Charlotte Guestbook 2021-2022

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WHAT’S NEW IN CHARLOTTE

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CHARLOTTE TOP 10 Iconic attractions you’d be remiss to miss.

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A RECREATIONIST’S DREAM Outdoor escapes, a tour of Lake Norman and the best birding spots in town.

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Q&A: KEITH CRADLE The hiking enthusiast’s mentoring program takes kids into the Great Outdoors.

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FORM AND SUBSTANCE Three-dimensional public art is forging a new landscape.

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A HAUNTING WE WILL GO The Stonestreet family shares their favorite local legends.

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VEGAN SOUL FOOD Where to embrace Charlotte’s newest dining sensation.

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GET TO KNOW Explore Charlotte’s neighborhoods like a local.

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UPTOWN OR DOWNTOWN? Discover just how long Charlotteans have argued over the perennial question.

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AROUND THE CORNER These destinations are just a hop, skip and a jump from Uptown Charlotte.

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LAST LOOK A visit to the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.

ON THE COVER: CHARLOTTE SKYLINE FROM MARSHALL PARK, ©VISITNC.COM

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THE MINT MUSEUM Come intrigued. Leave inspired.

Mint Museum Uptown

at Levine Center for the Arts

500 South Tryon Street Charlotte, NC 28202

Mint Museum Randolph 2730 Randolph Road Charlotte, NC 28207

Takeshi Yasuda (Japanese, active in Great Britain, 1943–). Qingbai Bowl with Golden Interior, 2018, glazed porcelain, colloidal gold. Museum purchase: Funds provided by Ann and Michael Tarwater in honor of Annie Carlano. 2019.75

mintmuseum.org

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©LOGAN CYRUS

o matter what part of Charlotte you visit, there’s always something exciting going on. A short drive northwest of the city is the stunning new Quest at Latta Nature Preserve (6345 Sample Road, Huntersville), a 3,000-square-foot interpretive center with an aquarium, classrooms and native animals that will be the future home of the Carolina Raptor Center. Due east, the Home of the ’90s Museum (404 Winecoff School Road, Concord) celebrates the decade’s pop culture icons such as the Powerpuff Girls, Pokemon and the Kool-Aid pitcher. Tickets must be reserved in advance.

Bookending Uptown, Camp North End (300 Camp Road) and Optimist Hall (1115 N. Brevard St.) are ever-evolving. Known as the best place to view urban art in the city, the walkable Camp North End is prime for exploration—take an afternoon to wander and explore, shop and eat; you’ll want to nibble a bit of everything here.

At Optimist Hall, a former gingham mill has become home to some of the city’s favorite restaurants, including the ever-popular Dumpling Lady and Botiwalla, a destination for Indian food. Charming shops round out the experience.

In South End lies the Charlotte Beer Garden (1300 S. Tryon St.), home to the world’s largest draft-beer selection—so big you have to access the ever-changing menu online. It’s covered with plants and every wall is retractable, making it a larger-than-life treehouse.

Drive west from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport to get to the temporary home of the Catawba Two Kings Casino (538 Kings Mountain Blvd., Kings Mountain), the first casino in the Charlotte area. It contains 500 slot machines and will give you a preview of the permanent complex, on which the Catawba Indian Nation will break ground in 2022.

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CHARLOTTE TOP 10

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Carolina Raptor Center

A piece of nirvana for animal lovers, the Carolina Raptor Center is home to more than 30 species of raptors and other birds of prey, and you can get up-close and personal to all of these majestic creatures. It’s an opportunity to visit your favorites, but also learn about new species you may not know about, such as the adorable Spectacled Owl (above) and the majestic Golden Eagle. You’ll learn just how smart ravens are in the Family Corvidae exhibit and just how important vultures are to the animal kingdom in the Vulture Culture exhibit. Volunteers are stationed throughout the center should you have any questions, and are a treasure trove of knowledge you’ll want to tap. Its idyllic location inside the Latta Nature Preserve is a short drive from Uptown Charlotte. 6000 Sample Road, Huntersville, 704.875.6521, carolinaraptorcenter.org (© VisitNC.com)

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How to start off your visit to the Queen City? With these 10 iconic attractions you’d be remiss to miss.

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The Mint Museum

The Mint Museum is the oldest art museum in North Carolina and holds one of the largest collections of art in the Southeast across two locations. The modern, five-story Mint Museum Uptown houses an impressive craft and design collection, plus atrium exhibits such as “Foragers,” seen here. The original, Mint Museum Randolph, earned the moniker from its location in a former U.S. Mint building. Collections here include American, Ancient American, European, African, Asian and contemporary art. 500 S. Tryon St.; 2730 Randolph Road, 704.337.2000, mintmuseum.org (© Chris Edwards)

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7th Street Public Market

This bustling spot on the Lynx Blue Line 7th Street stop is one locals don’t want visitors to know about. It’s nirvana for foodies—be sure to savor every morsel you find here. The market’s mission is to celebrate the food culture of the Carolinas and promote local and regional farmers. Start the day off right with a crepe from Hazelnuts or a bowl from Rico’s Acai. Viva Raw ups the ante on cold-pressed juices. Momo Station’s dumplings aren’t to be missed, as is a caffeine fix from Not Just Coffee (above). Don’t leave without a takeway from Orrman’s Cheese Shop; its cheesemongers have carefully curated a selection of local and regional artisan products. 224 E. 7th St., 704.230.4346, 7thstreetpublicmarket.com (© charlottesgotalot.com)

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Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

One of Charlotte’s most iconic buildings, the Bechtler was designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta. Many of the pieces of 20th-century art on display here have never been made available for public viewing. Artists represented include Joan Miro, Jean Tinguely, Barbara Hepworth and Andy Warhol. Photographs and letters connect the artists to the Bechtler family.

Gracing the entrance to the minimalist structure is Niki de Saint Phalle’s Firebird—or the “Disco Chicken”—covered in mirrored glass, a favorite Charlotte selfie spot. 420 S. Tryon St., 704.353.9200, bechtler.org (© VisitNC.com)

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TOP TEN NASCAR Hall of Fame

As exciting as the sport of racing itself, visitors to the NASCAR Hall of Fame experience thrills in racing simulators and get a behind-the-scenes look at preparations in the interactive Race Week area. A walk through Glory Road leads to more than a dozen historic cars and a look at current and historic racetracks, while at Heritage Speedway, visitors learn about the sport’s decades-long history. Racing legends are showcased in the Hall of Honor. 400 E. Martin Luther King Blvd., 704.654.4400, nascarhall.com (©Kyo H Nam/charlottesgotalot.com)

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Explore scientific and technological concepts through interactive exhibits, hands-on experiences and the largest IMAX Dome Theatre in the Carolinas. Highlights include an aquarium of diverse habitats and ecosystems; a rainforest with eye-catching birds and a swinging bridge; and the “Cool Stuff” area, where you can lie quite comfortably on a bed of nails. Discovery Place Nature, geared toward children aged 3-7, offers hands-on opportunities such as building a bridge or tower out of rocks, exploring a fairy village and examining specimens in a lab. 301 N. Tryon St.; 1658 Sterling Road, 704.372.6261, discoveryplace.org (© VisitNC.com)

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Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture

