Travel: Getting to Know the Queen City

The Grand Bohemian lobby is a modern sight to behold. Courtesy Grand Bohemian Charlotte

I can’t blame you for not knowing much about Charlotte. In May 1791, President George Washington visited and dismissed the city as “a trifling place” in his diary, the Revolutionary-era equivalent of a “meh” review on Yelp. A few centuries later—after prolonged stints as a textile mill town and then, a Southern banking center—Charlotte continues to be undersold. When I moved here a decade ago, a friend sent me an Onion article that hints at that blasé reputation, with this headline: “Horrified Man Suddenly Realizes He’s Putting Down Roots In Charlotte.” 

Sure, it’s the 15th-most populous city in the U.S. today, but unlike the surprisingly smaller San Francisco or Seattle, Charlotte’s character wasn’t established in the popular consciousness before the current century. For some, it’s still that charming, yet sleepy Southern banking city over there that just keeps growing. It doesn’t even have a quirky dish it’s known for, like the cheese-filled burger patties of Minneapolis. 

So it’s fair if all you know is that it’s supposed to be nice there. (It is!) And that opaque reputation makes its vibrance all the more surprising once you arrive. 

Like so many cities that only recently saw explosive growth, you have to inhabit it to get any sense of its energy, which is palpable throughout its 3,000-square-mile metropolitan area. Once inside, you see the fruits of those hundreds of thousands of transplants: a dynamic cultural sector, restaurant corridors packed with international flavors, and a bevy of industries open to innovation. It’s a place that’s always in the act of evolution, and for every longstanding staple you can trust, there’s something new that’s popped up around the corner, whether it’s a massive food hall, a noisy tech start-up, or a new shopping center.

It turns out that Charlotte has a great city magazine, too. Like the Onion’s Horrified Man, my wife and I did end up putting down roots in Charlotte, having two children along the way. And working for a lifestyle publication means that part of my job has been telling visitors how to make the most of a visit to the city. Here’s a no-trifles-allowed sampling of how to do just that:

Stay

Staying at Uptown Charlotte hotels like Grand Bohemian Charlotte and the JW Marriott Charlotte creates a conundrum: You might find it difficult to leave your block. Both have stunning interiors, rooftop bars, award-winning restaurants, and wellness centers, and both are neighbors to gorgeous green spaces and cultural institutions like the Mint Museum. The reason for the museum’s name stems from Charlotte’s banking history: The building inhabited by its original location, the first art museum in the state, was once the first branch of the U.S. Mint outside of Philadelphia.

Staying in Uptown Charlotte also ensures easy access to professional sports and major entertainment venues. The Charlotte Hornets play in Spectrum Center; the Carolina Panthers and Major League Soccer team Charlotte FC share Bank of America Stadium; and Blumenthal Performing Arts’ Belk Theater is a key stop for musicals touring straight off of Broadway. Between these major locales are a host of smaller venues, from jazz clubs to speakeasies.

No matter where you end up staying in uptown, Charlotte’s public art scene shines nearby. Beloved Spanish artist duo PichiAvo crafted a massive mural outside of Charlotte Ballet, while Raymond Kaskey’s iconic four bronze figures at Trade and Tryon streets honor Charlotte’s industrial history and future. For a special treat, find the alleyway “Luminous Lane,” which connects 3rd and 4th streets. During the city’s recent SHOUT! arts festival, 40+ artists, local and international, crafted murals inside this pathway. 

Eat

Nearby neighborhoods like arts district NoDa and Plaza Midwood don’t have Uptown’s skyscrapers, but they’re packed with culture outside of Uptown’s shiny veneer. It’s here you’ll find rock clubs, nationally recognized restaurants, and buzzing cocktail bars. 

If you want a taste of Southern hospitality, Plaza Midwood’s Supperland is a “rustic-chic steakhouse” in a restored, mid-century church that’s been recognized by Southern Living and Esquire as one of the “Best New Restaurants in America.” Just up the road, The Bohemian: A Wine Bar has a custom 12-tap Cruvinet wine dispensing system and an intimate backdrop. Meanwhile, in NoDa, the laidback, Latin-flavored Salud Cerveceria  garnered a James Beard Award nomination this year. The spot, connected to a popular beer shop, slings happening wood-fired pizzas like the Latin Lingo, with chicken, a spicy crema base, roasted corn, red onion, peppers, cotija cheese, cilantro, and tajin. The spot is also one of 75+ breweries in the area—which includes several that recently medaled in the World Beer Cup. It’s the ideal visit both before and after hitting one of the block’s several music venues.

Supperland’s North Carolina Oysters, with a pot of coal-heated butter sauce, are a highlight on a menu described as “Southern steakhouse meets church potluck.” Photo by Peter Taylor

Closer to uptown, food halls like Optimist Hall, a former textile mill, offer a chance to try many cuisines at once, from Indian street food and Southern barbecue to The Dumpling Lady, a former Chinese food truck that spun off into multiple brick-and-mortars. 

Play

Just north of the city, Camp North End —like its home of Charlotte—has been many things over time. In 1924, famed architect Albert Kahn designed a factory there for the Ford Motor Company to produce Model T and Model A cars. Two decades later, the U.S. Army adds warehouses to the site and converts it into a supply depot for basic training camps throughout the Southeast. 

From there it became a munitions manufacturer, a pharmaceutical facility, and eventually, what it is today: a major cultural hotspot packed with an ever-growing line-up of restaurants, art collectives, and nightlife options. The site, which itself is worth a day of exploring, is considered a shining example of how you develop a property without sacrificing its existing structures and neighbors, with its gorgeous revitalized buildings accented by a high concentration of murals. While there, be sure to make a reservation at Leah and Louise, a Beard-nominated, self-described “modern juke joint” that Mississippi river valley foodways, and pop by Goodyear Arts on a Friday night to see the latest work of the residents and collective there.

Travel the world at Optimist Hall. Photo by Peter Taylor

For a more nature-filled experience, make the trip west of uptown to the U.S. National Whitewater Center, where Olympians train and the public enjoys rafting, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, rockclimbing, and free concerts at its amphitheater. While part of Charlotte’s appeal is being a city near the beach and the mountains, it’s easy to forget that its own city limits contain wild terrain.