Charlotte repped on Netflix again, the city’s ‘gayborhood’ and food news
From a local real estate agent heading to Netflix to a New York-style bagel shop expanding south of the city, there’s plenty happening around Charlotte in the foodie (and reality show) world. Let’s dive into today’s CharlotteFive newsletter.
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Jessica Grace Booker, a 35-year-old bilingual real estate agent and former Charlotte Hornets dancer, will appear on season four of Netflix’s “The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On” with her boyfriend Edris, a 38-year-old actuary. The couple met after Jessica approached Edris in a hotel lobby, and they signed a lease together by August — but after more than two years together, she’s the one issuing the ultimatum.
📖 Read the full story by Evan.
In an informal survey, Biddleville-Smallwood emerged as the neighborhood with the most gay pride in Charlotte, beating out expected picks like Plaza Midwood, Dilworth and NoDa. Unlike Chicago, San Francisco or Philadelphia, Charlotte doesn’t have a historic LGBTQ district, and its bars and businesses remain scattered across neighborhoods rather than concentrated in one area.
Siano’s Pizza & Pasta in Waxhaw — which landed at No. 7 in the recent C5 pizza rankings — started carrying Foxon Park beverages late last month, bringing a century-old Connecticut icon to the Charlotte area. Owner Frank Siano stocks 12 flavors, including Root Beer and White Birch, at $3 per 12 oz. bottle. The pairing fits Siano’s “New York New Haven” hybrid pizza style.
West End Bagels is adding a Waxhaw location at 1526 Providence Road S., filling the former Java’s Brewing Bakery and Café space with an opening slated for mid to late fall 2026. The shop’s original outpost opened in Indian Land, South Carolina in 2021, with roots going back to a 2014 store in Clifton Park, New York.
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📖 More on the menu, from Tanasia.
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This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists. To learn more about how The Charlotte Observer is using AI in our newsroom, see our policy here.
Read more ‘A new chapter.’ Catawba Indians celebrate 1st phase of $1.2 billion NC casino
