It's officially rooftop season — and the only thing Charlotteans love more than a good drink is a view to sip one from.

• We've rounded up 18 of Charlotte's best rooftops, from Uptown high rises to chill neighborhood hangouts.

Merchant & Trade

The vibe: A chic "urban oasis" meets swanky cocktail bar that is broken into four areas — an indoor bar, outdoor terrace, private terrace and lawn.

Stop by: 303 S Church St., on the 19th floor of the Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel.

Aura Rooftop

The vibe: A trendy, botanical-inspired rooftop bar with a pool and cabanas (rentals start at $200) on the fifth floor of the JW Marriott in Uptown.

Stop by: 600 South College St.

• Make a reservation here.

Uchibā

The vibe: Inspired by a Japanese izakaya (a casual bar where people go to drink and share small plates after work), Uchibā is the rooftop above its sister restaurant, Uchi.

• It's focused on craft cocktails, Japanese whisky and shareable plates.

Stop by: 1720 Commonwealth Ave., in the Commonwealth development in Plaza Midwood.

Whiskey Warehouse

The vibe: A treehouse-style escape in the heart of Plaza Midwood, with daily specials like half-priced wine on Thursdays and $4 mimosas on weekends.

Stop by: 1221 The Plaza.

The Royal Tot

The vibe: A two-story tiki bar and event space in the Belmont neighborhood with a rooftop deck offering a clear view of Uptown's skyline.

Stop by: 933 Louise Ave., in the Sugar Mill development.

Full list

💼 See who's hiring around the city.

Finance & Budget Analyst II at University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Legal Assistant at Gardner Skelton

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Post a job.

The Charlotte Hornets have a chance to make the playoffs tonight — something they haven't done in a decade.

State of play: The Hornets, No. 9 in the Eastern Conference, play the No. 8 Orlando Magic in Orlando in their second and final Play-In Tournament game. The winner advances to the 16-team playoffs.

• The Hornets will host a watch party at Slate in South End.

If you go: Slate is at 200 E. Bland St. The party is free to attend, but an RSVP is required. Doors open at 7pm. Tipoff is at 7:30pm.

What's next: The winner secures the No. 8 seed and will face the No. 1 Detroit Pistons on Sunday, April 19, at 6:30pm in the first round of the playoffs. See the full schedule here.

The bottom line: Charlotte is still riding a high after the Hornets beat the Heat in an electric overtime win Tuesday night in Uptown. Now the city will hold its breath to see if the Hornets can get the job done on the road.

The Carolina Panthers' Uptown practice facility will be called the Atrium Health Training Facility.

Why it matters: It's the latest layer for the long-anticipated district surrounding Bank of America Stadium, where the Panthers and Charlotte FC call home (both the NFL team and the MLS club are owned by Tepper Sports & Entertainment).

• "It's a vision for a new downtown Charlotte," TSE owner David Tepper said during Thursday morning's announcement.

What to expect: The new 101,400-square-foot indoor facility will include a full-size turf field, training rooms, a nutrition space, football equipment storage, a video control room, meeting spaces, and a space honoring Atrium Health's young patients who have reached milestones in their treatment.

• Outside, there will be two full-size grass practice fields.

What's next: Atrium Health Training Facility construction is scheduled for completion ahead of the team's 2027 training camp.

Read the full story

💰 Hornets guard LaMelo Ball was assessed a flagrant foul and fined $35,000 for the play that injured Miami's Bam Adebayo in the Play-In game Tuesday.

• Ball was also fined $25,000 for using profanity during his walk-off interview. (CBS Sports)

🪄 Disney is building a 1,500-acre neighborhood in Chatham County (southwest of Chapel Hill) with 4,000 housing units. Home sales at Asteria are expected to begin in 2027. (Axios)

💪 Strength and conditioning gym MADabolic will open a fourth Charlotte location in SouthPark this June at 1515 Mockingbird Lane, its owners tell Axios.

📑 State lawmakers will gather for a short session in Raleigh starting April 21 in the hopes of passing a comprehensive state budget that's been overdue since July. (Axios)

📅See what's going on around the city.

• 3rd Annual Chantilly Home Tour Apr 18: Get an exclusive peek inside over a half dozen beautiful Charlotte homes. Tickets include free samples of local neighborhood food and beverages at each stop on the home tour.
• Gov't Mule and Larkin Poe at TD Amp Ballantyne Apr 18: It's setting up to be a great night of music featuring Gov't Mule and Larkin Poe at TD Amp Ballantyne this Saturday. Get your tickets today!
• Sip & See at Wing Haven Apr 24: Join Wing Haven for a special wine tasting while strolling through our gardens to kick off the annual Gardeners' Garden Tour.
• Blue Jean Bash at The Revelry North End Apr 24: Enjoy an unforgettable evening of fun, fellowship, and purpose; where your support helps unlock opportunity, foster stability, and inspire hope for families across our community. $300.
• Gershwin & Bernstein at Belk Theater Apr 24-25: Stories of star-crossed lovers, from West Side Story to Porgy & Bess, come to life with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director Kwamé Ryan. $39+.
• Regenerative Farm Stay at Juneberry Ridge Apr 24-26: Unplug on a 750-acre regenerative farm. Enjoy a two-night all-inclusive stay with hands-on experiences, seasonal meals, and time to rest and reconnect with nature.

Want more things to do? Check out our Event Board.

Hosting? Purchase an Event Listing.

This former Airbnb in Lincoln Heights comes fully furnished. Other notable features:

• 3 beds, 1 bath and 933 square feet. Listed for $375,000.
• Front porch, hardwood floors, granite counters, fire pit, fitness room and fenced-in yard.

See this week's other hot homes

👋 Editor Katie here, dropping in to tell y'all that today's my last day at Axios.

• It's been a while since I regularly authored newsletters around here as a reporter. But I've worked for the last few years as the manager of both Axios Charlotte and Axios Raleigh, occasionally putting out stories of my own.

Flashback: I joined Ted Williams, Katie Levans, Bri Crane and other Charlotte Agenda OGs alongside Michael Graff in 2019. The following year, in the thick of the pandemic, we were acquired by Axios.

Zoom out: We changed our name as a result of that merger, but Axios always encouraged us to keep the quirky, entrepreneurial personality that's made us successful.

• I've loved sharing stories about these communities — from the people working to preserve Charlotte's character while encouraging its rapid growth, to the brilliant minds helping to make the Triangle an increasingly popular landing spot for high-tech talent and culinary excellence.
• In my nearly seven years here, Axios has supported me through two weddings (same guy, different stages of the pandemic), one cross-state move, two kids and a whole lot of personal and professional growth.

The bottom line: I'm incredibly proud of helping build the team that became the blueprint for how Axios is expanding its local markets across the U.S.

• I look forward to cheering Axios Local on from the sidelines.