City Life Readers’ Picks 2019

We all wished the light rail would make people like art. It hasn't happened yet. (Photo by Grant Baldwin)

Best in the Nest Readers’ Picks are voted on for four months prior to publication. These are the winners in the respective categories.

Best Hero/Heroine:
David Ledbetter, who took to the Popeye’s parking lot during their craziest rush of the year to sign people up to vote.

Best Local Sports Figure:
Cam Newton

Best Local Sports Team:
Carolina Panthers

Best Local Mascot:
Sir Purr

Best TV Station:
WBTV

Best TV Personality:
Brad Panovich

Best News Anchor:
Molly Grantham

Best TV Sportscaster:
Mike Solarte

Best Podcast:
WFAE’s Amplifier

Joni Deutsch, host of ‘Amplifier’ podcast (Photo courtesy of WFAE)

Best Radio Personality:
106.5’s Divakar

Best Radio Show:
WFAE’s Charlotte Talks

Best Activist Group:
The Humane League

Best Activist:
Kelli Baron

Best Politician:
Jeff Jackson

Best Local Celebrity:
Cam Newton

Best Twitter Account:
@TheTrolleyWalk

Best Instagram:
Black Wednesday; @blackwedco

Best Blog:
Off The Eaten Path

Best Facebook Page:
Burt Savage & Unknown Brewing (Tie)

Best Festival:
Bloom: Return to Roots

Best Free Event:
Festival in the Park

Best New Thing:
The Flamingo Revue

Best News Story Of The Last 12 Months:
Charlotte Wanting Out of RNC

Best Area to Live:
Plaza Midwood

Best Apartment Complex:
Silos South End

Best Church:
Elevation

Best Place to Get Back to Nature:
Whitewater Center / Crowder’s Mountain (Tie)

Best Group Workout:
AerialCLT

Best Way To Get Around Without A Car:
Light Rail

The Blue Line light rail passing through South End. (Photo by Grant Baldwin)

Best Run Club:
NoDa Run Club

Best Cycling Club:
Unknown Bike and Brew

Best Place to Get Hitched:
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Best Place to People Watch:
Common Market (Plaza Midwood)

Best Hotel:
The Ritz Carlton

Best Place to Take Out-Of-Town Visitors:
U.S. National Whitewater Center

Best Golf Course:
TPC Piper Glen

Best Disc Golf Course:
Elon Park – Angry Beaver

Best Rec Center:
Marion Diehl Recreation Center

Best Weekend Getaway:
Asheville

Best Camping Spot (In-State):
Most people voted to keep theirs secret

Best Co-Working Space:
Advent Coworking

Advent Coworking (Photo by Ryan Pitkin/Artwork by Nico Amortegui)

Best Nonprofit:
Transcend Charlotte

Best Event For A Good Cause:
The Flamingo Revue

Best Support Group:
Transcend Charlotte

Best Place to Volunteer:
Humane Society of Charlotte/Time Out Youth (Tie)

Queen City Issue That Needs More Attention:
Affordable Housing

Best Use of Tax Money:
The Arts

Worst Use of Tax Money:
Pro Sports

What We Need More Of:
Affordable Housing

What We Need Less Of:
Apartments/Condos

This work by Queen City Nerve is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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