CLT for a Week
 

Hi, all

New job requires a week of training in CLT - office (and most likely hotel), located in Ballantyne.

Don't know where I'll be staying, yet. Looking for food and activity recommendations, preferably BBQ, and museums.

TY

If you scroll on down the first South Forum page you'll see some previous discussion. Notably http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/south...endations.html (See Reply #5 & #6)

A couple of other web sites of interest:
http://asccharlotte.wordpress.com/
http://www.charlottesgotalot.com/

As for BBQ, purists would contend the nearest real BBQ is about an hour north in Lexington. Fried chicken on the other hand...even Wolfgang Puck, when spotted outside "Price's Chicken Coop" in Charlotte last week said "I've been told the best fried chicken in the South is in Atlanta or other cities, but Price's is so far the best fried chicken I've found."

Welcome to Charlotte!

Here's a nice little spot if you're into aviation:

http://www.carolinasaviation.org/

If you're there in the next few weeks the NBA Bobcats play downtown and it's not a bad night's entertainment.

Good advice so far, thanks. Will look into the aviation museum, and the chicken.

As an aside, just discovered sigs don't show up in quotes. During grade 10, oh so many years ago, we did Les Mis (the non musical version), but that song was our "preview" for the school. The beating of the heart equals the beating of the drum! Thanks for the ear-worm, it'll be there for a few weeks now :D

The aviation museum is a lot of fun, they're getting the fuselage of the US 320 that landed in the Hudson. I'm also glad you enjoy Les Mis and you enjoy that song as much as I do! Do let us all know how your trip to Charlotte goes.

If you are looking for outdoor activites, Crowders Mountain State Park in nearby Gastonia offers the typical activities such as hiking. There are two major lakes in the immediate Charlotte vicinity, Lake Wylie and Lake Norman, with Lake Norman being the larger, and in my opinion preferred of the two, though it is on the North end of Charlotte, so a good bit farther from the Ballantyne area. There is also the US National Whitewater Center which offers a variety of outdoor activites. I know that none of those are really museums, but they might offer a bit of a retreat if you're looking to get away from the "City" side of Charlotte.

In terms of cuisine, Charlotte offers an excellent array of Latin American restaurants due to its large and vibrant Latino population. Machu Picchu Restaurant on East Independence Blvd has EXCELLENT Peruvian dishes. For Colombian themed dishes, I would suggest Los Paisas, which is actually quite near the Ballantyne area. I have also heard great things about A Piece of Havana if you are seeking Cuban cuisine, though I have not personally eaten there as I prefer Mambo Grille, 45 minutes North of Charlotte in Salisbury. Chima Brazilian Steakhouse in Uptown is an upscale and excellent Rodizio Style Brazilian Steakhouse, a fun experience if you have never been and love meat, though be forewarned it is a bit on the pricey side.

If you are a fan of fried seafood, then you must try one of the many Seafood Camps in the Charlotte area. My favourite is Riverview Inn on the Southwest Side adjacent to Gastonia.

For German food, there is the Waldhorn Restaurant in Pineville, a short drive from Ballantyne. The food there is pretty decent, though I much prefer Old German Schnitzel Haus in nearby Hickory. If you have a free evening and want the best German food outside of Germany, then I would highly recommend making the hour drive up one evening.

As food is one of my obsessions, I could go on and on about restaurants in Charlotte, so to spare the time, if you have any particular type of restaurant in mind, feel free to send me a PM.

The Home Collection furnished residences
 

A great hotel alternative in Charlotte is The Home Collection--

http://www.thehomecollectionclt.com/

They've got more than a dozen furnished condos and apartments in the city's best neighborhoods (Myers Park, Dilworth) all within 2 miles of Uptown. Midcentury-modern mixed with antique furnishings and original artwork.

Ideal for business, leisure, home-hunting, relocation, etc. and about 15 minutes from the airport.

Some other good websites:


http://www.charlottecultureguide.com/
http://www.charlotteviewpoint.org/

Restaurants:

http://www.vivacecharlotte.com/
http://www.300east.net/
http://www.lunaslivingkitchen.com/
http://customshopfood.com/
http://www.carpediemrestaurant.com/
http://soulgastrolounge.com/