The Plaza at 2 Wachovia Center

A fun place to hang out and grab a quick bite to eat. A great outdoor area in nice weather & a great inside atrium when the weather isn’t so great. If you go up the escalators there are comfy chairs/​seating area to chill with your computer or a quick lunch catch-​up.

What a divine space to relax, get some sun on your shoulders, and watch the busy worker bees fly past! The seating is ample, the atmosphere is lighthearted and breezy, and the people watching is top notch. Gets crowded on those breezy spring/​early summer days, but it’s more than worth it to grab some fresh air and get away from your desk.
Personally, I prefer the Green to the Plaza, but it’s basically the same thing, just with less green stuff. And seriously, people watching. I saw a dude walk by with a teal bowtie on. TEAL!

I, like Stephen, have a difficult time labeling this a park. There isn’t any greenspace or grass yet it’s a solid meeting space with some relaxing components.
If you meander into this stone area you’ll find a pretty waterfall, plenty of seating and, if you’re there around lunch, many a hot dog vendor. I personally appreciate this space much more when it’s not so crowded, but hey — different strokes I guess.
On the weekends when Uptown is fairly quiet this plaza is tops. Grab some coffee, hang out and watch the very few people walk by. If you’re lucky you may even spot the handful of colorful homeless folk who love to tell you the world is going to end.

Surprisingly enough, Charlotte really does not have a shortage of open space uptown. What may come as a surprise to most people not from Charlotte is that what we in the QC dub as a park is what other people might call a big slab of concrete.
Marshall Park? Decent amount of greenery, some trees, and even a semi-​polluted lake, but covered with parking lots and surrounded by busy streets. One of the coolest parks is Thomas Polk park uptown — but it just has planters sprouting out of the sidewalk and some waterfalls amongst the trees. Until recently, even the latest «jewel» in the city, Sugar Creek, was entirely covered — for decades no less!
So it probably does not surprise you that this plaza, while water and a few trees can be found, is mostly: Concrete. That is just the way it is here, visitors. Get used to it. Want green? You can go to The Green, but most of what you will find uptown is gray. Still, this is a decent space. I have not seen any of their movies on the wall for probably a decade or more, but it is a nice gathering spot, even if it does suck in heat like you would not believe.

I don’t know that I would call this a park. Just around the corner is The Green which I am more comfortable calling a park. This is just a big stone plaza, broken into two levels with a water feature in the middle. To qualify as a park I would demand grass.
All the same, it’s a nice enough spot to look at. The tables and chairs around the plaza are always occupied, but rarely by me. In the winter the stone is freezing cold and in the summer it bakes you like an oven. Even in the shade, that Charlotte heat is inescapable. The fountain looks cruel and tormenting when you are roasting alive on the sweltering stones.

This is a really special area uptown. I like to get food and hang out there to eat. It’s good for coffee breaks or lunch breaks or really any kind of break.
There’s something special about a park in the middle of a city. Parks are nice anywhere, but these little spots in the middle of a concrete jungle where you can rest, listen to some water, and watch the people hustling by really can seem like an oasis. It’s worth finding parking uptown just to go hang out and listen to the waterfalls.

I love stopping over at this pretty area on South Tryon. With fountains going, pretty sculptures that appear to be dancing in them, and tables peppered throughout that invite you to take a breather, this place is very relaxing.
If eating at Mimosa Grille, you can ask to be seated outside to enjoy this oasis in Uptown Charlotte at night. It is even more beautiful then, with the trees lit up and without the hustle and bustle of the workweek. If you are just stopping through, there are plenty of places for you to relax and catch your breath, including the «upstairs» area — you can climb the flight of stairs and get a birds eye view of S. Tryon while enjoying a book or a sandwhich, or just a quiet moment. The Plaza adds a nice touch to Uptown.