Community

COMMUNITY Charlotte’s ‘10-Minute Neighborhoods’

It’s one of the signature goals of the city’s new comprehensive plan, and these neighborhoods already meet some of the criteria

BY GREG LACOUR PHOTOGRAPHS BY LOGAN CYRUS

THE DOCUMENT that lays out a vision for Charlotte over the next two decades establishes this as its top community goal: “All Charlotte households will have access to essential amenities, goods, and services within a comfortable, tree-shaded 10-minute walk, bike, or transit trip by 2040.” The planners who devised the goal use this shorthand term for those clusters of households, amenities, goods, services, and trees: “10-minute neighborhoods.” They’re scarce in Charlotte, as they are in most American cities. You might nd some in Boston, New York, or other northeastern cities that developed decades before the primacy of the car, the parking lot, and the multilane, limited-access highway. But here and elsewhere in the Southeast, you have to look hard to nd any that meet the 10-minute-neighborhood standard, based on convenient access to things like grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, parks, and public transit.

Some Charlotte neighborhoods come closer than others, though. We’ve identi ed six in Charlotte that already lean toward the 2040 plan’s vision. We’ll take a close look at three this month and three in the October issue. Keep in mind that we’re not saying these are ideal neighborhoods, or the most a uent, or that these are somehow “better” than others. They’re just examples of what may lie ahead for Charlotte—a city of distinct communities whose residents don’t necessarily have to take the car to get what they need.

A mix of townhomes, condos, and stately Victorian homes distinguishes Fourth Ward, uptown’s most residential quarter.

85

LINCOLN HEIGHTS

77

FOURTH WARD

277

7474

EASTOVER

NEIGHBORHOOD 1: Fourth Ward

WHERE IS IT? It’s uptown’s northernmost and most residential quarter, bounded by North Tryon and West Trade streets and Interstates 77 and 277. GROCERY STORE ACCESS: 98% of housing units are within a half-mile of a fullservice, chain grocery store (here, it’s the Harris Teeter at 325 W. Sixth St.). PHARMACIES: 99% within a half-mile. There’s a CVS at West Sixth and North Graham streets. PARKS: 100% within a halfmile of a park. Fourth Ward Park is small, and Ninth Street Park even smaller, but they’re still two public parks in a compact neighborhood. TRANSIT: 100% within a halfmile of a transit stop, and the Transit Center, Seventh Street, and Ninth Street light rail stations are within easy walking distance. BANKS: 72% within a halfmile of a bank or credit union. BIKE-FRIENDLINESS: 1.7 on a zero-to-three scale that measures the transportation network’s ability to support cycling. UPSHOT: As close to a true 10-minute neighborhood as you’ll nd in Charlotte.

As different as the neighborhoods are, residents of both Lincoln Heights (above) and Eastover (below) have good access to buses, banks, groceries, and other assets.

NEIGHBORHOOD 2: Eastover

WHERE IS IT? A couple of miles southeast of uptown. Providence Road is its western edge, Briar Creek its eastern, and Randolph Road and South Laurel Avenue cap it. GROCERY STORE ACCESS: 53% of housing units are within a half-mile of a grocery store. The Harris Teeter at Providence and Queens roads is the closest. PHARMACIES: 65% within a half-mile. Harris Teeter again. PARKS: 88% within a half-mile. Randolph Road Park isn’t in the neighborhood, but it’s close enough to walk. TRANSIT: 100% within a half-mile of a transit stop. BANKS: 75% within a half-mile of a bank or credit union. BIKE-FRIENDLINESS: 1.8 on the scale. UPSHOT: It doesn’t t the ideal as well as Fourth Ward—few neighborhoods could—but Eastover bene ts from close proximity to uptown and the more a uent Myers Park and Elizabeth neighborhoods, and its quiet streets encourage walking. WHERE IS IT? It’s wedged into the southwestern corner of the I-77/85 interchange, with Beatties Ford Road as its western boundary and Russell Avenue its southern. GROCERY STORE ACCESS: 66% of housing units are within a half-mile of a grocery store. There’s a Food Lion at 2123 Beatties Ford Road and a Family Dollar across the street. PHARMACIES: 66% within a half-mile. PARKS: 100% within a half-mile. Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Park sits on Catherine Simmons Avenue, smack in the middle of the neighborhood, and L.C. Coleman Neighborhood Park, behind Northwest School of the Arts, is an easy walk away. TRANSIT: 100% within a half-mile of a transit stop. Three main bus lines—the 7 on Beatties Ford, the 3 on LaSalle Street, and the 26 on Newland Road and Mulberry Avenue—run through various parts of Lincoln Heights. BANKS: 65% within a halfmile of a bank or credit union. A Bank of America branch is next to the Food Lion on Beatties Ford. BIKE-FRIENDLINESS: 1.6 on the scale. UPSHOT: Lincoln Heights residents su ered for years—former Mayor and U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx grew up there, and he’s said that, as a teenager in the 1980s, he couldn’t get a pizza delivered to his home. But the collection of shops, markets, and community services (including a public library branch) that’s grown up around West Charlotte High School means most residents have quick and easy access to what they need.

