11 Places Any Charlottean Would Know

METALmorphosis is a large (7 metre, 13 tonne) kinetic sculpture of a human head, by Czech artist David Černý. The sculpture is in the Whitehall Corporate Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, where it sits in a large reflecting pool.The piece is executed in polished stainless steel. The sculpture is made of 40 layers articulated into 7 pieces that can rotate individually.

The fourth ward lies directly to the north of the intersection of Trade and Tryon. It is that quadrant bounded by North Tryon on the southeast and West Trade on the southwest. It is mostly residential and has many stately Victorian homes. It is an official historic district, and is the location of Old Settlers' Cemetery and the three-acre Fourth Ward Park.

The Green is a 1.5 acre pocket-park nestled in Uptown that features a literary theme, whimsical structures and lush greenery. One of the most popular sculptures in the park is the “Charlotte – Center of the Known World” destination sign. Created in 2002 by Gary Sweeney, it points the mileage and direction to other Charlotte cities and towns throughout the world. 

Take a ride through Myers Park and you’ll see the little bronze statue of a man directing traffic in the middle of the Providence and Queens Road intersection. He has an ever-rotating collection of outfits like football jerseys, feather boas and even wedding dresses. We’ve all seen him, but who exactly is he? The statue is of Hugh McManaway and during the ‘60s and ‘70s, he spent his days standing in the very same intersection, directing traffic until he died in 1989. Even though the intersection had a traffic light, he was quoted saying “some people play tennis, I direct traffic.” He became a permanent fixture to the community in December 2000.

Opened in 1999, the McColl Center contains nine individual artist studios, a large scale sculpture facility, many common-use areas, and more than 5,000 square feet of exhibition space. In addition to studio space, McColl Center provides tools and materials for fiber arts, jewelry making, metal fabrication, printmaking, sculpture, painting, photography, ceramics, digital media and woodworking The galleries are open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Admission is free. Numerous public events include open house days, exhibitions, and the occasional gala.   

The NASCAR Hall of Fame, located in Charlotte, North Carolina, honors drivers who have shown exceptional skill at NASCAR driving, all-time great crew chiefs and owners, broadcasters and other major contributors to competition within the sanctioning body.    

Romare Bearden Park is a 5.4-acre public park located at 300 S. Church Street in Charlotte, North Carolina. Named for Charlotte born artist Romare Bearden, it opened in late August 2013. It is across the street from BB&T Ballpark, the home of the International League's Charlotte Knights.  

Bank of America Stadium is a 75,523-seat football stadium located on 33 acres (13 ha) in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is the home facility and headquarters of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League, and is planned to be the home of Charlotte FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in 1996 as Ericsson Stadium before Bank of America purchased the naming rights in 2004. Former Panthers president Danny Morrison called it "[A] classic American stadium" due to its bowl design and other features.

The Truist Center in Charlotte, North Carolina is a 47-story skyscraper along North Tryon Street that rises 201 meters (659 ft) in height. It opened on 14 November 2002 and is the 3rd-tallest building in Charlotte. In the College Street lobby are brass railings designed by Edgar Brandt that were rescued from an Au Bon Marche department store in Paris.  

St. Peter's Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic church at 507 South Tryon Street in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1851, it is the oldest Catholic church in Charlotte, and until 1940 was the only Catholic church in the city. St. Peter's was originally at the extreme southern limits of the city, but today it stands in the heart of uptown, across from major art museums and next to The Green. It is most likely the oldest surviving edifice on Tryon Street

The Firebird or Le Grand Oiseau de Feu sur l'Arche, a sculpture by Franco-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle, was completed in 1991. The Firebird is 17 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs 1,433 pounds. It is composed of an estimated 7,500 mirror mosaics over polyester on steel armature.