Nice suburbs to stay just outside Charlotte

Hi!

Staying in the Charlotte area Dec 22-25 for a quick getaway. We would like to stay just outside of the city, no more than say 30 minutes. I’m looking for any suburb that may have stuff to do or see or that’s pretty to drive through.

We are going because it’s a place we have talked about moving to. We have no problem staying in the city, but we are traveling with our cat and need pet friendly and affordable.

Also, any info on Christmas stuff or things to do would be appreciated too!

Thank you!

Charlotte (North Carolina)

4 Answers

answered by

Renee from Charlotte

I would consider Davidson, a short distance north from the Center City on I-77 (but research back routes as 77 is something of a disaster currently as they put in toll lanes). Davidson is, of course, a famous college town with a fun downtown with shops, galleries, breweries, restaurants, immediately adjacent to the college campus. Very walkable and dog-friendly. It's near Lake Norman, but that probably won't come into play in December. Several parks and greenways are nearby, including Historic Latta Plantation, with a historic house they decorate for the holidays, plantation, equestrian center, nature center, hiking etc. - a good place to get a taste for the history and ecology of the area. Also quite close is Historic Rural Hill, a farm that explores the Scot-Irish history of the area, complete with "hairy coos." If you are more into NASCAR racing, Mooresville is a short distance north on I-77 with several shops to visit and a museum. These are the north 'burbs with lots of interesting neighborhoods around the lake.

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Stacey
Thank you so much! That is so helpful!

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answered by

Claudia from New York City

I would consider Matthews (North Carolina) . You have a choice of pet-friendly hotels and Airbnb homes. It's family-friendly and about a 30-minute drive from Charlotte . Check out these pet-friendly hotels:

Hampton Inn Charlotte/Matthews
Sleep Inn Matthews/Charlotte

As for Christmas events, the Town of Matthews has a list on their website: https://www.matthewsnc.gov/pview.aspx?id=20731&catid=0
Hope this info helps.

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Stacey
So helpful, thank you so much!

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answered first by

Tonya Russ from Charlotte

You can drive 30 mins in all directions from city center and still be in Charlotte. If you look on a map you can see all the little surrounding cities. Around Christmas you won't be stuck in traffic so do not fall for the charming effects!!! Pineville (North Carolina), Matthews (North Carolina), Huntersville, Mooresville, Concord (North Carolina) are surrounding cities, then there's tiny towns too. SC border is really close, there's Tega Cay (South Carolina), Fort Mill, Rock Hill. There are all sorts of things to do, there's list on the internet, look it up and see what interest you. I would look up Blumenthal Arts and see if any events going on while you're here.
McAdenville is a little town that decorates for Christmas and you can drive through the town, Christmas day might be perfect because traffic gets backed up at the exit.