INSIDE: TRAVEL / STYLE / HISTORY / REAL ESTATE / FALL ARTS GOOD LIFETHE

MAKING THE MOST OUT OF LIVING HERE

Bird-watching at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in Manteo, one of the Outer Banks’ most prominent towns.

TRAVEL Off the Road Again

Three drivable vacations with fun, family-friendly stops on the way

BY ANDY SMITH AND TAYLOR BOWLER

SOME OF US hit the road hoping for minimal stops— maybe a drive-thru burger or a rest area just o the interstate. That’s not the only way to do it, though. Let’s take a look at three popular destinations for Charlotteans and three stops for each that make the extended drive worth it. Forget rushing to make an arbitrary arrival time: This is your vacation, a er all, and it starts now.

ITINERARY:

Charlotte to Orlando

IT TAKES SEVEN HOURS AND 40 MINUTES to reach Orlando from Charlotte, and it takes only three before you start asking, “Why did we drive again?” The answer is that there’s plenty of fun along the way. Because of the longer distance, we’ve added a place to stay to this itinerary. (Don’t try to cram the trip in a day and be the crankiest person in mouse ears at Disney World. Speaking from experience here.) —Andy Smith

North Carolina

Charlotte

Columbia

South Carolina

Georgia

Savannah

St. Augustine Beach

Florida

STOP 1

Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

500 Wildlife Parkway, Columbia, South Carolina DISTANCE: One hour and 30 minutes

Disney has its Animal Kingdom, but Riverbanks Zoo & Garden is more intimate and lively (no animatronics) for lovers of the natural world. The 170-acre zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden has more than 2,000 animals, including giraffes, tigers, zebras, otters, baboons, Komodo dragons, and a popular walk-through exhibit featuring kangaroos and wallabies. Parent tip: Bring some swimsuits if your kids are headed to Waterfall Junction. The area has a 25-foot waterfall, splash zones, giant tree houses, and other features that’ll get them soaked.

Legoland Florida has 14 “lands,” a waterpark, and more than 50 attractions for brick lovers.

STOP 2

The Marshall House

123 E. Broughton St., Savannah, Georgia DISTANCE: Three hours and 46 minutes

Keeping the Disney theme going: The Marshall House is said to be a haunted mansion. The four-story structure was once a hospital for Civil War soldiers and endured two yellow fever epidemics. That makes its gorgeous hallways and rooms a popular hangout for ghost hunters. If you’d rather not tell your kids about its haunted history, let them enjoy the more palatable aspects of the house: grand decor, the lush live oaks of the downtown area, and a full breakfast at the Marshall House’s 45 Bistro (kids under 13 eat free). If your family is up for one of the city’s several ghost tours, expect to hear some tales about your hotel.

STOP 3

The Beachcomber Restaurant

2 A St., St. Augustine Beach, Florida DISTANCE: Six hours and 25 minutes

There are several Florida beaches along the way to Orlando. Here’s a lunch spot self-described as “the only restaurant directly on the ocean in St. Augustine Beach.” The Beachcomber began in the 1940s as a tiny shack where beach-dwellers would grab snacks before they headed back into the water. Its current incarnation was built 37 years ago. Grab some shrimp, gator tails, conch fritters, or popular sandwich The Big Fish Reuben: the “catch of the day” blackened on rye with Swiss cheese, Thousand Island dressing, and coleslaw.

FINAL STOP

Orlando

DISTANCE: Seven hours and 40 minutes

Here for the theme parks? We thought so. Still, we asked our sister magazine there, aptly named Orlando, for some recommendations outside of those sites. For some approachable cheap eats, their sta points to BEEFY KING (424 N. Bumby Ave.), a 53-year-old institution beloved by both local families and the likes of Jimmy Fallon and one-time Orlando Magic center Shaquille O’Neal. These roast beef sandwiches are part of a family-owned tradition, with three generations having operated the spot. Meanwhile, over at BOGGY CREEK AIRBOAT ADVENTURES (2001 E. Southport Road, Kissimmee), you can explore the headwaters of the Florida Everglades on airboats at 40 mph. How about a lesser-known amusement park? LEGOLAND FLORIDA (1 Legoland Way, Winter Haven) is a brick lover’s dream, with 150 acres of Lego-themed rides and a water park.

