After being a skeptic-turned-lush for dive bars around Charlotte, it’s rare I have had one of those “on a first date, kinda nervous” moments walking into one for the first time. Yet, somehow, I found myself adjusting my leggings and butt cheeks to get spanked at Spanky’s Hangout on Central Avenue in Plaza Midwood.
For years, I watched the parking lot wedged between Skylark Social Club and Midwood Country Club fluctuate between completely full and barely there, depending on the era, the virus and the vibe. I witnessed regulars hovering in that in-between space like divorced parents choosing custody, squinting toward whichever one felt less like betrayal.
There was a hierarchy: a comfort and a backup plan…