23 things to do, see, and eat in Uptown

Our Uptown guide is proudly presented by Wyndham Capital Mortgage. If shimmering high-rises and non-stop entertainment are your vibe, Uptown will make you feel at home. Let Wyndham Capital help you make it official with their fast and easy home loan process and no hidden fees. Plus, they’re locally based.

Uptown is Charlotte’s bank and corporate office hub, but it also houses many of the city’s best museums, top restaurants and parks.

Charlotte’s city center is broken into four quadrants: First Ward, Second Ward, Third Ward, and Fourth Ward. Let’s explore each ward and Uptown in its entirety with these 23 must-do activities.

(1) Have a museum day

Make a day of hopping between the Harvey B. Gantt Center, Mint Museum Uptown, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and Discovery Place Science.

(2) Visit the Uptown Farmers’ Market

Shop for farm-grown produce, artisan foods and bakery items, coffee, fresh flowers, and meats 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Saturday. The season is open April-December.

Where: 300 S. Davidson St.

(3) Grab a bottle of wine from Poplar

The beloved tapas and wine spot has more than 20 bottles of wine to choose from, and half-off deals throughout the week.

• Go for half-priced bubbly on Thursdays and add a $20 charcuterie board for a festive start to the weekend.

Details: Hours are 5-9pm Tuesday-Thursday and 5-10pm on Friday & Saturday. The exact address is 224 W. 10th St.

(4) Stroll through First Ward and Fourth Ward Parks

Stroll around, take the kids for a playdate, cool off with the water fountains or pack a picnic and bask in the sun. Either way, these parks are an idyllic spots to spend leisurely outdoors.

Where: 301 E. 7th St. (First Ward) and 301 N. Poplar Street (Fourth Ward).

(5) Treat yourself to dinner and drinks out

5Church and Sophias lounge: This dynamic duo was made for the ultimate bougie night out.

Mico Restaurant and Búho Bar:Located in the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Uptown, both of these spots ooze sophistication. Explore the Argentinian-inspired menu at Mico then head upstairs for rooftop drinks at Búho.

[Related Axios guide: 15 must-try dinner and drinks pairings]

(6) Delight in a Charlotte classic

If you’re craving comfort, go for a Charlotte classic like Green’s Lunch or Al Mike’s.

(7) Order from multiple vendors at 7th Street Public Market

Hit up Viva Raw Life, It’s Poppin! Gourmet Kettle Korn, Orrmans Cheese Shop, Assorted Table or Rico’s. Find the details for each shop here.

Where: 224 E. 7th St.

(8) Get a skyline photo from a rooftop bar

Aura Rooftop Bar at JW Marriott,  Merchant and Trade, Cloud Bar by David Burke and Fahrenheit all have stunning skyline views. Sip a cocktail and take advantage of the photo ops.

[12 best rooftop bars in Charlotte]

(9) Take a photo behind the fountain in Romare Bearden Park

The water feature wall is iconic, and the perfect photo op. Go for an evening stroll to see the water features lit up.

Where: 300 S. Church St.

(10) Do a self-guided history walk

You can use the Charlotte Liberty Walk guide to see 18 different historical sites from the Revolutionary War. Of course the structure of Uptown has changed entirely since then, but each spot has a historical marker and the guide has a map plus an overview of what you need to know about each stop.

Where: Start at the corner of Tryon and Stonewall Streets.

(11) Take a pic with Disco Chicken

The 17-foot funky sculpture, made by French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle, is right in front of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. Whether you call it “Firebird” or “Disco Chicken,” you can’t miss its glimmering glory.

Where: 420 S. Tryon St.

(12) Take a mural tour

Some must-see spots include Woman Empowerment at AerialCLT by Nick Napoletano, Strange Fruit at Spirit Square by Dammit Wesley and Equity at Hal Marshall by Nick Napoletano. See our full mural guide here to plan your day.

