How To Spend A Morning At Camp North End
After a local media organization recently published an article comparing Camp North End to a cemetery on Friday mornings, I realized there might be a need for some recommendations for how to enjoy the site between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. when some of the retail locations might not be open just yet.
First, let’s talk about why that is. I can absolutely understand it might be frustrating to bring someone to Camp North End at 8:30 a.m. to do some shopping and see that several of the small businesses aren’t open just yet. What makes Camp North End incredibly special is its focus on filling the 76-acre site with small, local businesses. Many of us are solopreneurs, though some of us have small teams. Being open during the busiest retail hours (11 or 12 p.m. to 7 or 8 p.m.), five days a week can already be a lift for a small business owner. As small businesses, we have to carefully calculate what we can afford to do (both monetarily, physically and emotionally) vs. when we will connect with the most folks. For many, it’s not feasible to be open at 8:30 a.m. on a Friday morning. Might we miss the occasional visitor? Of course, and we hate that. Running a business requires give and take.
That said, the are PLENTY of things to do prior to 11 a.m. when the majority of small businesses on site open for the day, so let’s get into it!
7-9 a.m.: Tipsy Pickle
One of the latest businesses to open up shop here at Camp North End is the Tipsy Pickle, a pickleball bar that also features golf simulators, pool tables, cornhole and more. Beat the North Carolina summer heat and enjoy a game on the pickleball courts or hang inside playing any of the other free games.
9 a.m.: Breakfast at Hex
Head to HEX Coffee, Kitchen & Natural Wines for breakfast and some caffeine. We absolutely love the Hex Special and the Brekky Sando, but the yogurt bowl is scrumptious too and their pastries are so tasty.
10 a.m.: Walk the site
Grab your coffee refill to go and spend some time walking around the site. All throughout there are tables, hammocks, swings and places to sit and enjoy the scenery. Everywhere you look there’s local murals, almost all of which have plaques next to them giving you more information about the local artist responsible. You’ll also learn more about the history of the site. Keep your eye out for plaques throughout the site explaining what certain buildings used to be used for, why there’s giant oil drums used as a local art installation, and more. Camp North End spends a lot of time in “space making,” so there’s local fauna and cool, repurposed items everywhere. If you’ve got kids, they’ll love the giant Legos at Ford Green and playing on the swings and old equipment in the Boileryard.
11 a.m.: Shop ‘til you drop
Once of Camp North End’s charms is it’s ability to be a 3rd space for visitors. You can come spend a day here without spending a dime, but if you’re itching to do some shopping or window browsing, you’ll find much of the retail starts to open at 11 a.m. Thrift Pony, the coolest woman-owned thrift store, and Good Postage, a stationery and art store that will leave you geeking out over pens and paper quality, are open 7 days a week at 11 a.m. At 12 p.m. you can browse books, bookish items and Charlotte gifts with us (also open 7 days a week). Wednesday through Sunday nearly every other retail business here is open starting at 12 p.m. as well, including Grow: A Plant Store, Voyage, Fresh Produce, Hardy Boys Records, Current Nostalgia, Fitteds, Springclean, and more.
Yes, if you come at 8 a.m. on a weekday, you may notice that some shops are closed until a little later in the day. But that doesn’t mean that there is a lack of ways to spend time at Camp North End during that time! This unique little spot in the city is so fun to explore and we hope you’ll choose to do just that.
Need other recommendations? Ask me for some ideas!