Travel Tips: Downtown Charlotte, NC

Planning to visit downtown Charlotte, NC with a few guys for a long weekend. Sharing my travel notes for other first-time visitors.

Resources

• Charlotte Weather
• NC Covid-19 Dashboard

Public Transit vs Ride Sharing vs Car Rental

We initially thought we would need to ride share or rent a car, but it sounds like Charlotte, NC has a great public transit system. We plan to take a bus from Airport to Downtown (bus runs every 15 minutes), then take their light rail system and busses around downtown. Cost is about $2/ride or $30/week for unlimited rides.

CATS Bus Route: Airport Terminal to Downtown (Airport to downtown is 21 minute ride)
https://charlottenc.gov/cats/bus/routes/Pages/

CATS Light Rail: Lynx Blue/Gold Rail Lines
https://charlottenc.gov/cats/rail/Pages/

CATS Map of the Blue Line (04/2022). The trains currently stop every 15 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes in the evenings.

Here’s a Google Map of Blue Line from McCullough Station (8312 N Tryon St) to Arrowood Station (7430 South Blvd). We aren’t planning to go to the far ends of the line (I-485 or UNC) so I didn’t include the last few stops, but it is interesting to see where the line travels through the Charlotte Metro area.
https://bit.ly/map-clt-rail-blue

CATS Map of the Yellow Line (04/2022). The streetcars currently stop every 20 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes in the evenings. The BLUE/YELLOW lines meet at CTC/Arena (Charlotte Transportation Center)

Charlotte has plans to continue expanding their yellow/blue lines and add additional lines, so definitely check the CATS website for the latest maps and schedule.

Nightlife near Light Rail Stations

I compiled a list of the (currently) highest-rated attractions near Charlotte Blue Line Stations w/ the current Google Rating and Review Count. Based on the Google and Yelp reviews I’ve read, Cellar at Duckworth’s, Wooden Robot, and Aura Rooftop get my votes.

9th St Station

• Babylon Hookah Lounge – 3.8 (71)

7th St Station

• The Cellar at Duckworth’s – 4.7 (965) ⭐️

CTC/Arena Station

• Tailored Smoke Cigar Lounge – 4.5 (414)

3rd St Station

• Middle C Jazz – 4.8 (409)
• The Public House – 4.7 (40)

Stonewall Station

• Aura Rooftop at JW Marriott – 5.0 (1081) ⭐️

Carson

• Charlotte Cigar Culture – 4.8 (238)
• Morehead Tavern – 4.4 (338)

Bland Station

• Wooden Robot Brewery – 4.7 (707) ⭐️
• Amos Southend – 4.6 (514) (👈 Mo Lowda & the Humble 04/15/2021)
• Bulldog Taproom/Social Club – 4.5 (201)
• STIR – 4.4 (929)
• The Gin Mill – 4.1 (307)

East/West Blvd Station

• The Vintage Whiskey & Cigar Bar – 4.6 (128)
• Barcelona Wine Bar – 4.6 (839)
• Tyber Creek Pub – 4.5 (700)
• Sycamore Brewing – 4.5 (645)
• Dillworth Tasting Room – 4.4 (408)
• QC Pour House – 4.4 (165)
• The Manchester – 4.2 (594)
• Elsewhere Cocktail Bar – 4.2 (69)

New Bern Station

• Waterman Fish Bar – 4.4 (1090)
• Suffolk Punch Brewing – 4.4 (685)
• Link & Pin New Bern – 4.4 (605)
• Triple C Brewing Company – 4.4 (410)
• Backstage Lounge at Southbound – 4.4 (121)

List Inspired by: Bars and Restaurants Along Charlotte’s Blue Line Light Rail
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/charlotte/bars-and-restaurants-along-charlottes-blue-line-light-rail

Charlotte Attractions

• BB&T Ballpark: Home to Charlotte Knights Baseball (AAA)
• Bank of America Stadium: Home to Carolina Panthers Football (NFL) and Concerts
• Spectrum Center: Home to Charlotte Hornets Basketball (NBA) and Concerts
• Charlotte Official Visitor Guide
• TripAdvisor’s 15 Best Things to Do in Charlotte

Lodging

If you can find a hotel or B&B near a public transit station, you’ll be able to get around the downtown area without renting a car or relying on ride share services (e.g. Lyft, Uber) based on comments I’ve seen in many different downtown B&B reviews.

We initially booked a B&B so that we could stay together, but the host cancelled on us 4 days before the trip due to a water/flooding emergency. We ended up booking a hotel near one of the Blue Line light rail stations. We couldn’t find another B&B near a Blue Line station that seemed like a good fit for us.

Did you find this helpful? Let me know by sending me a comment. I tend to update and maintain posts more frequently if I know others find them helpful. Thanks for visiting!