Charlotte, North Carolina, is a beautiful and quaint city. I visited the city during one of my fencing competitions and instantly fell in love with the city.
The city is laid with skyscrapers, both new and old. You can’t see many people during the morning; everyone seems to be in the building working. If you explore a bit more, you’ll realize that there is a surprising amount of commercial and financial buildings. It should not come as any surprise, because the major industries in Charlotte are finance and commerce. It’s eerily quiet. You would expect such a tightly packed city’s street to be busy with cars and pedestrians, however, there is barely anyone. Compared to Toronto, where everyone is rushing from one place to another, the quiet street of Charlotte is a great contrast. During lunch, you will start to see more and more people. In their hands is food from a nearby restaurant. None of them stop to think or talk, trying to get from the restaurant and back to save as much time for their lunch break. Interestingly, many of them are carrying food from nearby good food. I did not go and visit the good foods, but I think it would be interesting to take a quick peek. After a short period of roughly an hour, everyone goes back to their work until the night comes upon the city. The city is completely different at night. The people bustling on the street seem as if they are in a parade. The people, the car, marched around the city streets in an almost machine-like uniformity. Most of them are probably trying to get to the big sports stadium or restaurant. If you want to eat, make sure to reserve, as most restaurants are full and have hours of wait time. The party would start to die down around 9 in the night, though the party enthusiasts would party till a lot later.
The food in charlotte is not particularly interesting. There is not much food that you would not find elsewhere. The food is somewhat overpriced compared to other locations. I tried to eat at a formal restaurant on the first night. The atmosphere was exceptional, and the food and service were at most average. The appetizer spicy tuna tar did give me a surprise, however, everything that followed was a steady stream of, “it’s not bad.” On the second night (well, more like afternoon), I had some ramen. It was great, so I went back a second time during rush hour. The second day’s experience was sad. The quality control went spiralling downhill. There are not too many locations open for breakfast, so I ate at my restaurant. However, the red diner was a treat. Their price is fair and has a large portion. Even though the food is slow to come out, I enjoyed the moment.
There are many activities to do at Charlotte. You can visit one of the many brilliant museums, visit the legendary NASCAR hall of fame, or just stroll around the city. I did not have time to go to the museums, but just from their excellent exterior design and great google review, I would certainly add it to my bucket list next time I visit. There are many tours you could book in advance to give you a closer view of the museums and the rich history behind the city. If you just want to explore the city, it is perfectly fine. Any street, major or minor, is beautifully decorated. There is a wide array of greeneries, artwork and architecture for you to enjoy. I would certainly suggest a tour of the city whether on foot or on a scooter.
Yes, scooter. There is an abundance of scooters on the sidewalk, ready for use by pedestrians. They are battery-powered electric scooters and the city has taken good care of them. You can get anywhere in the city using a scooter with ease. During the day, you can see many people getting around on scooters, whether in a suit or shorts. There are also the never-lacking customized, blinged-out cars during the night.
The temperature and humidity in the city are the most ideal. It never goes below 0 too much, never goes above 30. It is also pretty humid, but not humid enough that you feel sweaty all the time. It’s the best climate any city could possibly offer.
Anyways, these are just some of my views of the city. I hope you go visit this cute little city when you get a chance!!!
