Decorative Waves

Queen City's Friendliest Places

Pen and ink drawing of the Charlotte City skyline.  Text Reads,

Charlotte is a city quite well known for its Friendliness, making it a natural place for us to work to develop accessibility reviews on popular local businesses  History, science, finance, and sports play a large role in Charlotte’s bustling city hubs, each an exciting exploration of what makes the area a prime destination for tourism. Residents and visitors alike enjoy a variety of entertainment, art, and lodging options, all with different access options so everyone can participate. Below, we have created a guide to just some of the Friendly businesses you can find in Charlotte, ready to receive you with open arms!

Accessible & Friendly Businesses in Charlotte

 

Courtyard by Marriott Charlotte City Center

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible interior, restrooms, parking, and entrance.
  • A wide variety of seating, including chairs with no arms, is available in lounge and dining areas.
  • "Patio" in this review indicates poolside area, and it is comfortable for people of size.
  • Shower wands are available in accessible rooms.
  • Accessible alarm clock and telephone ringers; flashing door knockers.
  • Bathtub seat and non-slip grab rails.
  • Lowered view ports, night guards, and deadbolts on doors, lowered electrical outlets.
  • TTY/TTD compatible phones.
  • Self-operating life or a sloped entry into swimming pool.
  • Service animals are welcome.
  • Friendly Notice: Bar stools at the bar all have seat backs, but other stools do not.
  • Friendly Notice: Guests in mobility-accessible rooms may inquire about lowering the bed height
Courtyard by Marriott Charlotte City Center
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible interior, entrance, and parking.
  • Offers chairs with no arms.
  • Accessible restroom available.
  • Booths do not have movable tables.
McDonalds
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible interior, parking, and entrance.
  • Motorized scooters are available.
Food Lion
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible interior, parking, and entrance.
  • Accessible restroom available.
  • Friendly Notice: Motorized scooters are available, but only one for the entire store.
Walmart Supercenter
It's always time for Krispy Kreme, are we right?
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible parking, entrance, interior, and restroom.
  • Offers chairs with no arms.
Krispy Kreme

Blue Flowers Cannabis Boutique

This store is on the second floor of a shopping center. Those who cannot use stairs can enter through the back. The parking lot behind the shopping center is sloped, so you will arrive on the second floor, but it is too steep for a mobility device to climb but you can drive there.
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible interior and entrance.
  • Friendly Notice: There are two accessible parking spots in the front lot on the first level, but there are no accessible marked spots in the second floor back parking lot.
  • Friendly Notice:  Seating and restrooms are not available in the store..
Blue Flowers

Myers Park Baptist Church

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible interior and parking.
  • Offers mainly pews as seating.
Myers Park Baptist Church
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible parking and entrance.
  • Comfortable lounge seating and barstools without seat backs.
  • Accessible restrooms available.
  • Friendly Notice:  Some seating areas may require a step up.
Dubai Night Club
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance, interior, and restroom.
  • Ofers bar stools without seat backs at high top tables.
  • There are two accessible marked parking spots in front of Skyland Family Restaurant around the corner.
  • Friendly Notice: High-volume crowds might make this space difficult to navigate for those in mobility assistance vehicles and for people of size.
  • Friendly Notice:  Patio bar stools and table availability varies night to night.
Bar Argon
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance, interior, and restroom.
  • Two accessible parking spots near the Dominos beside the building.
  • Friendly Notice: There are a few white leather bar stools without seat backs, but most seating are bar-style stools with seat backs.
Chasers

Hattie's Tap & Tavern

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance, interior, and restrooms.
  • One accessible parking spot available.
  • Wide variation of seating options available including folding chairs, leather sofas, and regular dining chairs.
  • Offers chairs without arms and bar stools without seat backs.
  • Friendly Notice: Patio not comfortable for people of size as it only offers picnic-style seating and high-top tables that have chairs with arms.
Hattie's Tap and Tavern