The Outer Banks contain many surprises—even for regulars. You may have to leave the beach to find them, though.

ITINERARY:

Charlotte to the Outer Banks

N.C. IS THE WIDEST STATE east of the Mississippi. The trip from CLT to OBX covers 350 miles—or three- hs— of it. Use the opportunity to eat a true Carolina lunch, take in some ancient wonders, and nd a regional perk in Rocky Mount. —Andy Smith

Lexington

Charlotte

Raleigh Rocky Mount

North Carolina

Outer Banks STOP 1

Bar-B-Q Center

900 N. Main St., Lexington DISTANCE: 57 minutes

If you’re traveling anywhere near Lexington at lunchtime, you have a moral obligation to stop for barbecue. This joint opened in 1955 as The Dairy Center, a business that primarily sold ice cream. Its owners built a small pit to o er something else during the slow winter months, and the barbecue caught on. It’s a spot so friendly, it even gives away the secret to its light-brown sauce on the website: “ketchup, pepper, salt, water, and hot peppers. It’s very tangy alone but calms down on the meat.” First-timers should get a combo plate to conduct a proper survey: chopped pork, ¼ white or dark chicken, two sides, and a roll. (And yes, they still serve ice cream, even if the name eventually changed.)

The state’s ancient residents are on display at the North Carolina Museum of Sciences in Raleigh.

Coffee shop and bookstore Books and Beans has a curated selection.

STOP 2

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

11 W. Jones St., Raleigh DISTANCE: Two hours and 30 minutes

The oldest museum in the state displays some of its oldest residents. For those heading to the beach, take one look at the megalodon mouth on the rst oor and you’ll be glad they exited the oceans around 3.6 million years ago. Did you know its teeth are the North Carolina state fossil? You likely won’t nd any of those on the shores of the Outer Banks, but hunters nd plenty of teeth of other shark species there (think Meggy’s great-greatgreat grandchildren). On this free state museum’s four oors, you’ll also nd dinosaurs, displays discussing the state’s various terrains, and even live specimens of creatures that currently inhabit the Carolinas.

STOP 3

Books and Beans

1147 Falls Road, Rocky Mount DISTANCE: Three hours and 20 minutes

Ah, the co ee stop—an essential of the 4-plus-hour drive. Let’s go somewhere special this time. Palestinian-American author and professor Etaf Rum, author of the New York Times bestseller A Woman Is No Man, is a notable resident of Rocky Mount. In 2019, she opened an artsy co ee shopbookstore hybrid in Rocky Mount Mills called Books and Beans. Rum herself curates the selection of books, which you can peruse as you wait for your locally roasted co ee from Counter Culture.

FINAL STOP

The Outer Banks

DISTANCE: Five hours

We get it: By now, you probably have your go-to beaches and restaurants in the Outer Banks. But there are a few treasures across the barrier islands that you may not have seen. In Frisco (52186 Morriss Lane) near Hatteras, there’s a FUTURO HOUSE. Fewer than 100 of those spaceship-like structures were manufactured as prefab homes in the late ’60s. Now they’re cult artifacts scattered across the world. The ALLIGATOR RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE (100 Conservation Way, Manteo) o ers 152,000 acres and thousands of creatures to potentially spot. One more: Products from OUTER BANKS DISTILLING (510 Budleigh St., Manteo) have a pirate theme, including the awardwinning Kill Devil Rum (which comes in gold, silver, and pecan varieties). The spot o ers tours, tastings, and a slew of legends inspired by the bandits of the sea.

Now more than ever, personalized advice matters

Congratulations to David G. Hall and Drew P. Crawford for being named to the Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” 2021 list.

We can provide customized, comprehensive advice and guidance to help you stay on track to pursue your goals. When the world changes, we’re here to help. Let’s work through this together.

Hall Crawford Group David G. Hall, CRPC®, CPWA® Senior Vice President Wealth Management Advisor 980.282.1761 • dave_hall@ml.com Drew P. Crawford, CRPC®, CPFA Senior Vice President Wealth Management Advisor Senior Portfolio Advisor 980.282.1753 • drew.crawford@ml.com

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management 6000 Fairview Road Suite 600 Charlotte, NC 28210 fa.ml.com/hall.crawford

Source: The Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list, February 11, 2021. Data provided by SHOOK™ Research, LLC. Data as of June 30, 2020. The Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes: client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC and not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Rankings and recognition from Forbes are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results, and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receives compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. Forbes is a trademark of Forbes Media LLC. All rights reserved. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as “MLPF&S” or “Merrill”) makes available certain investment products sponsored, managed, distributed or provided by companies that are affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”). MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, Member SIPC and a wholly owned subsidiary of BofA Corp. Investment products: Are Not FDIC Insured Are Not Bank Guaranteed May Lose Value

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Take a stroll down Broadway, the main thoroughfare in downtown Nashville, to find honky-tonks, restaurants, and shopping.

