charlotte skyline

CHARLOTTE
SKYLINE
MUSIC, FOOD
DRINK, ART, DESIGN,
FASHION & OUTDOORS
CHARLOTTE SKYLINE
MADE IN CHARLOTTE
Charlotte is having a moment.
Passionate chefs, craft brewers,
shop owners and designers are
working to not only advance their
own businesses but to push the
Queen City into the national spotlight.
In assembling this issue of Charlotte
Skyline, a mini-magazine and guide,
we found overwhelming evidence
of a renewed spirit, of people who
are propelling this city forward and
who are embracing their community,
talking about how to make Charlotte
an even better city than it already
is. The conversations take place at
farmers' markets and over locally
brewed beers, in networking groups
or while waiting in line for a hot dog
at a Knights game, and the conclusion
is this: Charlotte, long an enjoyable
place to live, is fast becoming
a place to create, to experience, to
be inspired. This is our hometown,
and we are excited to see and participate in this momentum, and in this
next phase of Charlotte’s growth.
We hope that meeting the people,
places and ideas that you’ll find in
the pages that follow will help put
today’s Charlotte in perspective, and
will help get you excited about the
future, too.
Publisher: Tyler Niess
Editor-in-Chief: Richard Martin
Writers: Sarah Crosland,
Daniel Hartis, Keia Mastrianni,
Sam Perkins, Michael J. Solender
Design: BPMW Agency
Photography: Logan Cyrus
Food Illustration: Travis Gray
A Crescent Communities publication
2
1
Classic Fried Pickles
at The Diamond
At this Plaza Midwood classic
diner, tangy pickle chips are
lightly battered and then deepfried. The crispy bite-size pieces
are piled in paper baskets and
served hot with a side of creamy
ranch for dipping.
diamondcharlotte.com
Fried pickles at The Diamond
2
Salted Caramel Brownies
at Amelie’s French Bakery
These sweet-meets-salty treats
go fast at this French bakery’s
original NoDa location—and it’s
easy to taste why. The decadent
squares feature rich dark chocolate topped with a gooey saltedcaramel glaze.
ameliesfrenchbakery.com
The famed brownies at Amelie's
3
Pimento Cheese Deluxe Sandwich
at Common Market
Jalapeños are mixed in for a twist
on the pimento cheese sandwich
at this eclectic neighborhood
market. Topped with strips of
bacon, fresh tomatoes, and
a scoop of the famed cheese, this
hot pressed sandwich oozes with
Southern flavor. — Sarah Crosland
commonmarketisgood.com
Grilled cheese at Common Market
Photos: Logan Cyrus
SPRING 2015
Want an idea of the city’s dining scene?
Start with these three bites.
FOOD
CHEESE WHIZ
Photos: Logan Cyrus
Meet Orrman’s Cheese
Shop owner Rachel Klebaur
Klebaur in front of Orrman's Cheese Shop
New York transplant Rachel Klebaur
set up shop peddling top-tier cheeses
in Uptown’s 7th Street Market in 2012.
Her tiny counter quickly became
the city’s top spot for fromage fans
to get their artisanal-cheese fix,
or to grab a gourmet grilled cheese
sandwich. — SC
Why open your cheese shop
in Charlotte?
There are about 40 cheese makers
in the region, so there’s access
to lots of great cheese. And I think
the food scene hereis really
growing—there’s an energy you
can feel.
What are Charlotte’s tastes when
it comes to cheese?
A lot of people come looking for
just local and regional, but we have
cheese in the case from smaller
producers in Switzerland, Germany,
and France. And they’re happy to
learn about something new and try
something completely different.
Are there any local cheeses that
are consistent favorites?
Looking Glass Creamery’s Chocolate
Lab, which is a cow’s-milk cheese
rubbed with crushed cocoa nibs,
is a favorite. It doesn’t have any
The selection ranges from local to global.
chocolate in the cheese—just on
the outside. So you don’t get that
flavor unless you eat the rind, but
the cheese itself is bright and salty.
facebook.com/orrmanscheese
DESIGNER
DINING
Photos: Logan Cyrus
How chic yet homey
littleSpoon sparked
a restaurant boom
When people look back at the
moment when Charlotte’s dining
scene took a turn toward national
prominence, they may cite the
opening of littleSpoon. In 2014,
Los Angeles transplant and former
food stylist Alesha Sin Vanata brought
her thoughtful aesthetic to Myers
Park, designing a breakfast and lunch
spot with killer coffee and ingredients
sourced from regional farms, and
hosting pop-up dinners that showcase craft cocktails. Sin Vanata
is bullish on the future of the city’s
dining scene, so much so that her
fledgling company bought the
legendary Penguin drive-in diner
in Plaza Midwood with plans for
a revamp by summer 2015.