African-American contributions to American culture are celebrated in this museum, including those of its namesake, Gantt, who was an architect and the first Black mayor of Charlotte. Collections include African-American art by renowned artists Romare Bearden, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Elizabeth Catlett and Moyo Okediji. Those who want to continue the museum experience should take advance of the rich tapestry of online content such as “Vision and Spirit,” “Art as Activism” and “The Education of Harvey Gantt.” 551 S. Tryon St., 704.547.3700, ganttcenter.org (© Tyrus Ortega Gaines Photography)

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TOP TEN Billy Graham Library

A humble farm boy from the outskirts of Charlotte, Billy Graham became a spiritual advisor to presidents and a confidante to world leaders—but most importantly became “The People’s Pastor.” He was the salve for a nation grieving after 9/11 and a voice speaking out against the injustices of war, apartheid and other oppressions. In his 55 years of ministry, his message of love and hope reached more than 215 million people in 185 countries. Journey through his namesake library for a uplifting look at his life and passions. 4330 Westmont Drive, 704.401.3200, billygrahamlibrary.org (© VisitNC.com)

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This 400-acre theme park includes thrill rides like Fury 325, the world’s-tallest giga coaster; the NASCARthemed Intimidator, one of the 10 tallest steel coasters in North America; The Flying Cobra, a coaster that runs backwards; and Copperhead Strike (seen here), the Carolinas’ first double-launch coaster. Straddling the North/South Carolina state line, the park offers 60 rides, shows and attractions for the entire family. You can also cool off at Carolina Harbor Waterpark, a 16-acre water park. Open daily in summer, weekends in the spring and fall. 14523 Carowinds Blvd., 704.588.2600, carowinds.com (©Carowinds)

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SEA Life Aquarium

This family-friendly underwater adventure is located in Concord Mills mall and is full of nooks and crannies.

The aquarium takes visitors through 10 underwater habitats, beginning with the Catawba River section, where you’ll learn about local habitats, moving into the Harbor room, replicating the marine life found under boats at harbor. Next comes a seahorse nursery and sting ray bay, complete with areas offering hands-on interaction with sea stars and more. The finale: a 180-degree walk-through tunnel, where fish, sharks and others creatures pass overhead. 8111 Concord Mills Parkway, Concord, 855.450.0512, visitsealife.com/charlotte-concord (©Photo courtesy of the Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau - www.visitcabarrus.com) WHERET RAV EL ER ® G UEST B OOK

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From the environs of the 34-mile long Lake Norman to the panoramic views atop Crowder’s Mountain to the parks found within the city proper, the Charlotte area is perfect for the nature enthusiast. Join us for a trek.

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Top spots for fishing, kayaking, hiking and climbing

BY CHARLOTTE MAGAZINE STAFF

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OPPOSITE PAGE: ©JON BILOIUS/SHUTTERSTOCK; THIS PAGE: ILLUSTRATION BY MARIBETH KISER

harlotte urbanizes more each day, yet the skyline’s shadow still falls on pockets of nature. A true escape isn’t far away, either: Lakes, state and national parks and natural wonders encircle the city. Here, we’ve compiled 30 destinations ripe for exploration and divided them into three groups: Around the Corner, Day Trip and Weekender. Use the key for distance from Charlotte and the activities there.

FISHING Laws change state to state, so we’re focusing on North Carolina. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission sells short-term (10-day), annual and lifetime fishing licenses via its website, ncwildlife.org. Short-term licenses cost $6 for coastal fishing and $9 for inland fishing; annual runs $16 for coastal, $25 for inland and $41 for combined. Lifetime licenses cost $16 to $477 depending on age and type of fishing. Kids under 16 don’t need a license.

KAYAKING A Coast Guard-approved life vest must be available for each occupant, and anyone under 13 has to wear one at all times. You don’t need a license to use an unmotorized kayak or canoe.

If yours does have a motor, you have to register it with the state and complete a boating safety education course. (More info: ncwildlife.org.)

CLIMBING AND HIKING In state parks, rock climbers have to register at park offices or at access points for climbing and rappelling permits. All climbers under 18 need parents or guardians to sign their permits. The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation doesn’t offer instruction or supervision for climbers, so equipment and training is your responsibility.

STATE PARKS The State Parks system includes 34 parks, four recreational areas, and three natural areas, each of which has its own specific rules for fishing, kayaking, and climbing.

But a few rules apply at all 41 locations: camping in designated areas only; vehicles on-site after park hours must be registered; no alcohol; and pets on leashes at all times.

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For Love of Lake Norman “LAKE NORMAN” can refer to either the actual lake or the area that surrounds it—the collection of northern Mecklenburg and southern Iredell County cities and towns, the spaces between them and the new homes, piers, and boat docks built at or near the water’s edge. That’s the new Lake Norman, all right. We’ve got three ways for you to get the most out of Lake Norman’s charms and get back to nature: by visiting a waterside park, water recreation and cruising the lake in style. Let’s get started.

A VISIT TO LAKE NORMAN STATE PARK (AND OTHERS) Even boomtowns have oases. Here’s Lake Norman’s biggest: nearly 2,000 acres of pines and mixed hardwoods, 30 miles of

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mountain biking and hiking trails, a 125- yard sandy beach, and 32 sites for camping—and, of course, fishing. The state park (759 State Park Road, Troutman) opened in 1962 after Duke Power donated the land, and the lake’s sediment-rich waters teem with crappie, perch, bass, and channel catfish.

The park, about a 45-minute drive from Charlotte, hugs the northern edge of the lake near Troutman, and trails meander along the edges of coves and inlets.

If you don’t need the expanse or care to drive that far, check out any of a trio of local parks in Cornelius: Ramsey Creek Park (18441 Nantz Road), with its 44-acre waterfront area; Jetton Park (19000 Jetton Road), with its reservable decks and gazebos; and Robbins Park (17738 W. Catawba Ave.), a newer offering with a disc golf course and an expansive play area for kids.

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Opening spread: A pavilion at Jetton Park. Opposite page: Lake Norman is nicknamed North Carolina’s “Inland Sea” due to its 520 miles of shoreline. This page from left: Queens Landing’s Lady of the Lake and Catawba Queen; a man waterskis on Lake Norman.

LEFT TO RIGHT: ©QUEENS LANDING; ©VISITNC.COM

OUT ON THE WATER Get Educated at the Ride LKN Wake & Surf School The instructors at this school (114 Bowfin Circle, Mooresville) tailor lessons in wakeboarding, wakesurfing and wakefoiling to people of varying skill levels, from newcomers to riders ready for pro tricks. The business also offers private charters and summer camps for kids, with tubing, wakeboarding and surfing lessons.

On Board with Aloha Paddle Sports This waterfront shop (400B N. Harbor Place, Davidson) at North Harbor Landing in Davidson rents kayaks, too, but it specializes in paddleboarding. A private introductory

lesson costs $60 ($35 for ages 10-16), and Aloha also offers paddleboard yoga and 90-minute sunset paddle tours. It’s a lake, so don’t worry about surf, but watch those boat wakes.

ESSENTIAL BOAT TOURS ON LAKE NORMAN Queens Landing: This cruise service operates two boats with dining included: the luxurious The Lady of the Lake yacht or the replica Mississippi riverboat The Catawba Queen.

