Charlie Armstrong is the Vice President of Development for Southern Development. Charlie has been with Southern Development for nine years. Recently, Charlie was apppointed 2013 President of Blue Ridge Homebuilders Association.
Why do you love Charlottesville?
Armstrong presenting plans for a new community to the City Planning Commission.
We’re really lucky here. Charlottesville has small town charm and big city culture. I can’t think of any similarly small cities where you can find great sports, history, music, and restaurant choices from Himalayan to home cookin’ and everything in between. And the best part is that when you walk into a basketball game, a concert, or a restaurant you’ll probably run into someone you know.
Tell us about your previous / past careers or experience:
Many people don’t know that once upon a time I spent a short stint in the wine industry. Though officially I was a “Wine Consultant” really I just sold wine. It was never going to be a career, but if you’re a wine drinker you can imagine that it had some pretty good fringe benefits. The job required me to taste and be an expert on all sorts of amazing wines from all over the world. Tough job, eh?
What is your favorite annual event?
This is an impossible question! There isn’t just one event that I can point to as a favorite. You’ll often find me with my family at Friday’s after Five, the City Market on Saturdays, and Starry Nights at Veritas, but those are weekly or monthly, not annual. For annual events, the Festival of the Photograph comes to mind. I’m not an artist—far from it—but every year I really enjoy the few weeks when the huge photo banners hang from the trees all over the Downtown Mall. Public art like that is great, especially when so prominently and creatively displayed.
What is your favorite local restaurant?
Another impossible question! I have lots of favorite restaurants and they change often. Some of my current favorites that immediately jump out are Aces, Zocalo, Blue Mountain Brewery, Alhamra, and for a special occasion, The Clifton Inn. We used to have an Ethiopian restaurant in town that I never got to try—I’d love to see another Ethiopian place open up!
Tell us about your favorite Southern Development floor plan:
I have 2 kids with another on the way, so personally I’m a fan of the Sutherland. It has so many features to meet the needs of growing families: mud room, big living space, awesome kitchen, large bedrooms, and nice porch/deck spaces. But setting aside my personal preferences, my new favorite floor plan is the Kiawah. It is designed with downsizers in mind. It isn’t too large and has all the living space on one level. It is an amazing layout with 2 master bedrooms on the main level, a nice airy kitchen, and a stunning living room with cathedral ceilings. And for those who like the Kiawah but need more space, 2 more bedrooms could be added upstairs!
