Photo Courtesy of Visit Charlotte.
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“Golden” city has plenty to offer both sports fans and artistic types
I had never been to Charlotte … not really. Well, I’ve gotten my kicks at Carowinds because that was part of being a kid in the Carolinas, and I’ve been to concerts at the open-air Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre because it’s a large complex for big-time acts. I’ve visited my sister at UNC Charlotte and have flown through the city’s major transit airport many times. But as for the metropolis of Charlotte, I’d only ever viewed its high-rises from afar. This time I took an up-close look at the interior and found a lot of reasons to relish in North Carolina’s top travel destination.
THEN
Charlotte’s roots reach back to the mid-1700s when two Native American trade routes between the Yadkin and Catawba Rivers were settled by prominent newcomers. One of the paths was the Great Wagon Road traveled by Northerners relocating to the Carolina Foothills. The thoroughfare known as Charlotte Town was made official in 1768.
Charlotteans enjoy many “golden” stories from Charlotte’s past. In 1799, 12-year-old Conrad Reed brought home a 17 pound yellow rock that his family used for years as a doorstop before a jeweler identified it as nearly solid gold. The discovery spawned the nation’s first gold rush and was the grassroots beginning of Charlotte’s identity as a financial center.
The cotton and railroad industries created a boomtown after the Civil War and again after World War I when soldiers and suppliers from nearby Camp Greene stayed on for the long-term. In the 1970s, along with other moneymakers, financier Hugh McColl of North Carolina National Bank (now Bank of America) led Charlotte into its current role as the second largest banking center in the United States.
Thanks to Gen. Joseph Wheeler’s successful opposition to Sherman’s raid in 1865, Aiken recovered quickly from the Civil War. Shortly after, upon hearing tales of ideal soil, climate, and setting for equestrian sports and training, wealthy Northerners such as the Vanderbilts, Hitchcocks, and Whitneys took the eastern railway to their new winter getaway. The “Winter Colony” was an indulgence of leisurely sports: fox hunting, polo, horse racing, riding and steeplechasing. That legacy of elite leisure is alive as ever in Aiken.
NOW
Today many large international and Fortune 500 companies make up the cosmopolitan Charlotte skyline, including Hearst, Wachovia and Duke Energy. Major industry has brought more than 8,000 firms to town in the last decade, resulting in a strong job market, cultural diversity, and significant economic growth.
As a result, Uptown and Downtown neighborhoods have infused the old with the new, restoring historic properties like those in the South End, while folding in modern architecture and concepts representative of Charlotte’s progressive, enterprising spirit. In November 2007 Charlotte opened the first light rail line in the Carolinas, providing the opportunity for more leisurely interests and for more consumers in the Center City.
Though the city is all about big business, little pockets of longtime regional flair and flavor can be found in the shadows of skyscrapers, within the buildings themselves, and even among strip malls on the outskirts. You just have to dig!
You can start by digging in at one of Charlotte’s old diners or “meat-and-threes” such as The Diamond Restaurant, Price’s Chicken Coop or Anderson’s. There are more than two dozen mom-and-pop eateries in the Queen City that have watched Charlotte grow into its crown over the last few decades, though not much has changed at these delicious dives.
With more than 1,500 restaurants to choose from, a delectable farmers market on Kings Drive, and the elite culinary presence of Charleston’s relocated Johnson & Wales University, Charlotte has a menu for every muse.
Don’t worry, you can walk it all off by strolling through the Fourth Ward, a charming, downtown residential community known for its period architecture.
Better yet, burn a few calories by scavenging for Charlotte’s art scene. It’s there, I promise! Just browse through the freebie publications on sidewalks, which tell all about the art communities at work in the area. From the behomian community of NODA to the incredible “body art” of Malena Bergmann, artistic types visiting Charlotte don’t have to hit the snooze button.
Of course if that’s not your ball game, there’s always golf, and plenty of it. Charlotte is home to top-flight courses like Piper Glen, Quail Hollow and Ballantyne. If you aren’t interested in participating, you can at least join the masses of spectators who come to this sports city to watch the NFL, NHL and NBA.
As for going to the city, but still “getting away,” I would recommend Ballantyne Resort with its par 71 five star golf course, The Gallery Restaurant, whose sea bass I may never stop dreaming about, and a surrounding shopping and entertainment village.
Whatever your pleasure, now is the time to indulge in Charlotte.
LET’S SLEEP
Ballantyne Resort
10000 Ballantyne Commons Parkway | (866) 248-4824 | www.ballantyneresort.com
Lukas: Have afternoon tea and sandwiches in the lobby and exercise in one of the private lap pools, and take in the aroma of fresh flowers everywhere; don’t be surprised when you notice every staff member is always smiling and waiting to accommodate YOU.
The Morehead Inn
1122 E. Morehead St. | (888) 667-3432 | www.moreheadinn.com
The Duke Mansion
400 Heritage Road | (888) 202-1009 | www.dukemansion.com
Omni Charlotte Hotel
132 E. Trade St. | (704) 377-0400 | www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/Charlotte....
LET’S EAT
LaVecchia's Seafood Grille
225 E. 6th St. | (704) 370-6776 | www.lavecchias.com
Lukas: Oysters, mussels, and lobster – oh my! Excellent seafood and steak menu. Try the “tips and grits” as opposed to our shrimp and grits.
NOFO on Liz
1609 Elizabeth Ave. | (704) 444-9002 | www.nofo.com/tour_liz.php
Latorre's Latin Inspired Cuisine
118 W. 5th St. | (704) 377-4448 | www.latorresrestaurant.com
Blue
In Hearst Tower on 5th & College St. | (704) 927-2583 | www.bluerestaurantandbar.com
LET’S GO
Visit The Mint Museum of Art and The Mint Museum of Craft + Design, which have fascinating histories and significance in the international art and handicraft community. www.themintmuseums.org
Browse and snack your way through NODA, Charlotte’s lesser-known fringe art district and nesting place for swanky culture and cuisine not found along the city loop. There is a free gallery crawl on the first and third Friday of each month. www.noda.org
Shop ‘til you drop at Concord Mills, an indoor mall/major local attraction that includes more than 200 stores, the enormous Bass Pro Shops and other dining and entertainment options. www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?ID=1239
LET’S PLAY
Carowinds theme park is to the Carolinas what Disney World is to Florida. Amusement and water park rides, live shows, Nickelodeon Central and more than 30 eateries. www.carowinds.com
Pick up the pace at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, where it’s all about NASCAR and show cars. You can command the wheel by driving an authentic NASCAR race car at The Jeff Gordon and Mario Andretti Racing Schools. Also the site of The Richard Petty Driving Experience. www.lowesmotorspeedway.com
Let your inner adventurer loose on the largest man-made river in the world at the U.S. National Whitewater Center. This U.S. Olympic level facility has 300 acres of rafting and paddling opportunities, eco caching, ropes courses, climbing walls and trails. www.usnwc.org
LET'S GET FESTIVE!
Charlotte Shout | www.charlotteshout.com
Art & Soul of South End | www.artandsoulofsouthend.com
Lowes Foods Taste of Charlotte www.tasteofcharlotte.com
Comments
Posted by adamdl on ;May 2, 2008 at 12:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I enjoyed this writing on Charlotte. I am planning on moving there sometime this year and am glad to read about some of the local character of the city. Good job!
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