Associate CPS dean Corliss Thompson, an off-and-on Charlotte lifer, recommends a food hall in a former textile mill.
Corliss Thompson has been in and out of Charlotte, North Carolina, most of her life: her family first lived in the city for two years when she was in elementary school, then came back when she was finishing high school. She left for college, came back to work, then repeated the cycle a few more times before finally staying put to join Northeastern University’s faculty in 2013.
Now associate dean for the College of Professional Studies, Thompson oversees the school’s graduate programs for education across the global campus network. When she has visitors, she hops on the light rail for lunch and a peek into some local history at Optimist Hall, a food court housed in a vast former textile mill.
“I just love that old wood smell it has when you walk in,” Thompson says. “It feels like you’re walking back in time, then there are restaurants scattered all over the place.”
Optimist Hall was once the centerpiece of the city’s textile boom in the late 19th century. At its peak, over 770 textile mills were in operation in and around Charlotte, spurring its transformation from a small town into a major urban and commercial center; Optimist Hall, formerly known as the Highland Park Gingham Mill, was the largest.
The mill continued as an operational manufacturing site until 2015. It produced women’s pantyhose in the late 20th century; the founder of Spanx built her prototype there. In 2019, the huge complex of buildings was converted into a food hall and office park, with plenty of outdoor seating when the weather is nice.
“If you’re with a group and you’re having trouble deciding on something, there’s something for everybody,” Thompson says. Her favorites include Harriet’s Hamburgers and Papi Queso, which sells gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.
Though Optimist Hall is just a 10-minute drive from the Charlotte campus, Thompson prefers to take the scenic route via the city’s light rail, the Lynx Blue Line. Opened in 2007, the train route cuts through the heart of central Charlotte, offering easy access to landmarks including Bank of America Stadium and views of a rich diversity of the city’s different neighborhoods.