Trip to Charlotte

[Xss]

All right, I hope I'm on the right section of the forum to post this. I'm going to post a little bit for a change since I'll be going to Charlotte for 4-5 days within two weeks with my parents to visit my family.

So, are there any places you'ld recommend us to visit or see? I don't know really what is going on around Charlotte, except for uptown of course.

About uptown, I was planning on having a tour around it to try to take many pictures and mostly have a look to all the new projects being built but also to the places were something is announced, just to have an idea of what the place will look like within a few years. That and of course all the new projects built since our last visit.

So this is what I was planing for uptown :

- The New Arena and Children Learning Center.

- Trademark + Avenue, almost finished.

- Walk around Tryon Street, College Street...Maybe Discovery Place if there is something interesting (too bad I'll miss body worlds! )

- Old neighborhood in Fourth Ward.

- Gateway Village.

- Elmwood cemetery.

- Plus the tour of all the projects going on as I said.

Am I forgetting anything interesting and do you recommend me something else to see or do in uptown?

Also, do you know any good and not expensive restaurant in uptown?

Oh, and I almost forgot : I think there was a model of the new Wachovia projects exposed in one of the Wachovia hall bulidings, but I don't know which one : could anyone tell me where it is, if the model is still there of course.

All right, I think that will be all for the moment!

Thank you in advance for the answers!

[mallguy]

Rock Bottom, City Tavern, Ri-Ra, etc. are all relatively inexpensive and are pretty good.

You'll have plenty of time to see everything uptown if you have 4-5 days. I'd recommend a trip to SouthPark and Birkdale or at least the South End.

[monsoon]

While not uptown, the US Whitewater Center has opened since the last time you were here Xss. It's worth a visit.

[Xss]

Thanks for the answers!

Actually I think my father made the reservation in a hotel near South Park : we'll try to go and have a look at it.

[nmcheese]

If your hotel is in the SouthPark area check out the new Piedmont Town Center and the new developments around there - that area has grown about as much as downtown recently.

You also might want to take one last look at the 'old' Charlotte Arena out on Tyvola - as it will be demolished later this year.

This should also be a First Friday - galleries are open later in South End and NoDa - good to wander around for a while.

Good affordable restaurants downtown - Coco Osteria for real Italian food - or Mert's for good southern food.

[dubone]

If you are in Fourth Ward uptown, you may want to check out Alexander Michael's in the old general store building. It is a historic spot, and the food is good and reasonably priced.

[mallguy]

I'd recommend Eastland Mall, if you want a different side of Charlotte that is certainly not SouthPark or uptown.

[CLT]

While you are uptown be sure to check out Ben Longs frescoes. Fresco Locations

Also adjacent to Gateway center is the 3rd ward neighborhood. Not as quaint or picturesque as 4th ward but worth a look.

Take a ride up Elizabeth towards Prebyterian Hospital, and see the "before/during" picture of the Grubb development.

At this point you are around the corner from Plaza-Midwood, go to the biz district and find some good eats.

[Xss]

Thanks all of you for the answers!

This should also be a First Friday - galleries are open later in South End and NoDa - good to wander around for a while.

[monsoon]

....

Now I think about it, I really don't know if we'll have time, but is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park an interesting place? And do you know is the park is mostly for hiking or is there a circuit for cars going around the park, like in Yellowstone Park? Because of my mother we can't do a lot of physical activities.....

[Xss]

All right, thank you very much!

[nmcheese]

Correct - South End gallery crawl will be near the Arlington - most of what's around there is on Camden St. though - a little bit further south.

Great Smokey Mountains national park is nice, but the best bits are pretty remote (though walking the North-South length of the park to see most of them takes a week). The scenic road through the park is 441 from Cherokee, NC to Gatlinburg, TN- good way to get an overview of the area.

