Tired of your daily neighborhood walk? Here are 4 self-guided Charlotte walking tours
Charlotte historian Tom Hanchett has been spending more time at home these days (who hasn’t?).
While sitting on his front porch on The Plaza in Plaza Midwood, quarantined during the start of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, Hanchett started noticing a massive increase in sidewalk traffic.
Pedestrians, runners and cyclists were flocking out of their homes, seeking sunshine and presumably trying to avoid the endless scroll on Netflix.
With Charlotteans staying at home during COVID-19, getting more stir crazy by the minute, getting outdoors was clearly becoming popular.
Of course, Hanchett, the historian, starting wondering how to incorporate history into all that foot traffic. Cue a new set of walking tours, self-guided for safety reasons, of course.
He’s got tours already out for Elizabeth, NoDa, Plaza Midwood. Most recently, he made one for West End near Johnson C. Smith University, and he allowed CharlotteFive to tag along (from 6 feet away) where he showed us a few of the highlights. The final version of the JCSU area tour just dropped on Thursday afternoon, fresh for your weekend plans.
Below is a look at each walking tour. Which one will you try out first?
Elizabeth
Start outside the Hawthorne Recreation Center, 345 Hawthorne Lane.
Parking: There is a public lot for Independence Park, tucked behind the Hawthorne Recreation Center.
Length: about 2 miles
Time: about 40 minutes of brisk walking
What’s to see? “Some of Charlotte’s best-preserved early-twentieth century residences, including five official Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks. Four grand old churches. A tree-shaded park. And one of the city’s favorite taco-and-empanada joints,” Hanchett writes.
NoDa
Start in front of the Johnston YMCA, 3025 N. Davidson Street.
Parking: NoDa has several pay lots and some on-street parking available.
Length: about 1.5 miles.
Time: 30-40 minutes of brisk walking.
What’s to see? “Explore the historic heart of NoDa/North Charlotte, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From the Highland Park #3 mill and village, walk to the Mercury and Johnston mills, then through the bustling three-block ‘downtown,’” Hanchett writes.
Plaza Midwood
Start in front of Plaza Midwood Library, 1623 Central Avenue at The Plaza.
Parking: You can usually find parking at Plaza Midwood’s Charlotte Mecklenburg Library branch.
Length: 1.5 miles
Time: About 40 minutes of brisk walking
What’s to see: “A bookstore with an airplane inside. One of the South’s best-preserved Victorian houses. The gracious, tree-shaded VanLandingham Estate. Lotsa bungalows and colonials and tudor revival houses – intermingled with duplexes and quadraplexes,” Hanchett writes.
Note: Please stay on the public sidewalk, Hanchett said. “Except for Book Buyers and the (temporarily closed by COVID-19) Plaza Midwood Library, none of these places are open to visitors.”
West End
Start in front of Mosaic Village, 1601 W. Trade Street.
Parking: Public parking is available in the deck under Mosaic Village; use any space marked “retail.”
Length: 1.5 miles
Time: 30-40 minutes
What’s to see: “Seven official Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks. A tree-shaded college campus with Charlotte’s grandest Victorian building. Churches with deep Charlotte histories: Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, AME Zion, United House of Prayer,” Hanchett writes.
Note: Please stay on the public sidewalk, Hanchett said. None of these places are open to visitors.
Fun fact: If you like JCSU’s Arch, you can make it your Zoom background.
