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.
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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