| Area Map |
|
||
| Uptown Charlotte Roughly defined by the I-277 freeway loop, this one square mile represents the original city. There's almost nothing old remaining - just the 1790s grid system of streets and the 19th-century names for the four political wards. Uptown is largely shiny, new and bank-oriented. In the past couple of years - fueled by Bank of America's money, vision or both - parts of North Tryon and North College streets have become weekend nighttime hot spots, with restaurants, bars and trendy/artsy clubs. An even bigger change is the housing rebirth. Fourth Ward - the Victorian pocket neighborhood with some of the city's oldest remaining homes - has been a showplace for 15 years. But now there are several upscale, midrise condominium projects on North Tryon and North Church streets, with plans for more. Meanwhile, long forgotten First Ward is six blocks east of The Square. ("The Square" is the city's historic center, the intersection of Trade and Tryon streets). 350 new townhouse-style apartments, painted tastefully taupe are all moderately priced. Highlights: Bank of America Corporate Center and Wachovia Building; Panthers Stadium and the new Convention Center. Old Charlotte Dilworth, Elizabeth, Myers Park, Plaza-Midwood and Eastover - "streetcar suburbs" that were part of Charlotte's first significant expansion south and east of uptown, from about 1898 (Dilworth) to the 1930s (Eastover). Biddleville and Cherry also rank as two of Charlotte's oldest historical neighborhoods. Highlights: Restored "front-porch" neighborhoods with traditional sidewalks (with a strip of grass between the street and the walk), eclectic shops and eateries, particularly along East and South boulevards in Dilworth (South End, a trendy area of warehouses-turned-retail/restaurants, is the biggest draw), Central Avenue in Midwood and East Seventh Street in Elizabeth. Parts of Dilworth and Midwood have been designated as historic districts. Myers Park and Eastover were built as the city's first high-end "suburbs" and still are the best places to run into well-heeled Charlotte natives. Look for: Freedom Park on East Boulevard, the largest green space near the central city, and Independence Park, a smaller but closer park that straddles Hawthorne Lane along East Seventh Street. Also, the Queens Road labyrinth with its canopy of willow oaks in Myers Park - one of the city's most beautiful areas. The odd corner of "Queens and Queens" came from connecting the old streetcar lines. North Charlotte Charlotte's link to the South's textile past, dotted with old cotton mills, warehouses, rail lines and trucking depots. The area's commercial core - around North Davidson and 36th streets - is "historic North Charlotte". The "main streets" for the old mill villages which sprang up earlier this century are still around - cotton was the county's chief economic fuel until the 1940s. Highlights: Self-named "NoDa" (for North Davidson) artists' district. As housing and office costs spiral upward in and around uptown, artists and other risk-takers have moved to this area, still a quick trip from the center city. Look for: Charlotte's railroad terminal (on North Tryon Street); one of the area's oldest churches, Sugaw Creek Presbyterian, built in the 1760s, and a one-room school (considered one of the area's oldest remaining buildings) built shortly afterward. West Charlotte This is the best place to see the juxtaposition of old and new. There still are landowners who trace their family steads to pre-Revolutionary land grants from George III, and pockets of forested idylls. But there's also the largest airport in two states - Charlotte/Douglas International - and much of the area's heavy industry. Airport noise hampered residential growth on the far westside. The northwest, around the extension of Beatties Ford Road, has a unique pocket of upper-income subdivisions. To the west, around Mount Holly-Huntersville Road, new subdivisions have cropped up in the still-rural area. Highlights: Charlotte's regional farmer's market (on Yorkmont Road), the Charlotte Coliseum. Look for: Beatties Ford Road, an urban street and historic country road, going from uptown to the Catawba River. East Charlotte An area with many different faces. Inside the city, with strip shopping centers, Eastland Mall and car dealerships bordered by trim 1950s and 1960s tract homes an ever-growing deman and population. Outside the city, it's quintessentially suburban; Mint Hill was incorporated in 1970 to avoid annexation by Charlotte and to promote a large-lot, rural lifestyle. Construction on the Interstate 485 outerbelt has begun just beyond Mint Hill and, as in other areas of the county, will likely pressure those rural areas. Highlights: Central Avenue, the best place to monitor Charlotte's changing face. From Central Piedmont Community College to Eastland Mall, Central is the main street for a variety of restaurants and food stores. Central is also the place to find avant-garde shops, particularly around Plaza-Midwood's old "main street" - style strip of funky establishments. Look for: The Hezekiah Alexander homesite and the Charlotte Museum of History, 3500 Shamrock Drive: A reproduction of the 1770s home of one of Charlotte's forefathers, and a 1,700-square-foot modest museum explaining local history. Lake Norman Area Big lake, small towns. Lake Norman was created in the 1950s when Duke Power Co. dammed the Catawba River to fuel its hydroelectric power plants. Development exploded in the past 15 years, creating luxury housing and historic towns - Davidson, home of Davidson College; Cornelius; and Huntersville. The center of Cornelius was once a textile mill; today it has moved west to the glittery Interstate 77 interchange, the gateway to Mecklenburg's Lake Norman development. Davidson has fiercely resisted commercial development and promoted an image of a well-heeled college town. Huntersville, an old railroad depot, has expanded in recent years with commuters, suburban shopping centers and young-family subdivisions. Highlights: The brightly lighted retail city that popped up around Exit 25 of I-77, pulling Huntersville's focus north and