(1459 River Highway, Mooresville) Captain Gus’ Lake Norman Laugh Liner: Think the Funny Bus on water. Capt. Gus Gustafson is a published author and an ideal fishing partner. (Little Creek Access Area, 4880 Burton Lane, Denver)

Charlotte Cycleboats: This party boat experience, highly popular for bachelorette shindigs, gives you the chance to work off those drinks by powering the vessel together.

If you hear lots of yelling on the lake, it’s probably this boat. (400B N. Harbor Place Drive, Davidson) Celebrate on Lake Norman’s Biggest Yacht: Carolina Grace, a 100-foot luxury yacht and event venue, is the largest vessel of its kind on the lake. It’s outfitted with two bars, offices, four bathrooms, a heated upper deck and room for more than 100 guests, which makes it a coveted wedding venue. But it offers intimate experiences, too, like dinner cruises and yoga classes. (18020 Kings Point Drive, Cornelius)

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BIRDER’S-EYE VIEW When the pandemic struck, thousands discovered the physical, mental, and ecological benefits of birding. Now is the perfect time to join the flock.

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n Spring 2020, people around the world noticed neighbors they never knew they had. As the coronavirus ground our normal lives to a halt, robins busied themselves laying bright blue eggs, and rose-breasted grosbeaks decked themselves in red and black to attract mates. Sales of binoculars and birdfeeders spiked, and new birdwatchers discovered that the birds on the periphery of our lives have a complex community of their own—plus the sense of emotional and physical well-being that comes from getting outside and focusing outward.

“Hope,” as Emily Dickinson wrote, “is the thing with feathers.” Flowers may bloom brighter, saturated with our

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relief as the pandemic winds down, but the joy of getting to know our wild neighbors will outlast quarantine. It’s never been easier to learn about local bird life, and birding can prove surprisingly fun and rewarding. (It has all the thrill and suspense of hunting—with less mess.) And the benefits go both ways. Close attention to birds and their habitats is a step toward healing the damage we’ve done to their populations, even as we heal from the damage we’ve done to ours.

The mid-December sun glints off a frosty field as I pull into the parking lot at McAlpine Creek Park. A small group clusters around a pair of cars adorned with bird bumper stickers. They’re bundled against the cold, but when they all

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MCA LPINE CR EEK: The wide gravel trails offer vantages on woods and wetlands.

Several rarities, including a roseate spoonbill, stopped by the “beaver pond” behind the main pond last year. But no need to hold out for something exotic. Listen for the hoot of the resident barred owls.

TOP TO BOTTOM: ©PATTY MASTEN; ©LAUREN PHARR

This page from top: Indigo Buntings like to perch on branches and telephone wires; Eastern Phoebes are known for their tail flicks. Opposite page: Eastern Towhees (a female is seen here) like to rummage in undergrowth.

lift their binoculars to look at a hawk perched on a distant pole, I know I’m in the right place.

The Mecklenburg Audubon Society offers bird walks in the Charlotte region year-round.

Judy Walker, the MAS newsletter moderator and a retired UNC Charlotte education librarian, will lead our group of nine on a stroll in search of species that have migrated here for the winter, like fox sparrows. One member of our group is new to the area, and he’s especially eager to spot a winter wren, a tiny bird with a big voice.

Walker has led bird walks for about 20 years, and she’s been birding for 20 years longer than that. She’s seen nearly every feathered species there is around here, but her enthusiasm hasn’t waned. “I get excited about things,” she says, “but it’s getting other people excited.” Her favorite way to capture a beginner’s interest is to spot a new-to-them bird or what she calls a “wow” bird.

FOUR MILE CR EEK GR EEN WAY: This 2-mile paved greenway in south Charlotte is usually home to a flurry of bird activity. Listen for birdsong in the tangles of brush that line the path. In the spring, Walker says, beginners will take in good sightings on any of Charlotte’s greenways. Take a stroll before work to avoid weekend crowds.

We set off from the parking lot at a birder’s typically glacial pace, pausing often to listen for chirps and peer at the leafless treetops.

Walker stops at a pile of brush and explains that this is the habitat winter wrens prefer.

She pulls out her phone and plays the bird’s call. The group hushes. We hear an answer deep in the brush but don’t see the bird. As we move on and Walker explains the distinction between the goldfinches and pine siskins gathered on the gravel, it’s easy to believe that the birds in our area are doing fine. Lauren Pharr sets me straight.

Pharr, 24, studied the effects of urbanization on birds for her master’s in fisheries, wildlife, and conservation biology at N.C. State, and she says light and noise pollution and global warming have devastated bird populations.

“Light pollution that comes from our

MCDOWELL NATUR E PR ESERVE: This preserve protects habitats for more than 100 species. The Piedmont Prairie Trail winds through a grassy landscape uncommon in urban Charlotte. Visit soon after dawn for a glimpse of spring migrants like rose-breasted grosbeaks and indigo buntings.

WITH A GROUP: “If you want to get outside and start learning more about birds and start identifying birds by sight and by sounds,” Pharr says, “it’s good to go out with someone who’s more experienced.” Sign up for one of Mecklenburg Audubon Society’s weekly walks to learn birding skills and etiquette, such as how to visit bird habitats respectfully.

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At left: Barred owls can be seen—and heard— at McAlpine Creek.

BIRDS TO SPOT BLUE JAY: You’ve probably seen a blue jay before, but can you identify its call? Listen for a loud jeer or a melodious flute-like song. Like crows and ravens, blue jays are corvids, one of the most intelligent families of birds. They’ll sometimes mimic hawk calls to scare off songbirds and keep birdfeeders to themselves.

EASTER N PHOEBE: This small bird, brown on top and creamy underneath, is Pharr’s favorite— despite their earsplitting call. “They’re a species of flycatcher, and I love them so much because they do this little tail flick,” she says. “It is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

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perspective ,you have to get to know them first—and that’s the fun part. “It’s a puzzle,” Walker says. “You’d be surprised what you might see.”

We stop at a fallen tree, shivering in the shade, and Walker again tries to lure out a wren.

Joggers dodge us as we train our gaze on the branches. Suddenly, there he is: a bird no bigger than a pinecone, his short tail cocked at a jaunty angle. The wren brings the quiet woods to life, and the curved glass in our binoculars reveals an intricate pattern of white and walnut brown in his feathers. We hold still. The wren flits briefly to another branch, and then he’s gone.

INDIGO BUNTING: These brilliant, deep-blue songbirds like to perch on the ends of branches or on telephone wires. Spot them in brushy hedgerows or where forest meets field.

Don’t worry about missing them after peak spring migration— you can listen for their cheerful song all summer long.

©RON CLARK

headlights, from street posts, illuminated buildings— all that goes into something that we call ‘skyglow,’ and it’s like a blanket over the sky,” she explains, which makes it harder for birds to navigate and affects everything from migration to reproduction. Uptown’s dazzling light displays are less beautiful from a bird’s point of view: In 2020, Audubon North Carolina successfully lobbied the Duke Energy Center to turn off unnecessary lights during peak migration. The skyscraper’s springtime darkness sends its own message: Our community extends beyond ourselves.

But to understand the birds’ cloud high

ROSE-BR EASTED GROSBEA K: These dazzlers will often come right to your feeder (they like sunflower seeds).

Look for their large pale pink beaks and bold red triangles on the males’ chests. Download Merlin, an app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, for quick reference and ID help.

