I took my mom clubbing in uptown

Plus: The return of 'Teen Talk' — and the news of the week: tangling over teaching race in schools, hospital systems win expansion approvals, deals on airfare, shortages of liquor

Jul 17, 2021

Good morning! Today is Saturday, July 17, 2021. You’re reading The Charlotte Ledger’s Weekend Edition. Check out our audio version 🎧 on Spotify.

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Urban Adventures: A mother-daughter night out at uptown hotspots; cocktails at fancy hotel bar, dancing to ‘Footloose’ with glow sticks

Calling all suburbanites, or city dwellers looking to break out of their bubbles: Has it been awhile since you ventured to one of those areas in and around uptown that you keep hearing about? You don’t need Blumenthal tickets or Knights seats as an excuse to make that trek into the big city — The Ledger is here for you. In this occasional series, we’ll handpick adventures (that we’ve tried ourselves!) and tell you everything you need to know to make the most of the experience, from the best time to go, to where to park (or what greenway/light rail to take). Grab your keys, phone and wallet … let’s go!

By Lindsey Banks

When the bouncer at an uptown nightclub asked for my ID on a recent Saturday night, I was ready. I just turned 21, so I knew to have my driver’s license at my fingertips. But for my mom, getting carded was less familiar. She’s a 51-year-old teacher, and the request for ID led her to search frantically through her purse.

Yes, you read that right. I went clubbing with my mother. It was an experience we’ll both remember for the rest of our lives.

Charlotte’s nightlife scene may be something you’ve always heard about but never experienced for yourself. It’s a little intimidating. Where do you park? What’s a good budget to set for yourself? What places are worth the lines?

Nightlife is usually targeted towards the younger generations, but Charlotte is not limited to just entertaining us 20-somethings after dark. Now that Covid restrictions have been lifted, most places are open and in full-swing. With a seemingly endless list of bars and clubs, uptown appears to be packed with things to do for all ages — well, all ages above 21, that is.

To put this theory to the test, I set out on a Saturday night with my mother for a much-needed girls’ night out. My mom and I scoped out the nightlife scene on Google, targeting an ambitious list of potential bars and clubs.

We’re from the Asheville area, with little experience in uptown’s nightlife scene — except for Mom’s memories from the early 2000s of The Breakfast Club, which was an 80s-themed dance club that used to be in uptown Charlotte. She was sad to learn it is no longer in business, but we discovered Charlotte has a nice alternative.

There’s exactly a 30-year age gap between my mother and me, but surprisingly, we had very similar opinions on our experience. Here are our takes:

First, finding a parking spot

Charlotte’s most popular clubs and bars are all within a five-minute walking distance from each other. The uptown parking situation is a little stressful, but we found a spot along West Trade Street almost immediately and within a short walking distance from the hotspots we would be visiting.

Búho Bar at The Grand Bohemian: Swanky, with more ‘mature’ clientele

We began the night with the rooftop bar at The Grand Bohemian Hotel called Búho Bar (201 W. Trade St.). You don’t have to be a hotel guest to drink at the bar or eat at the restaurant, Mico. We strolled in at about 8:30 p.m. and put our name on the waiting list. We had to wait only five minutes before we were escorted in a private elevator to the 16th floor.

We took a seat at the bar and watched as a bartender prepared a gin and grapefruit cocktail called a “Blushing Búho” for me and a pineapple cider for my mother. We sipped and admired the view of the city, with its brightly lit office towers. Most people around us were on dates or were there with friends, but a few were there by themselves, looking to meet new people. Some were dressed up in jackets and cocktail dresses, and others were in jeans. The average age was 30 — my mom and I were probably the oldest and youngest there.

The Grand Bohemian’s 16th floor bar features art, an older crowd and pricey cocktails.

The sophisticated and welcoming atmosphere was accompanied by dark décor and abstract architecture and art pieces. Búho was more of an experience than anything, functioning as a mini art museum. My mother and I both were transported to a life of luxury and wealth sipping our $16 cocktails.

Mom’s take: “The Grand Bohemian is classy, swanky and for a more ‘mature’ clientele. Of all the bars we visited, it is the best place, actually the only place, where you can have an actual conversation with someone. This is beneficial if you are on a date or looking to meet someone. The drinks are really good, although a bit pricey. However, they are served in an actual glass instead of a plastic cup like the other bars. The decor is impressive and the private elevator to the rooftop makes for a memorable overall experience.”

Roxbury: jumping with glow sticks to ’80s music

I imagine it’s rare to find a nightlife scene that both a 21-year-old and 51-year-old could enjoy, but Roxbury Nightclub (116 W. 5th St.) provided just that. Roxbury is an ’80s and ’90s-themed dance club. We arrived at 9:30 p.m. and waited in line outside for about 15 minutes. The cover charge was $10 each.

