Oct 2, 2018 5 min read

When researching the Charlotte, N.C.-area, I saw that the city’s tourism website is www.charlottesgotalot.com. It gave me a chuckle, but then I realized that it is absolutely spot-on in describing this vibrant southern city.

Charlotte certainly has got a lot to offer visitors. The place that first developed as a railroad junction and then as a cotton mill hub is now one of the largest banking centers and one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country that is constantly topping lists of the best places to live.

Honoring

Queen Charlotte

Why is Charlotte called the Queen City? When European settlers chartered the town back in 1768, George III was King of England. The colonists opted to stay in George’s good graces by name their new city after his wife, Queen Charlotte, and dubbing the surrounding county Mecklenburg to honor her birthplace in Germany. Charlotte declared independence from England more than a year before the rest of the colonies did, when the Mecklenburg Resolves declared the authority of King George null and void in May 1775.

Charlotte experienced a gold rush in the early 1800s. Later, cotton and textiles would dominate the city’s economy. In the 1980s, banking became big and Bank of America moved its headquarters here in 1998 to become the first nationwide bank. Today, Charlotte ranks second only to New York City in banking. If you visit Independence Square, in the heart of Uptown, you’ll see statues on three corners that stand for transportation, industry and commerce. They all face the fourth corner’s statue which stands for the future. But enough about Charlotte’s past. Let’s get to the present and why you’ll love visiting here.

Easy access

Getting to Charlotte is a breeze down Interstate 79 and on south to Interstate 77. Or you can catch one of many daily non-stop flights from Pittsburgh and land in about an hour.

We were in town for a football game and opted to stay south of downtown. This made it easy to get around using the fast and efficient Lynx light rail system. Tickets cost $2.50 and can be used for a few hours each, making it convenient to visit several spots on one fare.

On our first ride to the city center, we were amazed at the transition from suburban strip malls to sprawling condominium and apartment complexes right on the rail line. The city was thriving with new housing developments, craft breweries and gastropubs. One popular pastime is to do a Lynx light rail crawl and sample the fare and spirits at spots near the New Bern, East/West Boulevard and Bland Street stops. Stay on the Lynx to the Charlotte Transportation Center stop, and you’ll step off right in the middle of everything.

The Epicentre is the heart of Charlotte’s nightlife district, featuring multiple floors of open air bars, restaurants and shops plus a movie theater and bowling alley. You’ll find dining options to suit every palate, live music, laid-back country bars and upscale dance clubs. It’s a short walk from here to take in a Carolina Panthers football game, Charlotte Hornets basketball game, minor league baseball or to check out the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Exploring the wards

We found a fun way to explore the city by taking a Segway tour, which allowed us to cover plenty of Charlotte’s history and lots of ground in less than two hours. There’s a beautiful church on nearly every corner in the Uptown area – they call it “Uptown” because you’ll be heading upward no matter which way you approach Independence Square – and you’ll want to check out the unique hidden mural by artist Ben Long in the entry foyer dome of the TransAmerica building’s arcade.

For political purposes, the Uptown was divided into four wards intersecting at Trade and Tryon Streets and today, each ward has neighborhoods with their own distinct vibe. Each ward also has its own green space and park.

Don’t miss a stroll through the lovely Fourth Ward in the north quadrant of the city. This area is dotted with Victorian homes from the 1850s when it was an upscale residential area. Many of the homes had fallen into disrepair by the 1970s and were either demolished or converted to boarding homes. Community leaders banded together to revitalize the neighborhood, designate it a Local Historic District and restore many of the houses.

If rolling through town on a Segway or taking an organized tour isn’t your thing, try hopping on one of the hundreds of motorized rental scooters you’ll find around Charlotte that can be activated using a smart phone app called “LimeBike.” It costs $1 to unlock the scooter plus 15 cents per minute. Charlotte is experimenting with this new trend that’s invading cities across the country, and has a scooter pilot program through next month. Rules on the scooters are still vague, but know that, for now, scooter operators are treated like cyclists, you don’t have to wear a helmet if you’re over 16, and you’re allowed to ride on the street or the sidewalk.

Links to plan a visit to Charlotte

Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority: www.charlottesgotalot.com

Epicentre Nightlife/Entertainment Complex: epicentrenc.com

Lynx Light Rail System: www.lynxcharlotte.com

LimeBike Scooters: www.li.me