NCAA Tournament

[Dawgfan11]

Greetings Bobcat fans. I'm a fan of the Washington Huskies basketball team who is heading down this weekend to see us play in the NCAA tournament. I'm just here to ask what I should do/check out while here in Charlotte. I was also wondering about lodging. We're on a budget, so we were looking at staying in the Days Inn on Woodlawn and just taking the shuttle into town each day. Is this a good idea?

[Chef]

i live in durham and am not familiar with charlotte outside of downtown arena area. i would splurge on the hotel, walk to the arena and not worry about parking or cabs. you can go to bars and rest. and not worry about driving/parking either.

[Dawgfan11]

Greetings Bobcat fans. I'm a fan of the Washington Huskies basketball team who is heading down this weekend to see us play in the NCAA tournament. I'm just here to ask what I should do/check out while here in Charlotte. I was also wondering about lodging. We're on a budget, so we were looking at staying in the Days Inn on Woodlawn and just taking the shuttle into town each day. Is this a good idea?

We really did want to stay right downtown, but we just can't afford it. I wish there was a hotel under $100 a night in the downtown area

[nazsquad]

looking around at some websites, i came across the Blake Hotel that is just above 100 a night. It is located downtown, but i definitely wouldnt say that it is the nicest place.

[teej]

Your best bet is to see if you can find a hotel that's close to a Lynx station (light rail) because I can tell you from experience, the traffic for the tourney is TERRIBLE. As in, you can go 5 miles in 30 minutes.

If you're willing to wait, then yeah staying outside Uptown is ok. I really don't know where to suggest staying although it may be better to stay off of I-77 rather than I-85/I-485. But there really isn't a good one, because traffic is bad no matter where you're coming from.

Also, while in town, I'd suggest hanging out at Epicentre (next to the Arena) if you like sports bars and that scene, there are some museums (Nascar HOF if you like that stuff) and there's a Whitewater Rafting Center too. If you give us some of your interests/preferences I can help out more with what you do between games.

[Dawgfan11]

Your best bet is to see if you can find a hotel that's close to a Lynx station (light rail) because I can tell you from experience, the traffic for the tourney is TERRIBLE. As in, you can go 5 miles in 30 minutes.

If you're willing to wait, then yeah staying outside Uptown is ok. I really don't know where to suggest staying although it may be better to stay off of I-77 rather than I-85/I-485. But there really isn't a good one, because traffic is bad no matter where you're coming from.

Also, while in town, I'd suggest hanging out at Epicentre (next to the Arena) if you like sports bars and that scene, there are some museums (Nascar HOF if you like that stuff) and there's a Whitewater Rafting Center too. If you give us some of your interests/preferences I can help out more with what you do between games.

Yeah this Days Inn we're lookin at is like a 5 minute walk from the LYNX station... seems like a decent bet.

I love sports and love beer, so Epicentre sounds good to check out before/after the games. NASCAR HOF sounds interesting too although I'm not a big fan or anything.

I was hoping to eat some good local food. I've never been anywhere close to North Carolina so I'd like to get a taste of the indigenous cuisine. Any suggestions?

I don't have anything else real specific. Most of our time will be spent with the tourney, but Saturday is a day off, and we'll have some time to see the city/nightlife so anything you think is a worthwhile visit I'll be sure and make note of it.

p.s. love your gif... I can't stand Roethlisberger

[BlockParty]

Yeah this Days Inn we're lookin at is like a 5 minute walk from the LYNX station... seems like a decent bet.

I love sports and love beer, so Epicentre sounds good to check out before/after the games. NASCAR HOF sounds interesting too although I'm not a big fan or anything.

I was hoping to eat some good local food. I've never been anywhere close to North Carolina so I'd like to get a taste of the indigenous cuisine. Any suggestions?

I don't have anything else real specific. Most of our time will be spent with the tourney, but Saturday is a day off, and we'll have some time to see the city/nightlife so anything you think is a worthwhile visit I'll be sure and make note of it.

p.s. love your gif... I can't stand Roethlisberger

You should check with your school's alumni association to see which bar/bar(s) they are going to overtake on game days. I know a couple years ago Tennessee had one or two, UNC had about 4 or 5 and Louisville had a hotdog stand near the bus station (kidding). Anyway, usually there are team oriented give aways at the official game day bars.

