DISCONNECTION

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools have increasingly segregated along racial and class lines since a federal judge’s 1999 ruling ended a successful, 28-year desegregation program. The COVID lockdown of schools has hurt everybody in the system—and widened the gap between its haves and have-nots

GOING SOUTH (OF THE EQUATOR) IN UPTOWN

Mico merges spicy Argentinean flavors with Bohemian design inside uptown’s newest luxury hotel

ROOM WE LOVE - An Elegant Hideaway

A master suite serves as a sanctuary for two young working parents

WORTH THE WAIT

The pandemic postponed the grand openings of these two anticipated restaurants in 2020. Here’s what you can expect from them as they kick off a new year

Alessandra Ball James

Longtime Charlotte Ballet dancer pirouettes to new career amid COVID

BUILDING HISTORY - What Uptown's Treloar House Teaches Us

That old, brick building across from ImaginOn embodied ideas whose time has come again

Denise Antonacci

SouthPark’s hair bigwig takes time with your tresses and care with your privacy

A DINING SCENE, BAGGED

A year ago, no one expected Charlotte’s diversifying roster of restaurants to specialize in takeout, but COVID forced a hard turn. Here’s a list of 25 restaurants that survived the switch—and which dishes to take home

The Mountains Under Cover

In the shadow of COVID, western North Carolina dons masks and keeps distances (or doesn’t)

LIKE A DIAMOND IN THE SKY

Head to Cloud Bar by David Burke for a socially distanced night out in uptown

the weight of the world

Beyond its physical threat, COVID-19 represents a mental and behavioral health crisis of incalculable depth and severity. Charlotte’s mental health professionals are trying to grasp how bad it could get—and how to help people who need it

Big Boy Rules

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a safe space for about 200 elk, including a 1,000-pound bull who prefers his trailside naps undisturbed

Hub for Grub

Mother Earth Food’s local grocery delivery has been wildly successful in western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina. Can Freshlist find the same success in Charlotte?

Virtual Nuptials

Samie and Ryan Roberts’ LoveStream platform adds social distancing to the wedding party

POLICING THE POLICE

If they wanted, City Council members could add teeth to public oversight of CMPD. Will they?

DIANNE GALLAGHER

Ex-WCNC reporter returns ‘home’ to establish CNN’s first Charlotte office

CLOUD(CA) NINE

A tour of Meggie Williams’ South End palace for good boys

ANIMAL QUEENDOM

Canis familiaris (dogs) and Felis catus (cats) are just two of the thousands of species that Charlotteans call pets. Here’s a look inside a complicated—and innovative—year for critter-lovers outside of the metropolitan mainstream, including cold-blooded-pet purveyors, an urban horseman, and a family of alpaca ranchers

LOCAL FLAVOR - CHICKEN SANDWICH BLITZ

The fried chicken sammie is having a moment in Charlotte, so our staff decided to find out how the city’s top restaurants spin this beloved sandwich. We ate them buttermilk-brined, battered and breaded, and smothered in sauce, and we enjoyed every bite. See four of our top picks below, and visit our website for the entire list

PEOPLE - Heiress Jordan

THE LAST DANCE nudged her into the national spotlight, but Jasmine Jordan was building on her father’s basketball legacy in Charlotte long before the ESPN docuseries aired. Here are 11 more things to know about the 27-year-old daughter of Michael Jordan

NOW OPEN - ISLAND VIBES IN NODA

Head to Roy’s Kitchen & Patio for a two-hour vacation

LIFE LESSONS - JOHN QUILLIN

The Gay Men’s Chorus founder on music, acceptance, and his nearly four decades in Charlotte

Stage FRIGHT

Carolina Theatre is headed for a reopening. Will Fred the Ghost join the curtain call?

STING PRIDE

The team no longer exists. The players have scattered. But nearly two decades ago, in a dry season for sports in this city, the Charlotte Sting advanced to the WNBA Finals for the only time in its 10-year history, and the four women who led the charge—all with ties to the Carolinas—still find ways to push the ball downcourt

STYLE - In Matt's Memory

Grieving over her brother’s death, Michelle Buelow launched charities and a thriving business that clothes babies

THE HAUNT HOPPER

Mooresville historian and history teacher Chris Stonestreet shares three of his spookiest local legends

COMMUNITY - LEARNING TO FLY

Amelia Wyatt’s picture book and quiet leadership help young immigrants see themselves in stories

CHARLOTTE HAUNTS

Charlotte buildings are dull and devoid of character, you say? You’ve not experienced the wraiths that congregate at the century-old theater, or the deathless matron of the college campus that predates the Civil War, or the forlorn presence that lurks in the Irish pub. Happy Halloween, everyone. Who’ll come knocking on your door?

‘NOBODY COULD TIE HIM DOWN'

In memory of Dan Mauney, LGBTQ advocate, business owner, ‘Queen of Charlotte’

MIXED, NOT MATCHED

Designer Inna Kovalinskiy mixes periods and styles to bring elegant modernity to an outdated Fort Mill home