I’m not a “car guy.” And I’m definitely not a “road warrior.” Don’t get me wrong; I love my weekend hiking trips to Pisgah National Forest and Upstate South Carolina with my wife and dog, but my least favorite part is the white-knuckled jockeying for position and inevitable four-mile backups on the Interstates. So, when…
Category: NoDa News
Brew Boldly
Bold Missy founder, Carol Waggener is about to celebrate the second anniversary of an incredible entrepreneurial journey. Waggener’s relationship with beer began in Saint Louis with behemoth brewer Anheuser-Busch. “Even though they are the ‘Evil Empire,’ I learned a lot from them, especially as regards quality and relationships.” Then about five years ago, while working…
Baby Mosh Pits, Girl Bands, and Social Justice
What do baby mosh pits, girl bands, and social justice warriors have in common? A spot in little NoDa called Rock on 22nd. It’s a new collaborative space, housing Girls Rock Charlotte and Pachyderm Music Lab at 423 East 22nd Street. Paul Sires and Ruth Ava Lyon, credited for setting the foundation for the NoDa…
#askingforme – Fail in originality
So here’s the thing. I haven’t received any questions. What I had hoped or envisioned for this column was a space for open inquiry and dialogue to explore our individual and collective narratives. The ones that inform, sometimes inhibit, our growth and progress as humans, as a community, and a culture. I hoped to create…
Marie Walker and the Gift of Art
Can NoDa be the arts district without galleries? If NoDa is Charlotte’s arts district, then where are all the artists? You only have to scratch the surface to find creativity and freedom of expression alive and well here, and Marie Walker is a gateway to the flourishing local arts culture just beneath the obvious. She…
June 2019 TaroScopes
Gemini (May 21 to Jun 20) – The Moon: Everyone wants your attention, and you’re being pulled in a million directions. For once you don’t have all the answers. The fact is, you’d rather sit and talk to yourself because you (usually) agree with you. Don’t sweat it. Speak with confidence. People will believe you…
Everyday Rhythms
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill Our Convergence Church family is enjoying a busy and exciting spring! We are especially excited that we were able to participate in Open Streets 704 on Sunday, April 28. Thousands of Charlotteans…
Spread Love, It’s the Jade Sky Way
The colors and textures of Jade Sky captivate you before you even step through the door. All that positive energy is personified by Marissa Jade Willinsky who will welcome as you enter. Eye-catching pop art by Charlotte artist Matt Moore (@puckmcgruff), shocks of color, and diverse fabrics immediately transport you to a thrilling, creative space….
May 2019 TaroScopes
Taurus (Apr 20 to May 20) – The Tower: You plan; God laughs! Just when you thought you had it all figured out, you realize you don’t. It’s time to reexamine your belief systems and make room for adjustments. Change can be good. Go to Mac Tabby Cat Café to get a feline perspective. Gemini…
The Fried Rooster
You‘ve probably driven by The Fried Rooster’s unassuming location across from Food Lion at 3128 The Plaza. Just as the name implies, this establishment’s specialty is a take on the southern staple: fried chicken. And it is cooked masterfully. These crispy, amber-hued pieces are fried to order. Expect a moist, juicy, perfectly seasoned bird served…
North Davidson: from 37th to Craighead
Several small businesses exist beyond NoDa’s historic downtown area. Below is a survey of the businesses along North Davidson between the Johnston Mill and Crown Station. Though parking requires some creative thinking, we encourage you to check out these neighboring businesses that provide services beyond the restaurant, bar, and entertainment scene. The Colony #3440 Laurel…
Letter from the Prez
NoDa Neighbors & Businesses, We are already four months into 2019. Winter seems to have finally left, and NoDa patios are bursting with neighbors and visitors enjoying the spring weather. While we are still early into the year, the NoDa Neighborhood and Business Association (NBA) board and volunteers have been busy working towards the 2019…
Optimist Park Market
If you have lived in or around the area for any significant amount of time, you are familiar with that famously quiet stretch of land in Optimist Park between Uptown and NoDa. Between high-speed Parkwood Avenue and desolate North Brevard Street, it is typically used as a cut-through for drivers on their way to NoDa….
