City Life Readers’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2022

Best in the Nest Readers’ Picks were chosen exclusively by readers through a one-month nomination process followed by a one-month voting process. The nominations were not tampered with by Queen City Nerve staff at all — save for removing ourselves from a few categories to proactively dispel any notions of favoritism. In other words, if you disagree with these ones, that’s on your fellow reader, not us.

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CITY LIVING

BEST APARTMENT COMPLEX

Winner: The Collective NoDa
Runner Up: The Village at Commonwealth

BEST AREA TO LIVE

Winner: Plaza Midwood
Runner Up: East Charlotte

BEST BUILDING IN THE CHARLOTTE SKYLINE

Winner: Mint Museum – Uptown
Runner Up: Duke Energy Center

BEST CART RIDE/SHUTTLE SERVICE

Winner: Uber
Runner Up: Lyft

BEST CHURCH

Winner: Myers Park Baptist Church
Runner Up: Carolina Center For Spiritual Awakening

BEST CITY IMPROVEMENT

Winner: Charlotte greenway expansion
Runner Up: CityLYNX Gold Line

BEST CITY TOUR

Winner: Funny Bus

BEST CO-WORKING SPACE

Winner: Tabbris Innovation Center
Runner Up: hygge coworking

BEST FAMILY-FRIENDLY SPACE

Winner: U.S. National Whitewater Center
Runner Up: Camp North End

BEST HOTEL

Winner: Grand Bohemian Hotel
Runner Up: The Dunhill Hotel

BEST LOCAL COLLEGE

Winner: UNC Charlotte
Runner Up: Queens University of Charlotte

BEST NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

Winner: Independent Picture House
Runner Up: Commonwealth

BEST PARK IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY

Winner: Freedom Park
Runner Up: Latta Nature Preserve

BEST PLACE FOR A STAYCATION

Winner: Your House
Runner Up: Lake Norman

BEST PLACE TO GET HITCHED

Winner: McGill Rose Garden
Runner Up: Charlotte Museum of History

BEST PLACE TO HOLD AN EVENT

Winner: Camp North End
Runner Up: Carolina Esports Hub

BEST PLACE FOR PEOPLE-WATCHING

Winner: Common Market – Plaza Midwood
Runner Up: Freedom Park

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWN VISITORS

Winner: U.S. National Whitewater Center
Runner Up: Optimist Hall

BEST PLACE TO WORK (BUSINESS)

Winner: Resident Culture
Runner Up: Atrium Health

BEST PLACE TO WORK FROM (REMOTE)

Winner: Amelie’s

BEST WAY TO GET AROUND WITHOUT A CAR

Winner: Light Rail
Runner Up: Walking

SPORTS & LEISURE

BEST BIKE CLUB

Winner: Plaza Midwood Tuesday Night Ride
Runner Up: Spoke Easy EZ Ride

BEST CAMPING SPOT (IN STATE)

Winner: Morrow Mountain State Park

BEST DISC GOLF COURSE

Winner: Reedy Creek Park
Runner Up: Renaissance Park

BEST FAN BASE

Winner: Charlotte FC
Runner Up: Charlotte Checkers

BEST GOLF COURSE

Winner: Quail Hollow Club
Runner Up: Highland Creek Golf Club

BEST HIKING TRAIL

Winner: Little Sugar Creek Greenway
Runner Up: Anne Springs Close Greenway

BEST LOCAL MASCOT

Winner: Hugo the Hornet (Charlotte Hornets)
Runner Up: Sir Minty (Charlotte FC)

