Sam Perkins, Michael J. Solender. Design: BPMW Agency. Photography: Logan
Cyrus. Food Illustration: Travis Gray. A Crescent Communities publication. P h o.
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
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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.
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“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
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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.
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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!
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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)
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Passion8 4 Soul Gastrolounge 5 The Asbury 6
Heirloom
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Rocksalt
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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).
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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.
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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,
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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
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