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Photo: Bz3rk, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A fascinating literacy-themed park tucked between an historic church and an apartment/shopping center. Children love the highly interactive landscaping (including ceramic sofas and a splash fountain) and adults can appreciate the literary references. It is surrounded by restaurants and a small library branch.
The Green is a 0.5-acre (0.20 ha) park at 400 South Tryon Street in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. At one end of this so-called pocket park are the Mint Museum and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art; at the other end is the Charlotte Convention Center. Next to it stands Charlotte's historic St. Peter's Catholic Church. The Green is the site of various public events, such as movie screenings and free plays, including summer performances by the Charlotte Shakespeare Festival. This park is frequently the site of public art and sculpture, including three giant computer-timed fish fountains, a popular feature with children in the summer. Mosaic benches and stools are tucked away in shady side paths. Five large sculptures by the French artist Niki de Saint Phalle stood in The Green from January through October 2011.
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Housed in a striking bright orange building across from the Mint Museum and facing The Green, the collection includes works from some of the biggest names in modern art. Outside the front door is the dazzling Firebird sculpture by Niki de Saint Phalle.
An offshoot of the Mint Museum of Art with a particular emphasis on craft and design that has a much more accessible location in the center of the city. Its collection is outstanding and its staff quite knowledgeable. Visitors often express surprise that the museum's "niche" can be so interesting, especially due to its contemporary design collection.
Housed in a cylindrical building across the street from the convention center, this slick museum has many interactive exhibits on the history of NASCAR, race cars, and simulators.
The local NFL team plays in the 73,000-seat Bank of America stadium. Due to a sudden surge in popularity, it is becoming more difficult to find tickets to home games. This is especially the case late in the season, when the team is expected to be in the playoff hunt. Scalpers roam the sidewalks in front of the stadium, so it is possible to find game day tickets at a premium cost. It is illegal to charge more than a small percentage above the face value of a ticket, though this law is generally unenforced.
At the center of Uptown surrounding the intersection of its two main streets, this plaza is the bustling heart of the business district, hemmed in on all sides by towering buildings and holding fountains, statues, benches and food carts among its crowds of people.
The Performing Arts Center has three performance spaces: the 2,100-seat Belk Theater; the 434-seat Booth Playhouse, and the Stage Door Theater which seats 150. The Center presents the Broadway Lights Series, featuring national touring Broadway productions and a wide range of special attractions. Home to the seasons of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Opera Carolina, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Carolina Voices, the Carolinas Concert Association, ArtsTeach, Community School of the Arts, and the Light Factory.