A Road Trip to Charlotte – A Weekend of Antiquing and Eating
I don’t know about you, but nothing gets my juices going more than the thrill of the hunt when I walk into an antique mall, thrift store or consignment store. When Chris suggested a weekend in Charlotte, I jumped at the chance to explore some of the places that have popped up in recent years.
So much has changed since I left Charlotte in 2008. The city made it through the recession and has bounced back stronger than ever. There’s been a tremendous amount of growth and, while locals might complain about the traffic, it is still pretty easy to get around. The neighborhoods in and around the city are quaint and have their own personality making for a fun weekend getaway.
When I lived in Charlotte, the area around South Boulevard was just starting to change. Southend Brewery had just opened and there was one store that was responsible for introducing me to architectural salvage. I bought my first vintage corbel there and haven’t looked back.
Today, the area is bustling with new restaurants, antique malls, furniture consignment stores and other interesting places to explore. The light rail has several stops up and down South Boulevard connecting the area to uptown attractions like the Bobcats Arena (NBA) and the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
When Chris and I decided to go to Charlotte for the weekend earlier this month, we booked an Airbnb in the Southend area. We found a cute one-bedroom condo just blocks off of South Boulevard. Cute, clean, affordable, and convenient – what more could you ask for?
Before leaving for Charlotte, I had done some homework (have I told you I’m a planner?) and had a list of places I wanted to visit – some were new places I’d been wanting to explore, others were old favorites. At the top of the list of favorites was our Friday dinner destination in Historic Fourth Ward.
If you’re not familiar with Historic Fourth Ward, its definitely worth a visit. Nestled just a few blocks from center city Charlotte, the neighborhood is filled with charming Victorian houses. During the holiday season they offer tours along with hot cider.
On one of the corners sits an old Victorian home that’s been converted into a great Charlotte mainstay – Alexander Michael’s Restaurant and Tavern. Alexander Michael’s has been open for business in this location for more than thirty-five years.
Open for lunch and dinner, weekends can get quite busy from happy hour on. They don’t take reservations, but the tables turn over fairly quickly and you can usually grab a seat at the bar. They have a great beer selection on tap, but their food is what keeps people coming back.
They say the fried pickles are to die for – I’m not a pickle fan (I don’t even want them on my plate with a sandwich), so I can’t vouch for them personally. When I walk in the door, I don’t even want to bother with a menu. I already know I’m ordering a dish they call “What It Is.” A grilled chicken breast seasoned with Cajun spices is served over spiral pasta in a Cajun Cream sauce with freshly grated Parmesan. I’m not ashamed to say I ate every bite!
Saturday was reserved for antique malls, consignment shops and junk shops. So excited!!! We weren’t looking for anything specific which I think is the best way to go into on of these excursions. Here’s a list of places we shopped:
- Catawba River Antiques
This antique mall is in Belmont, NC about 30 minutes from Charlotte. It boasts 60,000 square feet of space and hundreds of vendor booths that contain a wide variety of antiques, collectibles and salvage items you didn’t even know you needed. Furniture, signs, glassware, old windows, reclaimed wood, china, crystal, farmhouse – its all there.
Some of the vendors have already upcycled and/or restored their items. Others have left their merchandise in its original state leaving it up to you to put your own flair on it. Prices seemed reasonable.
We picked up a giant spring (8 inches in diameter) and a 50th anniversary gift for Chris’ parents. This place is well worth the trip out of town. When we visited, they were open seven days a week and usually past 5pm.
- Piccolo Antique Mall
We found this place on our way to see the beautiful church on the Belmont Abbey College. Its right on main street and does look like much more than a simple storefront. Its deceptive. Once you go inside you realize the building just keeps going and there’s also a basement level. The prices are a bit higher, but there are still deals to be found. I found a cute throw pillow for our master bed that was perfect – and only $11.
Part of the reason I love antique malls are all the different booths. I get so many ideas looking at what other people are doing with their finds. It’s like Pinterest in real life.😊
- Antique Alley
This is a family owned antique mall located in Matthews, NC which is on the 485 loop that goes around Charlotte. With the loop finally finished (it was only 50% done when I left), this shop is very easy to get to from Uptown Charlotte. While wandering around the shop I found an absolutely gorgeous mahogany sideboard.
This piece was perfect for our master bath vanity which has been a point of frustration for us since we got married. The only problem was I had already bought a dresser last year which I was going to refinish (the color was wrong). I took down the dimensions (the store thoughtfully leaves tape measures and notepads all around the store – nice touch) and left with a plan.
Sideboard UPDATE: After we got home from Charlotte, I went through all of my finds and selected 3-4 (plus the dresser) and put them out on Facebook Marketplace. I made enough money to just about cover the sideboard so we are on our way back to Charlotte this weekend to get it!
- Southend Exchange
This is a furniture consignment store located one block off of South Boulevard. Its not a huge store, but the furniture was fun and there were deals to be had. There was a good mix of traditional and eclectic throughout. I think its worth a stop in if you’re going to be in the area. They seem to have good turnover in their stock. We weren’t there that long and several pieces were going out and a couple of trucks were outside waiting to drop off.
- Sleepy Poet Antique Mall
This was actually the place that was the inspiration for this trip. We found this antique mall by chance the last time we were in Charlotte. With 60,000 square feet of booth space you can truly get lost in here. Because of the building, the aisles don’t all go in the same direction so you get a real feeling of exploring and wondering what’s around the next corner.
You can find almost anything here – furniture, accessories, fabric, books, china, glassware, anything! The last time we were here we found a vintage, solid wood luggage rack. We use it all the time since there’s always a suitcase out with one of us traveling for work if we’re not traveling together.
There are many other stores in and around Charlotte worth visiting. We chose these based on a combination of reviews, size, and location. We also didn’t want to kill ourselves and try to do too much. We did get to try some new restaurants while staying in the Southend neighborhood.
If you find yourself in the area, don’t miss Holler and Dash Biscuit House for breakfast or brunch. Their Andouille Hustle is fantastic!
The Barcelona Wine Bar is great for a glass of wine and appetizers. It was busy when we got there for happy hour on Saturday. It was an older crowd (not 20-something) so we felt right at home. You could easily have dinner here, but we wanted to try another new place for dinner.
A couple doors down from the wine bar is Superica, a Tex-Mex restaurant. Also busy on a Saturday, we were able to get a seat at the bar in about 20 minutes. The bartenders are very friendly and helpful. The nachos and fajitas were tasty and they have some sort of avocado cream salsa along with the regular salsa that was very refreshing.
On Sunday, we had breakfast at IKEA and picked up a few things we always get when we go – napkins, baskets, and scissors. IKEA TIP: On the weekends the restaurant opens 30 minutes before the store so you can have a great breakfast for just a few dollars and beat the crowds. We ate, shopped, and walk right up to a cashier with NO WAIT! When have you been able to do that at IKEA??
All in all, it was a great trip! I hope you try out some of our favorites in Charlotte. Do you live in or visit Charlotte? What are some of your favorite places? We’ll put them on the list for next time!
Stay tuned to see how the sideboard fits into our master bath!
