NoDa Streetwalkers Tour

(22 reviews)

Charlotte, North Carolina audio tour: NoDa Streetwalkers Tour

This is a 0.6mi walking tour

It takes an average of 20 mins to complete.

Charlotte, North Carolina

The United States

$5.99

Access all 17 locations offline with the VoiceMap app

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Reviews

About the Tour

A crash course in NoDa art and history! If you are new to the area, this is a perfect way to familiarize yourself with the NoDa Arts District.
Lived here for years? See your daily sights with fresh eyes as you discover the interesting stories behind the art and architecture of the NoDa Hood.

Tour Producer

NoDa NBA

1 tour

NoDa is Charlotte’s historic arts and entertainment district. NoDa is home to all walks of life and an array of talented artists and musicians. Whether you are looking for Craft beer, award-winning food, custom gifts, or tattoos you’ll find what you need in NoDa.

Above all, the residents of NoDa are dedicated to promoting the arts, living eco-friendly lifestyles, and small businesses. The NoDa Neighborhood and Business Association is focused on encouraging diversity and promoting culturally enriching events for the neighborhood.

Preview Location

Location 1

Dog Bar

Welcome to the notice streetwalkers tour, an audio guide to the sites and history of Charlotte's arts and entertainment district.

The name noda, which is short for North Davidson was coined by a local architect and later adopted by an artist collective called the Friends o... Welcome to the notice streetwalkers tour, an audio guide to the sites and history of Charlotte's arts and entertainment district.

The name noda, which is short for North Davidson was coined by a local architect and later adopted by an artist collective called the Friends of Van Gogh in the 1990s when the area was known for its thriving gallery scene. Today, the neighborhood is home to many breweries, restaurants, tattoo parlors, small shops and street vendors. Noda's origins though really lie in its history as a tightly knit textile mill town.

In the 19th century, this terrain was nothing but farmland and swamps at the edges of the Rosedale plantation. As the 20th century was starting, America's Industrial Revolution was well underway, and manufacturing was expanding from the north to the south. The arrival of a railway line made Charlotte a prime location for the construction of new modern factories. Three separate industries chose this area at the northern edges of Charlotte to build their textile mills. The Highland Park mill number three, the Mecklenburg ,mill and the Johnston mill were all built along the new railway line. At the time, it was customary for the factory owners to build a neighborhood or Mill Village to house their workers. With Highland Park mill number three, and the Mecklenburg mill so close to each other. The two distinct mill villages were connected by a single business district. That is what we now call downtown Noida. The mills and their villages prospered for decades. But after the last mill closed in 1975, North Charlotte deteriorated into a crime ridden neighborhood filled with dilapidated houses and vacant storefronts. Ironically, Nota's historic buildings escaped demolition because developers thought that the area was not worth investing in. This maintained property prices low, which allowed artists to move in. The arrival of the arts would change Nodas landscape forever.

Traveling along North Davidson Street, you will come to the dog bar, a place known and loved by many Noda residents of both the two and four legged variety. What was once a fill service station has now become the spot where you can grab a beer and hang out with your pooch. The front fence of the dog bar sports a mural with the portraits of some of the best boys and girls who have ever lived here. The mural features the faces of 91 dog bar patrons and was painted by Terry Haney. Terry says that his greatest challenge in painting it was the ever changing composition of the piece, due to the flood of requests that he had from proud pet parents who wanted their dogs included. Painting a sunrise and sunset in the background helped him to create a cohesive design. At the time, Terry was living in the Highland mill lofts and he painted every panel in his studio apartment on plywood. He would then install these plywood pieces over the Dog bar's fence.

Unfortunately, the original wood panels have deteriorated and they have now been replaced by vinyl images. As is the case with many of our murals. This one reflects the very special community we have fostered here in Noda.

Narrator: Let's keep moving

With the Dog Bar on your left, continue along North Davidson Street.

While you walk, I'll explain how VoiceMap works.

It uses your location to play audio automatically at the right moment. This means you can put your phone away. There might be occasional periods of silence in between my talking, this is normal. There's an onscreen map if you feel lost and if you go way off track, VoiceMap will let you know. Read More

View locations and route

How VoiceMap Works

Focus on your surroundings, not the screen

The VoiceMap app uses GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place, so you can focus on your surroundings, not the screen.

Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a fixed starting point. That lets us give turn-by-turn directions and use context to tell a better story.

Resume playback to go at your own pace

If you'd like to stop for a drink or go into a museum, end your tour then use the Resume feature to pick up exactly where you left off.

Listen as many times as you like

You can listen to your tours as often as you like using both the VoiceMap app and website.

Take virtual tours anywhere, like a podcast

Select Virtual mode in the VoiceMap app to listen to tours like a podcast - at home or in transit.

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Major Landmarks

Historic Mills and watertower
Murals and other artwork

Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
3307 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205, USA
Total distance

942m
Final location
3227 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205, USA
Distance back to start location

38.81m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour begins by the Blind Pig at the corner of 36th and North Davidson on the North Davidson side of the building. From the light rail, walk up 36th street to the starting point.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

This tour will take you through the heart of the NoDa Arts District. There are many fantastic places to grab a bite or a drink. Check out the boutiques and street vendors for unique NoDa shopping. You could even stop and get a tattoo, but maybe have that drink first.

Best time of day

This tour is good all day, but best when it is light outside.

Precautions

Use common sense and be alert when navigating and crossing streets. Be respectful of others who are not on the tour and do not block sidewalks. Do not enter private property. The tour is meant to be enjoyed from the public walkway. Be mindful of social distancing, both with others on the tour and those who are not.

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“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”

Google Play Store

Questions and Reviews

4.4 / 5

22 Ratings

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