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Q&A

CAMPING WITH CRADLE Keith Cradle’s mentoring program introduces kids to the Great Outdoors INTERVIEWED BY ANDY SMITH

eith Cradle is a busy guy.

The 46-year-old serves as director of youth and juvenile programs for the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office. He’s also on the boards of directors for the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and the Charlotte Trail of History—along with seats on the Mint Museum Contemporary Art Board and the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council. It’s no wonder Cradle unplugs from Zoom and escapes on weekends, when the avid hiker and camper heads to one of the several state parks that surround Charlotte.

Recently, Cradle merged his work life and outdoor hobbies to create Camping With Cradle, a mentoring program that brings Charlotte kids to the mountains, which he launched in 2020.

When did your interest in the outdoors begin?

I’ve always enjoyed being outside.

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school and did summer camps.

But I really started camping and hiking around 10 years ago.

You’re someone who already works with young people every day. What needs does Camping With Cradle meet?

Well, we do have plenty of groups who do something like this in Charlotte, in terms of getting kids outside. But when we talk about access and inclusion for segmented groups of kids—particularly underserved kids—inside some of our communities, we know they’re not getting outside of the city. They’re not spending the money to do some of these larger summer programs. This was an opportunity for me to go ahead and reach those kids. There’s room for all of it: those bigger, mainstream groups and those in the smaller segments like myself.

Obviously, being free from digital distractions has its

advantages. What else is it doing for these kids?

Number one, you start with the health benefits, the physical (activity), their mental health and psychosocial development.

The outdoors gives all of that to adults and kids alike. But we know that most kids don’t get outside like we used to. My mom used to throw us out of the house in the summer and say, “Don’t come back.” Even in my (north Charlotte) neighborhood, I don’t see a lot of children outside play en masse like we used to. So you have to work against that and make it fun. You have this idea that it’s all bugs, and it’s too hard and unenjoyable. So you have to get through that red tape first. The mental benefits come even with learning to survive a bit, along with the physical benefits—how to put up a tent, how to start a fire, how to cook food, how to sleep throughout the night and realize the trees aren’t going to kill you.

You’re also working against the intimidation factor: You also look at where the parks are. Some of these state parks opened in the 1930s, ’40s, ’50s. Black families were not driving through some of those rural towns and cities. Even today, as I’m driving through some of these areas, you see stuff like Confederate flags everywhere.

So a kid may be like, “Oh, hell, no, I’m not going through there.”

You see why most Black folks have stayed away out of habit. It’s healthy for us to have these open conversations and get new context to open these spaces up for folk who traditionally didn’t go there.

You said you picked up camping about a decade ago.

Was there ever a time when you didn’t feel safe?

No, but I think I’ve always had an adventurous spirit. I think there have been people who are just more intrigued, than anything, to see some Black guy wandering

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around. They may feel like they have to impart some wisdom to you sometimes. They may suggest you do or buy certain things to make it easier. And then they get a little closer and see your gear, and they realize you’ve done your homework (laughs).

Keith Cradle’s recently formed nonprofit gets Charlotte kids outside of the city and into the Great Outdoors.

Once you’ve convinced kids to head out with you, what can they expect?

Any state park within our reach.

Really, just two or three hours out of Charlotte, especially for an overnight trip, gets kids outside of the comfort zone. You lose a bit of cell coverage, so they’re not depending on that as much. For a lot of kids, it’s when you lose sight of that skyline that changes your whole dynamic and outlook.

What kind of lasting impact

COURTESY KEITH CRADLE

have you found so far?

If you have, say, 10 kids that go out with me and a leader, six of them will probably say, “You know, that was fun, but I’m good now.” But that’s still four saying, “When are we going again?”

And at least those six kids still had the opportunity. They know what exists out there, and they expanded their vocabulary in this area, hopefully. What they do with this experience afterward is up to them. But they can never say, “No, I’ve never done that before,” again.

That’s what we’re getting rid of.

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HARVEY B. GANTT CENTER The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture is a multi-disciplinary arts institution located in the heart of Uptown Charlotte. The Gantt Center features fine art exhibitions from around the world and is home to the nationally celebrated John and Vivian Hewitt Collection of African-American Art. Generously donated by Bank of America, the collection includes works by Romare Bearden and other masters. Named for former Charlotte mayor Harvey Bernard Gantt, we offer an array of arts workshops, cultural programs and works by local artists in our museum store. Visit ganttcenter.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

551 South Tryon Street at Levine Center for the Arts

704.547.3700 ganttcenter.org

Boardwalk Billy’s Raw Bar & Ribs is locally owned and has been packing in the crowds since 1998 for great food, fresh margaritas, cold craft beer and free peanuts! (It’s ok ,throw the shells on the floor) Watch the big game, listen to live music or just hang out on the deck enjoying Charlotte’s best fresh seafood. Billy’s is famous for house smoked wings, dry rubbed baby back ribs and delicious pulled pork barbecue served with homemade sauces! Each location features great outdoor dining! The University Place location overlooks the lake and the Sardis Rd. location features a large outdoor patio and a corn hole game area.

On the water at University Place, 9005 JM Keynes Blvd Charlotte Located on the Blue Line light rail system

704-503 RIBS(7427) In the Galleria at Crown Point, 1636 Sardis Rd. North, Charlotte

704-814-RIBS(7427) Order On-Line at WWW.BOARDWALKBILLYS.COM

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NEAR I-77 & BILLY GRAHAM PARKWAY 116 EAST WOODLAWN RD., CHARLOTTE 704-525-5110

SUN-THURS 10:30AM - 10:30PM FRI 10:30AM - 11PM SAT 10:30AM - 2AM (KARAOKE NIGHT)

9709 EAST INDEPENDENCE BLVD., CHARLOTTE 704-814-9877 LIVE MARIACHI BAND PLAYING EVERY SUNDAY 6-9PM

FOSTER-SMITH CORNERS 730 SMITH CORNERS BOULEVARD, SUITE 1200 704-598-4068 LIVE MARIACHI BAND PLAYING EVERY SUNDAY 12-3PM OPEN TIL 2AM SATURDAY (KARAOKE NIGHT)

OPEN FOR LUNCH AND DINNER SUN-THURS 11AM-10PM • FRI-SAT 11AM-11PM ALL ABC PERMITS • MAJOR CREDIT CARDS • TAKE OUT ORDERS.

Reservations for groups of 40-60 required.

www.aztecarestaurantcharlotte.com

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7/2/18 7/2/19 7:00:05 1:55 PM PM

FORM AND SUBSTANCE Three-dimensional public art is forging a new landscape

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urals dominate discussions of public art in Charlotte because of festivals like Talking Walls and, let’s be honest, Instagram portraits. But community art takes so many forms, and sculpture—with welcoming elements like built-in visitor seating—leads a pack of recent additions to outdoor spaces. Here are four of them.

“Pillars of Dreams” (2019)

by Marc Fornes Outside the Valerie C. Woodard Center on Freedom Drive, local kids lost in their imaginations play in this cloudlike pavilion. Marc Fornes of the New York-based studio

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THEVERYMANY writes that it’s an installation “meant to be moved through rather than appraised as an object.”

The porous aluminum work, 26 feet tall and 23 feet wide, takes on different qualities throughout the day: During the day, shadows underneath the structure transform as the sun sets, and at night, nearby ground-level lights illuminate it from below. The piece was commissioned by Mecklenburg County, the city Public Art Commission and the Arts & Science Council. The studio also created the massive blue-and-green “Wanderwall” at the Stonewall Station parking garage uptown.