3
“When I moved to L.A., nobody ever
thought of it for food,” she recalls.
“Coming from a city like that, which
had experienced so much growth,
really gives me hope for Charlotte
and what it can be if the right people
come together and stay on the
right path.” — Richard Martin
littlespooneatery.com
Spoon Fed [clockwise from left]: Owner
Alesha Sin Vanata; farm-fresh salad; brunch
wings; chicken banh mi sandwich
CHARLOTTE SKYLINE
TABLE
MANNERS
Relish Carolina throws
dinner parties to bring
people together
Relish Carolina, according to its
founders, is a “dinner and activity
club that recreates the lost practice
of dinnertime.” That’s a fancy way of
saying that these young Charlotteans
A Relish dinner party
know how to throw a great dinner
party. Over the past few years, the
minds behind Relish—Conor Merrigan and Joe Haubenhofer, whose
day jobs are at the marketing agency
Plaid Penguin—have attracted dozens
of young diners to a beer and cheese
pairing dinner, a seafood boil and
a “Tiki-terranean” fête that merged
The dinners spotlight local ingredients.
Mai Tais with wood-fired branzino.
The events all center around one long
table, where guests dine on plates
to celebrate food and community.
that they brought from home (and
stored with the “plate valet” on entry), That’s where the wide range of
guests comes in. “That’s the whole
often in picturesque settings—the tiki
point,” Haubenhofer says.
dinner was at a house on Lake Norman.
“The tattoo artist and the guy who
Haubenhofer explains that the Relish
has a $50 million trust fund talking,
parties are about partnering with likecoming together.” — RM
minded purveyors, brewers, chefs
relishcarolina.org
and charitable organizations
4
FARM
TO CITY
Greens, meats and other fresh
products are more easily
accessible than ever
The vibrance of Charlotte’s
local food community is
a testament to the abundance
of North Carolina farms.
Charlotte has a variety of
farmers' markets to choose
from, each with its own personality. Find chefs, locavores
and a new farmer friend or
two at one of these popular
markets. —Keia Mastrianni
Atherton Market: Located
in South End, Atherton is the
social center of the local food
community, where visitors not
only shop fresh, but catch up
in a picturesque warehouse
space over coffee and food
truck snacks.
Charlotte Regional
Farmers Market: The largest
market in Charlotte features
farmers from around the
region, a large plant shed,
crafters and more.
Matthews Community Market:
This charming community
market has been a hyperlocal
(within 50 miles of downtown
Matthews), growers-only
market for 24 years, with
a tight-knit feel and seasonal
market activities.
Photos: Noble by Squire Fox Photography;
Farmers markets by Logan Cyrus
Jim Noble is chef-owner of Noble
Restaurants Group, which includes
Rooster’s, a Southern-food concept
with two locations in Charlotte and
one planned for Charleston, S.C.
Here, Noble talks about Charlotte’s
place in the Southern-cuisine
conversation. — SC
“It would be hard for
Charlotte to be considered
a Southern food city with
as many transplants as there
are in town. Most of the chefs
here, including me, aren’t
even from Charlotte. There
are chefs here, though,
who are passionate about all
kinds of food. And with the
influx of people from all over
the country, there’s been
a real demand here for good
food, especially in recent
years. I think of the food here
as being more continental
and more international than
a lot of Southern cities.”
Photos: Relish by LunahZon Photography
IN HIS WORDS
FOOD/DRINK
BEER ’HOODS
A tale of two craft-brewing booms
Photos: Logan Cyrus
(Birdsong taps by Richard Martin)
NoDa. South End. Two neighborhoods at either end of Charlotte,
two exploding craft-brewing scenes. Here is just a sampler of the
offerings in the city’s emerging industry. — Daniel Hartis
Noda [clockwise from left]: NoDa Brewing is famed for its IPAs;
The brewery's taproom is also a draw; Birdsong's taproom features
a wall of craft beer stickers.
South End: Sycamore Brewing (left) makes barrel-aged beers in
house; Triple C boasts a modern taproom and serves its beers
in appropriately sophisticated glassware.
