Ely Portillo

Stories by Ely Portillo

How to make Charlotte a place where creatives can thrive

Let's be honest: When you think "Charlotte," the next words to pop into your head aren't "creative powerhouse," are they?



Explore new data about Charlotte via interactive maps

The Quality of Life Explorer — Charlotte-Mecklenburg's source for more than 80 interactively mapped variables about the economy, environment, demographics...



Four things I wish I’d known about Charlotte transit before I started writing about it

Charlotte’s path forward on transit is murky. It’s unclear when or if we’ll have a vote on a new, one-cent sales tax. No one knows how to revive the stalled Red Line commuter rail.



Fourth Gambrell Faculty Fellows cohort will focus on different aspects of equity

As the Charlotte region reckons with both the immediate aftermath of COVID-19 and longstanding challenges such as segregation and educational inequities, the...



What's the future of hip-hop architecture in Charlotte?

Charlotte’s seen rapid growth over the past several decades, but many say that boom has come at the cost of inclusivity and, perhaps, even a bit of the city’s soul.