Petra's Piano Bar & Cabaret

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Offers chairs with no arms.
  • There are some bar stools without seat backs.
  • Friendly Notice:  There is one marked accessible parking spot in front of the entrance, but street parking is extremely limited.
  • Alert: The Patio is not comfortable for people of size due to only having chairs with arms.
Petras Bar
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance, interior, and restrooms.
  • Two accessible parking spaces in front.
  • Friendly Notice:  The VIP sections are raised and it's not clear if there is an accessible way to get up onto them.
The Scorpio
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible parking, interior, and entrance.
  • Chairs without arms.
  • Spacious interior with dance floor.
  • Spacious outdoor patio with seating.
  • NOTE: Need to call to confirm about accessible restrooms.
Woodshed Bar

Sidelines Sports Bar & Billiards

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible parking, entrance, and restrooms.
  • Spacious interior.
  • Gender-neutral restrooms.
  • Offers chairs without arms.
  • Booth seating and outdoor patio seating are available.
Sidelines Sports Bar and Billiards
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible parking and entrance.
  • Spacious interior with dance floor.
  • Offers chairs without arms. Booth seating is available. Moveable tables.
  • Outdoor patio with seating available.
  • Friendly Notice: There is comfortable lounge seating, but it might require a step up to sit there.
Friendly Like Me Review of Broken Promises

Romare Bearden Park

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Accessibility Checklist:
  • Ramp entrances to the grassy area of the park.
  • There is one accessible restroom for each gender, with automatic sinks.
  • Park seating is available.
  • There are wide, paved sidewalks throughout and around the park.
Romare Bearden Park
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Pathways in the park are accessible.
  • Park seating is available.
Fourth Ward Park

St. Peter's Catholic Church

An Accessible entrance is at the right of the Church - the ramp enters the Church on the side, near the altar. The wheelchair-accessible elevators are in the glassed-in foyer to the back.
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance on the right side of the church.
  • Accessible parking.
  • Accessible interior with an elevator.
  • Offers chairs with no arms (pew style seating).
St Peters Catholic Church

Mint Museum Uptown

The Museum's front desk offers complimentary manual wheelchairs on a first-come, first-served basis. Visitor drop-off and pickup is permitted near Mint Museum Uptown’s elevator access on Levine Avenue of the Arts. A Wellness Room, equipped with chairs, a trashcan, and a mini fridge, is are available  on level 4 to the right of the elevators. Support persons receive complimentary admission to ticketed exhibitions when the person with the disability cannot otherwise attend alone. Tours can be arranged for both adult and children’s groups with varied disabilities. An educator will work with you to customize a visit that best suits the needs of your group. 
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance, interior, and restrooms.
  • Accessible parking spaces, including van spots, are available in the Mint Museum Uptown’s Levine Center for the Arts Parking Garage on Level P1 and P2.
  • Doorways to outdoor areas are equipped with automatic openers.
  • Accessible interior with elevators access to all floors. Spaces for wheelchairs are available in the James B. Duke Auditorium.
  • Wheelchair-accessible restrooms are located on every floor. Single user/all gender restrooms are located on Level M.
  • Accessible drinking fountains can be found at the Mint Museum Uptown on every floor.
  • Social Narratives for Mint Museum Uptown are available for families and visitors with developmental disabilities.
  • Friendly Notice: S.P.A.R.K. Explorer Packs can be checked out on a first-come, first-served basis. Packs contain everything visitors with autism and sensory needs might want to enhance their experience in the museum including: fidget keychains, wiggle seats, headphones, and weighted lap pads.
Mint Museum Uptown

Queen City Quarter

The Queen City Quarter complex has multiple places to visit, some locations offer chairs with no arms and booths with movable tables, as well as patios that are comfortable for people of size.
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance.
  • Accessible restrooms.
  • Accessible interior with an elevator.
  • Valet parking is available on College St.
  • Friendly Notice: Some locations with Queen City Quarter offer chairs with no arms and booths with movable tables.
Queen City Quarter

Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts & Culture

To ensure accessibility for patrons with vision loss, the Gantt Center has collaborated with No Dark Doors to implement iBeacons at our location. For visitors to the Gantt, discounted parking is available at The Levine Center for the Arts parking garage, situated on Tryon Street, just opposite the Gantt. The address for the garage is 101 W. Brooklyn Village Ave, and visitor parking is designated on levels P1 and P2.
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance, restrooms, and spacious interior.
  • Offers chairs with no arms.
  • Wheelchairs are available upon request.
  • Staff are willing to partner with individuals or groups to customize disability access with advanced notice.
  • Discounted parking is available at The Levine Center for the Arts parking garage, situated on Tryon Street, just opposite the Gantt. The address for the garage is 101 W. Brooklyn Village Ave, and visitor parking is designated on levels P1 and P2.
Friendly Like Me review of Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture

