User’s guide: Camp North End, the growing development near Uptown, now home to 41 cool tenants

The effortlessly cool Camp North End complex is a growing destination for the arts, food, nightlife and more. But its goal isn’t to redefine Charlotte’s character — it’s to emphasize what’s been here all along.

The big picture: “As long as I’ve lived here, people have knocked Charlotte as having no history, no identity, no culture,” Camp North End’s community manager Varian Shrum tells me. “I know that’s not true … and I think Camp North End has a special opportunity to … put a flag in the ground and say, this is Charlotte.”

Defining the 76-acre mixed-use development has always been one of the biggest challenges and greatest joys, Shrum says. How can you sum up 40+ vendors, varying community events and dozens of public art displays into one?

Well, we’re going to try here.

Here’s everything else you need to know about Camp North End.

What is Camp North End: Think of it as a mix between industrial art collective, shopping center, and an outdoor food hall. Camp North End is a massive adaptive reuse project on a 76-acre industrial site north of Uptown. ATCO Properties & Management paid $15.6 million for the land and historic buildings there, which have served as a Ford Model T factory, a missile plant, and most recently as a Rite-Aid facility.

Read more: How Camp North End evolved from a missile assembly plant to a neighborhood hotspot

Where: Camp North End is a collection of several warehouse buildings located just north of Uptown in the wedge between Statesville Avenue and N. Graham Street. For mapping purposes, use 1824 Statesville Avenue.

CNE also has recurring events like Fridays at Camp North End, which includes live music. There are also walking tours and fitness classes held at the site.

Farmers’ market: Every Wednesday until October, Camp North End hosts a variety of vendors for the North End Farmers’ Market. [Full guide]

The Immersive Van Gogh exhibit is now open in the Ford building. It’s a touring art show that’s been everywhere from Paris to Los Angeles and was been featured on the Netflix show “Emily in Paris.” [Go deeper]

• The show will run-through September 12.
• Tickets start at $39.99—hurry if you’re interested because there aren’t many left.

Here’s how we’d spend a day in Camp North End.

Note: Not all vendors are open every day so be sure to check before you go.

Morning caffeine: Start your day with Hex Coffee, a specialty roaster based here in Charlotte.

Mural tour: Take a self-guided walk around Camp North End to see all the public art — namely murals and a funky display of painted globes. [Full guide: Axios guide to 30+ murals in Camp North End]

Lunch from a food stall: The newly opened stalls serve a variety of food, including bowls of ramen, tacos with tortillas made from scratch, burgers, and more.

Shop: Browse the selection at Feminist Goods Co., Dupp & Swat, and Good Postage, a super cute stationary shop. See below for our full list of vendors for more shops.

Lounge in a hammock: Or bring a blanket and relax on the grass. There’s tons of lounge space around Camp North End.

Drinks: There’s a growing list of options. For craft cocktails, go with Leah & Louise (with mixologist Justin Hazelton) or Black Moth Bars, an adorable airstream bar open every Friday. For beer, head to Free Range. [Full guide: Camp North End by night]

Dinner at Leah & Louise: You may know of James Beard semifinalist Greg Collier from The Yolk, a breakfast spot in 7th Street Public Market. Leah & Louise is an entirely different experience — it’s upscale, but approachable in price point. Our favorite dishes are the mud island (catfish stew with grits), Leah’s cabbage (slow-roasted cabbage with a pork neck bisque) and the Arthur Lou tart (made with Tang — like the orange drink powder).

Current Camp North End tenants:

FOOD AND DRINK

Babe & Butcher – Popular cheese and charcuterie board company. Now open near Leah & Louise.

Black Moth Bars – Cocktail bar using locally sourced ingredients and operating out of an Airstream camper

Bleu Barn Bistro – Farm to table food truck and stall serving burgers, tacos, and more

Chop & Chisel – Healthy grab-and-go meal prep

Free Range Brewing – Family-owned brewery creating beers with local produce from regional farms.

HEX Coffee – Specialty coffee roaster

La Caseta– Food stall featuring flavors of El Salvador, Mexico, Venezuela, and Argentina; inspired by the team members’ diverse family traditions

Leah & Louise – A “modern juke joint” serving Southern classics and original cocktails

NoDa Company Canteen – Outdoor bar serving beer, wine, and sangria seasonally at events.

Plant Joy – Vegan food stall from the team behind Nourish. (Opening Nov. 20)

Popbar – Custom gelato and sorbet popsicles

Saru by Bow Ramen – Nagahama style ramen shop based in New York

Wentworth & Fenn – Gourmet scratch bakery

RETAIL

DUPP&SWAT – Creative space for retail, art, and community events

Feminist Goods Co. – Retailer selling t-shirts, sweatshirts, pins, wall art, and more

Good Postage – Mother/daughter founded paper goods company with cards, prints, stickers, and more

Grow – Specialty plant shop with a variety of plants and gardening accessories

That’s Novel Books – Used book store with cozy places to work and read

ART

BLKMRKT – Photography, design, and video production services along with studio and event space rental

CLT Shooters – A hub for Charlotte-based photographers, models, and creatives

Goodyear Arts – Artist studios, gallery, and events

Moore/Hooker – Art studio for custom mural artists Matt Hooker and Matt Moore

Windy O’Connor – Artist studio and showroom for abstract multi-media artist Windy O’Connor

SERVICES + MISC

Aon – Global insurance and risk management company

bloc. – Boutique gym with classes like primal fight and cardio dance

The Nest – A community space run by the leaders of the North End Community Coalition, which works to protect the eight neighborhoods that make up the North End

CloudGenera – IT company specializing in cloud transformation software

Democracy NC – Nonpartisan advocacy group aimed at reducing the influence of big money in politics

Dice Magazine – Motorcycle magazine for gearheads

Explicit Salon – Full-service salon offering everything from rainbow color to dread maintenance

General’s Office – The Camp North End team works here

Honeyguide – project management firm for creative companies and designers

Hygge – Coworking space

Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas – National organization giving young people the skills they need for economic success

MacFly Fresh Printing Company – Screen printing, branding, and graphic design services

Pine Gate Renewables – National solar farm developer with a focus on transforming the nation’s energy model

Prism Supply – Custom motorcycle shop

Rachel Sutherland Communications – PR firm

TM Studio – Innovation studio that prototypes and tests new consumer banking concepts for Ally

Tent Studios – Creative space for rent built by Charlotte photographers Jon Berkon and Jackson Perry

Wily – Design and Strategy Sprint services and training

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