3205 Freedom Drive

“PILLARS OF DREAMS,” ©JANE FIELDS

BY ANDY SMITH

LEFT: “OPEN BOOK, OPEN MIND” AND BOTTOM RIGHT: “NESTED HIVE,” ©JANE FIELDS. TOP RIGHT: “SANTE,” ©LYDIA BITTNER-BAIRD

“Nested Hive” (2020)

by RE:site Studio Along with workout and wellness offerings, the Eastway Regional Recreation Center also added new public art to Charlotte. RE:site Studio in Houston created the “play sculpture” as a celebration of bees and other pollinating insects; visitors sit in multiple “hives” within the whimsical structure. Native wildflowers inspired the vivid colors, although one Instagram comment from the studio asks: “Ever wonder what it’d be like to be inside of a jawbreaker?” 423 Eastway Drive

“Open Book, Open Mind” (2020)

by Jim Gallucci The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library erected a new sculpture during recent renovations at the South County Regional branch. Gallucci’s tunnel of book covers includes several classics, including Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” and Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple.” The library is Mecklenburg County’s largest regional library.

Residents of the neighborhood submitted and voted on names for the sculpture, while library staff then selected book titles etched into the canopy of book covers. 5801 Rea Road

“Santé” (2020) by Matthew Steele Steele, a Goodyear Arts member and onetime resident, worked for nearly a year on his 20-footwide sculpture at Charlotte Skin & Laser. The massive, illusionary face, made from more than 150 sheets of aluminum composite, began with an idea from business owner Dr. Elizabeth Rostan, and Steele used more than 10,000 nuts, bolts, and brackets.

Hodges Taylor, the consultancy and gallery that represents the artist, calls the work “both a detailed and fractional survey of the human form.” 130 Providence Road

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THE HAUNT HOPPER: A GHOSTLY GUIDE TO MOORESVILLE

BY TAYLOR BOWLER

O.C.“Chris” Stonestreet IV, is a lifelong Mooresville resident who teaches history at Mooresville High School.

Free Range In 2016, he published “Curse of the Wampus, and Other Short Spooky Stories of Piedmont North Carolina,” Brewing provides a a collection of 10 local legends he’s investigated over the years. His family has lived in the area for more than wide variety of local a century, so his fascination with history and folklore spans generations. craft beers and a Here are his stories from three local haunts, in his own words. wide variety of local beer drinkers.

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PHOTO CREDIT GOTHAM BOOK 5.5/9PT

Historian and history teacher Chris Stonestreet shares three of his spookiest local legends—plus one from his father and fellow historian

OPPOSITE: ©CHRIS EDWARDS; THIS PAGE: ILLUSTRATION BY HADLEY KINCAID

The Shinnville Witch

The Girl at the Underpass

“Just outside the wall of the 200-year-old Mills Family Cemetery near St. James Episcopal Church on Shinnville Road, there’s a small headstone without a name. The legend is, it’s a witch that was killed and buried outside the wall, and her soul still lurks there. It may have been a bogeyman story, or a case of parents trying to keep their children in at night or away from the cemetery.

“Seven years ago, I was part of a team from the church to investigate the possibilities of lost or unmarked graves. The church had started burying people there without realizing there were already bodies there. Within weeks, we identified a number of unmarked graves outside of the original walls. Turns out, in the 19th century, people who had committed suicide, murder, or were deemed evil couldn’t be buried in consecrated grounds.

But the Mills Cemetery was also established before the Civil War, and burials were segregated.

So there is a stone there now that says something like, ‘To the beloved servants, you’re not forgotten.”

The church came out and blessed the area, so once they found out, they tried to right that wrong.

A legend led to us doing really good research and giving peace to those forgotten for 150 years.”

“On a road just south of Jamestown, a girl named Lydia was trying to get home from a party one night. She flagged down a young man who picked her up, and she told him where to turn onto her street. When he got out of the car to open her door, she’d vanished. He thought maybe she’d run ahead, so he went to the house to ring the doorbell.

An old woman answered, and he explained that he’d picked Lydia up by the overpass to drive her home, but she was no longer in the car.

“The woman said that Lydia was her daughter, and she was killed in a wreck by that overpass in 1923. She explained that he wasn’t the first one this had happened to; Lydia’s ghost still flags down a driver some nights. I’d heard this story since I was a young boy. Lydia’s family still lives in the area. Maybe it was a manifestation of someone trying to get back home.

“When I investigated this story, a library archivist said Lydia died in 1923 coming back from a New Year’s Eve party. Her car hit one of the walls and probably flung her out. They built a new overpass in the ’60s on High Point Road; Lydia’s Bridge is actually the old abandoned underpass on the right, about 100 yards in just through the trees, but you can still see it. I found that original concrete underpass and used it for the cover of my book.”

The Magnolia Gym “There’s a haunted gym across the street from Mooresville High School, built in 1967. Multiple people have heard a basketball bouncing after a girl was killed in the early ’70s; the lunch crew, janitors, even the principal who doesn’t believe in this stuff. I heard about it in high school when I was there, but I’d never personally seen anything.

“The story is, there was a girl named Tina who was really good at basketball. She had college scouts after her as a freshman. But she died in a car wreck in ’70 or ’71. After that, people started hearing a basketball bouncing and a girl’s voice in the locker room. My father knew one of the coaches there for 30 years, a guy named Al. Al told him one night as he was closing up, he turned off the lights to leave and heard a ball drop and roll.

He turned the lights back on and didn’t see anything. When he got about halfway down the court, he heard a girl’s voice say, ‘Do you want to play a game?’ He turned and ran, didn’t even lock up.

“I used to coach volleyball there, and about three or four years ago, we were in the gym for practice one Saturday. The girls were setting the net up and facing me, so I was facing the main entrance. Off to the side were the cleaning supplies, and I saw all of them being flung into the air to all corners of the gym. I swear I saw it with my own two eyes. I can’t explain it; I can just say that in a highly trafficked area like a school or a church or a hospital, eventually some things happen that are unexplained.

Maybe energy like that stays in a place.”

The Beastie Up I-77: Meet the Wampus, Iredell’s Bodacious, Voracious Cryptid O.C. “Chip” Stonestreet III has researched and written about Iredell County history for most of his life. He taught 8th-grade history at Iredell County Schools for more than 30 years and has written two books. For the last 13 years, he’s penned a weekly column for the Statesville Record & Landmark. Here, he shares one of his favorite local legends: “It’s difficult to know what to do with reports of a quadrupedal mammal, a voracious omnivore that first appeared in and around Statesville 130 years ago. It would be easy to dismiss the so-called ‘sightings’ of the beast as practical jokes or the misidentification of native but elusive species.

“Joseph P. Caldwell, editor of the Statesville Landmark and later The Charlotte Observer,

introduced Iredell County readers to the Santer (or Wampus as it was later called) on the front page of his newspaper of August 28, 1890.

