Families, business enjoy snow day in Plaza Midwood

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Children, families and even a local bar were enjoying the snowy weather, and its aftereffects, on Monday.

As roads thawed in Plaza Midwood on the holiday Monday, dozens of people were out enjoying the brisk temperatures and snowy sights.

Some of those people were out enjoying a beer at Legion Brewing on Commonwealth Avenue.

What You Need To Know

Families, local business alike make the most of winter weather

Legion Brewing in Plaza Midwood remained open on Sunday and Monday

Brewery says business was busier on Sunday

“We wanted to be one of the few places that were open in the neighborhood, because we knew a lot of people would come out and walk around. Especially with Martin Luther King Day, we knew we’d be busy,” general manager Greg Moore said.

Moore said the brewing spot never considered closing on Sunday and remained open Monday, despite the cold temperatures and snowy and icy conditions throughout the weekend. 

“A lot of our staff lives in the neighborhood, so they were able to get here safely. I probably live the furthest out, my chef and I, but that’s why we closed a little early [Sunday] so we could get home safely — before everything iced over,” he added. 

At around lunchtime Monday, his taproom was filling up with hungry couples, families and other customers.

“It was busier [Sunday], yeah yeah yeah, I didn’t get here till 2:30, so, I came in — full house,” Moore said.

Moore, who’s been with Legion for a year and a half, said his usual 20-minute drive to work took about 45 minutes Sunday afternoon. 

“It was a little slushy out there, but I made it,” he said. Moore continued, saying he got to work at exactly the right time.

“We got really busy, like I said, around 3 o’clock, people were looking for something to do. They were probably bored of sitting inside all day, because it was snowing. Plus, with the holiday,” Moore explained.

For the Cleveland, Ohio native, he said Sunday’s weather was nothing overly alarming, but he did not enjoy shoveling snow and ice from the front of the bar and restaurant on Monday.

“I mean I’ve been down here 20 years now, but still — I mean, it’s just more driving, knowing not to slam on your breaks,” he said while taking a quick break from shoveling.

The winter storm did little to deter guests, and Moore said, thankfully, the storm did not appear to be having any impact on shipping times for supplies for the rest of the work week.

A few streets over, kids and families were also enjoying the spoils of winter weather, sledding down a large hill on the edge of Veterans Park.

“We just got here about 30 minutes ago, but man I tell you what, this is a great hill and it’s absolutely awesome we’ve got something like this close to Charlotte or in the Charlotte area,” said John Mullally while watching his two children sled down the hill.

Mullally said the children have only gotten this opportunity about four or five times in their lives so far, so they were making the most of it.

“All day long,” Mulllally said about his kids asking him to go sledding.

In a sign of the times, the family’s old sledding hill is now turning into a new development. So, Mullally said they headed over to Veterans Park instead.

“They’ve got that new development going on where the Meineke used to be, and that was our sledding hill,” he said with a laugh. 

They were one of several families out enjoying the quickly melting, but fast-sledding hill.

“I’m having a lot of fun,” 14-year-old Amelia Martino said. 

Martino, surrounded by family and neighborhood friends, said they were enjoying their day on the hill.

“We were trying to make a snowman, but [Sunday] it was kind of just ice, so that didn’t really work out, but yeah we’re probably going to have fun out here all day,” Martino said with a smile.

Martino and her family, from the Elizabeth neighborhood, said they heard about the hill from some friends and decided to check it out with their neighbors.

“We’re sledding like five people on one sled, we’re kind of just stacking up,” Martino joked.