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Top Trips for Charlotte, NC See all Trips»
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NoDa is Charlotte's bohemian arts district, centered on the intersection of North Davidson & 36th. It's a convenient area; almost everything can be reached by walking a few blocks away from 36th on North Davidson, heading toward or away from Uptown. The entertainment in Noda is lively, the cuisine is stimulating, and the galleries are without peer.
If shopping is your thing, you will be glad to hear that the district is home to a number of legendary storefronts. Book lovers beware: RealEyes Bookstore, with its comfy ambience and community-oriented vibe, just may ruin you for any other bookseller. Fabric Art allows customers to have custom artwork or photography printed digitally on fabric. Customize everything from a silk scarf to a cotton t-shirt or even sofa upholstery. Relive the 60s at Sunshine Daydreams, a unique boutique specializing in locally-produced and often hand-made hippie-era products.
The main attractions in NoDa are the galleries. Twice monthly, the public is invited to visit NoDa's finest on the popular Gallery Crawl, when galleries and storefronts open up until late for an informal arts festival. Whether on the Crawl or not, the following are can't-miss stops. Green Rice Designs & Studio features art in a wide variety of media, from oil paint to computer generated. BEET Contemporary Crafts and Functional Art showcases functional art such as pottery, paper, toys, and even musical instruments. Blue Pony Studio and Press does not stop at displaying fine art for its customers; it also functions as a fully equipped printmaking studio. At SunStar Studio, in addition to enjoying the visual and performance artwork on offer, you may also attend any of a number of workshops focusing on the healing arts.
When hunger strikes, keep in mind that the cuisine here in NoDa is just as artful as the art. For brunch, stop in at Boudreaux's Louisiana Kitchen for a taste of New Orleans, complete with Cajun Bloody Mary's. For a caffeine fix, follow the locals into Smelly Cat Coffee House, a cozy neighborhood joint offering a comforting selection of coffees, teas, smoothies, pastries, and bagels. Addie's Jamaican Cuisine offers a tantalizingly authentic menu including oven-fresh jerk chicken, curry goat, and oxtail. Come happy hour, belly up to the bar at NoDa's quirkiest watering hole, the Dog Bar. Here, neighborhood canines are allowed to come in and relax alongside their cocktail-sipping human counterparts. Pizza lovers will marvel at the possibilities on the menu at Mellow Mushroom, a beloved regional chain that specializes in pies with names like "Magical Mystery Tour" and "Kosmic Karma."
Craving some entertainment? Moving Poets Theater of Dance is a dance troupe as innovative as they come, enhancing their routines with complex multi-media presentations. They take the stage regularly at the Hart Witzen Gallery's performance space. At Wine Up, treat yourself to a glass of wine and some live jazz (and feel free to shoot some pool afterwards). For more music, head on over to The Neighborhood Theatre where popular national touring acts like the North Mississippi Allstars and Aimee Mann take the stage regularly.
A Tale of Two Historic Neighborhoods
At Charlotte's inception, the Fourth Ward was the center of culture, taste, and high society. Though the neighborhood has had its ups and downs throughout the intervening centuries, today's Fourth Ward is a treasure trove of historically and architecturally significant homes, businesses and public amenities. Feast your eyes on prime examples of Victorian, colonial revival, Italianate, and even "Stick Style" architecture, some of which date back as far as the 1880s.
For those wishing to go even further back in time, wander through the Old Settlers Cemetery, Charlotte's first. Graves here date back to 1776. At Alexander Michael's Restaurant, one can continue the history lesson while chowing down on some tasty pub grub. Known to locals as "Al Mike's," this inviting bar and grill is situated on the site of a grocery store opened in 1891. After lunch, venture into the Charlotte Mecklenburg Fire Museum and Education Center. Situated within a former firehouse (erected in 1924), the museum features a turn-of-the-century horse-drawn pumper, a 1940s-era switchboard, a Mack Fire Engine, a number of memorials, and a well-stocked gift shop. If the kids are not utterly delighted with all of that, hustle them into Discovery Place, a fully interactive, cutting-edge science museum (and home to The Charlotte Observer IMAX Dome Theatre). After a sobering dose of science, it might be time for a jaunt into the art world. The Fourth Ward's McColl Center for Visual Art) is part gallery, part studio space, all located inside a strikingly renovated 1920s-era church. Enjoy seasonal exhibitions as well as "Open Studio Saturdays," where local artists invite the public to watch them at work. After your hectic schedule of culture and history, drop into the aptly named Therapy Café for one of their infamous tiramisu martinis.
Having thoroughly relished the experience that is Charlotte's Historic Fourth Ward, hop the Charlotte Trolley to Charlotte's Historic South End. See the sights, take it all in, then decide which historic district you like best. The South End grew up during one of Charlotte's early periods of expansion. In the 1850s, railroads and streetcars allowed people and businesses to relocate further from the crowded city center. A great number of them ended up a few miles south, and a new community was born.
Before you do anything else, learn the history of the trolley you rode in on, at the Charlotte Trolley Inc. museum and gift shop. Speaking of shopping, shoppers will also delight in the South End's wide array of boutiques. Eileen sells women's fashions, accessories, gifts and art, all with a personal touch. Many items are locally produced and hand made, and despite its upscale look, Eileen strives to price nothing above $100. Black Sheep caters to a decidedly different clientele. Billed as an "urban boutique," the place specializes in clothing, art, and skateboards. If you're feeling outdoorsy, find your way down to Latta Park, at the east end of Park Avenue. This leafy neighborhood park was one of the original attractions here in the South End, luring families from all around the region. Today, its 31 acres are no less attractive. Devote a few hours to its picnic area, playground, spray ground, athletic fields and courts, recreation center, and many trails. After so much activity it will surely be, yet again, time to eat. The Pewter Rose Bistro traffics in "internationally American" cuisine, which features fresh local ingredients presented with a somewhat worldly flair. In search of a meal a little more down home? Price's Chicken Coop supplies locals with all the fried chicken they can eat, complete with family-style portions of slaw, potato salad, and hush puppies. For dessert, consider that Pike's Old Fashioned Soda Shop claims to serve "the best milkshakes this side of the Mississippi." Stop in and see if they're right. If milkshakes are not your cup of tea, grab a cup of tea and some biscotti at Tea ReX, a beloved premium teahouse housed in a historic former cotton mill.
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