[New Name]

I don't know how many people on this board have actually taken the time to go get a drink at Bently's on 27th. Some of us know about it, and some may have already gone up...but you are not a true skyscraper nerd if you haven't been up at least once. The drinks aren't as expensive as you would assume, it's not as stuffy as you would think, the bar room is seperate from the dining area and there are couches and chairs with a view across 27 floors of city core that can't be beat. Take your sig. other, or mom when she comes for a visit. It's worth it.

And the old posts about no observation decks in Charlotte should be moot consitering this. I remember paying $10 or $15 to go up the WTC towers in NYC and they didn't even give me a gin and tonic once I got there!!!

[A2]

I also have to add that the food is not bad at all. I have been to every Steak house in Uptown (at least once), and actually had my best steak at Bently's. What was also nice was that they let me play the Grand Piano for those Dining. Now talk about heaven. Here I am, nearly 30 floors up, with a beer atop a Grand Piano tickling the ivory's gazing out across the Beauty we have come to know as Charlotte. It is a MUST do and see for anyone!

A2

[cinco]

I also have to add that the food is not bad at all. I have been to every Steak house in Uptown (at least once), and actually had my best steak at Bently's. What was also nice was that they let me play the Grand Piano for those Dining. Now talk about heaven. Here I am, nearly 30 floors up, with a beer atop a Grand Piano tickling the ivory's gazing out across the Beauty we have come to know as Charlotte. It is a MUST do and see for anyone!

A2

[Charlotte_native]

You might want to check out Dilworth as well, bungalow tour. While you are there, and especially if the weather is this mild, check out Freedom Park off East Blvd.

You might also want to go to Central Avenue at/near Pecan. There has been a lot of activity there lately, a decent walking shopping district, great taverns and cafes.

[sax184]

Take the bus up to NODA. There's a great New Orleans-style restaurant in what used to be a gas station. Good food, fun vibe.

[Raintree21]

Settler's Cemetary downtown would probably be a little more interesting that Evergreen Cemetary. Settler's is the burial site of many of Charlotte's founders.

June 3rd through 30th on Sunday evenings is Pops in the Park at Southpark if your guests are still in town.

Latta Park/Plantation out Beatties Ford has some history to it along with decent hiking trails

James K. Polk homesite in Pineville on Lancaster Highway/Old US 521.

If they're interested in racing at all, go to Lowes Motor Speedway in Concord or any number of race shops in Concord, Huntersville, or Mooresville.

The Mountains would be a nice day trip. 2-3 hour drive and spend the day up there and have dinner then come back down to Charlotte. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a beautiful drive or check out something like Grandfather Mountain or Linville Caverns.

I can keep going and going if you want...

[Xss]

Thanks for the last answers : I'll see what we can do, we will only stay for three days finally. But I guess that's enough to visit some places around!

[Justadude]

In all honesty, I think your best bet is to take the "Pews on Parade" tour. I did it a couple of weekends ago, and it takes you to most of the places Uptown that you would want to go -- and it brings you there with a purpose instead of just meandering around. Kinda like a big, urban scavenger hunt with amazing art as the prize (the bench next to First Presby is eye-popping good).

http://www.nodaschoolofarts.org/evnets.html

Seriously, check it out. One of the best ways I've seen to productively cover almost all of Uptown in an afternoon.

[Live_from_704]

i would suggest if you are craving a delicious burger at a very reasonable price in a unique environment The Penguin its in the plaza-midwood area and i have walked there several times from my friends grandmothers house on central it won the best cheap eats award for charlotte in 2006 and i believe it has won the best burger award several times but i can not remember the years it also very close to the NoDa area which is a great area for a something different than the metropolitan uptown

[Xss]

Hi, sorry for the "late post" but I've been kinda busy those days.

I'll be leaving Charlotte tomorrow to go back to France : I've been running of time, and being with my parent I was unable to do all I was planing on doing but I guess it will be for next time! Thank you for the answers anyway!

I'll post more feedbacks about this last trip when I'll have time next week, with the pics me and my father took. By the way, where do the general pics of Charlotte should go? In the main Charlotte forum, or in the Charlotte Coffee House forum?