Uptown Charlotte... The Perfect Place to spend Valentine's Day

Sure, a simple dinner-and-a-movie option could cover date night, but where's the fun in that? Here's some great date ideas for those looking for a date in uptown Charlotte, NC...

"The Art Approach
Art for the people" could well be the slogan of the funky North Davidson Street arts district. People wear art, make art, play art, and eat art. Park on the street for the gallery crawl that begins at 6 p.m. on the first and third Fridays of the month. The Center of the Earth Gallery anchors the egalitarian scene. Ruth Ava Lyons and Paul Sires opened it two decades ago, and have since used their MFAs not only to create art, but also to paint and hammer their way through the abandoned buildings of the former mill village. Next to their gallery you'll find contemporary crafts at BEET, and on nearby Thirty-sixth Street are Green Rice Gallery (which rents out artists for parties) and Lark & Key, a good place to search for a memento. The best part is yet to come: dessert at Crêpe Cellar, the cozy French bistro meets British pub that offers sweet and savory crêpes. The small restaurant features wide glass windows, perfect for people watching on the busy street as you share a light and airy crêpe filled with luscious, sweet Nutella and topped with perfectly ripe bananas. Order a few cups of the French-press coffee and soak up the convivial atmosphere."

Ethnic Food Trail
If you're in the mood for some tasty bites and feeling adventurous, grab a date who shares your gastronomic curiosity and head out on a Saturday afternoon for some of the best food in the city. You can get an early start at Le's Café, a small shop inside the Asian Corner Mall selling banh mi, small Vietnamese sandwiches stuffed with meats, fresh vegetables, and herbs and served in crispy French bread. The number twelve, a warm steamed pork sandwich, is perfect for splitting, and with the day of feasting ahead, you'll want to start small. Next, take your date on a drive across town to Taqueria La Unica on Central Avenue. The restaurant's gorditas, featuring chunks of spicy pork with lettuce, peppers, and green hot sauce sandwiched by two small fried corn tortillas, is a tasty choice and perfect for heating things up. Finally, a sure way to impress your companion is a finale with pupusas at El Pulgarcito on Central Avenue. The hot and delicious pancakes made from corn flour dough are stuffed with meat, cheese, or beans and covered with a tangy slaw and hot sauce. Now, if only you had the energy for a trip together to the gym.

City Square
If your date is new to Charlotte, this downtown amble is sure to impress. By mixing art, history, and romance, you'll look cultured and dashing by the time it's finished. Start early on a Friday afternoon with a pocketful of change. Park in Fourth Ward, the city's Victorian neighborhood of turrets and quaint gardens, and walk to the Gold Rush Trolley stop on North Church Street. Take the free trolley (it's really a bus) to the 500 block of South Tryon, where you'll explore the city's spectacular new mingling of modern art and African American culture. Admire the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture, with its quilt-inspired exterior (a tribute to the Underground Railroad) and enlist a stranger to take your picture under the towering mosaic Firebird in front of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. Stroll back to Fourth Ward—here's where the coins come in—and make wishes in the many fountains along the way. Tuck in to the neighborhood tavern, Alexander Michael's, to start dinner with fried pickles and a microbrew." ~ Source: CharlotteMagazine.com