Are you from Washington State? If so, you might try Prices Chicken Coup http://www.priceschickencoop.com/ It's not in the best part of town, but it is Southern food and it's CASH only. Sonny's BBQ is another (lots of those around)....and should also eat breakfast at least once at Bojangles.

[teej]

Yeah this Days Inn we're lookin at is like a 5 minute walk from the LYNX station... seems like a decent bet.

Yeah that's solid then.


I love sports and love beer, so Epicentre sounds good to check out before/after the games. NASCAR HOF sounds interesting too although I'm not a big fan or anything.

It'll probably be very crowded, but Boris Diaw owns a pub called Mortimer's, they have a great atmosphere during games. And yeah, I've heard varying reports on the quality of the HoF, apparently it was enough to make Stephen Jackson want to go back, but I haven't been.


I was hoping to eat some good local food. I've never been anywhere close to North Carolina so I'd like to get a taste of the indigenous cuisine. Any suggestions?

Hm. There are some good BBQ places but I'm not a fan of it so I couldn't tell you. I'm sure there are some others on here who can, though.


I don't have anything else real specific. Most of our time will be spent with the tourney, but Saturday is a day off, and we'll have some time to see the city/nightlife so anything you think is a worthwhile visit I'll be sure and make note of it.

p.s. love your gif... I can't stand Roethlisberger

I'm only 18 and not in the city so I'm not well versed in the nightlife, but there is a good bit of it for a Southern town :p

And thanks, I watched that game live, best game of the season for either of my teams (Panthers and Raiders).

[teej]

Sonny's BBQ is another (lots of those around)....and should also eat breakfast at least once at Bojangles.

Sonny's sucks, even for BBQ.

But yeah, you can't visit the south without eating at a Bojangle's. And Chik-fil-a is a must-stop as well, if you've never been.

[Dawgfan11]

Yeah I'm from Washington State, Seattle-area. We gotta place up here called Ezell's that serves pretty good Southern fried chicken (greasy as hell though) but I thought I'd might as well try some down there. There's a Bojangles right next to the hotel I'm booking so I'll be sure to check that out. What's funny about Chick-fil-A is there is actually one here in Bellingham, WA, tucked in the northwest corner of the state next to Canada. It was good, but I couldn't help thinking why the hell they put one there.

[Dawgfan11]

You should check with your school's alumni association to see which bar/bar(s) they are going to overtake on game days. I know a couple years ago Tennessee had one or two, UNC had about 4 or 5 and Louisville had a hotdog stand near the bus station (kidding).

Do you not like Louisville or something haha?

[cltblkhscoach]

Hey bud, welcome first off. I live 2 minutes from this hotel, and it's an easy ride from the Lynx right into downtown. There's a stop right by the arena so you did well. Near your hotel is a place called McKoy's Smokehouse which is pretty good. Bojangles and Chicken Coop are both musts. You can take the Lynx to Chicken Coop as well, it goes right by it. Epicenter is good and has everything you'd want to do, from bowling to a movie theater to all types of restaurants, if you're driving and into shopping Concord Mills is a huge attraction. Downtown there's plenty of bars, Blackfinn is one of my favorites.

[Dawgfan11]

Hey bud, welcome first off. I live 2 minutes from this hotel, and it's an easy ride from the Lynx right into downtown. There's a stop right by the arena so you did well. Near your hotel is a place called McKoy's Smokehouse which is pretty good. Bojangles and Chicken Coop are both musts. You can take the Lynx to Chicken Coop as well, it goes right by it. Epicenter is good and has everything you'd want to do, from bowling to a movie theater to all types of restaurants, if you're driving and into shopping Concord Mills is a huge attraction. Downtown there's plenty of bars, Blackfinn is one of my favorites.

Thanks for the info! Sounds like the LYNX system is pretty convenient. I'll be sure to try and check out Blackfinn. Do you guys have any good local beers?

[sam]

Hey Dawgfan11 and others. Long time lurker, but I actually (insanely) had to create an account just to say this one thing. If you MUST eat while you're here in Charlotte and you're looking for local, southern, soul-food, I'm giving you absolutely NO choice but to go to "Merts" on College street and 6th. The Chicken Coop is a staple, but it's not a place where you sit down and it. Its more of a, pick-up-an-order-and-go joint. "Merts" is where you will be eating; either there or "Lola's" on south Brevard and MLK, right across from the Nascar HoF (or both). I have already set your itinerary :-) Both places you can sit and have a REAL, casual, southern meal without breaking the bank.