lake residents south. Also: Jetton Park, Lake Norman's chief public access point. "New South" Charlotte From the SouthPark mall area south to South Carolina, from Matthews to Pineville, this is Charlotte's "fertile crescent", historically the area's premier address. It's where to go to find the city's fancy shopping (the ever-growing SouthPark area). This quadrant of the county developed first and continues to attract developers to any vacant square inch. Homes range from 1960s brick ranches on half-acre lots to neighborhoods filled with new homes. Highlight: If the SouthPark area alone were a city, it would be larger than most towns in the Carolinas; by 1990 it had passed Raleigh as the second-largest business district in the state (uptown Charlotte is No. 1). It added the pastel "minitown" of fancy shops at Phillips Place in 1996. If a high-end store is going to locate in Charlotte, this is where it will reside. University City Boomtown USA. Fifteen years ago, this was cow pasture and rural byways, with UNC Charlotte (chartered in 1960) plunked in the middle. Today, helped by government money to encourage growth. UNCC is spreading, subdivisions and shopping centers open monthly and the western slice of Cabarrus County has become a fast-growing exurban area. University City was born and grew with the '80s and '90s economic boom. Infrastructure is still catching up with the droves of new residents - roads, movie theaters and libraries are largely new or under construction. Highlights: Lowe's Motor Speedway and the just-opened Concord Mills mall, just across the Cabarrus line; Blockbuster amphitheater; Reedy Creek Park, Mecklenburg's largest nature preserve. Look for: A bit of the old in Derita (Mallard Creek and West Sugar Creek roads) and Newell (Old Concord and Newell-Hickory Grove roads) - rural communities hard by the railroad tracks that were here before the minivans. Southwest Charlotte Bordered by the airport on the north, I-77 to the east, the Catawba River/Lake Wylie to the west and South Carolina to the south, the southwestern chunk of the county attracted relatively little attention from developers in the past. The roads are often still rural, though traffic from commuters in South Carolina clogs them regularly. Much of Lake Wylie's residential development has been on its S.C. side, although some developments have started on the heavily wooded lakefront in Mecklenburg. Highlights: McDowell Park on Lake Wylie, Paramount's Carowinds theme park on the state line. Look for: Change. With the outerbelt to make access easier by 2008, developers see dollar signs. Lake Wylie You can breathe a little easier and relax as soon as you see Lake Wylie. Ideally situated just south of Charlotte, N.C., Lake Wylie's shores extend into South Carolina. Home sites rich with towering hardwoods and enchanting lake views are characteristic of this area, as is spending leisurely days and tranquil evenings by the water. Lake Wylie residents enjoy close proximity to the conveniences and entertainment in Charlotte's burgeoning Ballantyne area, coupled with the slower pace of lake living. The nearby communities of Belmont, N.C., Gastonia, N.C., and Tega Cay, S.C., have a charming, small-town feel, as well as unique shops and restaurants. Heavily wooded shorelines surround Lake Wylie homes with nature's beauty. Architectural guidelines and review committees help protect the aesthetic integrity of the neighborhoods. Waxhaw Areas / Weddington Waxhaw (pop. 3,600) takes its name from the Waxhaws, both the name for the area and the name for the Indian tribe that once inhabited it. The community dates back to the 1700s, but it wasn't until 1888 that the railroad, laying tracks to Atlanta, brought prosperity. Tracks still run through the center of town along the green, grassy strip dividing two rows of stores. The community was once dependent on cotton, but when the fiber lost its luster in the early 1960s, Waxhaw reshaped itself as an antique and fine dining center. The town has over 20 antique shops, several gift shops and dining ranging from mom & pop restaurants to 5 star fine dining bistros. (Not all shops are clustered together, so explore; a brochure is available to guide you). Waxhaw is a busy place. It seems like every month there's an event - a Civil War reenactment, Scottish games, antiques shows, house tours, fire department fundraisers, an antique car show, and a historical drama. A recent change: ! The Andrew Jackson Memorial Museum of the Waxhaws is open for visitors full-time. The Waxhaw Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places, and Waxhaw has some wonderful old houses near the center of town. Residents and town government are also working on beautification plans. A beautiful new Town Park is conveniently located in downtown Waxhaw. For new housing nearby, look along NC 75 East & West of Waxhaw, as well as Hwy 16 North of Waxhaw. The Town of Weddington is located in Union County about 15 miles southeast of downtown Charlotte and 14 miles northwest of downtown Monroe. Weddington covers approximately 11 square miles and is comprised of mainly low-density single-family housing. Weddington has a distinct atmosphere of a small town and a quality of life, which provides its citizens with a sense of place. The natural environment and community structure that characterize Weddington have been major factors in shaping the growth of the town and making it a desirable place to live. The Town consists almost entirely of single-family homes on lots of one acre or more. The Town's only commercial area is located in the vicinity of NC 16 and NC 84 and is referred to as the town center. The town center has an 11-tenant full-service strip shopping center and gas station/convenience store. The Town Hall is located in this area in an historic old house. Current Goals of the Town are to maintain low-density single-family residential zoning and to control existing and future commercial growth. |
| Copyright © 2010 HM Properties. All rights reserved.
4725 Piedmont Row Drive, Suite 120, Charlotte, NC 28210 Phone: 704-552-9292 Fax: 704-552-9210 Website hosted and maintained by HostHarbour.com |