“Some critics maintain that this initial story was pure fabrication. According to one eyewitness, the creature: ‘Is made in the shape of a lion, has a thick, short head, and a thick woolly body up to its head from his fore shoulders and runs out thin at the other end with a long thin tail with a brush on the end of it. It is as long as Mr. Key’s big black dog and has a white breast. It is about as high as a half-grown hound but heavier. It has a loping motion and clears about eight feet at a lope … ‘ “The mysterious beastie was the chief topic of conversation around Iredell’s county seat in the days that followed. More rumors swirled. ‘It eats

dogs, hogs, and young children bodaciously up and is a dangerous animal to be running loose …’

“In those days, newspapers unabashedly copied stories, and The Landmark’s article was republished widely. Soon there were similar sightings around the Piedmont and even further afield.

Eventually the sightings subsided, but parents sometimes used the creature as a bugaboo to herd children, as in, ‘You’d better not play in the woods after dark, or the Wampus just might get you!’

“There have been more recent sightings of an unknown, Loch Ness Monster-like animal, ‘Normie,’ said to be a resident of Lake Norman.

Whether this is our historical Santer or Wampus, or some new crypto-biological entity, remains to be seen—or, perhaps, not seen.”

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VEGAN A

fter four years of hawking her vegan sweet potato spice cake and other plant-based dishes at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, Dee Hairston opened her first brick-and-mortar vegan restaurant, Dee’s Vegan To-Go, on West Boulevard, in December 2020. The St. Louis native serves homemade vegan comfort foods like Fried Chix Tenders & Waffles with vegan “chicken” tenders battered with coconut milk and seasoned flour, and Hearty Black Bean Chili with organic black beans and Beyond Beef.

Hairston learned to cook traditional soul food from her mother and grandmother, and she picked up some techniques from a few semesters at Johnson & Wales and Central Piedmont Community College. But 11 years ago, she decided to drastically change her diet. She’d lost her mother, grandmother and two aunts within five years of each other, all from conditions that have often struck people of color through the decades: diabetes, heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Hairston, who grew up eating the same dishes they did, knew she was at risk, too. She began to swap out, for example, fried chicken for tofu and coconut milk for heavy cream. She gradually learned to make her own version of vegan soul food through trial and error and her beloved cookbook collection, which she’s built over 30 years. “I would practice, drill and rehearse,” she says. “Of course, my family was my guinea pig.”

Instead of traditional, animal fat-laden Southern cuisine,

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BY JARED MISNER Hairston landed on a health-conscious modification that’s catching on in Charlotte and other American cities. In 2020, in defiance of COVID’s vise-like grip on the restaurant industry, at least a half-dozen vegan comfort or vegan soul food restaurants, food trucks and pop-ups have opened in Charlotte.

Black celebrities have helped spread the word about vegan cuisine’s benefits. Serena Williams, Erykah Badu and Colin Kaepernick often post about their plant-based diets on social media. It figures that the enthusiasm has spread to restaurant owners: In the first months of the pandemic, more vegan restaurants opened in the United States (517) than closed (413), according to a summer 2020 report in the online restaurant guide HappyCow. Chenelle Bragg, who opened Best of Both Souls in the Wesley Heights neighborhood in September, is another one of these pioneering chefs. Bragg, 43, grew up in Detroit but as a child ate Sunday dinners at the home of her maternal grandmother, a native of Meridian, Mississippi. The food was pure Southern— fried chicken, collard greens with fatback, black-eyed peas, chitlins—and she retained some of her eating habits into adulthood.

But a diverticulitis diagnosis convinced her to think harder about what she ate, and she soon discovered that a plant-based diet helped control her flare-ups. “Soul food, to me, is when you’re cooking from yourself,” she says. “You’re cooking with love, you’re cooking with passion, and it’s food that’s good for yourself.”

ALL PHOTOS ©PETER TAYLOR

Where to embrace Charlotte’s new dining sensation

After she moved to Charlotte, Bragg worked in local restaurants and as a private chef before she opened Best of Both Souls.

Her most popular menu item is a soy-based Nashville hot chicken sandwich served between two buttery (vegan) buns.

Of course, changing your own diet is one thing. Convincing others who were raised on Grandma’s down-home cookin’ on Sunday afternoons is another. But many vegan chefs say customers embrace the dishes once they try them. “I give them a sample, and they always order,” says Akil Courtney, owner and chef of Ve-Go food truck. Courtney bought the food truck in June 2019 and regularly parks outside local breweries, where he convinces meat eaters to try his wheat-based barbecue ribs and crabless crab cakes.

Most of Dee Hairston’s customers at Dee’s Vegan To-Go—about 80 percent—aren’t vegan, she says. They just like her food. Her jambalaya topped with Beyond Meat vegan sausage; coconut cream-based “Mac and Cheeze”; and stir-fry with “chicken” made from plant-based proteins are her most popular dishes. She fries the vegan chicken as she would real chicken, and adds a medley of herbs and spices to tofu to replace the bacon grease and salt pork that soul food chefs use to flavor meat.

This page: At VeganTo-Go, owner Dee Hairston (above) serves vegan comforts like Fried Chix Tenders & Waffles.

Opposite page: Chenelle Bragg (left) serves a soybased Nashville hot chicken sandwich at Best of Both Souls.

DEE’S V EGA N TO - GO 1540 West Blvd., Ste. 100, 980.430.3856, deesvegantogo.com Don’t leave this takeout-only spot without one of Chef Dee’s baked goods. It’s a tasty treat after the spicy jambalaya.

BE ST OF BOTH SOU LS 2200 Thrift Road (inside the City Kitch building), 704.270.9998, bestofbothsouls.com This mostly takeout restaurant has some of Charlotte’s best Nashville hot chicken, vegan or not.

VE-GO FOOD TRUCK Locations vary, 704.351.1928, ve-gofoodtruck.com Choose jerk “chicken,” calabash “shrimp” or country-fried “steak” at this food truck, which is usually parked outside one of Charlotte’s many breweries.

SOUL MINER’S GARDEN FOOD TRUCK Locations vary, 704.713.5661, facebook.com/SoulMiners-Garden-FoodTruck-104391647840173 With temporary homes outside a number of regional breweries, this vegan food truck dishes up barbecue jackfruit sliders and collards without the bacon grease.

VEGGANERS LUCK Locations vary, 310.867.9531, instagram.com/ vegganersluck/?hl=en This “ghost restaurant” is pop-up only, so follow it on Instagram to locate its vegan brisket and pecan pie.

VELTREE 7945 N. Tryon St., Ste. 110, 980.355.0075, facebook.com/ veltreevegan Good luck choosing between the “Not Popeye’s” sandwich and the vegan shrimp po’ boy sandwich at this University City spot.

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GET TO KNOW

Originally the brainchild of Edward Dilworth Latta in the 1890s, Dilworth was Charlotte’s first streetcar suburb.

To attract residents and businesses to the area, Latta built a 90-acre park.

