A small neighborhood between Uptown and NoDa, anchored by a food hall in a converted cotton mill that now holds more than twenty kitchens under one roof. The rest of it is still residential and still changing.
Birdsong was founded in 2010 by husband and wife Chris and Tara Goulet with their friend Conor Robinson, after they decided Charlotte needed a neighborhood brewery pouring fresh, unfiltered American ale. The taproom sits on North Davidson Street between Optimist Park and NoDa, with a patio running fire tables and outdoor heaters through the cold months.
Noble Smoke's counter inside Optimist Hall, the former Highland Park Mill textile plant on North Brevard Street, opened in 2022. It has its own address and its own phone number, separate from the Freedom Drive restaurant.
Optimist Hall fills the 1892 Highland Park Gingham Mill on North Brevard Street between Optimist Park and NoDa. The long brick mill and its 1895 smokestack now hold more than 25 food stalls, dine-in restaurants, a full-service bar, a brewery and shops. It is the kind of place where a group can split up for tacos, dumplings, barbecue, pizza or Ethiopian food and still eat at the same table.
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