City Life Readers’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2023
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. 2023 saw over 25,000 ballots cast between the nomination and final rounds of voting.
Winners: Download your award graphics here
CITY LIVING
BEST APARTMENT COMPLEX
Winner: The Villages Apartments
Runner Up: Mercury NoDa
BEST AREA TO LIVE
Winner: Plaza Midwood
Runner Up: NoDa
BEST BUILDING
Winner: Optimist Hall
Runner Up: Historic Ford Factory – Camp North End
BEST CART RIDE/SHUTTLE SERVICE
Winner: Lyft
Runner Up: Just Her Rideshare
BEST CHURCH
Winner: Wedgewood Community Church
Runner Up: Myers Park Baptist Church
BEST CITY IMPROVEMENT
Winner: Eastway Regional Recreation Center
Runner Up: Vision Zero Action Plan – Safer Streets for Charlotte
BEST CITY TOUR
Winner: Funny Bus Charlotte
BEST CO-WORKING SPACE
Winner: Hygge Coworking
Runner Up: beSocial
BEST FAMILY-FRIENDLY PLACE
Winner: Discovery Place
Runner Up: Camp North End
BEST HOTEL
Winner: The Dunhill Hotel
Runner Up: Hotel Refuge
BEST LOCAL COLLEGE
Winner: University of North Carolina Charlotte
Runner Up: Central Piedmont Community College
BEST NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECT
Winner: New Main Library – Uptown
Runner Up: The Line – Southend
BEST PARK IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY
Winner: Freedom Park
Runner Up: Reedy Creek Park
BEST PLACE FOR A STAYCATION
Winner: Grand Bohemian Hotel Charlotte
Runner Up: The Ivey’s Hotel
BEST PLACE TO GET HITCHED
Winner: VanLandingham Estate
Runner Up: Charlotte Museum of History
BEST PLACE TO HOLD AN EVENT
Winner: The Artisan’s Palate
Runner Up: Carolina Esports Hub
BEST PLACE TO PEOPLE-WATCH
Winner: Optimist Hall
Runner Up: Common Market – Plaza Midwood
BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWN VISITORS
Winner: U.S. National Whitewater Center
Runner Up: Optimist Hall
BEST PLACE TO WORK (REMOTE)
Winner: South End
Runner Up: Hygge Coworking
BEST WAY TO GET AROUND WITHOUT A CAR
Winner: Lynx Blue Line
Runner Up: Scooters
SPORTS & LEISURE
BEST BIKE CLUB
Winner: Plaza Midwood Tuesday Night Ride (PMTNR)
Runner Up: Charlotte Mountain Bikers
BEST CAMPING SPOT (IN-STATE)
Winner: Pisgah National Forest
Runner Up: Uwharrie National Forest
BEST DISC GOLF COURSE
Winner: Reedy Creek Park
Runner Up: Kilborne Park
BEST GOLF COURSE
Winner: Charlotte Country Club
Runner Up: Dr. Charles L. Sifford Golf Course
BEST HIKING TRAIL
Winner: Stone Mountain Park (Roaring Gap, NC)
Runner Up: Little Sugar Creek Greenway
BEST LOCAL MASCOT
Winner: Sir Purr – Carolina Panthers
Runner Up: Chubby – Charlotte Checkers
BEST LOCAL SPORTS FIGURE
Winner: LaMelo Ball
Runner Up: Brandt Bronico
BEST LOCAL SPORTS TEAM
Winner: Charlotte FC
Runner Up: Charlotte Roller Derby
BEST LOCAL TEAM FAN BASE
Winner: Charlotte FC
Runner Up: Carolina Panthers
BEST MINI GOLF COURSE
Winner: Stroke Putt
Runner Up: Monster Mini Golf – Charlotte
BEST PLACE TO GET BACK TO NATURE
Winner: U.S. National Whitewater Center
Runner Up: Reedy Creek Park
BEST REC CENTER
Winner: Eastway Regional Recreation Center
Runner Up: YWCA Central Carolinas
BEST RUN CLUB
Winner: Mad Miles Run Club
Runner Up: Barn Burners Run Club (Tied)
Runner Up: Triple C Beer Runners (Tied)
BEST WEEKEND GETAWAY
Winner: Asheville
Runner Up: Blue Ridge Parkway
NEWS, POLITICS & ENTERTAINMENT
BEST HERO
Winner: Jeff Jackson
Runner Up: Candelario Saldana
BEST HEROINE
Winner: RC Cola
Runner Up: Vi Lyles
BEST JOURNALIST
Winner: Joe Bruno
Runner Up: Steve Crump
BEST LOCAL FESTIVAL
Winner: Charlotte Pride
Runner Up: Charlotte SHOUT!