NODA
SOUTH END
NoDa Brewing’s Hop Drop ‘n Roll IPA garnered
gold at the World Beer Cup in 2014 and is one
of the most popular beers in the Queen City.
True to its name, Good Bottle Co. has good bottles,
but this combination bottle shop and bar also has
12 taps, with an emphasis on NC beers.
Another favorite around Charlotte is Birdsong
Brewing’s Jalapeño Pale Ale, which abounds
with pepper flavor but no heat.
The Beer Growler fills growlers from 45 taps, but
you can sit and enjoy a flight of beer there, too.
At Heist Brewery, pair Belgian-inspired beers with
“twisted eats” (or their extensive Sunday brunch
buffet). The Cataclysm stout is a must-try.
Salud Beer Shop, long praised for its beer
selection, old-school Nintendo and hip-hop
playlists, recently added a deli and nanobrewery.
Pair one of Revolution Ale House’s 44 drafts with
their handmade pizzas (a cracked egg sits in the
center of the Carolina Cyclops).
Brothers Jason and Jeff Alexander have been
working on Free Range Brewing for several years,
with Jeff curating the taps at Twenty-Two gallery
for awhile, but they’re about to debut their
handsome taproom — and to start brewing
multiple varieties of Free Range beers.
5
Craft Tasting Room and Growler Shop fills
growlers, pours pints and sells bottles, in addition
to cheeses, charcuterie and small plates. A block
away is The Unknown Brewing Co., its taproom
a bold blend of neon green and gray.
Outside Triple C Brewing are several picnic tables.
Inside is a modern taproom and a variety of beers,
from blonde to barrel-aged.
Visit Sycamore Brewing for the fun beer garden
and ever-changing tap list. Their neighbors at
Lenny Boy Brewing craft both beer and kombucha
(non-alcoholic and alcoholic).
The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery started the Queen
City’s beer boom, opening in 2009 with a mission
to produce German-style beers. Of course, dozens
of competitors have surfaced since, but the recent
move to a spacious new Brauhaus will keep OMB
at the head of the pack.
CHARLOTTE SKYLINE
Two great local coffee spots, head to head
GOOD SPIRITS
Charlotte’s craft-distillery
scene is on the rise
Not Just Coffee
LOCATIONS
Two. Atherton Market in
South End and 7th Street
Public Market in Uptown.
OFFERINGS
Single-sized drinks focused
on espresso and single-origin
manual-brewed coffee
primarily from Counter
Culture Coffee in Durham.
We serve house-made
sodas and syrups too.
VIBE
Our shop has an urban
vibe with lots of handmade
details. The energy is pretty
high, especially during
peak times.
DRINK OF CHOICE
Typically an espresso,
but I love a perfect cortado,
especially when made with
a shot of natural Ethiopian.
It’s like a blueberry parfait!
6
Photo: vodka bottle photo courtesy of
Great Wagon Road Distilling Co.
The Charlotte coffee scene is abuzz with local shops focused on the
art and science of coffee. Established cafés have given rise to bright
young offshoots. Here’s veteran shop owner James Yoder of Not Just
Coffee and rookie upstart Lindsey Pitman of The Daily Press,
side by side, showing off the different personalities of everyone’s
favorite beans—in their own words. — KM
The Daily Press
LOCATION
NoDa, inside the Evening
Muse performance space
OFFERINGS
A traditional menu that
includes a long list of
signature beverages infused
with essential oils, herbs
and house-made flavorings.
The Daily Press works
with multiple roasters
focused on quality and
coffee education.
VIBE
We operate inside a music
venue so it’s an overcaffeinated rock star’s
science lab meets homey
neighborhood hub.
DRINK OF CHOICE
I want to be dazzled by
a single-origin espresso.
Sure, Charlotte is a beer town, but
what about the craft-spirits scene?
In 2012, Belmont’s Muddy River
Distillery launched their “Carolina
Rum.” Their finest offering is Queen
Charlotte’s Reserve, which is aged
in virgin American white oak barrels.
Though Muddy River was the first
distillery in the Charlotte area, more
are on the way. The Great Wagon
Road Distilling Co. will open this year
near The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery,
with whom they have partnered. The
brewery is contracted to brew the
“mash,” which Great Wagon Road will
then distill into a vodka and American
whiskey. Just around the corner from
these two is Doc Porter’s Distillery,
which is also under construction.
