According to Agenda readers, these are the 5 best places to meet people in Charlotte
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When we asked our 23,000+ daily newsletter readers for their take on the Charlotte social scene in late December, one of the things we were most curious about was how they met their group of friends and significant others.
36.52% of readers didn’t meet the important people in their life in Charlotte, just over 11% met each other through mutual friends, 7% at work and when it came to relationships, almost 10% of those surveyed met their significant other through dating apps and sites.
Only 1% – one percent – were able to form long-lasting relationships through mutual hobbies.
So where does that leave the rest of us? After writing about how strangely difficult it can be to make friends here, both my inbox and the Agenda’s mailbag were filled with suggestions.
[Related: Why is it so scary to do things alone in Charlotte?]
Here are the five that kept coming up the most.
Living Kitchen
Now just Living Kitchen, the restaurant with an organic, plant-based menu has the perfect opportunity it you just leave the headphones at home.
From an Agenda reader: “Sit at the communal table. You can do it alone with just a book or talk to the other people. It’s a communal table, they should expect it. I once met the friendliest older couple at it and they even paid for the meal.”
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Living Kitchen is located at 2000 South Boulevard and is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Connect:
Web<br/>Facebook<br/>Twitter<br/>Instagram
Mint Museum
Both locations offer plenty of events and ways to get connected with others.
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From an Agenda reader: “I could not believe my eyes when I opened the Agenda this morning and read 7 Places to Meet People in Charlotte! In December of 2014, I met the love of my life at a Meetup event at the Mint Museum Randolph. I am so grateful that I had the guts to show up because it changed my life. At the time, I wasn’t looking for anyone, so dating wasn’t even on my radar. I did decide, however, that I was not wanting to use Tinder or any of the dating apps. They just seemed like too much of a hassle and not very effective. To this day we tell everyone that they need to go to museums! Thanks for the shoutout. It made my day :)”
Upcoming events at the museum’s Uptown location include Artbreak (every third Thursday of the month – go), NC Yoga Bar (every Wednesday – go) and The Year of the Woman (4/19, free – go).
The Randolph location isn’t hurting for opportunity either, with Art in the Garden (4/22 – details), Potters Market Invitational (9/9, $10 – go) and Taste of the Mint (3/22, $40 – go).
Both locations offer free admission every Wednesday night and be sure not to miss the Young Affiliates of the Mint’s annual fundraiser, a Kentucky Derby screening at the Randolph location (5/6, $30-$45 – go).
Want to get involved with the museum? Learn more about the Young Affiliates here.
Music venues
Responses included concerts at the Visulite, Double Door Inn (“I shudder at future missed opportunities when they close…”) and Speed Street.
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Keep up with live music coming our way in our music archives. Looking to meet someone this month? Check out the Top 10 live music performances coming to Charlotte in March.
STAX
If you’re looking for someone to pal around with that can handle getting their butt kicked literally and metaphorically, these free fitness classes might be your best bet.
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From an Agenda reader: “You think the workout is intimidating? Imagine trying to find a group when you are a single! However, in the end it was the best thing ever! When you are consistently a single person and you have to find a group you’ll notice the similar groups will add you to their team. BAM, new workout friends. Trust me, I think I joined the same group multiple times.”
Head to the city’s biggest and best bootcamp, put on by Randy Moss and Emily “Breeze” Ross-Watson every Monday and Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Bonus: it’s free.
Connect:
Web
U.S. National Whitewater Center
The Center has an impressive roster of activities like whitewater rafting, zip lining and adventure dining that make striking up conversation a no-brainer.
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From an Agenda reader: “It’s super easy to join a rafting session last minute and you get to meet new people from different places!”
Agenda picks: Paddle to Table ($55/person – details) and Zipline and Dine ($75/person – details).
See the full list of USNWC activities here.
Bonus spot: School
While most of the Agenda’s readership may not be in school anymore, but an overwhelming amount of responses showed that that’s where a majority met the most important people in their life.
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From Agenda readers:
“We went to high school together in Greensboro and knew of each other but never really hung out. I went to UNCC and he went to NC State and then he got a job in Ballantyne after college. He reached out to me on Facebook because I was living in Charlotte and now we have been dating for over a year! 🙂 So, thank you to Charlotte!!”
“Middle school – started dating in 7th grade, married right after college. We will have our 13th anniversary in June.”
“At school (UNC Charlotte).”
“High school sweethearts 30 years ago.”
Just because we’ve aged out of that reality doesn’t mean we have to stop learning. UNCC offers 12 unusual, unexpected and interesting classes like “Zorro: The Legendary Outlaw in History and Popular Film” and “Demented, Demonic, Divine: Possessing the Female” while other universities offer courses focused on topics such as “Famous Criminal Trials of the 20th Century” and “Writing for Social Media: Short Form.” Read about them here.