Pen shops in Charlotte, NC

[flyingmachine]

Fun discussions with some other Queen City snobs/populists/pensters/eccentrics - perhaps we need a local pen club!?

 

Anywhoo - Barrington's is in the small shopping center on Fairview between Phillips Place and Providence, tucked away from the road (shopping center where Ben & Jerry's is located). It is great food and worth the trip. I just spent the last 4 months in NYC from Sunday through Friday on an engagement and it did have an impact on my perception of certain things. Commuting from a nice hotel in Manhattan to another Manhattan location is actually not that bad compared to driving up Providence Road, for example! Of course you have to be able to afford to live in Manhattan and commuting from Long Island is another thing entirely. I also ate a lot of good food (nothing beats the expense account "actual reasonable expenses" budget) none of it from chains, and there is a lot to say for the quality you get from such establishments. But an expense account isn't real life either...

 

As a native Washingtonian there are things I miss about DC - museums mostly (free ones at that) as well as certain cultural experiences and a more diverse environment - but as a parent I have to admit that Charlotte is a very very nice compromise of family quality of life and some good things to do. I thoroughly support the idea of a resource to help target small, local and independent shops. Not sure how to get such a thing started but it would be a worthwhile endeavor... But I've lived in a number of other towns in North Carolina, college in Chapel Hill, law school and graduate business school in Winston-Salem, Greensboro and New Bern - and when I moved last Charlotte was our destination of choice for a variety of reasons over New York, DC or Atlanta which were the other main options (I am a benefits and compensation tax attorney so relatively speaking my destinations are somewhat limited!).

 

Thankfully we have a small stable of good babysitters lined up (it took 3 years to finally find some that we like - but it's easier now that the kids are a bit older as well), but it still adds so much to the cost of going out that, well, I'm as happy to throw steaks on the grill and sip some red wine with my wife after the kids are in bed on a Saturday night as go out. I guess that means I'm getting old (even if I don't feel that old most of the time!).

How DID you find a good babysitter??? That may just be the one item that has been insurmountable to me. Did you bring your kids to NYC for the 4 months you commuted? That must have been tricky.

 

Yes, NYC has the greatest food. It's probably what I miss the most from living there. My wife and I, also, chose Charlotte over several other cities. Primarily for the quality of life and the weather. Seems to outway (for the moment) all of the perks you mentioned about NYC.

 

I, also, feel older than dirt. Not sure why that is. Life has a funny way of grinding away at your senses. Like you, I really have grown to appreciate simpler pleasures. Hanging out with my family and throwing something on the grill (couldn't do that in NYC without putting a grill on the fire escape and getting arrested. Actually, I recently threw some Salmon steaks on. Wow! forgot how good that is! Just some olive oil and salt and pepper.

 

don't you find it a bit unusual that we're corresponding via keyboard typing while talking about our mutual interest of fine pens? Pretty ironic. Gotta' love it.

 

Oh, and I've driven by that shopping center a zillion times and never noticed Barrington. Guess i'm gonna have to get over there and check it out. thanks for the tip!

 

Toodle-loo

Hope you've recovered from your ultra long cummute!

[jinosbrovens]

I still find myself stopping by random stationers to try my luck to see if they might have some old inventory.I have not found another pen nor pencil that was as perfectly weighted since then.Can anybody give me some suggestion.

[sherm]

I just moved to Charlotte last year, I'll have to check out Origami's. I live near 485 and Providence so we're in South Park quite a bit.

 

As anyone in charlotte been to the Raleigh pen show, I was thinking of making the drive.

[The Bantam Scribbler]

SouthPark is quite a trek from Monroe, but it sounds highly worthwhile. Now I just have to find someone willing to spend a ten-dollar petrol investment so that I can obtain a ten-dollar bottle of Noodler's. :roflmho:

[RyanWakefield]

Just to let you know, and save you a trip, Origami Ink is no longer in SouthPark. It is now in downtown Asheville. Same great store, different location.

[steersbylitning]

I can vouch for Origami Ink in Asheville myself. Very nice place, run by very nice people. And Asheville is a fun place.

[Hellmark]

You know, with all these posts about people wanting to find penshops in their area, we need to put together a map of penshops.

 

Frappr is now dead, but Google has collaborative mapping features now, can included it in there.

[The Bantam Scribbler]

Just to let you know, and save you a trip, Origami Ink is no longer in SouthPark. It is now in downtown Asheville. Same great store, different location.

 

Wow, that's a real drag. But thanks for letting me know.

 

It figures that Charlotte would be the only major city with no pen shops. There are about twice as many car dealerships and banks here as there are bookstores. :bonk:

[mikerph]

I stopped by Origami Ink in Asheville this summer, It is a delightful little store with lots of artsy things and a good supply of pens and stationary. I picked up a Visconti Homo Sapiens and a Conklin Mark Twain and had a very long and enjoyable conversation with Jonathan, whom I believe is one of the owners. The shop is across the street from the Haywood Park Hotel--a wonderful old luxury hotel in the arts district. I would recommend it highly. The area has a bohemian,artsy feel with interesting shops galore and all types of reataurants abound. Its worth the trip; I will probably go back again.

[Merrib]

Since my son lives and works in Charlotte that gives me and my better half an extra reason to go visiting. I see a trip in my near future.<br>

[rennfahrer]

Charlotte is a very civilized place :-) That said, with Origami closed, and Sharon Luggage closed, other than the Montblanc boutique at SouthPark mall, there is nothing for pen lovers. All the nice stationary stores have disappeared as well. I have had discussions with some complementary retailers to try to offer pens, but it is so challenging at the moment. We used to have another retailer at SouthPark selling nice luggage - like Rimowa from Germany. They are gone. The only stores able to weather the storm (if they are able to) are the owned-flagship stores. If anyone from FPN is from Charlotte, please let me know what your appetite is and what you would be interested in seeing.

 

Best regards,

Patrick

[Bill]

Is Time to Write still at the Charlotte airport? I bought both pens and ink (mostly MB Racing Green!) there in the past.

[Splicer]

You know, with all these posts about people wanting to find penshops in their area, we need to put together a map of penshops.

 

Frappr is now dead, but Google has collaborative mapping features now, can included it in there.

 

http://penshops.info/

 

Still needs entries, but it's putting along.

[rennfahrer]

Time to Write is no longer, since its parent, Sharon Luggage, closed. That leaves NOTHING in Charlotte, unfortunately.

[MikenLamy]

What about Fayetteville? Do you guys know where any shops are around here? I actually live in a small town just 5 miles south of Fayetteville called Hope Mills. I've been looking all over and had no luck. Maybe someone on here knows more then I know!

Edited April 11, 2011 by MikenLamy

[table4bat]

The only FP shop in Charlotte that I've found is the Mont Blanc boutique at South Park mall. It's small, but the staff bent over backwards to let me try their wares.