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More than anywhere else in the region, CHARLOTTE
, at the junction of I-77 and I-85 near the South Carolina border,
can genuinely claim to have made it: a banking and transportation
center that has become the largest city in the state, "boosted,"
in much the same way as Atlanta, by ambitious business and city
leaders. They like to project the image of a sophisticated, fast-lane
cultural metropolis in fact its center is somewhat soulless, though
many nearby neighborhoods are delightful and stuffed with good
places to eat. Served by direct British Airways flights from London,
however, it does make one of the best and most manageable arrival
points in the region.
The chief attraction in downtown
Charlotte,known as "uptown," is Discovery Place
, 301 N Tryon St, a kids-oriented science museum with an indoor
rainforest and an OMNIMAX theater hosting a planetarium (tel 704/372-6261
for hours and prices). There's also the Nature Museum
at 1658 Sterling Rd (MonFri 9am5pm, Sat 10am5pm, Sun 1pm5pm; tel
704/337-2671), geared toward children seven years and under, and
replete with rabbits, hamsters and ponies, as well as puppet shows
and a butterfly room. Another major landmark, on the east side
of downtown, is the massive Ericsson Stadium , home of the NFL
team, the Carolina Panthers.
Although most restaurants and stores are tucked
away inside the city's skyscrapers, Tryon Street is downtown's
busiest thoroughfare. At the intersection of Tryon and Trade streets
is Independence Square , where at each corner
giant modern statues stand depicting transportation, commerce,
industry and the future. Just a few blocks away, the newly renovated
Levine Museum of the New South , 200 E 7th St
(TuesSat 10am5pm, Sun 1am5pm; $6), looks at the growth of the
region from Reconstruction onwards. Interesting vignettes examine
musical history, with the spotlight falling on local names such
as gospel legends the Golden Gate Quartet. The Mint Museum
of Art , three miles further southeast at 2730 Randolph
Rd on bus #15 (Tues 10am10pm, WedSat 10am5pm, Sun noon5pm; $6;
tel 704/337-4820), has a good array of Indian, pre-Columbian and
African art, plus a noted collection of pottery and porcelain.
The Mint Museum of Craft and Design at 220 N
Tryon St, is also worth a stop for its eclectic collection of
metal, glass, wood, fiber and ceramic works (TuesThurs 10am7pm,
Fri 10am9pm, Sat 10am7pm, Sun noon5pm; $6; tel 704/337-4920).
For those interested in NASCAR racing,
fifteen minutes from downtown in the suburb of Concord is the
Lowe's Motor Speedway , where guided tours are
available, and in late May the Coca-Cola 600 comes to town.
