Red brick mills, painted walls and a main street built for strolling. NoDa is the Charlotte session for couples who want color, grit and a little music in the air.
NoDa is short for North Davidson Street, the neighborhood's main drag. I am an Asheville photographer and I travel to Charlotte, about 130 miles and two hours and ten minutes away. Here is how I would build your session around what is actually on these blocks.
The bones of the neighborhood are textile mills and mill houses. The neighborhood association's history page says most of the original mills and mill houses are still standing beside newer buildings, and that NoDa now has well over thirty murals and other public art installations.
From a Stories by Esi session
Mills, murals and porches
Highland Park Mill No. 3 was announced in 1903 and is now Highland Mill Lofts and a brewery. The Mecklenburg Mill, also begun in 1903, is now The Lofts at NoDa Mills. Johnston Mill dates to 1913. The Larkwood Silk Hosiery Mill, later Chadborn Mill, was built in 1932. Those long brick walls and tall windows are the closest thing to a film set the neighborhood has.
The mill houses are simple five-room homes with front porches, many now small businesses along North Davidson. The porches are a gift for quiet, close frames. On the art side, Charlotte's visitor bureau names Osiris Rain's Bloom at East 35th and North Davidson, a Dolly Parton wall on the side of The Blind Pig, and William Puckett's tribute on the wall of Jack Beagle's. A newer outdoor gallery, TAOH, is described as Charlotte's first public graffiti park, with changing mural walls.
Brick mill walls and tall windows for texture and shadow
Mill-house porches for slow, close, unposed frames
North Davidson murals for color and laughter
The sign-lit street at dusk for a late, cinematic finish
Timing: when the street works
Murals are painted to be seen, which means they are often lit hard in the middle of the day. I prefer mid-morning or the hour before sunset, when the sun is lower and brick glows. Shade from buildings can make a wall look flat at noon and golden an hour later, so I would scout the walls with you and choose the order by light.
Weekend evenings are lively. The visitor bureau notes music venues, galleries, breweries and a craft beer trail, and the neighborhood has gallery crawls. That energy is fun, but it also brings crowds and parked cars into the frame. A weekday morning gives you the whole street, and a weekend dusk gives you a bit of buzz. Pick the mood you want.
From a Stories by Esi session
Getting there, and what to check
The LYNX Blue Line has two NoDa stations, at 36th Street and Sugar Creek Road, so you can arrive without parking if you like. Murals change, so confirm the walls we want are still up and that the stretch we plan to use is not closed for construction or an event.
Most of these places are public sidewalks and private storefronts. As of October 2026 I could not find an official page on photography permits for NoDa streets. Ask the NoDa Neighborhood Association or the business owner if we plan to shoot inside a shop or lean on private property. We would never set up gear in someone's doorway.
Good to know
Before we go
Murals
NoDa has well over 30 murals and other public art installations.Official info
Light rail
The LYNX Blue Line Extension opened in 2018 and has two NoDa stations, at 36th Street and Sugar Creek Road.Official info
Permits
No official photography permit page found for NoDa streets as of October 2026. Check with the NoDa Neighborhood Association and business owners.Official info
Questions
Asked and answered
Is NoDa good for engagement photos?
Yes, if you like texture and color. Brick mills, painted walls and neon signs give very different looks within a few blocks.
Will the murals still be there?
Some will, some change. The neighborhood is adding new art, so I would confirm the walls we want a few days before the session.
Can we start somewhere quiet and end in NoDa?
Yes. Many couples like a soft first hour in a park or garden, then NoDa at dusk. McGill Rose Garden is on the edge of the neighborhood, for example.
Tell me who you are, what you love, and the season you're in. I read every word.
I'm based in Asheville and travel to Charlotte for sessions, elopements and weddings. Tell me where you are, and travel details come with your collections.
