Charlotte/NoDa

NoDa is an arts district in Charlotte. Its name is a blend of "NOrth DAvidson", after the district's main street. Originally a mill village that operated almost independently of Charlotte, it became a haven of poverty and vice in the middle of the 20th Century. In the past 20 years it has been redeveloped as a home of the arts, as well as one of Charlotte's best-preserved historic districts.

Get in

Most visitors will arrive in NoDa by means of car or bus. From Uptown, take North Davidson St outbound. Generally the district is considered to run along N Davidson between 30th and 36th. The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) operates buses in the city. The #3 and #23 routes travel through NoDa, stopping along North Davidson and 36th Streets. Fares are $1.75 each way, with discounts for seniors and children.

The Blue Line Light Rail services 3 stations in the NoDa neighborhood. From Uptown take the train to University (north-bound) and the NoDa stops include Parkwood, 25th, and 36th street stations. The 36th station is the closest to the Arts District and most of the restaurants, shops, and venues.

See

NoDa is recognized as Charlotte's primary arts district. There are numerous art and craft galleries to be found in the district.

• Center of the Earth Gallery, 3204 N Davidson St, ☎ [phone]. Mondays by appointment only, Tu-F 11AM-5PM, Sa noon-5PM. Probably Charlotte's best-known gallery, and one of the cornerstones of the arts district. Provides corporate art to numerous major corporations, and represents several dozen artists of significance. Worth a look, though the prices may put off casual buyers. 
• Green Rice Designs & Studio, 451 E 36th St, ☎ [phone]. Features an exceptional collection of various media, likely to appeal to a variety of buyers. Hosts frequent receptions and other social events, which tie in well to the district's gallery crawls. The Green Rice studio is closely affiliated with two other collections -- The Boulevard and the Milkweed Collection -- which operate nearby and specialize in decor and apparel. 
• Hart Witzen Gallery, 136 E 36th St, ☎ [phone]. The gallery is rented for use by various artists, giving it a constantly changing clientèle. Features a wide variety of exhibitions and performances, and tends to be rather avante-garde in nature. 
• BEET Contemporary Crafts and Function Art, ☎ [phone]. 2302-A N Davidson St. Specializes in functional arts and crafts, including pottery, jewelry, wood and metalwork. Tu-F 11AM-5PM, Sa noon-5 and by appointment. 

Do

• The Evening Muse, 3227 N Davidson St, ☎ [phone]. W-Th 6PM-midnight, F Sa 6PM-until. A combination of music venue, cafe, and art gallery, the Evening Muse is not to be missed. Occupying the key corner at Davidson and 36th St., it is one of the best-reputed establishments in the area. A very strong schedule of performances and exhibitions keeps it active throughout the week. 
• Neighborhood Theater, 511 E 36th St, ☎ [phone]. The heart and soul of NoDa, this was once a burlesque theater but has been converted to an intimate venue with comfortable seating. A wide variety of acts play here, from hard rock to acoustic jazz. 
• Wine Up, 3306-C N Davidson St (upstairs from Boudreaux's and Neighborhood Theatre), [phone], . Upscale wine bar featuring billiards and live entertainment. Non-smoking, relaxed atmosphere.

Buy

By and large, Noda's stores are hip and artsy, making for a great casual shopping scene.

Also, the first and third Friday of each month is reserved for a district-wide gallery crawl (which really has the atmosphere of a pub crawl). Local establishments usually coordinate their events to coincide with these larger crowds.

• The Boulevard at NoDa, 453 E 36th St, ☎ [phone]. Collection of hand made jewelry, hats, home decor, purses, pet section, etc. 
• Lyncrist Calligraphy Studio, 3460 N Davidson St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Real Eyes Bookstore, ☎ [phone]. 3306-A N Davidson St. 
• Sunshine Daydreams, 3225 N Davidson St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Yarnhouse, 3205 N. Davidson Street #103, ☎ [phone]. Yarnhouse is a knitting, crocheting and fiber arts community located in NoDa, the heart of Charlotte’s historical arts district. Here everyone can share ideas, inspirations, patterns, stories, advice and purchase fabulous yarn and fibers. 

Eat

• Boudreaux's, 501 E 36th St, ☎ [phone]. Cajun cuisine in a jazzy atmosphere. A very solid beer menu and excellent entrees make Boudreaux's a standout citywide. Also features live music on a regular basis. 
• Cabo Fish Taco, 3201 N Davidson St, ☎ [phone]. California-style take on coastal Baja fare. Fun and affordable, representing a cuisine that gets little exposure elsewhere in Charlotte. 
• Solstice Tavern, 3221 N Davidson St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Salvador Deli, 3215 North Davidson Street, ☎ [phone]. Eclectic sandwich shop known for its Cubano and beer selection. Live music outside on weekends. 
• Amelie's French Bakery, 2424 N. Davidson St., ☎ [phone]. Amelie's is a little too far from the center to NoDa to reach by foot, but is a popular hangout due to the unlimited free Wi-Fi and the fact it is open 24 hours a day. 

Drink

• Dog Bar, 3307 N Davidson St, ☎ [phone]. The only place in Charlotte where your pet and your nightlife come together. It's exactly what it sounds like: a bar that is friendly to canine "guests". Pet membership costs $10, and the scene is regulated to allow for safety and civility (no kids allowed, for instance). But where else can you have a Corona with your Chihuahua? 
• The Smelly Cat, 514 E 36th St, ☎ [phone]. One of the city's better coffeehouses and a great perch for people-watching. Open till midnight on weekends to accommodate the after-concert crowds, but also early enough to be a good hangover-busting option. 
• Solstice Tavern, 3221 N Davidson St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Sanctuary, Right next door to Boudreaux

NoDa is also home to a few of the Charlotte area breweries.

• Bold Missy Brewery, 610 Anderson St, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tues-Sun. Bold Missy is the vision of owner Carol Waggener. Bold Missy specializes in approachable styles named after "Bold Missies" of history. 
• Divine Barrel Brewing, 3701 North Davidson Street, Suite 203, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Wed-Sun. Divine Barrel Barrel brewing focuses on barrel aged styles such as sours, wild ales, and stouts. They also serve more common styles like IPA and Saison. 
• Free Range Brewing, 2320 N Davidson St, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Wed-Monday (closed Tues). Free Range brews a large variety of small batch beers including IPAs, Wild Ales, Sours, Saisons, and more. You may occasionally find live music in their event space. 
• Heist Brewery, 2909 N Davidson St., ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Heist Brewery is a brewpub that specializes brewing Belgian Table Beers, Saisons, IPA's and Double IPA’s, and Porters and Imperial Stouts in small batches. They also serve a uniquely crafted cocktail menu and tapas style plates of food. 
• Salud Cerveceria, 3306-C N Davidson St, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tues-Sun 11AM-close. Salud Ceveceria is upstairs of it's bottle shop located on the ground floor. The brewery has a large selection of American IPA, Saison, and Stout styles. 

Sleep

Strangely, there are no hotels of significance in this district. The nearest hotels of significance are about a mile away off Independence Blvd. Also, visitors staying Uptown are only a few minutes' drive away and generally have no problem locating NoDa.