ITINERARY:

Charlotte to Nashville

AT JUST OVER 400 MILES, the drive to Music City is a long haul if you do it in one shot. Break it up with a few stops along the way and pick some apples, ride a carousel, and satisfy your sweet tooth. If you have an extra night or two to spare, stop in Pigeon Forge to ride coasters and celebrate the patron saint of Tennessee, Dolly Parton. Then put on your cowboy boots, get yourself some Nashville hot chicken, and follow the sound of live music to the nearest concert hall, honkytonk, or dive bar. —Taylor Bowler

Nashville

Cookeville

Tennessee

Pigeon Forge

Hendersonville

STOP 1

Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard

170 Stepp Orchard Drive, Hendersonville DISTANCE: Two hours

Hendersonville, also known as North Carolina’s Apple Alley, is an essential stop during apple-picking season. Head to Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard, just outside historic Hendersonville, and pick more than 20 varieties of apples. The 70-acre working farm also has a pumpkin patch, corn maze, and an on-site farm market that sells local honey, bagged apples, and homemade apple cider donuts. On fall weekends you can nd a jump pad, apple cannon, and wagon rides. Pack a lunch and visit the covered picnic area, and bring your camera to snap a few pictures of the kids if the sun owers are in bloom. snap a few pictures of the kids if the sun owers are in bloom.

North Carolina

Dollywood’s theme park includes rides like the Black Bear Trail in Wildwood Grove (above) and Swiftwater Run in Dollywood’s Splash Country (right).

Apple fritters are a local favorite at Ralph’s Donut Shop in Cookeville, Tennessee.

STOP 2

Dollywood

2700 Dollywood Parks Blvd., Pigeon Forge, Tennessee DISTANCE: 3 hours and 40 minutes

You can get a day pass to the theme park and ride as many roller coasters, carousels, and twisty teacups as time allows. But one day isn’t enough for the full Dollywood experience. Book a room at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa and get complimentary TimeSaver passes (which let you skip the lines), early entry to the park on Saturdays, and access to a free shuttle to and from Dollywood. True Dolly fans must visit the Chasing Rainbows Museum to see costumes, awards, and other keepsakes from the Iron Butterfly’s life and career. If you come between May and September, check out Dollywood’s Splash Country, the site’s 35-acre water park.

STOP 3

Ralph’s Donut Shop

59 S. Cedar Ave., Cookeville, Tennessee DISTANCE: Five hours and 12 minutes

If you need a bump of sugar to get you through the nal stretch, stop in Cookeville, a small town in the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee. Its historic downtown has a mix of boutiques, cafés, and hidden murals, and the town is home to Tennessee’s best donut. Ralph’s Donut Shop has been in the same spot since 1962; it isn’t much to look at on the outside, but the smell of fresh donuts invites you in. Choose from more than 30 avors of donuts, or do as most locals do and order the glistening butter twist. Grab a stool at the counter and eat it there or take a box to go. Just don’t expect them to last until Nashville.

FINAL STOP

Nashville

DISTANCE: Six hours and 30 minutes

For a girls’ trip or a romantic getaway, stay at the GERMANTOWN INN and stroll the historic neighborhood lined with brick sidewalks and restored Victorian buildings that house cafés and boutiques. For a more kid-centric experience, head to the GAYLORD OPRYLAND RESORT & CONVENTION CENTER. Hit golf balls, visit the atriums and indoor gardens, or check out SoundWaves, the indoor-outdoor water park. Take a 10-minute drive to explore downtown Nashville. Walk down Broadway and get a pair of cowboy boots for the kids—many places, like BOOT COUNTRY (304 Broadway), o er buy-one-get-two-free deals, so you can size up or get a di erent style for next year. Stop by BISCUIT LOVE in The Gulch (316 11th Ave. South) for a hot chicken biscuit so good you’ll forgive the 45-minute line. Spend an a ernoon at 12South, a walkable shopping district with boutiques, vintage stores, cafés, and co ee shops. Get your Southern food x at MONELL’S (1235 6th Ave. North), a local institution where skillet fried chicken and all the sides are served family style—or go a er hours for the Midnight Country Breakfast, available on Saturdays from midnight to 3 a.m. If it’s your rst visit, spend at least one evening toward the lower side of Broadway, where you can grab a drink and hear free live music any night of the week.