From the moment we stepped in, we were transported back 35 years with memorabilia, music and themed drinks. I ordered a concoction at the bar called “Purple Rain,” made with Razzmatazz, blue curacao, sour and Sprite. All of the drinks were themed, ranging from a shot of cinnamon schnapps called “St. Elmo’s Fire” to a vodka cranberry cocktail called “Super Freak.” We walked around, admiring the collection of boomboxes, vinyl records, toys and games from the ’80s and ’90s — which incidentally are before I was born. There was even an arcade room with about a dozen working arcade games including Space Invaders and foosball. We noticed a few other people around my mother’s age, but most people were under the age of 35.

Here’s where the fun really began: After about 15 minutes of walking around, we discovered a set of stairs leading down toward the back of the club. We followed the crowd and were greeted by a man handing out glow sticks. The room opened up to reveal a live DJ, a dozen TVs playing music videos and a crowd of people jumping along to ’80s music.

My mom and I blended into the crowd next to a fan and sang along to songs ranging from “Crazy” by Britney Spears to “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins. This room had everything: a disco ball, a fog machine, another bar and a crowd of drunk people dancing. My favorite part: watching a bunch of 28-year-old men screaming the lyrics to “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” by Shania Twain.

Mom’s take: “I loved everything about it, a step back in time to my teens and 20s. I recognized every single item of memorabilia because I either had it, or I’m still hanging onto it. The music videos playing everywhere transported me back in time to my days of watching MTV and ‘American Bandstand.’ Roxbury’s drinks were just OK; a little weak and expensive for the tiny plastic cup of mostly ice that you get. The best part of Roxbury, however, is the music. I was not the only one who knew the words to every song, either. It was evident that the parents of these 20-somethings had instilled in their kids the love of good music, as I did to my children.”

SIP: Young-people music, heavy crowds

We ended the night at a pub/cocktail bar called SIP (200 N. Tryon St.), which is right up the street from Roxbury. It was a much smaller space. The cover fee was $5, and the drinks were the cheapest here. This was more of a bar setting, with rap and pop music blasting onto the streets and a big screen showing sports. Seriously, we could barely hear ourselves think, and trying to shove our way to the bar to get a drink was nearly impossible.

It was too crowded to go to the bar together, so I left my mom and weaved my way to a bartender. I had no idea what to order without a menu, so I asked the woman in front of me what her pink and yellow drink was and ordered a Tequila Sunrise. It was cheaper and stronger than my Purple Rain at Roxbury, and it was surprisingly very good in spite of the disposable plastic cup it came in.

I enjoyed this bar a little more than my mother. She didn’t know any of the music and was probably the oldest in the bar. The music ranged from Cardi B to Kesha, appealing to the younger generations. Most people were there with friends or in couples.

Mom’s take: “Even though I did recognize some of the songs, I did not like the crushing crowds. There were big-screen TVs over the bar playing various sports, but it was almost impossible to even get to the bar. My daughter was finally able to push through, and the drinks were cheaper and stronger, but it was hard to even drink it with such a crowd. There is a dance floor downstairs, but it’s VIP only. I had no desire to visit it anyway for fear of being unable to move.”

We had planned to go to Tequila House, a Latin dance club, but the line was too long and the cover fee was $20 each.

After an eventful night out, here are some things we learned that you should know before going on your own excursion:

Most places require a cover charge to get in and accept only cash, so make sure you have a couple of $10s and $20s on you. Cover charges range from $5 to $20 per person.
Lines are long, so bar-hopping in Charlotte is a little difficult if you’re trying to hit more than three places. I recommend starting out earlier than we did if you plan to go to more.
Don’t bring a jacket if it’s summer. It’s hot inside these places, so you don’t want to keep up with a jacket all night.
Big purses also get in the way, especially if you’re dancing or trying to weave through a crowd of people to get to the bar. Opt for a smaller bag.
Have a mask on standby, especially if you haven’t had the vaccine. These places don’t require masks if you’re vaccinated, but they are very crowded.
Wear closed-toe shoes. The floors of these bars are a little sticky, and I definitely had my toes stepped on a couple of times in my Birkenstock sandals.
Bring your mother. It’s more fun than you think.

A night at the Roxbury: Ledger intern Lindsey Banks, 21, and her mom, Tanya Banks, age 51.

—

Previous Charlotte Ledger Urban Adventures:

“Try these forays on foot” (June 12)
“You and a dog walk into a bar” (June 19)
“A suburban mom samples South End” (June 26)

Today’s supporting sponsor is Soni Brendle:

Teen talk: Build your vocabulary

Today, we’re reviving The Ledger’s popular Teen Talk teen vocabulary feature for a special multi-week “summer school” series.

Spending time with the teens in your life this summer? Impress and delight them by using the words they use!