The community was constructed as a grid that centered on East Boulevard, welcoming families to the turn-ofthe-century, colonial-revival and Craftsman-style architecture. Today, a new generation has discovered the charm and neighborliness of Dilworth, with its tree-lined streets, front porches and family-friendly sidewalks. It continues to thrive as one of the city’s most historic and popular neighborhoods. Freedom Park is a year-round hub for outdoor activity and festivals. Shops and restaurants add to the area’s appeal, especially on East Boulevard, which has earned a reputation as being Charlotte’s boutique row. charlottesgotalot.com/neighborhoods/dilworth

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PHOTO CREDIT GOTHAM BOOK 5.5/9PT

Dilworth

OPPOSITE: ©KYO H NAM PHOTOGRAPHY/CHARLOTTESGOTALOT.COM; THIS PAGE: ©LIZZIE CRAWFORD

GET TO KNOW

Wesley Heights/FreeMoreWest

Wesley Heights, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was developed in the 1920s and is full of bungalow-style homes and tree-lined streets. It’s sometimes referred to as FreeMoreWest, the spot where two main throughfares, West Morehead and Freedom, intersect. Welcome to the city’s west end, where development is in full bloom, and Uptown is just a short walk away. Skyline views can easily be had, without all the crowds. Craft beer, contemporary art, great barbecue and divine pastries are all easily found here, respectfully, at venues such as Town Brewing Company, LaCa Projects, Noble Smoke, The Batchmaker and many more. Pinky’s Westside Grill has been featured on “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” not once, but twice. Ready to go for a stroll? Visit the Irwin Creek and Stewart Creek greenways, a pleasant trek to Uptown. charlottesgotalot.com/neighborhoods/wesley-heights WHERET RAV EL ER ® G UEST B OOK

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GET TO KNOW

NoDa

PHOTO CREDIT GOTHAM BOOK 5.5/9PT

Short for North Davidson, the area surrounding the intersection of North Davidson and 36th streets once thrived as the site of the city’s first textile mill village. Decades later, artists transformed the dilapidated village into Charlotte’s premier arts community. This urban neighborhood continues to undergo a complex transition— the lifestyle of bohemian artists remains present, but it is now joined by trendy restaurants and breweries, renovated mill houses, hip lofts and alluring bungalow homes retrofitted for the standards of modern living.

Make a trip to NoDa to attend one of its gallery crawls or to see a show at beloved local music venue, the Neighborhood Theatre, or grab a cup of coffee at Smelly Cat Coffeehouse. noda.org

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THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE: ©VISITNC.COM

GET TO KNOW

Plaza Midwood/Elizabeth

The Plaza and Central Avenue are the two main draws of Plaza Midwood, an affluent, residential neighborhood that originated in the 1920s as a streetcar suburb. Enjoy its diners, eateries serving food from around the world and other casual restaurants—one of the most famous being the Midwood Smokehouse—as well as shops focused on skateboarding, vintage gear, records and LGBTQ books. Where Uptown’s East Trade Street turns into Elizabeth Avenue, you’ll enter the charmingly hip neighborhood of Elizabeth. No, this place isn’t named after the HRH Queen Elizabeth II (as one might assume, given that Charlotte itself is named for a former royal). It actually takes its moniker from Elizabeth College, a small Lutheran women’s school that was situated within its bounds. The suburban-style burgh and leafy historic district is another that thrived in the early part of the 20th century, thanks to the streetcar. elizabethcommunity.com WHERET RAV EL ER ® G UEST B OOK

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GET TO KNOW

The remnants of a thriving, turn-of-the-century textile industry give this Charlotte enclave a beer-fueled identity with upwards of a dozen local craft breweries and taprooms taking up residency in former mill buildings. But brewers aren’t the only people walking these streets just south of Uptown. In the same neighborhood where the region’s first railroad steamed into Charlotte in 1852, the Blue Line light rail transports visitors from Uptown, SouthPark and NoDa. Hundreds of designers—from the fashion industry to the web— have offices here. By the way, American novelist Carson McCullers wrote the opening chapters of her first book, “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter,” while living in a boarding house on East Boulevard. southendclt.org 36

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©VISITNC.COM

South End

Uptown or Downtown?

Archives illuminate just how long Charlotteans have argued over the perennial question

BY TOM HANCHETT

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HISTORIC UPTOWN PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ROBINSON-SPANGLER CAROLINA ROOM—CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG LIBRARY

N

ewcomers find it odd that Charlotteans refer to their city center as “uptown.” Other cities have uptowns, but usually as a counterpoint to a separate area called “downtown.” How and why did Charlotte decide on just “uptown”?

The name does reflect a geographical truth. Tryon Street runs along a ridgeline—a route that began as part of the Great Trading Path of Catawba Indian times. To reach the intersection of Tryon and Trade streets from any direction, you have to walk uphill. Uptown really is up.

Battles over the uptown/downtown label pop up often on Facebook pages like “Charlotte N.C. The Past and Present.” Even native Charlotteans disagree, often heatedly. Some say: We always called it uptown, far back as I remember! Others insist: No one called it uptown—until new arrivals misnamed it!

What’s the real history? Recently, I discovered that the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s history center, the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room, offers a marvelous online resource called NewsBank (charlottehistorytoolkit.com/newspapers). A recent upgrade allows you to word-search The Charlotte Observer’s archive back to 1883 from the comfort of your home computer.

For a historian, that’s like candy. I immediately typed in “uptown” to see when the word first appeared. Aha! Oct. 16, 1888, “A Street Car Runaway.” An out-of-control, horse-drawn streetcar without passengers crashed into another and forced its riders to jump off.

“Mr. Geo. F. Bason and Mr. Rogers were aboard the uptown car and they got out lively.” It appeared frequently thereafter.

That proves that “uptown” is no recent invention. It came into use just before 1900, when people needed a word to refer to Charlotte’s newly dense cluster of business buildings around Trade and Tryon.

But what about “downtown”? It first showed up on June 9, 1906, nearly 20 years after the runaway streetcar article: a report of a passing blimp, rare at the dawn of manned flight. “The gentleman who made the discovery has a room downtown.” So “uptown” has deeper roots.

Charlotteans continued to use both terms, with “uptown” much more frequent. The peaceful coexistence ended in 1959. Merchants, led by department store magnates George Ivey and John Belk, founded an Uptown Charlotte Association to battle suburban competition. But even then, Charlotte had lots of newcomers, and where they’d come from, “downtown” connoted “business district.” The organization pivoted: “Publicity lends itself to downtown,” explained M.W. Crosland of the rechristened Downtown Charlotte Association.

Some old-line Charlotteans wouldn’t let the matter rest, though.

Jack Wood, owner of a South Tryon Street clothing shop, mounted an “uptown” campaign in the early 1970s and won sanction from the city government. On Sept. 23, 1974, as recorded in City Council minutes, Mayor John Belk presented Wood and his allies “with a proclamation designating [the] central shopping center and business area as ‘UPTOWN CHARLOTTE.’” So, is the debate settled? “Uptown” has longer tenure and the city’s official approval—but there’s historical precedent to call it “downtown” if you wish. Either way, visit, and bring some money to spend.

Tom Hanchett, a local historian since 1981, is the author of “Sorting Out the New South City: Race, Class, and Urban Development in Charlotte” and a former staff historian at the Levine Museum of the New South.

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AROUND THE CORNER

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THIS PAGE AND TOP RIGHT: ©TIGER WORLD; CENTER RIGHT: ©JONI HANEBUTT/SHUTTERSTOCK

ROWAN COUNTY Eclectic and fun, Rowan County is full of original experiences. It boasts 11 National Register districts, five local historic districts and the Salisbury Railway Passenger Station, a meticulously restored depot that was featured at the Smithsonian Institution.

North Carolina’s favorite soft drink, Cheerwine, also originated in Salisbury; every year, fans of the soda can celebrate its 1917 launch at a September festival.