Doc Porter’s will use locally grown
grains to produce vodka, gin and
whiskey. — DH
Charlotte-Area
Restaurants To Try
1 Good Food on Montford
2
Kindred (in Davidson)
3
Passion8
4 Soul Gastrolounge
5 The Asbury
6
Heirloom
7
Rocksalt
8
5Church
Photos: Coffee portraits by Logan Cyrus
BUZZ PATROL
DRINK/MUSIC
Photo: Junior Astronomers by Logan Cyrus
CHARLOTTE
ROCKS?!
It’s not just a mirage;
this city’s music scene
has serious momentum
Emerging artists. Music venues
with history and character. A few
breakout figures with a national
following. A passionate fan base
of concertgoers. These are the
ingredients of an exciting, poisedfor-success music scene. Here are
10 reasons to believe. — RM
Junior Astronomers
1
Homegrown artists like Junior
Astronomers and Sam The Lion have
yet to earn much national attention,
but it’s easy to imagine these and
other Charlotte indie bands getting
Pitchfork Best New Music status
in the future.
2
Charlotte long ago ceded the country-music capital crown to Nashville,
and it barely registers on the country
map these days. But a strong rootsmusic scene is developing, led by
up-and-comers Saints and Sinners.
3
Breakout stars like the Avett Brothers
and more recently, Matrimony, mean
that mainstream success hasn’t eluded
Charlotte-area acts.
4
The Charlotte area has also quietly
become a hub for standout soul and
R&B artists. Native Anthony Hamilton
is the city’s most well-known
singer, and North Carolinians
Calvin Richardson and American Idol
winner Fantasia Barrino also call
the city home.
7
5
“There’s always been a lot of good
music here,” says Daniel Coston,
who has authored four books about
Charlotte’s music scene, and photographed countless local and national
bands. “There was in the ‘80s and
‘90s, and there is now.” Coston says
that the city gets overlooked in part
because there isn’t one defining
genre. “It’s a series of smaller scenes,”
he says, each with an evolving personality that bears watching.
6
Another music-scene fixture,
Joe Kuhlmann, who has booked
seminal NoDa venue The Evening
Muse since it opened 14 years ago,
says the music community is on
an “uptick.” “There are a lot of
bands and musicians working really
hard,” he says. “They encourage
each other.”
7
The range of music venues, many
of which have decades of history,
is nearly unparalleled in the United
States. The country’s second-longestoperating blues club is the Double
Door Inn, according to Coston, who
wrote a book on the place. Punk and
rock bands have played the stage at
the Tremont for 20 years, while the
Milestone Club can boast of having
Nirvana perform there. The Visulite in
Elizabeth is a favorite of local fans and
touring bands alike. The newer NC
Music Factory features two dazzling
venues, the Fillmore and Uptown
Amphitheater.
8
Any good music scene needs a great
record store, and Lunchbox Records
in Plaza Midwood is a gem, with
a stellar vinyl selection, occasional
in-store performances and a lived-in
quality that encourages endless
crate digging.
9
Uptown cultural theaters frequently
host well-known acts. The Knight,
Belk and McGlohon theaters
offer sophistication whether the
music program is Dvorak or the
Doobie Brothers.
10
The city arguably lacks a cool indie
label, especially considering that
Chapel Hill is home to the revered
Merge Records. That will hopefully
change with the launch of a nonprofit effort, Croquet Records,
starting up in spring 2015.
CHARLOTTE SKYLINE
GENTLEMEN'S
WAGER
“We serve the whole spectrum,
from bow ties to dry flies,” says Marc
Williams of The Sporting Gent, his
men’s shop in Myers Park. The former
marketing executive, who worked
with NASCAR and other high-profile
clients, saw a need for a place where
men could find fishing and hunting
gear while also refreshing their
wardrobe. As a result, The Sporting
Gent comes off like a cool NYC
boutique that took a detour through
the Southern woods and meadows
before settling in Charlotte. It carries
a range of brands that cater to
Southern gentlemen in a variety of
ways, and Williams has extended the
service to occasional gatherings in
Photos: The Sporting Gent by Logan Cyrus
The Sporting Gent bets
big on refined Southern
lifestyle
the parking lot of the shop, featuring
barbecued meats, local beers and
live music. It’s all part of Williams’
mission to celebrate the lifestyle his
company promotes and the city he
loves. “Charlotte is a great city, and
there’s no reason it can’t be the next
Austin or Atlanta,” he says. “There’s
a great culture here; we just need
to talk about it more.” — RM
thesportinggent.com
Sporting Chance: Marc Williams presides
over stylish apparel and hunting gear.