Levine Museum of the New South

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance.
  • Offers chairs with no arms during events in the reception room.
  • Friendly Notice: The closest parking deck is The Green deck at 425 S. Tryon St., which is $3 per 30 minutes and is accessible via S. Tryon Street or S. College St.
Levine Museum of the New South

Starbucks - 135 Levine Avenue of the Arts

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance and interior.
  • Offers chairs with no arms, booths have movable tables, and seating is comfortable.
  • Patio is comfortable for people of size.
  • Alert: There is no marked, accessible street parking.
Starbucks - 135 Levine Ave of the Arts

Starbucks - 212 S Tryon St.

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance and interior.
  • Offers chairs with no arms, booths have movable tables, and seating is comfortable.
  • Friendly Notice: There is no marked accessible street parking available, but First Citizens Bank Plaza Parking is a garage available on 209 S Church St.
Starbucks - Tryon St

Hilton Charlotte Uptown

Here is a complete list of Accessible Amenities at the hotel.
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible parking, entrance, interior, and restroom.
  • Accessible guest rooms with entrance and interior doors at least 32" wide.
  • Accessible parking spaces are available in the self-parking facility.
  • Valet parking is available.
  • Accessible meeting rooms, swimming pool, and exercise facility
  • Offers chairs with no arms; booths have movable tables.
  • Patio is comfortable for people of size.
  • Braille room numbers and in elevators.
  • Shower wand, portable shower chairs, roll-in showers, and grab bars in bathrooms.
  • Digital alarm clocks are available with strobe lights, sounds and vibrating pads.
  • Lowered light switches, shelves, door viewports, thermostat controls, closet rods.
  • TTY available for guest use.
Hilton Charlotte Uptown

Amelie's French Bakery and Cafe

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance, restroom, and interior.
  • Offers chairs with no arms.
  • Friendly Notice: There is street parking only with no marked accessible spots nearby, however there is a parking deck right beside the building on 165 E MLK. Jr Blvd. The nearest bus stop is College St. and 3rd St.
Amelies French Bakery and Cafe Uptown
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance, interior, and restrooms.
  • Offers chairs with no arms; booths have movable tables.
  • All bar stools have seat backs.
  • Friendly Notice: There are no marked accessible parking spots on the street, but there is a nearby parking garage at 130 W 3rd st.
Waterbean Coffee
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible parking, entrance, interior, and restrooms.
  • Offers chairs with no arms and bar stools without seat backs.
  • Patio comfortable for people of size.
The Sandwich Club
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible parking, entrance, interior, and restroom.
  • Offers chairs with no arms for inside.
  • Outdoor chairs all have arms attached and may not be suitable for people of size.
  • Booth tables are fixed like in a diner, but chairs can be placed along side the table.
Salata
To enter the restaurant without using the small steps outside the building, you must use the ramp on the far side of the building located on the corner of W. 7th and N. Tryon St. There is a bus stop at 8th and Tryon St., serving Bus #11 and Bus #21.
Accessibility Checklist:
  • The entrance is accessible, but only via a ramp on the far side of the building.
  • There is an accessible parking spot on the street directly in front of the building.
  • Booths have movable tables.
  • Seating is potentially uncomfortable for people of size. The indoor chairs have arm rests, and the chairs are short and slight. Patio chairs have high arm rests.
  • Alert: There is no public restroom available.
Crunch Bistro

Duckworth's Grill & Taphouse Uptown

There are a lot of television screens playing different sports games throughout the restaurant which may impact sensory experiences.

Directly across the street is a bus stop serving Bus #11 and Bus #21.

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance.
  • Offers chairs with no arm rests.
  • Booths have movable tables.
  • Accessible restroom.
  • Bar stools have seat backs.
  • Alert: The nearest available parking is the Spirit Square Building lot, located on N College St. and E 7th St. There are no accessible marked spots within this lot.
Friendly Like me review of Duckworths Grill and Taphouse

Discovery Place Science

The Discovery Place Science Parking Deck is located at the corner of Church and 6th Sts. in uptown Charlotte. The Museum entrance is located on 6th St. between Tryon St. & Church St.