Rowan County is rooted in the land; beyond its wonderful restaurants you’ll find many roadside stands, farmers markets and farms. Patterson Farm offers pick-your-own strawberries and pumpkins, and also has a petting zoo. Our favorite spot for magnificent creatures is Tiger World, an endangered wildlife preserve dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and preservation of exotic animals. Take a tour for a truly enlightening experience. yourrowan.com WHERET RAV EL ER ® G UEST B OOK

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AROUND THE CORNER

GASTON COUNTY A short drive west of Charlotte lies Gaston County, offering myriad ways to reacquaint oneself with Mother Nature. Love to be on the water?

This is where you’ll find the south fork of the Catawba River, and opportunities from the mild to the wild abound—try your hand at flatwater kayaking, or go whitewater rafting. The river meets up with Lake Wylie, where pontoon boat and jet ski rentals await. Is solid land more your thing? With the help of the Carolina Thread Trail, Gaston County offers more than 25 miles of trails that incorporate sidewalks, natural surfaces and paved trails. The 5,210-acre Crowders Mountain State Park showcases the second-highest point in Gaston County; those who wish the scale the sheer vertical cliffs must register with the park staff. When your stomach tells you it’s time for a meal, you’ll find a wealth of cuisines to choose from in nearby Gastonia. gogastonnc.org 42

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CITY OF GASTONIA

COME EAT. COME SHOP. COME VISIT GASTONIA. Welcome to the City of Gastonia! Our City has become one of the area’s best places to live, work, and play.

We’re just 20 minutes from Charlotte Douglas International Airport. This is Honey Hunters Country – home to one of the ALPB’s newest baseball clubs. We invite you to experience our style of play and after a game or concert at CaroMont Health Park, take a stroll down Main Avenue to experience our downtown. Whatever you’re hungry for we’ve got it! Stop by Pita Wheel, Fannie Cakes Bakery, Viva Tequis, the WEBB Kitchen, Barristers, Slice of Pi or one of our other restaurants. You’ll receive some hometown hospitality, free of charge. Take time to explore the rest of our City: The Rotary Pavilion and several shops downtown. Want to learn more about the area through a historical lens? The Schiele Museum of Natural History, an affiliate of the Smithsonian, is a great place. Ready for a little outdoor adventure? Take a hike to the top of Crowders Mountain and see the Charlotte skyline or rent a boat at Rankin Lake Park. Whether this is your first time here or you’re on a return trip, we’re the best kept secret you’ll want to tell everyone about!

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ©JON BILOUS/SHUTTERSTOCK; ©VISITNC.COM (2)

For More Information

704.866.6749

www.cityofgastonia.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

BECHTLER MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

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by Miró, art. Giacometti, Cosmopolitan Calder, in nature and Warhol, Klee,intimate and a wealth in scale, of the other Bechtler 20th-century offers a collection notables.

The Bechtler that is collection inspiring juxtaposes and approchable whimsy with works work by of Giacometti, significant intellectual Warhol, Miró,depth Ernst and other modern historical significance. art masters.

Cosmopolitan Owing toinitsnature size and yet The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is dedicated focus, the intimate museum scale, the provided andesigned in-depth by visual Mario art toin the exhibition ofmuseum, mid-20th-century European and American modern art. Cosmopolitan in experience Botta, provides thatan can experience be explored thatinis an inspiring afternoon and nature and intimate in scale, the Bechtler offers but still areward approachable.

Located repeated in visits. the heart A museum of Uptown, shop the is collection that is inspiring and approchable

by Giacometti, Warhol, Miró, Ernst and located with Bechtler on is aworks the light-filled lobby level. community space created to other modern art masters. Owing to its size and engagefocus, audiences.

Visit bechtler.org to learn the museum provided an in-depth visual art more experience that can be explored in anArts afternoon at Levine Center for the about exhibitions and programming.

BECHTLER MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

Bernardin’s Fine Dining is renowned for its impeccable service, elegant atmosphere and sophisticated, succulent Modern American Cuisine. Specializing in Seafood, Lamb, Steaks, Game Meats, Poultry and Pasta. Relax and enjoy soothing music, inviting accommodations, unbelievable entrees, specialty desserts and an extensive wine list. Serving the Triad of North Carolina since 1992, new to Uptown Charlotte. Hours: Lunch, Monday thru Friday, 11 AM to 2 PM; Dinner, Monday thru Saturday 5 PM to 11 PM

but stillSouth reward repeated visits. A museum shop is 420 Tryon Street, Charlotte located on the lobby level.

704.353.9209

6000 Sample Road, Huntersville, NC 28078 www.carolinaraptorcenter.org

www.bechtler.org

Find us on Social Media @CarolinaRaptor

704.353.9209 704.353.9209 www.bechtler.org

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704.332.3188

www.bernardinsfinedining.com

Walk in wonder and learn about the fascinating world of birds of prey at Huntersville’s Raptor Center. Just 20 minutes from Uptown Charlotte, the ¾-mile Raptor Trail will introduce you to more than 30 species of the world’s most intriguing birds. You’ll find local species such as Barred Owls and Bald Eagles, as well as non-native species from Africa, South America, and Europe. You never know what you might get nose to beak with on the Trail.

One of the country’s leading raptor rescue organizations, the Raptor Hospital treats almost 1,000 birds each year. The modest admission fee and charming gift shop support year-round education and rescue efforts. Visit the Raptor Center and ignite your passion for the natural world!

atwww.bechtler.org Levine Center for the Arts 420 South Tryon Street, Charlotte 420 South Tryon Street, Charlotte

at Levine Center for the Arts

704.875.6521

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Bechtler Museum.indd 1

435 5. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC

CAROLINA RAPTOR CENTER

6/17/21 10:51 AM

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CHARLOTTE GUE S T B O OK

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ADVERTISING PUBLISHER David Hughes

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Meander through gardens full of fountains and tropical plants, stretch out high above it all, paddle the world’s largest

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man-made whitewater course, marvel at ancient fossils and discover the magic of the holidays, all here in Gaston County

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Catawba River South Fork of Catawba River Crowders Mountain Whitewater Center Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden Schiele Museum of Natural History Primal Brewery Jekyll and Hyde Taphouse & Grill South Fork Beer Project Muddy River Distillery Belmont Brewing Co. Ole Dallas Brewery Cavendish Brewing Company Veronet Vineyards and Winery Christmas Town USA

Artistic Endeavors

We indulge in a rare quiet moment before audiences descend on the home of Charlotte arts, the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. Productions have once again commandeered its Uptown stages, with the dockets full at Belk Theater, Booth Playhouse and Stage Door Theater, all inside Blumenthal. Find something for this evening’s entertainment, then plan your next visit around another great event!

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©TRAVIS DOVE FOR CHARLOTTE CENTER CITY PARTNERS

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A fun way t o spend a f ew minutes if you’re stop ping in for a sn ack – or an hour if you’re look ing to rela x with a drink and a full meal.

Uptown Resi dent

CHARLOTTE’S FOOD & RETAIL INCUBATOR

224 E. 7th St. Charlotte, NC 28202 Scan to plan your visit:

Outdoor Adventure The centerpiece of outdoor adventure is Crowders Mountain State Park offering visitors an excellent location to HIKE, PADDLE, CLIMB & CAMP in Gaston County, North Carolina. GoGastonNC.org/get-outdoors

GoGastonNC.org | 704-825-4044 | @GoGastonNC