HIDING IN
PLAIN SIGHT
“Six years ago I bought a piece of
leather and started playing with this
medium,” says Scott Hofert of the
modest beginnings of ColsonKeane,
now Charlotte’s best-known leather
goods company. His inspiration was
the same as that of many other
successful businesspeople, namely
that he created products that he
wanted to use himself—an iPad case,
a sturdy travel bag. Now, Hofert and
his team make leather bags, belts
and more out of a Plaza Midwood
workshop that’s open by appointment. His clientele is national, but
he points to Charlotte’s business
community as an underrated market
filled with men and women who
strive to distinguish themselves
8
with ColsonKeane’s one-of-a-kind,
handmade products. A leather bag,
he tells them, will show the story
of their career. “It’s an heirloom
experience,” he says. — RM
colsonkeane.com
Photos: ColsonKeane by Logan Cyrus
ColsonKeane makes
leather goods for
the people
Leather Bound: Scott Hofert turned his
curiosity into a booming business.
STYLE
UPTOWN'S
SARTORIALIST
Photos: Abbeydale by Logan Cyrus
Abbeydale is a menswear
oasis in an unusual location
Ask any Charlottean about shopping
in Uptown and you might be greeted
with a giggle. After all, there’s not much
retail at street level. But a walk up West
4th Street offers a blink-and-you’llmiss-it menswear boutique where the
city’s sharpest-dressed men drop
in for tailored suiting, house-designed
denim and smart accessories.
Abbeydale is the brainchild of city
native David Watkins, who relocated
to the unorthodox space from more
well-traveled style neighborhood Plaza
Midwood. “It’s the bottom of a parking
deck, but it works for us,” says Watkins,
who named the shop after the street
where he grew up in East Charlotte.
The location may not lead to a rush
of walk-ins, but it’s a prime spot for
Abbeydale to reach its core audience
of bankers and brokers, who, Watkins
says, can be doubly good customers.
“A lot of my clients have a separate
wardrobe for Charlotte and New York,”
he says with a laugh. “They’re business
casual here and when they travel
to New York City they have to wear
a tie.” Maybe that’s why Abbeydale
is looking to expand further, introducing more ready-to-wear options,
an e-commerce site and a bigger shop
in the near future—hopefully, Watkins
insists, in Uptown. — RM
houseofabbeydale.com
Man of Means: David Watkins converted an
overlooked space into a men's boutique.
STYLISH ICON
Top Charlotte
Women’s
Boutiques
Photos: Amy Herman by Logan Cyrus
Amy Herman brings
ceaseless energy
to multiple disciplines
Amy Herman is everywhere. She’s
a photographer, an artist, a teacher,
and the owner of a vintage rental
company that also hosts seasonal
pop-up markets (VTGCLT). But that’s
not all. She is also cofounder of the
wildly successful networking event
#InstabeerupCLT, where locals come
together at this city’s best craft-brewing taprooms to connect, converse
and commingle. Here’s Herman on
the Queen City, community and her
favorite hangouts. — KM
vintage-charlotte.com
What do you love about Charlotte?
I love that it’s a small town wearing
a big-city coat. You can go places and
run into people you know and there
is still space for new ideas.
9
1 Capitol
2 Poole Shop
3 ChezElle
4 Scout & Molly’s
5 Boris & Natasha
6 doll. (a boutique)
What does community mean to you?
It’s having people talk to each other,
sharing ideas. It’s mixing things
together to create better things.
What are your favorite Charlotte
spots morning, noon and night?
The Daily Press, The Diamond
and Birdsong Brewing.
CHARLOTTE SKYLINE
QUEEN CITY CULTURE
BY MICHAEL J. SOLENDER
Newcomers to Charlotte
are quick to discover that
the Queen City possesses
serious bona fides as
a cultural destination.
Chuck Close portraits are dazzling
glass works, including pieces
by Italian master Lino Tagliapeitra.
Exploring the sometimes volatile,
always intriguing concept of contemporary Southern U.S. history,
Charlotte’s Levine Museum of the
New South is an interactive history
museum with a focus on post—Civil
War southern society—from 1865
to today. Visitors find the museum
embraces discussion and examination
of race, poverty, politics, economics and culture in a thoughtful and
engaging fashion.
