the tennis players.

The 2010 tournament saw Roger Federer win the men’s singles event and take home his 16th Grand Slam title. He beat out Andy Murray in a contest for the title. The women’s event fell to Serena Williams who is the current reigning World NO 1 female player. The American Williams defeated Justine Henin of Belgium for the title. The US team Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan won the men’s doubles. finals event and the American sister team Serena and Venus Williams won the women’s doubles. The men’s team beat Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimoniic, while the women defeated Cara Black and Liezel Huber. Plans for the 2011 tournament are well underway and it is scheduled to begin on January 17th of next year.

In 1995 a revolution occurred.  This may not be something that most people are aware of, as it really isn’t the sort of thing that would make the nightly news.  It was a quiet revolution, but one that affected everyone around the world…it was the revolution in the customer service industry.  This was not a revolution set about by the “people”, but one of the President and the Vice President of the United States, at the time…Bill Clinton and Al Gore.

Gore headed up a team, the “National Performance Review” and Clinton backed up his VP by setting an executive order which was known as “Setting Customer Service Standards”.  Together, they tracked their own performances and asked people if they were in fact, getting what they needed and wanted.  This applied in business operations, not only to customers but to employees as well.  The goal was customer complaint tracking.

Day to day life was examined in all of the federal agencies.  People were given a chance to express their concerns, complaints and to give kudos to jobs well done.  Clinton’s motto, the motto of many great leaders–world leaders and small business owners–is to quite simply, “put the customer first”.  Not just the customer in the familiar use of the term…but also, as stated before, the employee.  How well is everyone being treated? is the question.

Tracking this data accurately, is the answer to that question.  In tracking data, a leader of a country or the owner of a “mom and pop” restaurant, can formulate strategic plans.  Plans that honestly ensure that the needs of the people are the focus.  Customer service software is available nowadays, which simplifies this collection of data, making record keeping more accurate and the implementation of new ideas and the resolution of customer complaints and concerns much easier and much more quickly than every before.  What started as a revolution, is now a way of life, a better way of life on both sides of any court.