Discovery Place Science is two blocks from the 7th St. Station stop on the LYNX Light Rail system. Upon exiting the train at 7th St., head west toward Tryon St. The Museum entrance is located on 6th St. between Tryon St. & Church St.

Wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Visitors should request a wheelchair at Check-In. Wheelchairs are sanitized after each use.

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance.
  • Accessible restrooms.
  • Accessible interior.
  • Accessible parking.
Discovery Place Science

The Dunhill Hotel is a boutique, historic hotel. They small staff is very accommodating and will do whatever is necessary and possible to make their hotel accessible, safe, and comfortable for all guests upon request. Guests in wheelchairs can stay here comfortably.

Garage parking is conveniently available directly behind the hotel in the Fifth Third Bank parking deck. Garage entrances are on both 6th Street and Church Street.

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance.
  • The dining room and breakfast room have booths with movable tables and chairs without arms.
  • The hotel lobby and pub have loveseats and couches.
  • The lobby bar has stools with seat backs.
  • The garage behind the hotel has accessible parking spots. An elevator will take you directly to reception.
  • The Premiere Queen Room has a roll-in shower with glass doors that open completely.
  • Bathtubs in most rooms can be accommodated with a seat for transferring.
  • Seating within guest rooms varies widely; most chairs have arms.
The Dunhill Hotel
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance, interior, and restroom.
  • Accessible parking located in parking garage.
  • Offers chairs with no arms.
  • Booths have movable tables.
  • Patio is comfortable for people of size.
  • Seating is comfortable and sturdy.
The Asbury

Parking is available nearby at the Truist Center Garage at 161 E 6th St and also at the 101 N. Tryon St. Parking Garage.

Customers of size and those in mobility devices may find it difficult to navigate the venue comfortably on a crowded or busy night.

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance.
  • There is one wheelchair accessible bathroom.
  • There is an elevator to get to the second floor, but it is not always operating.
  • Offers chairs without arms.
  • Booths have movable tables.
  • There are bar stools without seat backs.
  • Street parking is available but extremely limited. There are also 2 nearby parking garages.
  • The patio is not comfortable for people of size.
Ri Ra

The Capital Grille

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance, interior, and restrooms.
  • Seating is comfortable. They offer chairs with no arms.
  • Booths have movable tables.
  • Patio is comfortable for people of size.
  • Quiet enough for conversation.
The Capital Grille

204 North Kitchen & Cocktails

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance.
  • Accessible restroom.
  • Seating is comfortable. They offer chairs with no arms.
  • Booths have movable tables, and the bar stools do not have seat backs.
  • There is no accessible parking.
204 North Kitchen and Cocktails
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance.
  • Accessible and roomy interior.
  • Accessible restroom.
  • Seating is comfortable; they offer chairs without armrests.
  • Booths have movable tables.
  • Quiet enough for conversation.
  • Patio is comfortable for people of size.
  • Accessible parking is not available.
Sip
"The Library", a private lounge with no public access, offers comfortable, sturdy chairs, couches and armchairs, and a bar with stools that have seat backs. It has a roomy interior and is accessible with flat, level ground 
Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance.
  • Accessible interior.
  • Accessible restrooms.
  • Offers chairs with no arms.
  • Showers have wands and tubs have seats for transferring if needed.
  • There is no marked accessible parking, van accessible parking, or self-parking. Valet service only.
  • Bar stools have seat backs.
The Iveys Hotel

Eddie V's Prime Seafood

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible parking.
  • Accessible entrance.
  • Accessible restroom.
  • Seating is comfortable; they offer chairs without arms.
  • Booths have movable tables.
  • Quiet enough for conversation.
Eddie Vs Prime Seafood

Chima Brazilian Steakhouse

Accessibility Checklist:
  • Accessible entrance.
  • Accessible restroom.
  • Offers chairs with no arms.
  • Booths have movable tables.
  • Bar stools without seat backs.
  • Patio is comfortable for people of size.
Chima Brazilian Steakhouse

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Check out Friendly Like Me's Accessibility Guide to Charlotte Pride.  

HIGHLIGHTS FROM ACCESS SPOTLIGHT