Charlotte NC - Neighborhoods, Homes & History

High in the Piedmont region of the Carolinas, Charlotte North Carolina is the largest city in the state, and the 20th largest in the nation. A national center for banking and commerce, Charlotte has experienced unprecedented growth. Residential construction continues to boom while recently constructed skyscrapers grace Charlotte's skyline.  

Called The Queen City, Charlotte (as well the surrounding county, Mecklenburg County) is named for Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg, wife of King George III of England. Another nickname for Charlotte came from General Cornwallis description of the city after his expulsion from his camp there. Cornwallis famously wrote that Charlotte was a hornets nest of rebellion, leading to its Hornets Nest moniker. Several modern sports teams from the Charlotte area have been named for these hornets.

The pulse of the Charlotte area both day and night beats in its Uptown/City Center area. Many new restaurants, bars and clubs now operate in the Uptown area. In 2006, Courtside was the first new residential skyscraper to open in Uptown Charlotte. Several other towers were completed in 2007.

Charlotte's Banking Industry

With two of the nations top banks headquartered here, Charlotte is at the heart of America's finance and banking industry. Second only to New York City this banking behemoth boasts both the Bank of America and Wachovia, the first and fourth largest banking institutions in the US, respectively. These institutions dominate not only the physical landscape of Charlotte with the Bank of America Corporate Center being the tallest skyscraper between Philadelphia and Atlanta but its economic and cultural landscape as well.

The banks influence reaches deep into Charlottes cultural identity. This influence is most evident downtown, or as the locals say, Uptown. From the unofficial bank uniforma tucked in blue shirt, no tie, dark pants, belt and black shoes for men, and dark suits for women sported around town, to the scrupulously clean sidewalks that would make any accountant or banker proud, Charlottes tidy appearance reflects the meticulous nature of its banking population.

Bank of America controls the north side of Downtown and Wachovia has the south. Wachovia territory begins two blocks south of Trade. Wachovia is the larger employer locally as well as in local market share measured by deposits. They have four main buildings which are named One Wachovia Center, Two Wachovia Center, Three Wachovia Center and Four Wachovia Center. The only sign of their rival on this side of town is the home of the Carolina Panthers Bank of America Stadium.

Bank of America and Wachovia sponsor nearly every civic event in town, from golf tournaments to chamber events and charity drives. They both worked together to bring NBA basketball back to Charlotte, resulting in the new arena for the Hornets.

Charlotte Sports

Sports play a large role in the Charlotte recreational scene. With the sponsorship of notably Bank of America and Wachovia, national and minor league sports flourish. From the NFL to NASCAR, the PGA tour to the NBA and WNBA, Charlotte has something for every sports fan!

NFL - The Carolina Panthers
Bank of America Stadium, in downtown Charlotte, has 73,258 seats with a total attendance of 670,204 for the 2005 regular season.

NASCAR - Stock Car Racing
Charlotte is the pit stop for all things NASCAR and was chosen as the home of the new NASCAR Hall of Fame and Museum in 2006.

NBA - Charlotte Hornets
The NBA returned to Charlotte in 2004 with the expansion team, the Charlotte Bobcats.  After acquisition by MIchael Jordan, the name was changed back to the Hornets.

WNBA - The Charlotte Sting
One of the inaugural members of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), the Charlotte Sting celebrate their 10th anniversary in 2006 by moving to their new state-of-the art home: Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

Baseball - The Charlotte Knights
The Charlotte Knights are the Chicago White Sox AAA affiliate, so play in Charlotte is just one step below major league.

Hockey - The Charlotte Checkers
The ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey Leagues New York Rangers, recently celebrated their 10th anniversary in the Queen City.

Golf - The Wachovia Championship
Golf lovers are fortunate to have the PGAs Wachovia Championship played in Charlotte each year during the first week in May.

Soccer - The Charlotte Eagles
The mens team plays in the A-league of the United Soccer Leagues (USL), their toughest division. The Charlotte Lady Eagles play in the W-leagues where in their first year of play (2001), they were the W-2 national champions.