NoDa Author Writes New Novel
“A wonderful tale of lesbian and literary New York in the 1980s, often funny, sometimes raunchy, sometimes romantic, and always real. Paula Martinac has a gift for bringing different pasts to life. Her portrait of the difficult friendship between two women of contrasting generations is both generous and wise.” – Christopher Bram, author of Gods…
East Sugar Creek Flows Once Again
On Wednesday, April 17, after nearly three and a half years, East Sugar Creek Road reopened with a soaring new roadway bridge over the LYNX light rail and North Carolina Railroad corridor. Think back to that sad old intersection and railroad crossing: traffic backed up to North Tryon and The Plaza multiple times per hour…
#askingforme – Getting Out of Bed
#askingforme is an advice column featuring Grace Sanders, a psychotherapist with over 25 years of experience helping people improve their “human-in-process” stuff. Send questions to her by email or use the anonymous form below. Dear Grace, I recently turned 40 and have been struggling a bit with where my life is. I mean, I have…
Everyday Rhythms – Stories of Hope
“Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of boogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of boogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill…
Charlotte Art League: an introduction
The Charlotte Art League, Charlotte’s oldest nonprofit art gallery, reopened in NoDa North at 4100 Raleigh Street in October 2018. Charlotte Art League, or “CAL” as its members refer to it, is the anchor tenant at the Station House, a mixed-use development campus located at the Sugar Creek Lynx Light Rail stop. The Station House…
What’s All the Hype About CBD?
We’d heard of CBD (Cannabidiol) and various claims from friends about its ability to help with pain and inflammation. But we had not really paid much attention to the places close to home that had added CBD products to their business lines until we saw a segment on the local news in February that mentioned…
Spring Buzz: This Open Streets 704 could “B” the Best One Yet
Bikes, Beer, and BOOM! are coming to a street near you as Open Streets 704 returns to its most popular route, from NoDa to Plaza Midwood, on Sunday, April 28, 1:00 to 5:00pm. Last spring’s Open Streets 704 event (just east and north of uptown) brought out more than 30,000 neighbors and friends into the…
An Avenue for the Ages
For the majority of NoDa residents, the name Guy E. Suddreth may mean nothing. But if you live on the 28206 side, you know that Ritch and Benard Avenues have a little brother. That little brother is Guy E. Suddreth Avenue: a street so short that it has no houses on it and dead ends…
The Sustainability Fair at Highland Mill Montessori School
Join parents, teachers, and students as they host Highland Mill Montessori’s (HMM) Sustainability Fair on April 27 from 11:00am to 1:00pm, as part of the school’s efforts to become more environmentally-responsible. The Sustainability Fair will be located at the rear of the school (rain plan: school gym) and will feature community organizations and vendors that…
NoDa ‘Shine
In the basement of the burgeoning Area 15 (a business incubator located at 15th and North Davidson Streets) you’ll find Dragon Moonshine, a small unassuming distillery, offering tours and tastes of their smooth-drinking, high-proof, “moonshine.” Technically speaking, Dragon Moonshine’s products are not moonshine, but they are certainly made in that spirit: distilled by two irreverent…
April 2019 TaroScopes
April – Renew YOU. Aries (Mar 21 to Apr 19) – 7 of Cups: It’s your time, Aries! Celebrate YOU by visualizing your desires. Stretch—don’t splatter—and be ready to roll up your sleeves to do the work. Reward yourself with a fabulous personalized piece from Custom Jewelry. Taurus (Apr 20 to May 20) – Tower…
Everyday Rhythms: Streams of Blessing
Every person has a moment in their lives in which they have been blessed. Sometimes it’s a deep and urgent need that arises and someone comes to the rescue. Sometimes it’s a very subtle word of encouragement that changes someone’s whole outlook. Sometimes it’s a family member or friend, and sometimes it’s a complete stranger….