Harvey B. Gantt Center for African
American Arts & Culture
551 South Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28202
704.374.1565
ganttcenter.org
Mint Museum
500 South Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28202
704.337.2000
mintmuseum.org
Photos: Museum photos courtesy
of the institutions
Nowhere is that more evident than
on the southern end of Uptown’s
Tryon Street, where the terra-cottaskinned Bechtler Museum houses
work from the mid-20th century's
most celebrated artists. Snap a selfie
on the plaza alongside Nikki de
Saint Phalle’s giant mirrored Firebird,
Charlotte’s most iconic landmark.
Across the plaza, the Gantt Center
celebrates African-American culture
through music, dance, literary arts,
and film. It's earned national recognition for hosting world-class exhibitions
such as the Kinsey Collection and
Question Bridge.
Charlotte’s Mint Museum features
historical pieces from around the
globe and inspires the community
by collecting, conserving and exhibiting unique art and craft design.
Find the most striking collection
of art glass in the city in the public
lobby gallery of the Foundation for
the Carolinas. Nestled amongst huge
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
420 South Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28202
704.353.9200
bechtler.org
Cultural Kingpins
in the Queen City
1 Charlotte Ballet
2 Opera Carolina
3 Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
Foundation for the Carolinas
220 N. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28202
704.973.4500
fftc.org
10
Levine Museum of the New South
200 East 7th St., Charlotte, NC 28202
704.333.1887
museumofthenewsouth.org
4 XOXO Contemporary
Performance
5 Tosco Music Party
CULTURE
CREATIVE
CONTROL
At the McColl Center for
Art + Innovation, artists
come first
Photos: McColl Center courtesy of the
institution; Wall Poems by Logan Cyrus
On a recent lazy afternoon I was
driving up North Church Street when
something unusual caught my eye:
a man on a customized bike outfitted with a folding table and gaudy
chrome handlebars. For a moment,
I thought I was in Austin, Texas, but
no, this was Charlotte, and the man
was Robert Karimi, an alumnus artistin-residence at the McColl Center
for Art + Innovation. This Charlotte
institution has studio space and
nearby apartments for about a dozen
artists, and they cycle in and out
throughout the year (though not
usually the type of cycling Karimi goes
in for), taking inspiration from the
neo-Gothic architecture and creating
visual art of all types. The public can
access the center through regular
studio visits or special events, and
the programming helps—to borrow
a phrase from Austin—keep Charlotte
weird. — RM
mccollcenter.org
POETIC
LICENSE
Meet the minds behind
Wall Poems of Charlotte
The McColl Center combines education,
architecture, residencies and gallery space.
Painting (above) by Ivan Toth Depeña.
Amy Bagwell and Graham Carew
leave their mark all over Charlotte
in the form of giant wall poems
meant to provide poetry to the
people. Bagwell, an English
instructor at Central Piedmont
Community College, partnered
with one of her former students,
artist Graham Carew, to share
their mutual love of art and poetry
with the city. “We want to take
poetry off the high, dusty shelves
of academia,” says Bagwell. Since
2013, Wall Poems has installed nine
large-scale murals throughout the
city, including Dandelion Market in
Uptown and Dixie’s Tavern off 7th
Street. Bagwell and Carew intentionally honor the legacy of North
Carolina’s literary community by
featuring poems from North Carolina writers only. Look for 10 more
murals in 2015 in Uptown, Elizabeth
and Plaza Midwood. Public art,
says Bagwell, is a gallery that
is always open. — KM
Carew and Bagwell (top) make Wall Poems.
11
CHARLOTTE SKYLINE
POSITIVE SIGNS
It’s not a given that a city’s business
sector has to support art, but
Charlotte has its share of generous
corporations. One of the more
visible new projects is courtesy of
Adams Outdoor Advertising, which
partnered with the Arts & Science
Council starting in 2014 on ArtPop,
which places regional artists’ work
on 20 billboards around Charlotte
for one year. The 2015 art is up
around the city now, and the website
charlottecultureguide.com features
a map of locations. The inaugural
group’s Jerry Lee Kirk, a local painter,
says ArtPop gave a serious boost
to his career when it featured his
expressionist painting October Sighs,
Leaves Whisper, landing him several
commissions. Kirk says, “I still get
calls from people who’ve seen it.” — RM
artsandscience.org/artpop
Billboard Photo: Courtesy of Arts & Science
Council; Kirk art courtesy the artist
ArtPop gives local artists
an enticing canvas
ArtPop places art on billboards (top); Jerry Lee Kirk's October Sighs, Leaves Whisper.
