Overview
NoDa is an arts district in Charlotte. Its name is a blend of "NOrth DAvidson", after the district's main street. It began as a mill village that operated almost independently of Charlotte, and became a haven of poverty and vice in the middle of the 20th century. Since the late 1980s, it has been redeveloped as a home of the arts, as well as one of Charlotte's best-preserved historic districts.
1 sights · 2 things to do · 3 places to eat · 7 bars & cafés
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about NoDa
Hart Witzen Gallery
The gallery is rented for use by various artists, giving it a constantly changing clientèle. Features a wide variety of exhibitions and performances, and tends to be rather avante-garde in nature.
The Evening Muse
A combination of music venue, cafe, and art gallery, the Evening Muse is not to be missed. Occupying the key corner at Davidson and 36th St., it is one of the best-reputed establishments in the area. A very strong schedu…
Neighborhood Theater
The heart and soul of NoDa, this was once a burlesque theater but has been converted to an intimate venue with comfortable seating. A wide variety of acts play here, from hard rock to acoustic jazz.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov. Summer highs reach about 90°F; winter lows dip to about 32°F. Very hot (Jul) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Aug and Mar. (climate data from nearby Charlotte)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- CLT Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Charlotte — 8 mi away (major hub). Directions
- USA Concord-Padgett Regional Airport, Concord — 11 mi away. Directions
Most visitors will arrive in NoDa by means of car or bus. From Uptown, take North Davidson St outbound. Generally the district is considered to run along N Davidson between 30th and 36th. The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) operates buses in the city. The #3 and #23 routes travel through NoDa, stopping along North Davidson and 36th Streets. Fares are $2.20 each way (as of Dec 2022), with 50% discounts for seniors, children and people with disabilities.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Hart Witzen Gallery, The Evening Muse
- Lunch Cabo Fish Taco
- Afternoon Neighborhood Theater
- Dinner Boudreaux's
- Evening Dog Bar
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
Most visitors will arrive in NoDa by means of car or bus. From Uptown, take North Davidson St outbound. Generally the district is considered to run along N Davidson between 30th and 36th. The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) operates buses in the city. The #3 and #23 routes travel through NoDa, stopping along North Davidson and 36th Streets. Fares are $2.20 each way (as of Dec 2022), with 50% discounts for seniors, children and people with disabilities.
The Blue Line Light Rail serves 3 stations in the NoDa neighborhood. From Uptown take the train to University (north-bound) and the NoDa stops include Parkwood, 25th, and 36th street stations. The 36th station is the closest to the Arts District and most of the restaurants, shops, and venues.
See
NoDa is recognized as Charlotte's primary arts district. There are numerous art and craft galleries to be found in the district.
Do
Do The Evening Muse
A combination of music venue, cafe, and art gallery, the Evening Muse is not to be missed. Occupying the key corner at Davidson and 36th St., it is one of the best-reputed establishments in the area. A very strong schedule of performances and exhibitions keeps it active throughout the week.
Buy
By and large, Noda's stores are hip and artsy, making for a great casual shopping scene.
Also, the first and third Friday of each month is reserved for a district-wide gallery crawl (which really has the atmosphere of a pub crawl). Local establishments usually coordinate their events to coincide with these larger crowds.
Eat
Eat Boudreaux's
Cajun cuisine in a jazzy atmosphere. A very solid beer menu and excellent entrees make Boudreaux's a standout citywide. Also features live music on a regular basis.
Eat Cabo Fish Taco
California-style take on coastal Baja fare. Fun and affordable, representing a cuisine that gets little exposure elsewhere in Charlotte.
Eat Amelie's French Bakery
Amelie's is a little too far from the center to NoDa to reach by foot, but is a popular hangout due to the unlimited free Wi-Fi and the fact it is open 24 hours a day.
Drink
Drink Dog Bar
The only place in Charlotte where your pet and your nightlife come together. It's exactly what it sounds like: a bar that is friendly to canine "guests". Pet membership costs $10, and the scene is regulated to allow for safety and civility (no kids allowed, for instance). But where else can you have a Corona with your Chihuahua?
Drink The Smelly Cat
One of the city's better coffeehouses and a great perch for people-watching. Open till midnight on weekends to accommodate the after-concert crowds, but also early enough to be a good hangover-busting option.
NoDa is also home to a few of the Charlotte area breweries.
Drink Divine Barrel Brewing
Divine Barrel Barrel brewing focuses on barrel aged styles such as sours, wild ales, and stouts. They also serve more common styles like IPA and Saison.
Drink Free Range Brewing
Free Range brews a large variety of small batch beers including IPAs, Wild Ales, Sours, Saisons, and more. You may occasionally find live music in their event space.
Drink Heist Brewery
Heist Brewery is a brewpub that specializes brewing Belgian Table Beers, Saisons, IPAs and Double IPAs, and Porters and Imperial Stouts in small batches. They also serve a uniquely crafted cocktail menu and tapas style plates of food.
Drink Salud Cerveceria
Salud Ceveceria is upstairs of its bottle shop located on the ground floor. The brewery has a large selection of American IPA, Saison, and Stout styles.
Sleep
There are no hotels of significance in this district. The nearest hotels of significance are about a mile away off Independence Blvd. Also, visitors staying Uptown are only a few minutes' drive away and generally have no problem locating NoDa.
Nearby
Harrisburg
City / town · 10 listings · 10 mi away
Matthews
City / town · 13 listings · 10 mi away
Huntersville
City / town · 17 listings · 11 mi away
Pineville
City / town · 21 listings · 12 mi away
Belmont
City / town · 13 mi away
Concord
City / town · 30 listings · 16 mi away
Cornelius
City / town · 14 listings · 17 mi away
Midland
City / town · 2 listings · 17 mi away
My experience
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