I may be projecting, but if I were in your situation, I would stay away from chains like bojangles and chik-fila if you want the real southern dining experience.
There are plenty of great bars on College street and a few on Tryon which runs parallel to College as well.

I don't know if you like museums, but you should check out the Mint and the Bechtler museums on S. Tryon. There is also a pretty cool (free) sculpture exhibit that is a part of a larger collection of the Bechtler in the little park referred to as "The Green," which sits in between S. College, Stonewall, and S. Tryon. It's right across from the convention center on S. College St. and the Museums on S. Tryon.

Hope this helps.

[Dawgfan11]

Hey Dawgfan11 and others. Long time lurker, but I actually (insanely) had to create an account just to say this one thing. If you MUST eat while you're here in Charlotte and you're looking for local, southern, soul-food, I'm giving you absolutely NO choice but to go to "Merts" on College street and 6th. The Chicken Coop is a staple, but it's not a place where you sit down and it. Its more of a, pick-up-an-order-and-go joint. "Merts" is where you will be eating; either there or "Lola's" on south Brevard and MLK, right across from the Nascar HoF (or both). I have already set your itinerary :-) Both places you can sit and have a REAL, casual, southern meal without breaking the bank.

I may be projecting, but if I were in your situation, I would stay away from chains like bojangles and chik-fila if you want the real southern dining experience.
There are plenty of great bars on College street and a few on Tryon which runs parallel to College as well.

I don't know if you like museums, but you should check out the Mint and the Bechtler museums on S. Tryon. There is also a pretty cool (free) sculpture exhibit that is a part of a larger collection of the Bechtler in the little park referred to as "The Green," which sits in between S. College, Stonewall, and S. Tryon. It's right across from the convention center on S. College St. and the Museums on S. Tryon.

Hope this helps.

Hilarious that you had to create a handle to make that post. Lookin forward to trying out one of those restaurants. I've also seen some sculptures online and they actually look really awesome, so I'll be sure to check out that park.

[Black]

Lupie's.

Just do it.

http://www.lupiescafe.com/

[BlockParty]

Do you not like Louisville or something haha?

I'm not a big Pitino fan

[ziggy]

Hey Dawgfan11 and others. Long time lurker, but I actually (insanely) had to create an account just to say this one thing. If you MUST eat while you're here in Charlotte and you're looking for local, southern, soul-food, I'm giving you absolutely NO choice but to go to "Merts" on College street and 6th. The Chicken Coop is a staple, but it's not a place where you sit down and it. Its more of a, pick-up-an-order-and-go joint. "Merts" is where you will be eating; either there or "Lola's" on south Brevard and MLK, right across from the Nascar HoF (or both). I have already set your itinerary :-) Both places you can sit and have a REAL, casual, southern meal without breaking the bank.

I may be projecting, but if I were in your situation, I would stay away from chains like bojangles and chik-fila if you want the real southern dining experience.
There are plenty of great bars on College street and a few on Tryon which runs parallel to College as well.

I don't know if you like museums, but you should check out the Mint and the Bechtler museums on S. Tryon. There is also a pretty cool (free) sculpture exhibit that is a part of a larger collection of the Bechtler in the little park referred to as "The Green," which sits in between S. College, Stonewall, and S. Tryon. It's right across from the convention center on S. College St. and the Museums on S. Tryon.

Hope this helps.

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab312/grimmnoir/ru5nnkjpg.gif

He is absolutely on the money with Merts, be sure to order the Mac & Cheese

[Chef]

I may be projecting, but if I were in your situation, I would stay away from chains like bojangles and chik-fila if you want the real southern dining experience.
There are plenty of great bars on College street and a few on Tryon which runs parallel to College as well.

Hope this helps.

no self-respecting carolinaian admits to not liking bojangles. even if you are one of the rare peeps who don't pretend you do. that shit is money. very greasy, salty delicious money.

as for beers, there are probably a dozen beers made from raleigh to asheville to winston salem that you can get in charlotte. highlander, bad penny, etc all range from pretty good to really good, but you are coming from one of the microbrew capitals (colorado being the other) so you may be mildly disappointed.

[cltblkhscoach]

Different strokes for different folks on Bojangles, personally I think you gotta experience it at the least....I'd prefer Lola's over Mert's any day, I've had both on a pretty regular basis because I work about two blocks from the arena. Trust us though, you will have a TON of options. Charlotte downtown has grown a lot over the years. Definitely co-sign on Becthler and the Green on the cultural side though.

