South End is a neighborhood about a mile south of Uptown that has great breweries and restaurants. You can take a short 5 min drive from Uptown or you can take the light rail which goes through most of South End (get off at the Carson Station, East/West Station, or New Bern Station. Some of our favorite breweries are Wooden Robot, Sycamore Brewing, and Suffolk Punch. Some of our favorite restaurants are Barcelona Wine Bar, Bang Bang Burgers, Superica, Hawkers, and Jenni's Ice Cream.
NoDa is Charlotte’s historic arts and entertainment district about a 15 minute drive north of Uptown. You can also take the light rail (get off at the 36th Street Station). Some of our favorite restaurants/bars in NoDa are Goodyear House, Heist Brewery, Haberdish, and Salud Beer Shop.
The Whitewater Center is a 30 minute drive from Uptown. It has walking trails, mountain biking, ziplining, kayaking, whitewater rafting, and rock climbing. Check the website for pricing and availability.