A FINE, PROSPEROUS PLACE: Back in the late 1990s, I was working for a bank in Florida that decided to sell itself to a certain bank headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. I had never given Charlotte much thought. I had visited the mountains of western North Carolina and know the pleasures of Wilmington and the Cape Fear coast, but Charlotte was a blank slate in my mind. My focus on the Tarheel State's largest city was sharpened abruptly when my new employer told me that my job would continue, but only if I moved to Charlotte.Thus, began my shotgun relationship with Charlotte. As a then-single lawyer, I was prepared to not like it for that reason alone, and because I assumed it would be a boring town of bankers (present company excluded) with nothing to do. And, I tried really hard to find fault with the place. But, the truth is, I fell in love with Charlotte and its people during the nearly three years I lived there. Most people know Charlotte today as one of the nation's largest, albeit struggling-at-present, banking centers, but it is much more than a one or two company town.
As a recent visit for a wedding confirmed, Charlotte is, in reality, a verdant, beautiful city with a thriving and recently expanded arts scene, good shopping and dining options, several great green spaces, NFL and NBA excitement and, though it's not on my own list of to-dos, the new NASCAR Hall of Fame. As a drive through town will show, Charlotte is a relatively prosperous place of about 1.7 million (MSA-wise) set in the rolling terrain of North Carolina's Piedmont. The largest city between Atlanta and Washington is uniquely blessed with several lovely neighborhoods within five or ten minutes of the central business district, known locally as Uptown. The neighborhoods range from the old money manses of Dilworth and Myers Park, which was designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, to the bungalows of Elizabeth to the eccentric mix of funky Plaza Midwood. There are more modern 'hoods that stretch into suburbia, including Mc- and Big-Mac mansions that line the shores of Lake Norman, which is a boating mecca formed by damning the Catawba River. Charlotte also has its own vibrant African-American community with several interesting points of interest, including Johnson C. Smith University and the just-opened Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture. The Gantt Center is part of the newly organized Wells Fargo Cultural Campus that also includes the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, and is symbolic of Charlotte's strong commitment to the arts in ways both small and large.
Overall, Charlotte has the look and feel of a new city with modern, planned and mostly manicured developments. The city also is a good jumping off point to the rest of the Carolinas. With non-stop air connections to most major cities in the United States and several in Europe, Charlotte offers easy access (two or three hours' drive) to the mountain resorts of Asheville and Blowing Rock in North Carolina, as well as historic Charleston, South Carolina and its beaches.
THE QUEEN CITY: Charlotte was founded in the mid-18th century and named after Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in Germany, who became the queen consort of King George, III. The city later was known for its active opposition to British colonial rule. Charlotte boomed after the Civil War as a railroad center, overtaking Wilmington as the largest city in North Carolina. Charlotte's most recent and transforming boom began in the 1970s when two hometown banks, NCNB and First Union, led by ambitious CEOs and facilitated by progressive banking laws in their own backyard, launched nationwide expansion strategies that fueled an onslaught of mostly well-paid, highly educated newcomers. For a time, Charlotte was the second largest banking center in the United States, as ranked by assets held by companies headquartered here. Prior to the recent financial crisis that saw Wachovia Bank (successor to First Union) acquired by San Francisco-based Wells Fargo, Charlotte was home to about $2 trillion in banking assets.
WHERE TO STAY AND WHAT TO DO AND SEE: Charlotte is not a town of blockbuster attractions. Think of it as a great place to live, but you're just here for the weekend. So, what would locals do? If such a local were putting up guests and did not have the room at home, there are two primary lodging destinations: Uptown and SouthPark. On a recent visit, we stayed at the Aloft Charlotte Uptown, which is connected to the EpiCentre, a complex of bars and restaurants that draws crowds of 20- and 30-somethings ready to party. It's happening at night, so ask for a room on the quiet side of the building if that's not your thing. The rooms themselves are nicely designed and equipped for the W Hotel fan who is in town for business, which seems to be the point of this new chain of properties from the Starwood Hotel Group. For more luxurious digs, Uptown also offers the Westin and the just-opened Ritz-Carlton, which is part of the Bank of America headquarters complex. A well-established choice is the Dunhill Hotel, which just celebrated its 80th anniversary of catering to out-of-town guests.
There are a few neighborhood shopping areas in Charlotte, but the city's premier retail and other lodging center is SouthPark. The mall itself has lots of upscale big names like Burberry, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and St. John. There are several hotel options, including a Doubletree Guest Suites on property and a Marriott across the street from the mall. In addition to SouthPark, you can engage in retail therapy of a more localized variety by checking out vintage clothing and furniture stores along Central Avenue in Plaza Midwood. Another good stop is the short stretch of East Boulevard in Dilworth near the intersection with South Tryon Street. A great local destination for browsing for everything from wind-up kids' tub toys to design books to a last-minute gift for someone who is stylish and hard to please is Paper Skyscraper. I never fail to find a great gift when I stop here on visits back to town.
As a runner, one of my favorite things to do in Charlotte is to pick a neighborhood and check out the great houses and beautiful landscaping as I make my way up and down the hilly, winding streets. A great starting point for a run is Freedom Park, just south of Uptown and off East Boulevard. This 98-acre park offers a nice loop to get you started, and from where you can head west to the streets of Dilworth or east to suffer house envy (but not price envy) in Myers Park.
There are lots of good place to eat in Charlotte and, with a few exceptions, most are casual and informal. One of my favorites is local pizza chainlet Wolfman Pizza, which offers really tasty and interesting choices like the New Mexico, a pie of black bean sauce, chicken and salsa fresca. Another reliable choice in Uptown is Mimosa Grill, offering a wide variety of contemporary fare with a Southern twist and the help of local farmers. Charlotte and the rest of North Carolina have seen an explosion in the growth of the Latino community, so be sure to ask locals for the latest recommendations for good Mexican or Salvadoran or other food choices of the Americas.
MY RULES: Charlotte is a major air hub for US Airways and there's kind of a lock on the market, which does not generally fit within my first travel rule of cheap flights from my home base of BWI. Southwest does not fly here but AirTran does, so cheaper flights are possible if you plan ahead. As to my second travel rule, I would not describe Charlotte as particularly gay-friendly nor would I label it a homophobic place. It does seem to me that the influence of its two largest employers, Bank of America and Wells Fargo, has moved Charlotte to embrace diversity, at least in the workplace. I would note that both companies regularly earn a 100 score in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index.
I did not want to move to Charlotte but I am happy I did. In addition to living in such a beautiful, friendly city, I met some of my closest friends, who are regular reminders of why Charlotte is a great city worthy of exploration.
