diertac

Bryant Farms Road is one of the many roads that cuts through to various parts of Ballantyne, but is far enough away from the main drag that it doesn't get as congested as 521 or Ballantyne Commons Parkway. This road connects many excellent Ballantyne neighborhoods, as well as the Harris YMCA. Bryant Farms Road is a wide road that is bordered by enough open space that it's easy to recognize that it was once a rural roadway. It's a great road for cycling on the weekends, but I'd avoid cycling it during typical rush hour times during the week.

Community House Road stretches across the Ballantyne area and is a wonderful way to get around Ballantyne and avoid the most heavily-trafficked main roads. Many neighborhoods join up with Community House Road, and it's also very close to a large YMCA. There are sidewalks along CHR in several places, and cyclists will appreciate that it's a wide enough road to allow for sharing the road with other vehicles. Community House Road is a nice cut-through from Ardrey Kell all the way over to Ballantyne Commons Parkway.

East Woodlawn Road is a major exit off of Interstate 77. From that exit heading west, it crosses over South Boulevard and Park Road. This one street has a lot of character, and runs from seedy, to perfectly average neighborhoods. There is a lot of congestion at 77 on Woodlawn, thanks in part to a poorly designed merge lane, a perpetually busy Costco and a couple of car dealerships.

Heading further east, Woodlawn provides convenient access to South Boulevard, intersecting the major street near a variety of good restaurants. Even more to the east, Woodlawn connects with Park Road. In this area, there are several great restaurants, including my favorite, the very authentic Azteca - which is shockingly located as an attached restaurant on a Day's Inn.

East Woodlawn is a great street, but I wouldn't want to live there - and I wouldn't recommend it either. But if you're looking for a night out, head to one of the restaurants on E. Woodlawn near Park Road and finish your night off with a visit to the Krispy Kreme, one of the few in Charlotte, that's very close by!

North Wendover Road is just a short distance south of Uptown that runs roughly west to east, and eventually connects you through to Independence. There's not a lot of great shopping here, and there are far too many lights to make it a quick trip, but it's a reliable way to get from one side to the other. The areas surrounding N. Wendover Road are fairly nice, well-established neighborhoods with higher priced home values. It's a bit pricey to live this close into Uptown but it's fairly easy to navigate the area just south of uptown Charlotte via Wendover.

I lived in an apartment complex off Park Road in Charlotte for several months after moving to the area. Park Road runs from south Charlotte, where it eventually turns into Johnston Road, all the way into Uptown. It's incredibly busy during rush hour, as many commuters choose to drive in via Park than via the interstates.

Park Road, however, has a lot of character because it traverses so many areas of Charlotte. On the south side you'll find many newer areas, but as you drive in you find more well-established neighborhoods and shopping centers. Park Road at Woodlawn Road, where I lived, had plenty of shopping, dining and entertainment options, all within walking distance. There are sidewalks in places, where you can walk from area to area, but I wouldn't recommend trying to cycle along this road.

West WT Harris Boulevard is located north of uptown Charlotte, and links up interstates 77 and 85. This street is mostly a commercial street, with some exceptionally busy areas, particularly around Wachovia's CIC campus. You'll find good shopping off WT Harris Boulevard at both I-77 and I-85. If you're looking for restaurants, you don't have to cruise far on the street anywhere to find them.

Be aware, however, that W WT Harris boulevard is a nightmare at rush hour, and not much better at lunchtimes. Don't even think of trying to navigate this street on foot or by bicycle, unless you enjoy risking your life. I also wouldn't recommend living in any neighborhoods that directly connect to this street (and there are several), as just getting out of the neighborhoods can be frustrating.

John J. Delaney Drive is an interesting street, and not just because it's the name of a person. It's unique because it's a circular street that encompasses the heart of Ballantyne. It cuts through shopping centers, townhomes and Ballantyne Country club, and in doing so, it provides a great "cut-through" to various streets. I frequently take a right on JJD from Johnston Road in order to get over to Ballantyne Common Parkway without having to deal with excess traffic and lights.

If you're ever lost in Ballantyne, or looking for a landmark, get on JJD and you'll eventually find your way!

As well-developed as Ballantyne tries to be, there are some streets within the area that are just a mess. Conlan Circle is just such a street. This short street is hard to avoid, and hard to navigate in a car, as it's incredibly crowded most times of the day, but particularly so at lunch. Conlan Circle provides access to a few shopping/restaurant areas, which fill up quickly with corporate types at mealtimes. There is a bizarre roundabout in the corner near Pei Wei, where you will invariably offend, or be offended, by the behavior most drivers adopt in this area. Don't even think of trying to navigate this street outside the safe confines of an automobile!

Trying to turn left off Conlan Circle onto John J. Delaney drive is an exercise in frustration for even the most calm, zen-like driver. It's the Hotel California of streets in Charlotte - once you're there, you can never leave. Just turn right at either end, and do a U-turn at the next available light.

Ardrey Kell Road is a partial "outer ring" of Charlotte, running from Johnston Road to the west, crossing Rea Road and then finally ending at Providence Road to the east. On the far western side, Ardrey Kell ends inside the neighborhood of Bridgehampton. This road used to be a quick way to cut across from one side of South Charlotte to the other, but as Charlotte has extended southward, Ardrey Kell has quickly become crowded, and overly so, in some areas.

At the intersection of Johnston Road, there is a new Harris Teeter (already open) in a shopping complex that is being finished. A new restaurant known as the "Big View Diner" is slated to open there in early 2009. There's easy access to fitness and fun with a Peak Fitness and fun center in this area.

Ardrey Kell becomes more crowded at Rea Road, where a new shopping center, anchored by a Target takes up one corner, and a Best Buy and PetSmart take up the other corner. In the midst of all this sprawl are homes and neighborhoods. Ardrey Kell is too busy for my tastes, but families and runners will appreciate the easy access to sidewalks that span several long sections of the street.

Ballantyne Corporate Place is located in south Charlotte. It is very close to Ballantyne Village, and is the main street that runs through the Ballantyne Corporate Park, which is an upscale, mixed-use development that focuses on both work and fun. This street provides easy and plentiful access to walking trails, picnic areas, exercise stations and a few small ponds located in the park. Ballantyne Corporate Place is ideal for a weekend bike ride, after the workers in the various corporate offices have gone home for the week. It has wide lanes and nearly no traffic on Saturdays and Sundays. As a bonus, look for the enormous bulls over by the Hixon building, where golf enthusiasts can also find a small putting green.