Today’s word: “bussin”

Part of speech: adjective

Definition: food that is extremely tasty

Used in a sentence: “Try these hot, out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies I made. They’re bussin!”

Ledger analysis: The word is primarily used by Gen Zers to describe food, and may elicit eyerolls if used by older generations to describe things like movies, songs or sports games. (Trust us on this one.) It was popularized among teens earlier this year when followers of popular health foodie TikToker Janelle Rohner started a viral trend of jokingly asking her, “Is it bussin, Janelle?”

—Cecilia Bolling, age 16

➡️ Want to catch up on your Teen Talk? Here’s a handy cheat sheet with 14 words from the Teen Talk archive we put together last November to help bridge the generational divide at the Thanksgiving table. (They work for summer vacations, too.)

This week in Charlotte: Speakers tangle over teaching about race in schools; ABC Store shortages; Hospital systems win approvals

On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.

Education

Debating how to teach about race (WFAE): Speakers at this week’s Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education meeting squared off on the topic of how schools should teach about race and racism. Superintendent Earnest Winston said: “Our schools do not teach and do not promote a doctrine of critical race theory. Our district does, however, actively support learning and professional development for our staff to be able to recognize the shortcomings of systems that have long contributed to inequities.”
Responding to sexual assault (WBTV): School board members said this week that they want to ensure that students and staff know how to report incidents of rape and sexual assault, following a string of students at Myers Park High School who have said that police and administrators downplayed and discouraged their accusations. The school district has said it can’t speak about specific incidents because of student privacy laws.

Local news

Airfare deals (Ledger): Airfares out of Charlotte dropped to record lows at the end of last year, and there are plenty of deals for this fall around the country and the world — including many European destinations in the $500 range.
Liquor shortage (Axios Charlotte): Local ABC stores and restaurants are having trouble finding popular kinds of liquor, including Tito’s vodka and some brands of tequila.
Violent crime on the rise (WBTV): In the first six months of the year, violent crime rose by 5% compared with 2020, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said. Overall crimes were down 6%, and property crimes fell 9%.
Vaccine lottery winner (Observer): A 55-year-old Pineville woman who works for health insurer Centene won North Carolina’s second vaccine lottery, which pays $1M. She says she’ll pay bills, buy a new car and save the rest for retirement. “I’m a person that’s going to sit back and be very sensible,” she said.

Politics

Education secretary visits Charlotte (WBTV): Education Secretary Miguel Cardona visited Johnson C. Smith University and a CMS summer school at Paw Creek Elementary. He said he wants to find ways to narrow achievement gaps.

Business

Apartments on Zack’s Hamburgers site (Ledger): A San Antonio apartment developer, Embrey Partners, said it plans to build about 375 apartments in a five-story building on four acres at South Boulevard and Scaleybark Road. The land includes the former Zack’s Hamburgers site, and the plans require a rezoning.
Health system approvals: Atrium Health received approval to build a 30-bed hospital in Cornelius (WCNC), won permission to open its Charlotte medical school in partnership with Wake Forest (Winston-Salem Journal) and said it’s buying a small hospital system in Georgia and Alabama (WFAE); and Novant Health won approval to open a medical school campus in Charlotte for third- and fourth-year students in partnership with the UNC School of Medicine (Winston-Salem Journal).
Bank earnings roundup: Bank of America’s 2Q profits doubled and it beat analysts’ expectations, although revenue fell (Barron’s); Wells Fargo’s profits rose and it beat analysts’ expectations (Barron’s); Truist’s profits rose and revenue fell (Truist).

From the Ledger family of newsletters

Ways of Life (🔒): Colin Hinson, an army veteran who ran Crown Appliance Service, coached youth sports and was a devoted member of his Mint Hill church, was a “fighter” and young at heart. “There was no quit in him,” his pastor said.
Airport light rail plans (Transit Time): A closer look at the real reason why plans for light rail don’t include a stop at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
Medical marijuana details (Ledger Monday): There’s a bill moving through the General Assembly that would allow medical marijuana. We give you all the details on how that would work, with the list of eligible ailments and purchase requirements.

‘Legends of Charlotte’: That’s all, folks

We wrapped up our two-week “Legends of Charlotte” series yesterday, which was a bonus for our community of paying members (🔒). The series featured fresh interviews with newsmakers from decades past who had profound impacts on Charlotte:

We hope you enjoyed them and picked up some pearls of wisdom — such as Joan Zimmerman’s “not everything can be instant pudding”; Harvey Gantt’s observation that “history is not a straight line upward”; and Humpy Wheeler’s advice on goat-owning (“What other animal can clear land, make milk and protect your home?”).

If you’re not a Ledger member, you can become one if you’d like to read them.

We’ll have to do this again! If you have any requests of people you’d like to hear from in the future, drop us a line. —TM

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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Reporting intern: Lindsey Banks

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