Charlotte, NCDive Bars

The bar at 1225 Central Avenue that would not sell, so the developers built an apartment block around it and left it standing. Inside it is vintage clutter, classic country on the jukebox and cheap beer, and the photograph of that little brick building hemmed in on three sides did more for Charlotte's reputation than any campaign.

A below-ground room at 1601 Montford Drive running karaoke six nights a week in a space small enough that the stairwell becomes part of the crowd. Nobody is here for the drink list. They are here because somebody is about to attempt a song they should not attempt, and the room will carry them through it.

A neighborhood bar at 2918 The Plaza with retro consoles, pool, darts and a back patio big enough to lose an afternoon on. A food truck parks most nights, dogs are welcome inside, and it has been the low-key default for the surrounding blocks since it opened in 2014.

Family-owned since 1984 at 510 Briar Creek Road, with a sand pit out back, a weekly open mic and live shows booked most weekends. It has survived four decades of Charlotte tearing itself down and rebuilding, and the room still looks and drinks the way it did when it opened.

A laid-back neighborhood bar at 1113 Hawthorne Lane whose patio is where the whole block ends up on a warm evening with a band playing. Cheap drinks, no pretense, and enough room outside that a Saturday crowd never turns into a crush. The Hawthorne Lane bar is the original one.