When the Memphis rap group Three 6 Mafia wrote, “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp,” the Oscar-winning song from the 2005 film Hustle and Flow, they probably had no idea they were summing up the state of today’s economy. These days, times are hard. People are losing their jobs. Homes are being foreclosed in record numbers. Gas has gotten so expensive that it’s becoming a joke. And people still have bills to pay. But, don’t expect sympathy from credit lenders, Duke Energy or BellSouth.
But just because your ass is broke doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Don’t think so? Check out this list of 50 things to do in Charlotte for $5 bucks or less, and let Creative Loafing show you how to do the Q.C. on the cheap.
1. Get your groove on: Partying can be kind of expensive, especially for guys — since clubs rarely offer a “men’s night” — but at HOM (pronounced “home”) everyone parties for free (no cover) Sunday through Thursday. With a restaurant, lounge, club, outdoor patio, terrace, garden and a study, HOM, located at 116 W. 5th St., has a little bit of something for everyone.
2. Meet an author: You can catch a book-signing any time of the year at big booksellers (like Borders) or at small, boutique bookstores (like RealEyes in NoDa) across the city. They’re always free and you can meet your favorite author or discover new ones.
3. See naked people: There’s nothing like a little quality time with a stripper. The Men’s Club, at 444 Tyvola Road, doesn’t charge a cover on Fridays during lunch. And Club Onyx, at 5300 Old Pineville Road, lets folks in free on Wednesdays.
4. Become Alive After 5: After a long workweek, Alive After 5 is a great way to start your weekend early on the cheap. The free event, held every Thursday at the corner of Tryon and Martin Luther King, features live music by local bands, food and people ready to party and cut loose.
5. Go karting: Tap into your childhood with a ride on a go-kart at the NASCAR SpeedPark at Concord Mills. The Checkered Flag Package includes 5 tickets for $10, which is enough for a ride or some mini-golf, so take a friend and split the cost.
6. Eat on the street: I’m not really a fan of eating food from street vendors, but damn, the taco stands on South Boulevard are a guilty pleasure. The grease … the cheese … the spicy beef … ummm; I can feel my arteries clogging up right now. But for great-tasting tacos that cost only $1 and some change, it’s totally worth it.
7. Experience live music: Immerse yourself in music from other cultures at Pura Vida Worldly Art!, located at 1521 Central Ave., with free live shows from a diverse group of performers each Sunday. While there, be sure to check out the art that’s on display and unique items for sale from all over the world. Visit the store’s Web site for more details: www.puravidaart.com.
8. Celebrate Halloween early: Go to your nearest dollar or costume store and purchase a scary mask. Wait until it’s dark and hide in the bushes in your neighbors’ yard. When they’re coming home, jump out of the bushes and scare the shit out of them. Sure, your neighbors may call the cops or shoot you in the ass, but the entertainment value makes this cheap thrill worth it.
9. See The Light: Tap into your artsy side and take a visit to The Light Factory, located at Spirit Square in Center City. The Light Factory, which is a museum dedicated to photography, film and related light-generated mediums, has a variety of funky and thought-provoking exhibits on display year-round. And best of all, it’s always free to the public. Check it: www.lightfactory.org.
10. Get physical: Gym memberships can cost you a lot of dough, so look around for free workout classes. Full Experience Ministries, located at 2945 Derita Ave., invites people of all fitness levels to participate in hi-lo aerobics, kickboxing and Zumba for free. Visit www.thefullexperience.net for details.
11. Sip something: Common Market, located at 2007 Commonwealth Ave., has a wide variety of fine wines, beer and deli foods, and every Thursday you get a chance to sample some of them for free. Plus, there’s a live DJ to give the affair a hip vibe.
12. Run around: Parkour is the sport/discipline of quick and efficient movement from point A to B and overcoming any obstacle using only the human body. Sounds badass! You can hang tough with this crew and learn their techniques for free. The group meets several times per week and all skill levels are welcome. Hit them up at charlotteparkour@gmail.com.
13. Get spiritually connected: Praying is good for the mind, body, spirit and wallet, since it’s absolutely free. Get connected with others on spiritual journeys at 24-7. Located at 514 15th St., 24-7 provides music, provocative art, comfortable furniture, Wi-Fi and study resources to help you get closer to God. Visit them online at www.charlotte24-7.com.
14. Experience more live music: Manifest Discs, located at 6239 South Blvd., carries a wide selection of music from rock to hip-hop to reggae. The shop also holds in-store performances from a variety of artists throughout the year for free. Check out Manifest’s calendar of events for upcoming performances and autograph signings at www.manifestdisc.com.
15. Drive over to Speed Street: See our See & Do section for a list of free events at this year’s Speed Street celebration.
16. Drink like a student: Do you remember when you were in college (some of you may still be) and you would make a beer run to your local 7-Eleven and load up on cheap beer and liquor? It’s not classy, but it gets the job done just as efficiently as those $15 glasses of Grey Goose and cranberry juice at a fraction of the price.
