Food, history and connections: Charlotte City Walks returns for 2019

Charlotte City Walks is back for its eighth year, with something for everyone from foodies to history buffs to art enthusiasts.

Participants will get an up-close look at deeply rooted neighborhoods such as Belmont, a former mill village undergoing radical redevelopment, explore murals in NoDa or the public art along the Blue Line light rail or taste some of the city’s thriving food scene.

Organized by the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute, the Charlotte City Walks program is offered with assistance from the Foundation for the Carolinas and a diverse array of local partners. Angelique Gaines of the Urban Institute said the walks offer both longtime and new Charlotte residents the chance to connect and discover a part of the city they haven’t visited before.

“I think city walks are important because they allow people to learn more about their community and connect across differences,” said Gaines. “We’re in our own bubbles sometimes, and we have our own networks.”

Charlotte City Walks is a part of the annual tradition known in many cities as Jane’s Walks. The free tours, led by local citizens, were inspired by urbanist Jane Jacobs.

With almost 40 walks organized this year, Charlotte City Walks has grown immensely since 2012, when it started with a single walk down Central Avenue.

Local historian Tom Hanchett led that first walk. He said he chose the location because it represented a side of Charlotte people don’t always see.

“I was and still am fascinated by Central Avenue,” said Hanchett, who is leading a half-dozen walks this year. “I was beginning to see Central Ave as an urban place, which at that point in time sounded like a contradiction in terms, because it was built as suburbia.”

Hanchett said the annual walks allow people to learn more deeply about their city and connect with people they likely wouldn’t otherwise encounter.

“It’s a social thing. You’ll meet interesting people,” he said. “I think you’ll begin to see things differently. You’ll have a different appreciation for this city.”

A full schedule of the walks, which start April 28 and run through May, is online; prospective attendees can register via the web. Space is limited, and some walks are already filling up.

Highlights for this year include:

Munching tours: These are ever-popular tours of Charlotte’s culinary scene, with an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, Vietnamese food, Syrian pastries and more lined up this year. Five are scheduled, including the first two English/Spanish bilingual tours, and walkers will explore areas such as East Charlotte, South Boulevard and Central Avenue.

Experiential walks: Ever wondered what it’s really like to be homeless in Charlotte? “Walk in my Shoes,” by the Urban Ministry Center, will give participants a chance to experience the search for food and services. Volunteers on a separate walk will get to explore and clean up Tom Hunter Park in a service project.

University City: What’s next for this fast-changing part of Charlotte? A walk through this area will explore the history and development plans for the area around UNC Charlotte. And another tour will explore the University’s Botanical Gardens, the school’s “green heart.”

Get a taste of Charlotte’s history: Think Charlotte doesn’t have a rich and varied history? Think again. Explore uptown when it was Charlotte-Towne at the time of the American Revolution, check out Elmwood-Pinewood or Charlotte Hebrew Cemetery, or learn about the history of neighborhoods like McCrorey Heights and Plaza Midwood.

Public art: Check out the murals and other art along the Blue Line, see the murals of NoDa or get the details on how a Charlotte artist is transforming drab utility boxes in South End into works of art on some of the art-focused walks.

Individuals with questions about a walk or who are interested in what it takes to lead a walk should email Gaines at amarcus5@uncc.edu.

Photos: Participants learn about the history and future of the Belmont neighborhood, a former mill village that’s now seeing aggressive redevelopment, on a 2018 Charlotte City Walk, and local historian Tom Hanchett discusses Charlotte’s thriving food scene at an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, during a 2018 “munching tour.”