We can't figure out whether the aquatic center won because one of the judges who voted for this pick was, ahem, influential (hello, Mr. Editor-in-Chief!) or because Charlotte-based Olympic star Cullen Jones has made the joys of swimming so damn compelling that everybody's wanting to get in on the action. Whatever the case, there's no better place to get your laps on than at the Aquatic Center. With its massive, 50-meter competition pool, there are so many lanes that you rarely have to share with someone whose idea of swimming is splashing more water out of the pool than is already in it. Not only that, but the center also offers all the workout equipment you need to keep that swimming body lean and mean - and there's even more workout equipment at its sister facility, Ray's Splash Planet. Finally, for those on a budget, the price is just right.