BEST LOCAL SPORTS FIGURE

Winner: Muggsy Bogues
Runner Up: LaMelo Ball

BEST LOCAL SPORTS TEAM

Winner: Charlotte FC
Runner Up: Carolina Panthers

BEST PLACE TO GET BACK TO NATURE

Winner: U.S. National Whitewater Center
Runner Up: McDowell Nature Preserve

BEST MINI GOLF COURSE

Winner: Puttery
Runner Up: Stroke

BEST RECREATION CENTER

Winner: U.S. National Whitewater Center
Runner Up: YMCA

BEST RUN CLUB

Winner: Mad Miles Run Club

BEST WEEKEND GETAWAY

Winner: Asheville
Runner Up: Charleston, SC

NEWS, POLITICS & ENTERTAINMENT

BEST FREE EVENT OF 2022

Winner: Charlotte Pride
Runner Up: Festival in the Park

BEST CHARLOTTE HERO

Winner: Candelario Saldana
Runner Up: Greg Collier

BEST CHARLOTTE HEROINE

Winner: Stefania Arteaga
Runner Up: Bree Stallings

BEST JOURNALIST

Winner: Joe Bruno
Runners Up: Sam Spencer, Theoden Janes

BEST LOCAL CELEBRITY

Winner: Steph Curry
Runner Up: Onya Nerves

BEST LOCAL FESTIVAL

Winner: Charlotte Pride
Runner Up: Charlotte Shout!

BEST LOCAL PODCAST

Winner: Charlotte Talks
Runner Up: just a sip.

BEST LOCAL MEDIA OUTLET

Winner: WFAE
Runner Up: Queen City News

MOST IMPORTANT NEWS STORY OF THE PAST 12 MONTHS

Winner: City Approves Source of Income Discrimination Protections
Runner Up: Panthers HQ Fiasco

BEST POLITICIAN

Winner: Jeff Jackson
Runner Up: Braxton Winston

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY

Winner: Jessica Charman
Runner Up: No Limit Larry

BEST RADIO SHOW

Winner: All Things Considered (WFAE local content)
Runner Up: Charlotte Talks

BEST TV PERSONALITY

Winner: Brad Panovich, WCNC
Runner Up: Joe Bruno, WSOC

BEST TV SPORTSCASTER

Winner: Eric Krakauer, Charlotte FC
Runner Up: Lloyd Sam, Charlotte FC

BEST TV NEWS STATION

Winner: WBTV
Runner Up: WSOC

BEST USE OF LOCAL TAX MONEY

Winner: Naturally occurring affordable housing
Runner Up: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

BEST NEWS ANCHOR

Winner: Molly Grantham, WBTV
Runners Up: Fred Shropshire, WCNC, Brien Blakely, Queen City News

LOCAL ISSUE THAT NEEDS MORE ATTENTIO

Winner: Affordable Housing
Runner Up: Homelessness

WHAT WE NEED MORE OF

Winner: Affordable Housing
Runner Up: Public Transit and Walkability

SOCIAL MEDIA

BEST FACEBOOK PAGE

Winner: Charlotte Gaymers Network
Runner Up: Camp North End

BEST BUSINESS INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT

Winner: @charlottegaymersnetwork
Runner Up: @axioscharlotte

BEST INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT

Winner: @onyaofficial
Runner Up: @transcendcharlotte

BEST INSTAGRAM INFLUENCER

Winner: @queencitytrends
Runner Up: @jensensavannah

BEST LOCAL FACEBOOK GROUP

Winner: CharlotteEAST
Runner Up: C.A.L.M (Charlotte Area Liberal Moms)

BEST LOCAL TIKTOK ACCOUNT

Winner: @jensensavannah
Runner Up: @onyaofficial

BEST TWITTER ACCOUNT

Winner: @JoeBrunoWSOC9
Runner Up: @CLTdevelopment

BEST TWITTER ACCOUNT FOR LOCAL HUMOR

Winner: @CltSquawks
Runner Up: @LOLCLT

BEST TWITTER ACCOUNT FOR LOCAL NEWS

Winner: @JoeBrunoWSOC9
Runner Up: @Queen_City_News

BEST WEB BLOG

Winner: Unpretentious Palate
Runner Up: Soccer Sheet

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & SOCIAL JUSTICE

BEST LOCAL ACTIVIST

Winner: Candelario Saldana
Runner Up: Cameron Pruette

BEST LOCAL ACTIVIST GROUP

Winner: Charlotte Gaymers Network
Runner Up: Charlotte For Choice

BEST EVENT FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Winner: The Artisans Palate Drag Brunch
Runner Up: Bechtler Museum of Modern Art Gala

BEST NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

Winner: Charlotte Gaymers Network
Runner Up: Transcend Charlotte

BEST PLACE TO VOLUNTEER

Winner: Time Out Youth
Runner Up: Humane Society of Charlotte

BEST SUPPORT GROUP

Winner: Time Out Youth
Runner Up: Charlotte Gaymers Network

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