BEST LOCAL MEDIA OUTLET
Winner: Axios Charlotte
Runner Up: Queen City News
BEST LOCAL PODCAST
Winner: Dishing with Buff Faye and Funsize
Runner Up: Charlotte Soccer Show
MOST IMPORTANT NEWS STORY OF THE LAST 12 MONTHS
Winner: Tricia Cotham’s Party Switch
Runner Up: Anton Walkes death
BEST RADIO PERSONALITY
Winner: Jessica Charman
Runner Up: Mike Collins
BEST TV PERSONALITY
Winner: Brad Panovich
Runner Up: Joe Bruno
BEST TV NEWS STATION
Winner: Queen City News
Runner Up: WBTV (Tied)
Runner Up: WSOC (Tied)
BEST TV SPORTSCASTER
Winner: Ashley Stroehlein
Runner Up: Lloyd Sam
BEST NEWS ANCHOR
Winner: Alicia Barnes
Runner Up: Molly Grantham
BEST USE OF LOCAL TAX MONEY
Winner: Greenways & Cross Charlotte Trail
Runner Up: Public Parks
WHAT WE NEED MORE OF
Winner: Affordable housing
Runner Up: LGBTQ+ acceptance
LOCAL ISSUE THAT NEEDS MORE ATTENTION
Winner: Affordable housing
Runner Up: Lightrail not extending to the airport
SOCIAL MEDIA
BEST FACEBOOK PAGE
Winner: Charlotte Gaymers Network
Runner Up: Queen City News
BEST INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT
Winner: @charlottegaymersnetwork
Runner Up: @fox46charlotte
BEST INSTAGRAM INFLUENCER
Winner: @jensensavannah
Runner Up: @candelario_saldana
BEST LOCAL FACEBOOK GROUP
Winner: Charlotte Gaymers Network
Runner Up: CHARLOTTE N.C. THE PAST and PRESENT
BEST LOCAL TIKTOK ACCOUNT
Winner: @jeffjacksonnc
Runner Up: @jensensavannah
BEST TWITTER ACCOUNT
Winner: @JoeBrunoWSOC9
Runner Up: @Queen_City_News
BEST TWITTER ACCOUNT FOR LOCAL NEWS
Winner: @CLTpetpeeves
BEST TWITTER ACCOUNT FOR LOCAL NEWS
Winner: @JoeBrunoWSOC9
Runner Up: @AliciaBarnesTV
BEST WEB BLOG
Winner: Y’all Weekly
Runner Up: John Hartness: I Drink & I Write Things
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & SOCIAL JUSTICE
BEST LOCAL ACTIVIST
Winner: Cameron Pruette
Runner Up: Candelario Saldana
BEST LOCAL ACTIVIST GROUP
Winner: Charlotte for Choice (Tied)
Winner: Charlotte Gaymers Network (Tied)
Runner Up: Sustain Charlotte
BEST EVENT FOR A GOOD CAUSE
Winner: Charity Drag Brunch at The Artisan’s Palate
Runner Up: Charlotte Gaymer Network’s Gaymer Gathering
BEST SUPPORT GROUP
Winner: Transcend Charlotte
Runner Up: Charlotte Gaymers Network
BEST NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
Winner: Charlotte Gaymers Network
Runner Up: Carolina Breast Friends
