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

Best of Charlotte's city life chosen by the readers of Queen City Nerve

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

The Collective NoDa
The Collective NoDa (Photo by Grant Baldwin)

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

Mint Museum uptown
Mint Museum, Uptown (Photo by Grant Baldwin)

BEST CART RIDE/SHUTTLE SERVICE

Winner: Uber
Runner Up: Lyft

 

BEST CHURCH

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

Myers Park Baptist Church
Myers Park Baptist Church (Photo by Grant Baldwin)

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

U.S. National Whitewater Center
U.S. National Whitewater Center (Photo by Jayme Johnson)

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

McGill Rose Garden
McGill Rose Garden (Photo by Grant Baldwin)

BEST PLACE TO HOLD AN EVENT

Winner: Camp North End
Runner Up: Carolina Esports Hub

Break dancers battle it out on the Water Tower Stage during Camp North End’s We Are Hip Hop: The Reveal in 2020. (Photo by Kate Galindo)

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

Resident Culture
The Resident Culture/Chilito Taco team (L to R): Hector González-Mora, Sara Akhavan, Chris Tropeano, Amanda McLamb and Phillip McLamb. (Photo by Jessica Gaddy)

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

Blue smoke passes over a section of Charlotte FC fans at bank of America Stadium.
The supporters’ section of Charlotte FC fans at Bank of America Stadium. (Photo by Laura Wolff/Charlotte FC)

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

Charlotte FC, McKinze Gaines
McKinze Gaines scored two (count ’em, two) in Charlotte FC’s Open Cup match against the Richmond Kickers. (Photo by Taylor Banner/Charlotte FC)

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

Puttery Charlotte
Puttery in South End (Photo by Grant Baldwin)

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

stefania arteage of carolina migrant network
Stefania Arteaga, co-founder of Carolina Migrant Network (Photo courtesy of CMN)

BEST JOURNALIST

Winner: Joe Bruno
Runners Up: Sam SpencerTheoden 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

NC Sen. Jeff Jackson
NC Sen. Jeff Jackson appears on Nooze Hounds about a year before announcing his campaign for U.S. Senate. (Photo by Grant Baldwin)

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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