Are you attempting to get to know your adopted city or looking for something interesting to entertain a visitor?
Whether it’s eating Carolina style barbecue, going racin’ or strolling through uptown, here are some of the hotspots to hit when looking to experience the true Queen City!
Eateries
Lupies
Great chili and other comfort foods..
2718 Monroe Road
http://www.lupiescafe.com
The Penguin
A diner serving great dogs, burgers and fried pickles.
1921 Commonwealth Ave
Art’s Barbecue
The place to go for breakfast.
900 E. Morehead Street
Brook’s Restaurant
Best fried balogna sandwiches.
400 Mallorty Street
P
rice’s Chicken Coop
Charlotte’s favorite fried chicken.
1614 Camden Road
Cajun Queen
1800 East 7th Street
The best Cajun fare in Charlotte with live jazz every night.
Santé
165 N. Trade St.
Matthews, NC
Homey family owned restaurant with sophisticated menu in an historic building.
Solé Spanish Grille
1608 East Blvd.
Great tapas in the Dilworth neighborhood.
Talley’s Green Grocery
1408-C East Blvd.
The best place in Charlotte for vegetarian grocery shopping.
Nona’s Sweets
9601 N. Tryon St
Everything from mouthwatering Italian pastries to good old chocolate chip cookies.
Some of my personal favs:
Restaurant I
Great sushi and French Japanese fusion cuisine.
1524 East Blvd.
www.restaurant-i.com
Frankie’s Italian Grille
Great Italian food with a Frank Sinatra themed atmosphere.
800 E. Morehead St.
Attractions
The Manor Movie Theater
Charlotte’s oldest theater.
607 Providence Road
Lazy 5 Ranch
A drive through zoo where you can feed the animals through the car window.
15100 N.C. 150E
Mooresville, NC
www.lazyfiveranch.com
Paramounts Carrowinds Theme Park
The only theme park in the Charlotte area also features a waterpark.
14523 Carrowinds Blvd
http://www3.paramountparks.com/carowinds/#actions
Lowes Motor Speedway
This is NASCAR country after all!
Tour the speedway or go to a race.
5555 Concord Parkway
Concord, NC
http://www.lowesmotorspeedway.com/colossal/
Discovery Place
Catch a move at the IMAX theatre or tour the latest exhibit.
301 N. Tryon
http://www.discoveryplace.org/home/discovery_place-home.asp
U.S. National Whitewater Center
820 Hawfield Road
Visit the world's only multi-channel recirculating whitewater river.
You can also attempt the country's tallest outdoor climbing center along with rafting, canoing, mountain bike trails and more.
http://usnwc.org/
NoDa – Charlotte’s Historic Arts District
North Davidson and 36th Street
The best collection of galleries and performance venues, there is a
Gallery Crawl every 1st & 3rd Fridays from 6pm to 9:30pm.
www.noda.org
Black Lion
10605 Park Rd.
Over 150 merchants offer items from home décor to furniture to artwork.
Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find
1957 E. Seventh St.
Charlotte’s hangout for comic book enthusiasts.
Paper Skyscraper
330 East Boulevard
Unusual paper products, stationary and gifts.
The Spa at Ballantyne Resort
10000 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy.
World class spa – check out the NC red clay treatment!
www.ballantyneresort.com
Lunchbox Records
1419A Central Ave.
New and used records – vinyl – yes vinyl!
Coyote Joe’s Line Dance Lessons
4621 Wilkinson Blvd.
Wednesday night line dance lessons.
Hornet’s Nest Park’s Frisbee Disc Course
6301 Beatties Ford Rd.
Hornet’s Nest Park also boasts a Frisbee Disk and BMX course!
County Parks
Latta Plantation Nature Preserve
6211 Sample Rd.
Guided trail rides and horseback riding lessons.
www.lattaplantation.org
Richard Petty Driving Experience
5555 Concord Pkwy. S
Lowe's Motor Speedway
Ever desired to experience a stock car for yourself? Try the Richard Petty Driving Experience!
Richard Petty Driving Experience
Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
130 N. Tryon St.
Check out the hottest musicals or a great Shakespeare production.
Carolina Raptor Center
6000 Sample Road
See birds of prey–owls, vultures, eagles, hawks, and falcons–up close as they are rehabilitated and then released back into the wilds. Light Factory
345 N. College St.
Carolina Raptor Center
Mint Museum of Art
2730 Randolph Rd.
Originally a branch of the U.S. Mint, this museum houses
a wide range of exhibits and offers frequent lectures and demonstrations.
www.themintmuseums.org
The Belmont Drive-In Theatre
314 McAdenville Rd.
Catch two movies for around $8 a carload. Nastalgia and a cheap family night!
Grab a dog and some popcorn while you are at it.
Roush Racing Museum
4600 Roush Pl. NW
A must-see for race fans – grab an autograph from a driver or two during race week!
Roush Racing