Main Streets 2017: North Carolina
The American Planning Association has called Davidson’s central avenue one of America’s “Great Streets,” and it’s easy to see why. Residents and local planners have invested their energies in a long-term commitment to preserving and improving Main Street’s historic small-town character — and the results are an American classic.
Along Main is the Old Quad. This centerpiece of Davidson College’s leafy, well-preserved 19th century campus is a working arboretum, with over 3,000 trees and shrubs cared for and labeled.
Just south of campus, Main Street’s central shopping area features brick sidewalks, plaques that point out historic landmarks, and quaint shops whose frontage and signage must be approved by the town’s design review board. The community has invested in public art and in making Main Street safe and walkable. The town has won both “Walk-Friendly” and “Bike-Friendly” awards.
Strolling along, you’ll want to dip into Main Street Books, an independent bookshop that’s a Davidson tradition and features both new and used volumes. If your tastes run to the visual arts, the Wooden Stone Gallery on Main showcases jewelry, metalwork, pottery and more, handmade by more than 100 North Carolina artists and crafters. And the college’s Belk Visual Arts Center, on the corner of Main and Griffith, regularly mounts exhibitions of work by regionally, nationally and internationally known fine artists.
If it’s Saturday, you can start your day with a hot beverage and a warm pastry at Summit Coffee, then explore the Farmer’s Market behind the coffeeshop. If you need more sweet stuff, check out the Davidson Chocolate Company or the South Main Sweet Shop. When mealtime arrives, you’ll find a cornucopia of inviting reasons why Main Street is locally known as Restaurant Row.
The 1951-vintage Soda Shop specializes in burgers and shakes, and features a collection of local and college memorabilia. For lunch or dinner, you’ll have a hard time choosing — Main Street’s eateries offer Mexican, Italian, Asian and classic American food.
Be sure to save some energy for the evening, too. Summit Coffee often hosts live music, Our Town Cinemas is right off Main, and the college often hosts cultural events, along with Division I sports.
Once you’ve spent time exploring Main Street and enjoying Davidson, you’ll find it hard to leave. So plan to come again, and explore some more.
All photos courtesy of Visit Lake Norman
