Piedmont (North Carolina)

Piedmont is the central flat region in North Carolina.

Regions

Cities

Research Triangle:

  • 🌍 Chapel Hill - Home of the University of North Carolina.
  • 🌍 Durham - Famous for Duke University and tobacco connections.
  • 🌍 Raleigh - North Carolina's capital city and the location of many of the state's cultural attractions.

Piedmont Triad:

  • 🌍 Greensboro - One of the largest cities in the state, with several colleges and universities, attractive historic districts, and civil rights history.
  • 🌍 High Point - "Furniture Capital of the World".
  • 🌍 Winston-Salem - Mid-sized city, home to the famous historic Moravian settlement of Old Salem.

Charlotte Metro

  • 🌍 Charlotte - The Carolinas' largest city, and the center of commerce and culture in the Piedmont.
  • 🌍 Concord - Home of Charlotte Motor Speedway (formerly Lowe's Motor Speedway), host to three major NASCAR races; Concord Mills, the state's #1 tourist destination; a lovely historic district; and many cultural attractions.
  • 🌍 Kannapolis - Historic mill town now home to the NC Research Campus. Local attractions include the Gem Theater (built 1938); Cannon Village; and the Village Park, host to many concerts and festivals throughout the year.
  • 🌍 Gastonia

Understand
Piedmont (North Carolina)
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The Piedmont is, in more ways than one, a transitional zone. It is located in between the Deep South (the Hollywood version of Southern culture) and the Mid-Atlantic coastline. It also represents a gradual transition from the Appalachian mountain range toward the coastal area. Therefore it seems rather "in-the-middle" culturally and politically. Standard rules of Southern culture -- pronounced etiquette, slower speech patterns, relatively conservative social standards -- are present, but not nearly as overbearing for visitors as one might expect to find in other areas.

Due to the strong banking industry, mild climate, and natural resources, it has become a desirable destination for companies and families to relocate from the Northeast and Midwest.

Talk

English is standard in almost all areas. Some districts have become bilingual due to the recent influx of Spanish-speaking immigrants; these areas tend to be clustered around the urban centers. Charlotte also has a high Vietnamese population. In recent years, the Research Triangle area has seen large numbers of immigration from Asia. Despite this, it is very difficult to get along without conversational English skills.

Get in

Planes, trains, buses, and highways. The two most important points of entry are probably the Research Triangle (including Raleigh and Durham) and Charlotte, each of which has an international airport as well as Amtrak, Greyhound, and Megabus service.

Get around

Driving is the most popular option for getting around the region. But train coverage is better than average for the US: Amtrak's aptly named Piedmont line goes across the Piedmont, as does the Carolinian. Both lines connect Raleigh and Charlotte as well as cities in between, such as Durham and Greensboro. The train is a convenient and nice way to travel between the region's cities.

Megabus and Greyhound buses are available. There's also a regional bus system called PART (Piedmont Authority for Regional Transit), mostly centered around the Piedmont Triad but with one line that connects to Chapel Hill. The Research Triangle and Charlotte Metro have their own bus systems as well.

There are short commercial flights between the airports in the area (though the region is small enough that flying within it probably isn't worth the hassle if you're not making a connection).

See

Nature lovers will like Charlotte. The area is very green compared to most cities. The closest (large) bodies of water and waterways are:

  • The Catawba River
  • Mountain Island Lake. 
  • Lake Norman. 
  • Lake Wylie. 

Old Salem- Visit this 1800 style neighborhood and check out the college. Learn how to make corn pancakes and play old fashion games.

Tour Greensboro's historic Blandwood Mansion, have lunch at one of several restaurants on South Elm Street (three blocks east), then visit art and antique galleries along South Elm Street between Elm and Lee streets. 5 hours.

Drink

A local favorite is Cheerwine soft drink, you should give it a try. Other favorites include Sun Drop and RC Cola. As for beer, Char-Meck is nothing out of the ordinary. Liquor is available by the drink throughout the county, though some nearby small towns have wrestled with whether to permit it.

Liquor is only available through state-sanctioned "ABC" (Alcoholic Beverage Commission) stores. Therefore, traditional "liquor stores" do not exist. Wine and beer are available for purchase at any gas station or grocery store.

Stay healthy

Allergy sufferers be warned; because of the heavily wooded nature of this region, this area will be hell on you during the spring. If you are sensitive to high pollen levels, you should consider coming another time, or bring medicine.

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Piedmont (United States)

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