One day stop to either Raleigh or Charlotte -Which one? (restaurants, bars)

[MB1972]

I would go with Charlotte, there's lots more happening downtown there than in Raleigh. Check out Roosters a very good restaurant there.

[poppydog]

Originally Posted by jhhc99

We can take either the route up to Charlotte area or just go north all the way up to Raleigh.. We just want to split the drive all the way up to VA by stopping in NC because (A) We both have never been/stayed and (B) It would be fun to explore a particular area for a day. We love how Savannah has such a walkable downtown riverfront and how Boston has all the history and cobblestone streets.. is Charlotte more like that than Raleigh?

Neither city is like that. I'd say Raleigh has preserved a little bit more of its history, especially downtown. It is the state capital and home to all that government stuff, plus there are some nice museums downtown (NC History, and Natural Sciences). Lots of good restaurants, too. Explore Here :: Downtown Raleigh

[cltpeep]

You might stop in Old Salem in Winston Salem - www.oldsalem.org - if historic places are your interest. There is a quaint arts district also in Winston Salem. I also love Greenville, SC for it's wonderful downtown park (complete with waterfall under a suspension bridge) and walkable downtown. Both Charlotte and Raleigh have wonderful options but are bigger and more confusing so might not be as fulfilling to just "piddle" around but would be fine if you want to eat at a nice restaurant, stop at a museum and look at the big buildings. Charlotte isn't really known for having lots of "cute shops" in uptown. However, I love the Bechtler Bechtler Museum of Modern Artin Uptown Charlotte and the charming park across the street. Another option, the Whitewater Center U.S. National Whitewater Center | The U.S. National Whitewater Center is the world would be an awesome stop on a nice day if you like outdoorsy things and the restaurant there is really good. Or if you're garden folks, the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden http://www.dsbg.org/ would be great if you're driving by on a reasonable cool day or morning.

[Charlotte485]

Originally Posted by cltpeep

You might stop in Old Salem in Winston Salem - www.oldsalem.org - if historic places are your interest. There is a quaint arts district also in Winston Salem. I also love Greenville, SC for it's wonderful downtown park (complete with waterfall under a suspension bridge) and walkable downtown. Both Charlotte and Raleigh have wonderful options but are bigger and more confusing so might not be as fulfilling to just "piddle" around but would be fine if you want to eat at a nice restaurant, stop at a museum and look at the big buildings. I love the Bechtler Bechtler Museum of Modern Artin Uptown Charlotte and the charming park across the street. However, the Whitewater Center U.S. National Whitewater Center | The U.S. National Whitewater Center is the world would be an awesome stop on a nice day if you like outdoorsy things and the restaurant there is really good.

Carowinds theme Park and as this poster mentioned; US National White Water Center is AWESOME. Sooo awesome. The bike trails are amazing to walk

Freedom Park is great to go to and walk the urban Greenway.


As other posters asked; when will you be coming here. And as far as Charlotte, I know myself and other posters could tell you everywhere to go and see. And do you have children, outdoorsy or artsy etc. You Can also catch a movie, go bowling, museums, segway tours, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Children's indoor water park, usually live music on the streets, etc.

[GCharlotte]

Originally Posted by cltpeep

You might stop in Old Salem in Winston Salem - www.oldsalem.org - if historic places are your interest. There is a quaint arts district also in Winston Salem. I also love Greenville, SC for it's wonderful downtown park (complete with waterfall under a suspension bridge) and walkable downtown. Both Charlotte and Raleigh have wonderful options but are bigger and more confusing so might not be as fulfilling to just "piddle" around but would be fine if you want to eat at a nice restaurant, stop at a museum and look at the big buildings. I love the Bechtler Bechtler Museum of Modern Artin Uptown Charlotte and the charming park across the street. However, the Whitewater Center U.S. National Whitewater Center | The U.S. National Whitewater Center is the world would be an awesome stop on a nice day if you like outdoorsy things and the restaurant there is really good.

As someone that lives in Charlotte I enjoy visiting Greenville. They've done well vitalizing their downtown.

The problem with Raleigh is the smell.

[1003thUserName]

God, just continue north and get where the "real" cities with real character and urban quality are at. Walkable, NC? Asheville is the only place I can think of, and out of downtown it ends really quick.

