Award-Winning Trail
Discover local, urban favorites.
From grants to published accolades, to national and local awards, this is your chance to experience what puts Charlotte on the map for dining, shopping, public art and more. Test out some of the city’s best offerings as you cruise segments of the Charlotte Rail Trail, a 3.5-mile stretch of sidewalk along the LYNX Blue Line that’s bordered by economic development and colored with interactive art installations.
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Take a look at the trail details while you’re on the move.
Time/Distance Estimates
Route 1
Eight & Sand Kitchen to Edna’s Porch
- 1.8 miles
- 36-min walk
- 9-min bike ride
- Easy intensity
Neighborhoods to Note
Southside Park, Brookhill, South End
Grab a Bike
Didn't BYOB-ike? Simply rent one along the way.
Rent a bike at the New Bern Station, East/West Station or Bland Station B-Stations.
A daily pass is just $8 for 2 hours. Don’t forget to return your bike at the end of your adventure!
Learn MoreEight + Sand Kitchen for breakfast or brunch
The awards are in the co-owners: Grant Arons’ initial concept, Inizio Pizza, won a Charlotte Magazine Best of the Best Voters’ Choice Award for Pizza, while James Yoder won a Small Businessperson of the Year award for his Not Just Coffee venture. What they offer you at Eight + Sand: dishes based on the belief that thoughtful eating brings happiness.
Try this
Anything involving their sourdough – it’s stone-milled and slowly fermented for health benefits and flavor.
Word on the trail
“This place is phenomenal. Incredible, open, and well-lit and rustic vibe, and super-friendly service.” - Adam S., Google Reviews
The Magic Carpet Murals along the Rail Trail
You can’t miss them: bright strips of pattern and color that appear underfoot as you bike or walk. Artists created three of these murals with community input after they were awarded an ArtPlace America grant.
Sycamore Brewing for craft beers
Family-owned Sycamore won awards at the Great American Beer Festival: bronze for Sun Grown Fresh Craft Lager in two categories. The brewery is known for its festive, outdoor beer garden, live music and Food Truck Friday events, plus apparel boasting their “Drink Carolina Proud” tagline. Expect a beer list and 40 taps emphasizing freshness, variety and flavor.
Try this
A core brew like the Southern Girl Blonde Ale, which has a biscuity sweetness and strawberry notes.
Word on the trail
“Good beer, tons of space outdoors, and a great location right on the Rail Trail makes Sycamore one of the best and most popular breweries in the South End area.” - Jason P., Google Reviews
Atherton Mill, a restored cotton mill that was built in 1892
Today, Atherton Mill has been redeveloped as a hotspot for award-winning dining and shopping, as well as apartment life. To start, shop big names like Anthropologie, Free People and Alton Lane. Also, stop at the Atherton Farmers’ Market, held every Saturday featuring products from local agriculturalists and artisans.
Indaco
Come for a spread of family-style and a la carte Italian cuisine, from pizzas to pastas. The restaurant’s Charleston location was named an OpenTable Diners' Choice Winner. Now, you can experience it in CLT.
Living Kitchen
Celebrated for its creative, plant-based, mostly raw cuisine and nutrition-packed juices, Living Kitchen won a Charlotte Magazine Best of the Best Voters’ Choice Award for vegan food.
The Design Center at the Design District, a walkable mixed-use development
A section of rapidly growing South End, the Design District is based on the redevelopment of historic buildings with a people-first focus. The Design Center is at the heart of it all, with new dining opportunities.
Superica
Serving up Tex-Mex delights from fajitas to tacos, Superica’s Chef Ford Fry has been a multi-year semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurateur Award.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
This beloved dessert spot was dreamed up by James Beard Award-winning ice cream maker Jeni Britton Bauer and features imaginative scoops.
Hawkers Asian Street Fare
This hip maker of small-plate street food from curries to dumplings won Best Taste at Taste of Atlanta.
Public art along the Charlotte Rail Trail
The development of the Rail Trail was meant to inspire creative action – and it does. See if you can spot the Confetti Hearts Wall at the Design Center (a reminder by the artist to “throw kindness like confetti”), the 360-foot Camden wall of mosaics across the street (called “Where East Meets West”) and the Rail Trail Chalkboard along the trail sidewalk. Bonus: Check out a few more award-winning stops along the way.
This local lifestyle brand and maker of Charlotte hats, t-shirts and other apparel won a Charlotte Magazine Best of the Best Award as the best store for Charlotte apparel.
Edna’s Porch, a bright yellow swing structure
As you near the end of the southern segment of the Charlotte Rail Trail, kick back on this giant porch swing while you consider your next move. The installation is a nostalgic reimagining of one designer’s porch swing experiences as a kid in the area.
Try this
Take a moment to post your photos from the trail and tag @charlottesgotalot.
Trail Complete
KEEP MOVING
Not ready to call it a day?
Continue to the Community Trail via East Boulevard, the Skyline Trail or the 49ers Trail. Or, venture over to the Charlotte Beer Garden for a final cool-down beverage (take a left on East Carson Boulevard and a left on South Tryon Street). It’s newer, but it’s destined to win an award for boasting the largest draft beer selection in the world.
2.3 Miles
Charlotte Beer Garden
Neighborhoods to Note
Southside Park, Brookhill, South End
Southside Park
Just south of South End, this neighborhood is home to multiple luxury apartment complexes and popular breweries.
Brookhill
Historically an African-American community, Brookhill is a small neighborhood of multi-generational families.
South End
The location of America’s first gold rush in 1825, Historic South End is known for its longtime entrepreneurial spirit and, now, its vibrant culture and nightlife. Everything from rooftop bars, to chic shopping, to hip coffee shops, to casual and high-end restaurants can be found here.
South End