[sam]

Ha, no don't get me wrong. I like Bojangles, but I wouldn't want to go to a fast food restaurant to experience indigenous cuisine if I were traveling, you know. I say, he should pick up a 3 piece dinner with slaw and sweat tea for the hotel room.

[CatNation]

the penguin! though I suppose its a bit out of your way. and i haven't been there since they renovated or whatever

[Dawgfan11]

Thanks for all the suggestions and info guys, it's really gonna help us set up an itinerary. Someone on another forum suggested Mac's Barbecue. Any thoughts? And I know I've already asked, but what beers should I try when I'm down there?

I'm so pumped to get down there and see the NCAA tournament. I bet you guys have a lovely arena too.

[Dawgfan11]

That gets me thinkin, are any of you still bitter toward the NBA for taking away the Hornets? I don't really like watching anymore after what they did to the Sonics. I don't know if it will ever be the same.

[Dcarnys]

I know two local beers (Carolina Blonde and Olde Mecklenburg Brewery) Never had them but sold them at Knights. Have fun at the tourney , Ball State almost got me a trip home this weekend.

[cltblkhscoach]

You won't find anyone here on the board bitter towards the NBA. Charlotte, in general, yeah they are still some people who are bitter about it, but it's been better since Jordan has become the majority owner.

The arena isn't bad, but there's nothing that's real distinct that stands out about it. Us locals call it "the cable box" if you want to sound hip, lol.

[Dcarnys]

You won't find anyone here on the board bitter towards the NBA. Charlotte, in general, yeah they are still some people who are bitter about it, but it's been better since Jordan has become the majority owner.

The arena isn't bad, but there's nothing that's real distinct that stands out about it. Us locals call it "the cable box" if you want to sound hip, lol.

You still have people who are bitter the arena was built. My High School history teacher says she will never step foot in that building. Personally I think its ridiculous.

[Dawgfan11]

You won't find anyone here on the board bitter towards the NBA. Charlotte, in general, yeah they are still some people who are bitter about it, but it's been better since Jordan has become the majority owner.

The arena isn't bad, but there's nothing that's real distinct that stands out about it. Us locals call it "the cable box" if you want to sound hip, lol.

Yeah, but this arena


390
looks a lot better than this arena
391http://www.bobcatsplanet.com/vb/images/styles/FunkyFresh/misc/pencil.png

[Dawgfan11]

You still have people who are bitter the arena was built. My High School history teacher says she will never step foot in that building. Personally I think its ridiculous.

Bitter at the NBA for taking the Hornets or bitter at the whoever built the stadium?

[TattoodCats4life]

One big tip, if you go anywhere the serves fried pickles give it a shot, it's freaking awesome; if you go someplace with carolina bbq give it a try, I personally hate it, way too sour (read about the types online somewhere so you know what you're getting). Also, be aware a hotdog down here all the way is Chili, slaw, mustard, onion.

Oh I recommend Cookout if you can find one not too far off the beaten path, most awesome fast food there is

[Dcarnys]

Oh I recommend Cookout if you can find one not too far off the beaten path, most awesome fast food there is
Blueberry Cheesecake Milkshake....... drool


Ohh and bitter at both, some are still angry that the Hornets left (owner maybe, Bob"Cats" Johnson didn't help") some are still annoyed that the arena was built. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWC_Arena#Controversy If your curious.

[CaptainJack1]

That gets me thinkin, are any of you still bitter toward the NBA for taking away the Hornets? I don't really like watching anymore after what they did to the Sonics. I don't know if it will ever be the same.

I've gotten over it. As a basketball fan I think we in Charlotte are lucky to be one of 30 other markets to have pro basketball.

[Scottley Crue]

That gets me thinkin, are any of you still bitter toward the NBA for taking away the Hornets? I don't really like watching anymore after what they did to the Sonics. I don't know if it will ever be the same.

I wasn't ever bitter towards the NBA. George Shinn drove that train. I won't forget going to Hornets' games once the move to New Orleans was announced and having people hand out Mardi Gras beads outside. That seemed very Shinn-like to me. And since the league announced a new team 10 days after the move, it really set up that they knew Shinn was the issue.

[mrfargo]

There is a great soul food resturant about 2 blocks north of the epicenter. Resonably priced and great home cooking. I think its behind blumenthal arts center. If you are walking north, it will be on the right side of the road.