Charlotte is the perfect hybrid of southern charm and urban sophistication—a great place for personal and professional growth as well as a spot for culturally enriching experiences—that is, if you know where to look.

Blessed with generally mild weather year-round (winter temperatures hardly kick in until late October/early November), many choose Charlotte as an ideal weekend getaway. Our city is truly an unexpected travel treat. Yes, it’s a hotbed for business and corporate wheeling and dealing due to the city serving as headquarters for several major corporations, including powerhouses Bank of America and Goodrich. But Charlotte is more than just a financial center: it is a place of artistic diversity, cultural enrichment and stylish flair.

Charlotte has a plethora of great places for food and entertainment, with many wonderful options within walking distance of Center City in Uptown. Sometimes it just takes a little exploring.

Where to Go: Art & Culture

NoDa. Yes, Charlotte has an eclectic side, which often manifests itself in Charlotte’s Historic Arts District. The heart of the district is located at North Davidson and 36th Street. The area is called NoDa, and …

Rumor has it that Queen Sophia Charlotte — the city’s namesake — was black. I decided to spend an afternoon searching for the truth. First stop: Charlotte’s international airport. Sculptor Raymond Kaskey’s 16-foot-tall Queen Charlotte greets visitors as they exit the terminal. She looks as if she’s being carried away by the wind while trying to hold on to her crown — which actually may have been the case when her husband, King George III, had his first breakdown in 1765, leaving it up to her to hold it all together.

I stop at the Visitor Center and ask the trim Scottish(?) grandmother manning the desk for any information she might have on the queen. (My plan is to feign ignorance.) She hands me a visitor’s guide which recommends that I view the queen’s portrait at Charlotte’s Mint Museum of Art. As I continue to flip through the magazine, the attendant mentions that the queen was from Germany, and then, in a conspiratorial voice, says, “You might find this interesting; she’s part African American.” Indeed.

From the airport, it’s eight miles to the next clue, a statue of Queen Charlotte at …

Friendship Missionary Baptist Church sits on 108 acres in northwest Charlotte, NC, only 6 miles from downtown Charlotte and Charlotte Douglas International Airport. We are about 3 miles from the Historically Black Johnson C. Smith University, and Friendship is one of several African American churches of various denominations on the Beatties Ford Rd corridor. Friendship is celebrating 120 years of mission and ministry this year. God has done and is still doing an awesome work in the household of faith called Friendship. Our Senior Minister is Dr. Clifford A. Jones, Sr., a dynamic preacher, teacher, and author, who has served Friendship for more than twenty eight years (26).

On the current church campus, are located the 3400 building, 3301 building, Friendship Community Enrichment Center and the Friendship Community Development Corporation. The 3400 building is where the Friendship family currently worships at three (3) worship services each Sunday morning: 7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 a.m. Though the worship services are not categorized as either contemporary or traditional, each worship service takes on a unique style and feel, thanks to the activity of the Holy Spirit. The sanctuary of the 3400 building has beautiful faceted glass windows that depict African American history on the south-side windows and Biblical history on the north-side windows. …