ARTS WITHIN
REACH
Sure, it can be expensive to attend
the opera: Building complex sets and
hiring brilliant tenors doesn’t come
cheap, and it follows that neither
do tickets. Maybe that’s why Opera
Carolina takes part in programs like
Endless Possibilities, an annual performance created for 10-and 11-yearolds that’s a joint collaboration
between the opera, the Charlotte
Ballet, the Charlotte Symphony and
the Charlotte Arts & Science Council.
Area fifth-graders get to experience
memorable performances, and
there’s an educational component
built in. Arts education is surprisingly
accessible throughout Charlotte,
whether through programming at the
12
McColl Center or affordable classes
at the Charlotte Art League,
a nonprofit visual-arts organization
that also hosts regular exhibits
at its South End studios.— RM
Photos: Endless Possibilities photos
courtesy Arts & Science Council
Outreach from key
institutions makes culture
more accessible
Scenes from the Endless Possibilities 2015
trip to the Belk Theater
ART/DESIGN
MAKERS’ MARK
Meet three regional artists behind sharp knives,
stylish reclaimed wood
Steve Watkins
Text: Keia Mastrianni. Photos: Courtesy of the makers;
Iron Man Forge by Mike Dickerman
Iron Man Forge
Steve Watkins can tell you most anything you ever wanted to know about
knives. The obsessive bladesmith
crafts custom professional chef’s
knives for kitchen professionals and
enthusiastic home cooks.
ironmanknives.com
Jack Hurley
Blacksmith, Bradford Store
Jack Hurley has a propensity for
doing things the old-fashioned way.
The photographer turned history
professor turned blacksmith forges old
railroad ties into knives using
18th-century techniques in his small
shop on the Bradford Farm.
15915 Davidson Concord Road,
Huntersville
Stephen Owen
Sixteen Acre Wood
If a tree falls in the woods, it usually
goes unnoticed—unless Stephen Owen
finds it. Using reclaimed wood from
fallen trees, Owen crafts one-of-a-kind
cutting boards and bowls that are as
functional as they are beautiful.
sixteenacrewood.com
13
CHARLOTTE SKYLINE
GRAND RAPIDS
The Whitewater Center is
a sprawling thrill-seeker’s
playground
programs and more. And after a day
of adrenaline rushes, you can come
back down to earth with a beer
at the Pump House Biergarten
or a burger at the River’s Edge Bar
& Grille. — Sam Perkins
usnyc.org
TRAILS WITH
A VIEW
14
Mountain-biking trails are also a lure.
Mecklenburg
County
Greenspaces
By the Numbers
Just outside Charlotte,
hikes and beauty abound
For great hikes, you don’t have to
drive two hours west to the Appalachians. The Piedmont has countless
day-hike options within an hour of
Charlotte. Kings Mountain State Park
and National Military Park lie to the
southwest on the North/South Carolina border. Almost 40 miles of trails
wind through the site, which was
a battlefield for a decisive Patriot
militia victory in the Revolutionary
War. Due west of Charlotte, Crowders
Mountain is one of the region’s many
massive rock outcrops, rising high to
provide rigorous hiking trails and rock
climbing. From the top is a beautiful
view of the distant city skyline. South
of Charlotte, along the Catawba River,
is Landsford Canal State Park, which
is home to the largest population of
Rocky Shoal Spider Lilies in the world.
Photos: Courtesy USNWC
The Whitewater Center's main attraction
Parks: 210
Acreage covered by
these parks: 17,600
Public golf courses: 6
Frisbee golf courses: 17
Crowders Mountain (top) and kayaking
at Landsford Canal State Park
In the late spring and early summer,
these flowers blanket the river with
large, white six-petal blooms. Kayakers can paddle through the shoals,
while folks on foot can walk along the
riverbank, also exploring the massive
stonework of the locks forming the
200-year-old canal system. — SP
Developed greenways:
37 miles
Undeveloped greenways:
150 miles
Length of the popular
Little Sugar Creek
greenway: 6 miles
Photos: Kayaking by Nancy Pierce; Crowders courtesy NC
Division of Parks and Recreation
It’s only a 20-minute drive from
Uptown, but the U.S. National
Whitewater Center feels like another
world. Spread across 700 mostly
undeveloped acres of forest on
the edge of Charlotte, the USNWC
features rafting, kayaking, standup paddling, rock climbing, ropes
courses, zip lines, obstacle courses,
mountain biking and trail running/
hiking—weekend warriors never
run out of options. Throughout the
year, the site also hosts hundreds of
races, live musical performances,
festivals and other outdoor events.