(14) Dine on the patio at Community Matters

You can’t go wrong with breakfast or lunch from this cafe. The food is good, the patio is amazing and they’re an extension of an addiction recovery program called Charlotte Rescue Mission.

Location: It’s near the Panthers practice field. The exact address is 821 W. 1st Street.

(15) Staycation in an Uptown hotel

Consider playing tourist and booking a staycation Uptown for a much-needed change of scenery, without having to travel far from home.

The Ivey’s Hotel: The stunning 47-room boutique hotel has beautiful views, plus its connected to 5Church and Sofia’s lounge. Rooms start around $300 a night.

Ritz-Carlton: Rooms start around $600 a night. The Ritz also has a spa with massages and facials and salt room you can book during your stay, or separately if you’re looking for just a few hours of relaxation.

Omni Charlotte: Rooms start around $250 a night. Fun fact: You can also buy a day pass for the pool select days. They have a full food and drink menu, lounge chairs, VIP sections and a huge TV.

[Related Axios guide: Everything you need to know about Coin Bar, Charlotte’s only rooftop pool open to the public]

Grand Bohemian: Rates start around $210 a night for a king guest room with a city view.

(16) Visit Charlotte Mecklenburg’s Main library

If you’ve got your reading list drafted, make some headway and check out a few books from the main library. The building is 157,000 square feet, so it’s a neat place to explore. If you like history, check out the Carolina Room with hundreds of old books of local history.

Where: 310 N. Tryon St.

(17) Get your seafood fix

Fin & Fino: The restaurant is open Monday-Saturday from 5-10pm for dine in or to-go. Fun fact: You can get a Lobster & Shrimp Roll Kit for two ($45).

Sea Level: Go for $1 oysters 4-7pm every Tuesday-Friday. They open at 4pm Monday-Saturday.

(18) Cheer on our home teams

Uptown’s home to Truist Field and Bank of America Stadium, so whether you prefer baseball or football, you can take your pick.

• Find the Panthers schedule here.

• Find the Knights schedule here.

(19) Do brunch at Haymaker

Haymaker has brunch every weekend on Saturdays and Sundays.  Don’t skip the chicken sandwich, or mimosas.

Details: 225 S Poplar St. Hours are 5-9pm Wednesday-Thursday; 5-10pm Friday; 10am-2:30pm and 5-10pm on Saturday; 10am-4pm Sunday (brunch only).

(20) See a jazz concert at Middle C Jazz

There are shows lined up Thursday-Sunday, and most tickets are priced under $50. They also have a live stream subscription for $9.99 a month if you prefer listening from home.

(21) Thrift for designer clothing at Street Commerce

The luxury consignment shop has everything from Chanel bags to Gucci shoes to lesser known designer jeans and clothing. All items are new or gently used and marked down 30-60% from the retail price.

• Fashion designer Jahzar Joseph has his own shop, Fine Britches, in the back of SC and does custom merch for the store. Right now he has unisex velour track suits in two colorways (black and red or pink and blue), shirts inspired by his dad’s own artwork and other custom casual wear.

Details: The exact address is 325 E. 9th St. SC is open noon to 7pm Tuesday-Thursday and noon to 8pm Friday-Sunday. Closed on Monday.

[Full story: Luxury consignment boutique Street Commerce now open near Uptown]

(22) See a show at Belk Theater

Theater is back! Catch Wicked now through October 10, 2021; comedian Heather McMahan October 16; and the Nutcracker Dec. 3-26.

• See this season’s full lineup of shows here.

(23) Stroll through Fourth Ward

Take in the scenic neighborhood by going on a self-guided walking tour. You can click here for a map and a little bit of history behind the houses.

Check out all of the Agenda’s neighborhood guides here. 

Join us: This coverage is made possible and free to all (no paywall) with the help of Agenda Members. If you’d like to support more reporting like this, become an Agenda Member.

Axios Charlotte thanks our partners for supporting our content. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content.