Valley Hills Mall in Hickory is a center for retail business in the area.
– Virginia Annable
Moretz Mills is one of several revived mills in the area now repurposed for retail. It also houses popular restaurants.
– Virginia Annable
Hollar Mill is another popular multi-retail location that was once a factory building. Now, it houses a brewery, event space and more.
– Virginia Annable
Downtown Newton, in Catawba County west of Hickory, has a small but thriving downtown area with many local businesses.
– Virginia Annable
Just off the main square in Hickory, small art shops thrive.
– Virginia Annable
Union Square in Hickory is home to Olde Hickory Tap Room, where local brews are poured.
– Virginia Annable
The Station, a restaurant and bar, fills the building that was once a train station in the heart of downtown Hickory.
– Virginia Annable
Strip malls are scattered around Hickory, including the Belle Hollow Shopping Center with a Lowes Foods store.
– Virginia Annable
Local coffee shop Tasteful Beans in Hickory is a popular spot for breakfast.
– Virginia Annable
A once-abandoned arcade between Union Square in Hickory and a back street is now filled with life.
– Virginia Annable
A young professional works from Tasteful Beans coffee shop in Hickory.
– Virginia Annable
The owner of C&C Trading Co. in Hickory flips through her merchandise.
– Virginia Annable
Women browse at Carolina Crafted in Hickory.
– Virginia Annable
A mother and her children cross the street in downtown Hickory.
– Virginia Annable
A man enjoys a beer at Crescent Moon Cafe, a popular spot for craft beer in Hickory.
– Virginia Annable
People taste beer at 100 Main restaurant in Valdese, near Morganton.
– Virginia Annable
Gardeners tend to a bed at the Lenoir Unity Park and Community Gardens.
– Virginia Annable
A retiree plays pickleball at Lenoir’s Mulberry Recreation Center.
– Virginia Annable
A cyclist climbs up stairs near Lenoir.
– Virginia Annable
Volunteers pick up trash on a future extension of the greenway in Lenoir.
– Virginia Annable
Summer festivals draw crowds to the region.
– Virginia Annable
Cyclists gear up for a race in Lenoir.
– Virginia Annable
Plow Day is an annual festival in Lenoir.
– Virginia Annable
The SALT Block in Hickory has a science center, art museum, arts council, symphony, library and choral society.
– Virginia Annable
Lowes Foods City Park in downtown Hickory is a colorful, kid-friendly addition to the city.
– Virginia Annable
The historic Carolina Theater in downtown Hickory shows discount and second-run movies.
– Virginia Annable
A mural in downtown Hickory showcases the "Miracle of Hickory," when the town banded together to face the polio crisis in the 1940s.
– Virginia Annable
Craft beer is always on tap at local bars, like 100 Main in Valdese.
– Virginia Annable
A festival in Lenoir brings children and adults together.
– Virginia Annable
Single-family homes near downtown Hickory.
– Virginia Annable
Apartment buildings.
– Virginia Annable
A home in Lenoir.
– Virginia Annable
The area has a significant amount of historic homes like these in Hickory.
– Virginia Annable
Many have worked to preserve historic homes like this one in Hickory.
– Virginia Annable
Viewmont Square Court senior housing in Hickory.
– Virginia Annable
Townhomes.
– Virginia Annable
A home in Lenoir.
– Virginia Annable
A home in Hickory.
– Virginia Annable
Colorful townhomes are mixed in a neighborhood in Hickory.
– Virginia Annable
Lenoir’s downtown is marked by a tall sculpture called “Across the Grain.”
– Virginia Annable
The Morganton Greenway runs along the Catawba River.
– Virginia Annable
Lake Hickory Trails run along the Catawba River.
– Virginia Annable
Music plays a big role in the local culture.
– Virginia Annable
Union Square in Hickory is gathering space in the heart of Hickory. Over the summer the city hosts events here.
– Virginia Annable
Union Square has outdoor seating for restaurants and bars.
– Virginia Annable
A "Welcome to Hickory" mural brightens downtown.
– Virginia Annable
The Linville Gorge Wilderness in Burke County is one of the most popular hiking spots in the area.
– Virginia Annable
Mountains abound in the north areas of Burke County.
– Virginia Annable
Hawksbill Mountain.
– Virginia Annable
Table Rock is an icon in the area.
– Virginia Annable
Snowfall on the Morganton Greenway along the Catawba River.
– Virginia Annable
Upper Creek is filled with hiking trails leading to sweeping views.
– Virginia Annable
Interstate 40 is the main road through Hickory and Morganton.
– Virginia Annable
U.S. 70 goes between Hickory and Morganton.
– Virginia Annable
Cars are the main form of transportation in the area.
– Virginia Annable
Greenways in the area, like the Morganton Greenway, provide some walkability within each city.
– Virginia Annable