17. Get funky: Join the art crowd, the hipsters and all of your favorite freaks at NoDa’s Gallery Crawl, the first and third Friday of every month. Free access to local galleries and maybe, if you’re lucky, some finger food. Details at www.noda.org.
18. Read a &#@%! book: Get lost in the world of literature at your local library. Flip through the pages of a drama, get scared by a thriller or laugh out loud reading a comedic work of fiction. It’s free entertainment that’s good for your mind. While there, you can check out music and movies. All you need is a library card. Visit www.plcmc.org to find your local branch.
19. Jam through the summer: Every summer, The Shoppes at University Place offer a concert series featuring local and regional performers at the shopping center’s stage. The series runs from the beginning of June through the end of July. Admission and parking is free.
20. Rent classic movies: Head over to Blockbuster, VisArt or your local movie rental store and browse the older movie section for classics like Casablanca, Friday the 13th or The Goonies. Older movies only cost $1 to $2 to rent so you can grab a few for a long, relaxing weekend.
21. Meet the “Doughnut Man”: OK, so the guy who sells those funnel-cake-tasting doughnuts at the corner of Trade and Tryon streets isn’t officially called the “Doughnut Man,” but I don’t know his real name. What I do know, however, is his doughnuts are delicious and you can get a dozen for only $3. BONUS: When he’s running a special you can get two dozen for $4.
22. Sell and shop: Collect all your gently used name-brand clothes and head over to Plato’s Closet, located at 9630J University City Blvd. They’ll give you cash for your old stuff and you can browse through the store’s merchandise to buy “new to you” stuff. Of course, if you don’t want to try the sell-and-shop idea, you can find plenty of items on sale for $5 or less.
23. Inspect specters: Do your own paranormal investigation of sites around the city that are supposedly haunted. Hot spots for ghostly activity include Latta Plantation and McAlpine Creek Park, among others. For articles on where to find ghosts, and tips on investigating a haunting, check out www.hauntednc.com.
24. Tour the city: Even though you live here, have you ever taken the time to take a tour of the city? Probably not. So hop in your car or lace up your sneakers and check out all the local attractions Charlotte has to offer. Visit NoDa, Center City, SouthPark and everywhere in between. You’ll be surprised by what you’ll find and learn about Charlotte.
25. Look for love: Are you having a hard time figuring out dating and maintaining a relationship in Charlotte? If so, you’re not by yourself. Not the Average Chicks Inc. holds a monthly forum called “Where is the Love?” to get to the bottom of the relationship woes many of us are experiencing. The event is held the third Friday of every month. For location information, visit www.freewebs.com/nottheaveragechicks.
26. Connect to Wi-Fi: Bookstores and coffee houses across the city have free Wi-Fi connections, so grab your laptop and head on over to surf the Web. While there, grab a cup of coffee or a pastry, so you don’t look like a complete mooch.
27. House hunt: You don’t have to be in the market for a home to go house hunting. Check out open houses in neighborhoods that you would one day love to live, and get an up-close-and-personal glimpse into your possible future. Plus, many open houses, offer free food. Get your eat on. Yummy yum!
28. Become a Big Brother/Big Sister: While you’re enjoying your summer on the cheap, be sure to give back to the community and help a child. Volunteering with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte is a great way to give back. Contact them at 704-377-3963 to start the application process today.
29. Play matchmaker: Sick of hearing your friends complain about being single? Then hook them up. Go through your contact list of single guys and women and match the ones you think are compatible. It’s a lot of fun, especially if it turns out to be a good match. Warning: Sometimes playing matchmaker can backfire and your friends can end up hating each other and in turn start hating you for your lack of judgment, so proceed with caution.
30. Buy a lottery ticket: Take a chance with Lady Luck and purchase a lottery ticket. They only cost $5 at the most, so go wild and get a couple of the scratch-offs or the powerball tickets to go for the big money. Those damn scratch-offs are addictive; be sure to bring only $5 when you go, or you might end up like me — $20 bucks in the hole and nothing to show for it.
31. Clean up your hood: Do something good for your community and pick up trash in your neighborhood. Invite your friends and neighbors to make it a group activity. It costs nothing, other than the expense of the trash bags, which you probably already have, so get to it.
32. Test drive a luxury car: Head over to your nearest luxury car dealership and test drive the newest models of BMWs, Mercedes or Hummers to get a taste of the good life. You might not be able to afford one, but at least you can go for a spin in it.
33. Take a hike: Explore the great outdoors, and take a hike along the many walking trails throughout the city. Even if you’re not an outdoorsy person, you can still appreciate this free activity. Visit the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation (www.parkandrec.com) to find locations.
34. Crash a wedding: Check the paper for wedding announcements, and pick the ones you think will be the most fun. Dress in your finest attire and show up to the reception. There are so many people at these events that if you’re dressed the part, you’ll fit in, no questions asked. For inspiration, rent Wedding Crashers.
