Trendy place to stay in Charlotte (rental, good hotel, job market)

[PrincessJ]

I am looking to visit Charlotte at the end of September from Portland, OR. Where is a good hotel in a neighborhood with lots of places to walk with great shops and places to eat? If you are from Portland, or have been here, I'm looking for a comparable place to the Pearl District in NW Portland.

Also, do you know of any great events going on at the end of September?

The reason for my visit is for relocation and job market. I currently live in the Pearl District so looking for something of the same nature.

[SunnyKayak]

South End & Dilworth

[uncgirl98]

The Westin will be near great restaurants, but not much shopping. Marriott Southpark is probably your best bet for both, but more traditional than trendy.

[InSouthPark]

Originally Posted by SunnyKayak

South End & Dilworth

There are no hotels in South End...unless you count the Ascot Inn .

The only thing in Dilworth is Morehead Inn, Hotel Charlotte, Inns of North Carolina

Duke Mansion is in Myers Park and would probably fit your bill.

The Duke Mansion - Historic Bed & Breakfast and Meeting Place

[rmathis]

I have never been to Portland but I am pretty sure you will not find any neighborhood in Charlotte to be like what you've seen in Portland.
Charlotte is a very car-oriented city. The only walkable area that also has hotels is Uptown. There is very little shopping uptown but plenty of bars and restaurants. We also have a light rail that will take you from uptown to South Charlotte (on a straight line). You would probably only care to get off in the South End area where there are some shops.
Our major shopping area is South Park Mall and surrounding but you will either have to drive there or take a bus. If you stay in this area you could walk around but it is still car-oriented.

[anifani821]

I would stay in SouthPark area and rent a car. Or, I like the Duke Mansion. Regardless, I would rent a car. This is the South. We like our cars, LOL.

[Carolina Blue]

I would recommend you try to stay Uptown (the name of our downtown). September is our big month for festivals so they'll be plenty going on either weekend you come that month. But the last weekend in particular is one of the more popular ones with the Culinary Arts Experience in Gateway Village in Uptown. Also that weekend is the Charlotte Film Festival, also in Uptown. You can see more events in the thread below.

SEPTEMBER EVENTS and Other Ongoing Activities

As others have said though, I'd recommend you rent a car to get around to areas outside of Center City. You'll find Charlotte, like most cities in the South, is very dependant on car travel.

[chicagocubs]

Trendy & Charlotte are usually not two words that you put together....

[PrincessJ]

Thank you everyone for the tips...looks like I'll be renting a car Perhaps there is a Hybrid rental so i don't have to sacrifice all of my Oregonian-ness. Although Charlotte may not be very "Trendy", looking at the upcoming September events that Carolina Blue's link lists, there is Fashion Week and a Mary J Blige/Robin Thicke concert, so I get my "Trendy" atmosphere, plus the beautiful country surroundings all wrapped up in one place...sounds like heaven to me!

[ninerfan55]

dont listen to chicago cubs, charlotte is very trendy or at least as trendy as most cities, excluding cities like new york or la.