[PDD]

Originally Posted by jhhc99

We are moving up north from FL and wonder which city has a walkable yet safe downtown in NC that we can explore before hitting the road the next day up north. We've never visited NC at all so we just need advice on a decent downtown where there is cute shops, dining, and is safe..

Take the inland route, I 26, I 77, I 81 North through Charlotte and the Shenandoah valley of Va. Much more scenic than I 95. This route will put you closer to both Charlotte and Asheville than it will Raleigh.
I travel North on this route yearly and will gladly spend in extra hour or two to avoid DC and the majority of travelers who use I 95.

[poppydog]

PDD, that's a great suggestion for going further north, but jhhc99 is only going to VA, so no need to bypass DC. Jhhc99, where in Va are you going? Traffic on I-95 can get really nasty the nearer you get to DC, often it's bad as far south as Fredericksburg, sometimes even Richmond. Going the I-77 to I-81 route might make sense depending on your final destination.

Generally the more scenic parts of NC are the mountains and the coast. I-95 sort of bypasses the best of North Carolina. You could take a detour and stop by Wilmington. They have a nice riverwalk area there. It would be out of the way, but I don't know how much time you have to play with. You could also visit Chapel Hill and Durham. Durham's downtown area has been undergoing a renaissance and really has some interesting things going on. Chapel Hill is a classic college town. If you did this then you could pick up I-85 in Durham which will take you on to Richmond. I-85 is a good road and not busy like I-95.

I doubt if Carowinds near Charlotte is a big draw for you coming from Florida, the theme park HQ of the world.

[urbancharlotte]

Originally Posted by jhhc99

We are moving up north from FL and wonder which city has a walkable yet safe downtown in NC that we can explore before hitting the road the next day up north. We've never visited NC at all so we just need advice on a decent downtown where there is cute shops, dining, and is safe..

When you say "we are moving up north" I assume that you will have some sort of large truck or moving van. If so, parking your vehicles and getting into any downtown area could be difficult. In the case of Charlotte, you can always park your vehicles (for free) at one of the light rail stations and ride the train into downtown. A round-trip ticket is $4 per adult.

I'm not sure if large vehicles are allowed at light rail stations though. With that said, your best bet would be to find a safe place to park the larger moving van then simply drive the car to the park & ride lots. Here are the locations of all light rail park & ride stations in Charlotte:

I-485
35.107385,-80.881745 - Google Maps

Sharon Road West
35.119075,-80.882754 - Google Maps

Arrowood
35.134576,-80.879985 - Google Maps

Archdale
35.151074,-80.876389 - Google Maps

Tyvola
35.16299,-80.877899 - Google Maps

Woodlawn
35.175503,-80.879251 - Google Maps

Scaleybark
35.191767,-80.87467 - Google Maps

You can input any of these addresses into your navigation and you'll be directed to the locations above. All light rail park & rides are only 5 minutes or so away from I-77. Tyvola, Woodlawn, and Scaleybark would be the closest to I-77. Also, the stations farthest to the south (I-485 and Sharon Rd West) often fill to capacity M-F during business hours; so don't let those weekend pics above fool you. If you're stopping in Charlotte on a week day during business hours, I wouldn't even bother trying to park at those two southern stations near Pineville; you won't find a spot. Any other station during the business week should be fine.

If you were to take the train, exit at the "Arena Station". This is the downtown stop where most folks will exit. From there, walk across the tracks (PLEASE watch out for the trains!!!) into the "Epicentre". If you're not sure which way to walk, just ask someone and they'll point you to it. Once at Epicentre, you have a choice of movies, bowling, or dining. You can also continue walking through Epicentre into the heart of downtown (which is only a few blocks from the Arena Station). Along Tryon Street (Charlotte's "Main Street") you'll find restaurants, museums, and others strolling around just like yourself. The only thing you won't find is a major retail district. In Charlotte, the major retail is in an area called "Southpark" instead of downtown. If you parked your car at Tyvola Station, Southpark is about 5-8 minutes east of Tyvola Station. You can take Tyvola Road to the Southpark area (just know that Tyvola Road changes into Fairview Rd when it crosses Park Rd).

When leaving Charlotte, the Concord Mills area (exit 49 off of I-85) is a very popular shopping area as well. To be honest, it is the most popular shopping area in the entire state.

[LLN]

There is SO MUCH MORE to NC than Charlotte or Raleigh. I would go to Winston Salem, if I was making a one day stop before heading up north. Good Luck