The USNWC’s Outdoor School has
more than 20 programs, including
summer camps, schools for outdoor
skills, guide training, leadership
OUTDOOR/SPORTS
A SPORTING CITY
Let’s take a look at Charlotte sports by the numbers
5
9,686
Number of drivers who are inducted
into the NASCAR Hall of Fame each
year. The first-ever HOF class was
in 2010 and featured Dale Earnhardt
Jr. and Richard Petty.
Average attendance last year
at the Charlotte Knights’ home
baseball games, highest among
all Triple-A MLB affiliates.
It was the team’s first season
at the new BB&T BallPark.
(They are affiliated with
the Chicago White Sox).
140,000
Capacity for the Charlotte Motor
Speedway in Concord, NC,
the fifth-largest NASCAR track
in the U.S.
89.5
Percentage of the Charlotte
Hornets franchise reportedly
owned by Michael Jordan.
$725M
Estimated value of the Charlotte
Hornets (according to Forbes).
15
1
Super Bowl appearance by the
Carolina Panthers, who joined
the NFL in 1995.
1-15
The Panthers’
record the year
before their
2003 trip to the
Super Bowl.
26
Number of titles won by World
Heavyweight and WWE Hall
of Famer Ric Flair, who lives
in Charlotte.
69,364
The record for attendance at
a soccer game in Charlotte, set
at an International Champions
Cup tournament game between
AC Milan and Liverpool in 2014.
2
429
Fixed concession points
of sale in the Panthers’ Bank
of America Stadium, equating
to one stand per 171 fans.
1923
The year Davidson
College’s Richardson
Stadium was built,
making it the oldest
sporting venue
in Charlotte.
Division I collegiate athletic schools
in the Charlotte area
(UNC at Charlotte and Davidson).
DR
IV
E
PLAZA MIDWOOD
BOSNIAN
EA
ST
WA
Y
CHARLOTTE SKYLINE
CHARLOTTE COUNTRY CLUB
COLOMBIAN
EURO GRILL & CAFE
MEXICAN
CHINESE
LAS DELICIAS BAKERY
CENT
RAL
VIETNAMESE
TACOS EL
NEVADO
AVEN
U
E
E L S A LV A D O R I A N
DIM SUM
VIETNAMESE
PHO HOA
MORAZON
BEN THANH
NORTH CAROLINA
EVERGREEN
NATURE
PRESERVE
Illustration by Travis Gray
A WORLD OF FOOD
Central Avenue restaurants offer
a road trip to delicious global cuisine
Head east from Uptown and follow Central Avenue
through Plaza Midwood, past tattoo shops, antique
stores and neighborhood watering holes to find the
global eats that await you along this diverse corridor.
This ain’t your grandmother’s South. It’s the new
New South, full of rich pockets of culture, vibrant
communities where you’re more likely to find an
authentic torta or bowl of pho than you are a plate
of biscuits and gravy.
Central Avenue is a single road teeming with
opportunities to eat your way around the world.
Taste Bosnia’s national dish at the Euro Grill & Café
where the delightfully meaty cevap is on the menu,
16
grilled sausages on warm lepinje bread and a savory
red-pepper relish known as ajvar. Up the road lies the
perfect alternative to Sunday brunch at Dim Sum Chinese
Restaurant. Visit the tiny Asian market adjacent to the
restaurant and then head to Pho Hoa for a steaming hot
bowl of Northern Vietnamese pho. If Latin cuisine is more
your thing, keep driving. Central Avenue offers plenty of
choices from Honduran baleadas and Salvadoran pupusas
at Morazon to fresh Colombian pastries at Las Delicias
Bakery. Just down the street at Tacos El Nevado, find the
best taco in town and tortas as big as your head. Head
back to Southeast Asia and visit Ben Thanh, a Vietnamese
staple where owner Phung Nguyen will delight you with
his extensive list of traditional dishes and one of the best
bowls of pho in the city. Who knew the Queen City had
so many cultural gems in her crown? — KM
SkylineCLT.com