The 2017 Charlotte Neighborhood Bracket finals: Elizabeth and NoDa vie for the title

A Plaza Midwood vs. NoDa final seemed imminent as the two top seeds charged through their respective halves of the 2017 Charlotte Neighborhood Bracket. But after an intense day of voting in the semifinal round, a big upset derailed that storyline.

Elizabeth may have lost Jackalope Jack’s to Plaza Midwood, but it wasn’t about to lose this semifinal match. The Pandemonium on Pecan was tight all day but No. 4 Elizabeth did just enough to upset top-seeded Plaza Midwood 52-48.

And No. 2 NoDa held off an early charge by (6) Montford Park to win 57-43 and leave Montford singing the blues at Jeff’s Bucket Shop.

Now for the championship match: Elizabeth vs. NoDa.

Click the image below to see a larger version, or view the whole bracket here. Voting for the semifinals is at the bottom of this page.

To preview the final, I asked a resident of each neighborhood to make their case for why you should vote for their little slice of Charlotte.

For Elizabeth: John Short (aka @TheTrolleyWalk).

– Restaurants. All of your favorite local restaurants are here. Viva Chicken, Sabor, Earl’s, Bang Bang Burgers, Luca, Fig Tree. And they’re all within a square half mile.

The fact I left out Custom Shop, Cajun Queen, and Carpe Diem shows the strength of Elizabeth’s restaurant game. I’ll put that against any ‘hood.

– History. Charlotte’s second oldest suburb boasts its oldest park, the Belk house, Presbyterian Hospital, and the Harry Golden House to name just a few historic sites.

– Events. Elizabeth boasts Charlotte’s oldest road race with the Elizabeth 8K in its 31st year. This year’s running is next weekend on March 25. Plus a number of festivals in independence Park, and sports at Grady Cole Center and Memorial Stadium.

– Art. Elizabeth has a ton of public art with murals on Sabor and Lupie’s restaurants, WallPoems art on 8th and Clement, 8th and Pecan, and on the Studio K building.

– Finally, the streetcar. Elizabeth’s future is bright and the extension of the streetcar and related development ensures Elizabeth will be a finalist for best Charlotte neighborhood in the years to come.

For NoDa: Katie Coleman. 

NoDa is the OG of cool neighborhoods. Some (me) would say it’s the only neighborhood with any culture and identity left. Even our firehouse is adorable.

Charming architecture aside, my ‘hood has some of the coolest graffiti and public art (looking at you, Matheson Bridge, Neighborhood Theatre and NoDa Company Store). Talk about something for everyone: From casual eats like Sabor, Fūd at Salud and NoDa Bodega, to swanky establishments like Crepe Cellar and Haberdish, to the staples like Jack Beagles, Cabo, Smelly Cat, The Evening Muse and Sanctuary, these places keep me planted in my ridiculously friendly and weird community.

With new establishments on the horizon like Salud Cerveceria, Divine Barrel Brewing, Bold Missy Brewery and Moo & Brew’s new location (RIP Revolution), it’s an easy answer— NoDa is clearly the coolest neighborhood on the block.

Ready for the finals? Let the voting begin.

The voting works the same way as in previous rounds: One vote per person per day. We rated the neighborhoods on things like restaurant/bar scene, shopping, location, potential and general coolness, so keep those in mind when you’re voting.

Voting in the finals has closed. Thanks for participating!

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Photos: Katie Coleman and Robert Lahser/Charlotte Observer.

This story was originally published March 17, 2017 at 1:16 AM with the headline "The 2017 Charlotte Neighborhood Bracket finals: Elizabeth and NoDa vie for the title."