35. Order dessert at a fancy restaurant: So you might not be able to order the steak with the lobster tail, but you can order cheesecake, crème brûleé and tiramisu at expensive restaurants for $5 or less. Check out the dessert menus at nice Uptown restaurants like Harry & Jean’s, Capital Grille or McCormick & Schmick’s.
36. Get a free makeover: Hit up the cosmetic counters at Macy’s, Belk or Neiman Marcus, and act like you’re interested in purchasing some products — even though your broke ass has no intention of doing so. Let the sales rep know that you want to try on some of the products, and they’ll hook you up with a mini makeover for free. BONUS: A lot of times when you try on makeup at department stores, the sales reps will give you free sample products to take with you. Score!
37. Hoop it up: Charlotte has tons of basketball courts throughout the city that are open and free to the public. So grab a ball and a couple of your buddies and get your Michael Jordan on.
38. Get your groove on again: CL and The Sol Kitchen bring you Pop Life, a free weekly event that features music, art, drinks and sexy people. Pop Life goes down every Wednesday at Loft 1523, located at 1523 Elizabeth Ave.
39. Get your groove on one last time: CL brings you another free event every Thursday at Tilt, located at 127 W. Trade St. CL‘s own Brittney Cason hosts the weekly event dubbed “Creative Lounging.” Enjoy drink specials and free hourly raffle giveaways.
Oldies but Goodies
This issue marks our second year of publishing our guide to Charlotte’s cheap thrills. To go along with the new cheap tips, we decided to rerun a handful of classic thrills, written by staff writer Karen Shugart, that made print in 2007.
40. Lunchbox Records: Lunchbox Records isn’t just a place to buy CDs. The popular shop on Central Avenue frequently hosts all-ages shows, with only a $3 to $5 donation requested for the bands, whose members are probably broker than you. With that in mind, don’t be skimpy on the donations.
41. Free billiards: Well, free after a $5 membership. A handful of places in Charlotte offer free pool for folks on a budget. Elizabeth Billiards, a smoke-filled favorite among certain past and present CL staffers, is known to give out free pizza on Fridays. Of course, they probably want you to shell out a couple of bucks for beer. Invite your friends and look thirsty. They owe you money anyway. (1400 Central Ave.)
42. Home Ec for adults: Concerned about nutrition or organic living? Talley’s Green Grocery (www.talleys.com) and the Home Economist (www.homeeconomistmarket.com) often offer free classes and lectures. Recent HE offerings have discussed raw foods and acupressure relief for migraines.
43. People watch at Freedom Park: Here you can work on your tan, get some exercise and just hang out. Sure, you could do those same things in your backyard (if you have one) but then you wouldn’t get to see all those other people. Take advantage of the free Wi-Fi access. (1900 East Blvd.)
44. Free salsa-dancing lessons: You have little excuse not learning how to dance when clubs offer free dance lessons, as Latorre’s does on Friday and Saturday nights at 10:30 p.m. Just stay away from the martinis, and your bank account will be fine.
45. Free Yoga: Some studios offer free classes occasionally. The Yoga Center offers free laughter yoga classes on the second Sundays of each month from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. No registration is required. The studio says Charlotte’s only laughter yoga leader, Phyllis Rollins, leads the classes, which “combine simple laughter exercises and gentle yoga breathing” that turn into “real laughter when practiced in a group” (www.8thstreetstudio.com).
46. UNCC Botanical Gardens: This is a great free place to unwind. The McMillan Greenhouse exhibits exotic plants from around the world as well as an orchid collection, carnivorous pitcher plant hybrids and other plants you probably haven’t seen before. Also check out the Van Landingham Glen with its collection of native plants of the Carolinas and the Harwood Garden, which among other attractions has waterfalls and an array of hearty plants.
47. The Levine Museum of the New South: At $6 for adults ($5 for seniors and students) this venue doesn’t technically qualify, but if you haven’t been, you should. If you don’t learn something new here, you must’ve really paid attention in history class. (200 E. 7th St., www.museumofthenewsouth.org.)
48. As long as you’re being historical …: Check out The Charlotte Museum of History, which offers free admission on certain days. Visit them online at www.charlottemuseum.com for more info.
49. The Penguin: Five dollar Yuengling pitchers will get you a table for a little while. The landmark is a great place to run into friends and make new ones. (1921 Commonwealth Ave.)
50. Thrift-store scavenger hunt: Anyone who’s a regular at the area Goodwills, Century Vintage and the like knows that there are some items you’ll find at any thrift store in America. Other items can be found with regularity but are far from sure things. Look for a copy of Rush Limbaugh’s wretched The Way Things Ought To Be — every Goodwill in America has at least one. The same holds true with What to Expect When You’re Expecting.
For more cheap thrills in Charlotte, check out the “Happenings” section of Creative Loafing every week.
This article appears in May 21-27, 2008.
