Local Momma: Amy Evans

LOCAL MOMMA – South End with Amy Evans

Hi, I’m Amy! I have a 2 year old son named Weston and a cool husband named Reagan. We’re expecting our second in January, and Weston is really pumped to be a big brother. Just kidding, he doesn’t know what’s going on. 

We love living in South End. One of my favorite things about it is the walkability. I really like being able to get my errands done and do some fun things with Weston without having to get in the car. Pushing a stroller around is often much more leisurely than buckling and unbuckling the car seat a bunch of times.

I got to do an Instagram Stories takeover for Charlotte Lately. Super honored! Weston and I walked around South End doing some of our favorite toddler friendly things. Here’s our day below in more detail as well as in picture form. 

We love to start the day with a walk along the Rail Trail and a smoothie. Luna’s Living Kitchen is the BEST EVER and has amazing healthy delicious vegan food and also a great vibe. Right outside, there’s some old train tracks which is kind of a perfect place for a 2 year old to play. Rocks and sticks and being outside while I enjoy my Iced Lavender Latte cuz summertime in CLT is HOT.

Here’s what I packed in the stroller for the day:

  • lots of water for both of us (hello hydration)
  • towel and change of clothes for Weston (toddlers are messy)
  • a few different snack options (larabars and pouches FTW)
  • portable phone charger (gotta stay connected u know!)
  • sunglasses & sunscreen & hat (watch out UVA & UVB)
  • essential oils for all the things (bye stress and scrapes, hey calm and happy)
  • diapers & wipes & the usual diaper bag items (poop happens)

Our next adventure is the train to Uptown! The Lynx train is super simple and basically goes in one long straight line. It’s just $2.20 per person each way and kids under 5 are free. Also very stroller and bicycle friendly! We jumped on at the East/West Station and went to the last stop which is 7th Street Station. If you don’t live in the South End area, there’s a big parking lot right by the East/West Station so you can park right there and go on an adventure.

As soon as you get off the train, 7th Street Public Market AND Imaginon AND First Ward Park are all right there at the same intersection! I love a good one-stop-shop. We went into Imaginon first. PSA: it’s free! Imaginon is a library / kids museum / theater / awesome place for kids to play. They have story time and summer camp and all kinds of fun activities and events too. If it’s rainy or really hot outside, this place is great. It’s pretty much great any day.  

Next up is First Ward Park. I love this park! The splash pad area is amazing for kids (and adults who want to cool off!) and there’s a lovely giant patch of grass which is a rare find in the middle of the city. They even have exercise equipment and free summer concerts and events, and it seems like there’s always something exciting happening at First Ward Park.

7th Street Market is a hoppin place at lunchtime! We stopped in here for a quick bite before heading home for Weston’s nap. There’s a good selection of foods and snacks and drinks and gifts and local Charlotte vendors. Two of my go-to spots at the market are Rico’s Acai and Viva Raw. 

A surprisingly kid-friendly activity in South End… all the breweries! I’m not much of a beer person myself, but breweries have such a great outdoor fun relaxed vibe. Sycamore is our favorite. They’ve got live music, a bunch of picnic tables, pretty lights, lots of kids and dogs running around, food trucks, and lots of fun times.

Every Friday evening in the non-winter months, there’s an event called Food Truck Friday at Sycamore. This is the best! Great for a Friday family night, a date night, go with a group of friends… basically everybody should go to this. There’s a good selection of food trucks each week and there’s always something for everyone. 

hanks for reading about our favorite South End things! And isn’t the Charlotte skyline so beautiful??? Here’s a list below of a few more places we love. If I missed anything, please comment below because we love exploring and finding new spots. Thanks @charlottelately for having us!

A few more noteworthy South End favorites:

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