Life + Culture

Back to the Wild

After a Full-Scale Rebuild, Charlotte’s Beloved Nature Museum Returns With Immersive Exhibits, Updated Galleries and a Reimagined Connection to the Outdoors Article by Taylor Bowler | Photography by Courtesy of The Charlotte Museum of Nature The Charlotte Museum of Nature is entering a new era after an ambitious project more than four years in the making. When plans for the new museum were unveiled in 2022, the original 1951 structure was visibly dated and struggled to keep up with the city’s...

Home + Design

Where the Wild Things Play

How Designer Brooke Adler Created a Playful, Gender-Neutral Space to Evolve With a Growing Family Article by Carroll Walton | Photography by Dustin Peck For Charlotte designer Brooke Adler, residential projects usually center around the kitchen and living areas where clients entertain. For this Villa Heights couple, though, the starting point was more personal.  The focus was on “His and Her” offices for parents who both work from home and on a nearby play space for their 4-year-old...

Life + Culture

Sit. Stay. Shop.

These Charlotte Businesses Have Some of the Cutest Co-workers Around Article by Elliott Harrell | Photography by Olly Yung They’ll greet you with a wag and a smile, and they’re always open to a pet or cuddle. Some have designated spots they’ve claimed in the store, while others roam around all day, checking in on customers and looking for snacks. Meet five of Charlotte’s most beloved shop dogs. Nacho and Scout, Blackhawk Hardware and Garden Center Official Titles: Colonel Nacho and...

Life + Culture

The Hive Keepers

How Charlotte's Backyard Beekeepers Are Saving the State's Favorite Insect Article by Carroll Walton | Photography by Olly Yung Neighbors in South Charlotte’s Mountainbrook stroll past yards with the typical blue hydrangeas in springtime, or an array of pink azaleas, sure. But if they pass the neatly manicured front lawn of Rachel and Clark Humphries, they’ll see a wide variety of flowering plants. There’s butterfly bush, salvia, fireweed, Shasta daisies and more. And this year, Clark tried...

Health + Wellness

Something to Smile About

How Dr. Arpita Patel's Concierge Approach to Pediatric Dentistry Is Changing the Way Families Think About Their Children's Health Article by Carroll Walton | Photography by Courtesy of Blooming Smiles Pediatric Dentistry Pediatric dental offices are everywhere these days, but few operate with the quiet intentionality of Blooming Smiles Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Arpita Patel has built something unique. "We focus on elevated patient care and patient experience," she says. "It's a concierge and...

Home + Design

A Room for Every Ribbon

Inside Zoe Balsamo's Dream Craft Room and the Grandma Hobbies She's Made Entirely Her Own Article by Carroll Walton | Photography by Carissa Rogers When you get to know Zoe Balsamo, it’s hard to say which is more impressive: the crafts she creates or the room where she makes them. The granddaughter of the self-proclaimed “original Martha Stewart,” who made pasta from scratch for dinner parties, embraced what she calls her “grandma hobbies” long ago, like needlepoint, crochet and cross-stitch...

Life + Culture

WE See You

Why One Mother Started Nonprofit Generation WE to Help Thousands of Children See Beyond Their Differences Article by Krisha Chachra | Photography by Carissa Rogers Annie Totten remembers how people used to look at her son Jack, now 17, as he grew up with cerebral palsy. She remembers the pride she felt when he decided to say something about it.  “I have a boo-boo on my brain,” he told his classmates. “It affects the way I walk.” His words had power.  “The kids moved on once he explained it...

Education

Educating for Purpose

New Country Day Head of School Dr. Tara Christie Kinsey Advocates for Academic Excellence Built on Service and Character Article by Carroll Walton | Photography by Courtesy of Charlotte Country Day School Dr. Tara Christie Kinsey became Head of School at Charlotte Country Day School in 2025 after serving as Head of The Hewitt School in New York City and as an associate dean at her alma mater, Princeton University. She earned her Ph.D. in English from Emory University and met her husband, Matt...

Food + Beverage

Scoop Dreams

Six Delectable Summertime Treats Article by Allie Papajohn What's better than a frozen treat on a hot Charlotte afternoon? The city has no shortage of options—from housemade ice cream and fruit pops to snowballs and gelato. Two Scoops Creamy and Golden Cow Creamery, both with multiple locations, serve homemade ice cream, while Seemingly Overzealous and Artisen's Gelato cater to those with gluten, dairy, and egg allergies. For something over the top, SWIRL Dessert Bar blends ice cream topped...

Travel

Well-Traveled

At Voyage, Ophelia Allman Merges Global Style, Small-batch Goods and Women-Only Trips Article by Taylor Bowler | Photography by Olly Yung Voyage feels less like a boutique and more like a passport you can step inside. The Camp North End specialty shop has racks of globally-inspired clothing in one area and shelves of small-batch provisions in another. Shoppers chat about upcoming trips to Zimbabwe, Mexico and Italy as they try on backpacking gear and alpaca coats. It’s colorful, curated and a...