Our First City - Charlotte, NC

Jacob and I celebrated our fifth anniversary in December. Our first five years have been busy ones. We've lived in five cities, countless rentals and can truly call each other citizens of the Carolinas. In honor of our fifth anniversary, I'm releasing my best of list for each of the Carolina cities, I've been blessed to call home - if only for a little while.

First up, our home from 2009-2010... The Queen City - Charlotte, North Carolina


We lived in a large suburb north of Charlotte, Huntersville where my husband attended high school and I worked in a less than desirable section of the Queen City so most of my list here are not the typical Uptown go-tos.

• Best Breakfast / Brunch - Toast (http://toastcafeonline.com) I can't say enough good things about Toast it is just the perfect lazy morning breakfast joint - fancy enough to be an occasion but accessible enough to not feel bad about say... going EVERY Saturday. They have multiple locations now, but the one in downtown Davidson is my absolute favorite. SIDE NOTE: Davidson is also my absolute favorite so maybe there is some correlation there. 

• Best Pizza - Romenello's (http://romanellosnc.com)When my husband and I were still dating long distance I would drive up from Columbia every other weekend to visit him and would inevitably end up procrastinating driving back as long as I could. Romenello's was a KEY reason that I would often end up giving in to the temptation of a cold beer, slice of white pie and a few more hours with Jacob. 

          Must Try - The White Pie!

• Best Slap Yo' Mama Guilt Free Southern Food Binge Spot - Mert's Heart & Soul of Uptown (http://mertscharlotte.com) Any place that brings you your own loaf of cornbread with your meal is OK by me. If you've got a hankering for fried chicken, greens, mac & cheese or anything quintessentially southern - then make a reservation to dine at this uptown spot. 

• Best In-Town Getaway - Latta Plantation (http://www.lattaplantation.org/latta/index.php?page=home) Full disclosure, we've never done any of the formal activities here but I'm sure they are fun too! My husband likes working out 1000 times more than I ever will and this was one of his favorite places to run. I don't like running but I do like pretty places and so it became one of my favorites as well. 

• 'When in Rome' - This category is full of those things that you just have to do. There is great joy to be found in being a tourist in your own town and you know, in just saying yeah I've done that!

• NASCAR - Whether you are a fan or not, attending a race is an experience that you will not soon forget. Tailgating alone is worth it. 

• Lake Norman - Boat rentals are available for those of us without. Lake days are always fun - so take advantage of the BIG body of water in your backyard. 

• U.S. National Whitewater Center (http://usnwc.org)- admittedly this was not around when we lived in the Charlotte area BUT we've been back since and it is awesome. It offers way more than just rafting and is a fun place for all ages. We attended the Beer Stache Bash there featuring many of the local NC breweries and it was great!

Some other stuff worthy of sharing about Charlotte, NC:

• This Huffington Post article made me laugh - 15 Reasons Why Charlotte is the Weirdest

• My husband's family members were some of the original signers of the Declaration of Mecklenburg, which was signed prior to the Declaration of Independence.

"Although Charlotte was not a large or important town during the early years, some interesting things happened here.  Mecklenburg was the first government body in America to declare independence from the Crown of England, on May 20, 1775.  This document was the famed Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence which you can read about on this site.  Lord Cornwallis came to Charlotte in the fall of 1780 on his way to destroy the Continental Army, but he only stayed sixteen days.  The local partisans were just too hot for him, and he later referred to Charlotte as “A Hornet’s Nest of Rebellion” giving rise to Charlotte being called the Hornet’s Nest City today. " 

- Mecklenburg Historical Association

• The Onion's Take on the City          

All kidding aside, even though I didn't fall in love with it immediately, Charlotte will always hold a special place in my heart. It was the first city I moved to after college, where we spent our first year as newly weds, where we adopted our dog Huck, where I had my first 'job', etc. etc. etc.

I am grateful for our family and friends that still call the area home and allow us to visit so often. Help me be cooler when in Charlotte by sharing your favorite go-to places below!

Photo Credit