Living Here Guide 2009
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Monday, Sep. 14, 2009

Uptown: the middle of everything

By Jason Benavides - jbenavides@charlotteobserver.com
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    Live music at Whisky River, one of the many bars at the EpiCentre in uptown Charlotte.

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    Benavides

  • Hot Picks

    Landmarks

    NASCAR Hall of Fame: Scheduled to open in May 2010, this state-of-the-art complex is an awesome tribute to the history and culture of the sport. www.nascarhall.com.

    Bank of America Corporate Center: The Charlotte skyline's tallest and most iconic tower. It sits in the center of uptown at Trade and Tryon streets.

    Dining

    Mert's Heart and Soul: You don't have to travel far to find Southern cooking at its best. 214 N. College St. www.mertsuptown.com.

    Alexander Michael's Restaurant and Tavern: A far cry from any chain restaurant. Al Mike's is a great spot for cold beer and my favorite dish, the London Broil. 401 W. Ninth St. www.almikestavern.com.

    Best Bets

    EpiCentre: Restaurants, bars, upscale bowling and a movie theater. 210 E. Trade St. www.epicentrenc.com.

    Blumenthal Performing Arts Center: The hub of the performing arts scene uptown. 130 N. Tryon St. www.blumenthalcenter.org.

    Why You'd Want to Live Here

    There's a world of restaurants, bars and any number of activities all within an eight-block radius. There's always something going on outside your doorstep.

In the 10 years I've lived in Charlotte, the uptown area has yet to stop growing. The growing pains of Charlotte, however, include constant construction, road blocks and, of course, parking fees. One of my favorite reasons for living near uptown is being able to walk to work, the bars or any uptown events. No parking fees for me.

With the struggling economy, growth has slowed but that doesn't stop people from crowding the streets to hit the bar scene or dining at one of the many restaurants.

One of the first places I pass after leaving my First Ward neighborhood is Dixie's Tavern. This restaurant by day has a great Cajun-inspired menu and casual atmosphere. I'm a fan of the zydeco shrimp. At night you can find people dancing on the bar and spilling out onto the patio. During football season, Dixie's welcomes any and every Pittsburgh Steeler fan.

Crossing the street in the Seventh Street Station parking garage is the best butcher shop in Charlotte, Reid's Fine Foods. They have quality steaks and seafood and some of the friendliest meat experts working behind the counter.

Seventh Street Station is also one end of the LYNX light rail service. This train system runs over nine miles from Seventh Street to Interstate 485/South Boulevard and is an excellent way to commute.

Continuing down the tracks of the light rail you'll run into Time Warner Cable Arena. I'm a big sports fan so I love being able to catch a Bobcats basketball game or Checkers hockey game just a short trek from the house.

Across from Time Warner Arena is the entertainment megaplex known as the EpiCentre which hosts a number of bars, restaurants and things to do. Some notable spots include Howl at the Moon piano bar, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Whisky River, BlackFinn saloon,

StrikeCity bowling alley and the EpiCentre movie theaters. A great upscale restaurant to try is Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar.

As a huge NFL fan I was ecstatic about living in a city with a football stadium downtown. Tailgating at Bank of America Stadium before the Panthers take the field is by far one of my favorite things to do here.

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