Charlotte Arts & Culture

Charlotte has become a cultural destination in the New South. With a proliferation of theaters, museums, historic buildings, Charlottes facilities are top-notch. Both community-based and professional orchestras and choirs entertain Charlotte residents, while area children have their own arts and sciences programs.


The Mint Museum of Art/Mint Museum of Craft and Design

Charlotte is home to one of the most extensive collections of art in the southeast. Since its inception in 1936, the Mints permanent collection has grown to include major European and American works, notably English art created during the reign of King George III and the city of Charlotte's namesake, Queen Charlotte. In addition to these English pieces, other European masters included in the permanent collection are noted century engraver and painter, Albrecht Durer, and French landscape artist, Jean Baptiste Corot.

American art is well-represented at the Mint: from the famous portraiture of Gilbert Stuart, to abstract-expressionism of the modern age, the Mint houses virtually all periods of American Art. In addition to European and American works, the Mint maintains collections of decorative arts, as well as its Historic Costume and Fashionable Dress Collection, a highlight on any trip to the Mint. In 1999, the Mint Museum of Art opened the Mint Museum of Craft and Design. This museum seeks to commemorate both extraordinary artistic objects, as well as the beauty found in the design of functional objects. This collection focuses on ceramics, fiber work, furniture, glasswork, jewelry and metalwork, a definite must-see for those who wish to explore our artistic heritage through craft and design.


The Levine Museum of the New South

The New South means people, places and a period of time from 1865 to today. Levine Museum of the New South is an interactive history museum that provides the nation with the most comprehensive interpretation of post-Civil War southern society featuring men, women and children, black and white, rich and poor, long-time residents and newcomers who have shaped the South since the Civil War.


Blumenthal Performing Arts Center

Theres no need to go to New York City to experience the best of Broadway. Catch your favorite Broadway and Off-Broadway productions at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center (PAC) in Uptown Charlotte. The Blumenthal PAC also hosts operas, symphonies, ballets, as well as touring major label recording artists.

Charlotte Restaurants

With some of the nation's brightest rising chefs graduating from the Charlotte campus of culinary leader, Johnson & Wales University, world-class cuisine can be found from Uptown to Midtown, and beyond. Take a culinary world tour right here in Charlotte! You can sample Spanish tapas, tantalize your palate with sensational Asian flavors, or even have a helping of that famous Carolina-style barbecue all without leaving Charlotte!

Charlotte Neighborhoods

Charlotte offers some of the regions most spectacular homes.  Literally every type of property and neighborhood is available.  High rise condominiums in downtown overlook Panther Stadium and the skyline.  Myers Park, in the center of the city and near Queens College, offers oak lined streets, newly built mansions, and historic homes with southern charm.  Known for its golfing communities, Quail Hollow, Carmel, Providence Country Club, and Piper Glen attract business executives, professional athletes, and  entrepreneurs.  Lake Norman and Lake Wylie communities provide those that prefer lake living the perfect setting.

Dilworth is one of the city's most popular neighborhoods as older homes are renovated and restaurants, shopping, bakeries, and service businesses are in walking distance.

South Park
South Park is a neighborhood in Charlotte known as the heart of South Charlotte, and considered Charlottes second downtown. The name South Park is derived from the shopping mall of the same name located in the neighborhood. The neighborhood is located at the intersection of Fairview Road and Sharon Road in the south central sector of the city, about six miles south of Uptown. South Park is the 4th largest business district in the state, and home to the city's best shopping, as well as some of the most magnificent homes in Charlotte.

Ballantyne
Ballantyne is a planned mixed-use neighborhood that has grown in recent years and lies in the southernmost part of Charlotte, along the North and South Carolina border. Like South Park, Ballantyne has a high concentration of both impressive homes and commercial development. The outer-belt of I-485 runs right through the development. Amenities include a 535-acre corporate park, which includes office buildings, a resort hotel, an 18-hole daily-fee golf course and the Dana Rader School of Golf. The golf course has been recognized as one of the best in the state and Dana Raders school as one of the 25 best in the country.

Ardrey Kell
The Enclave at Ardrey Kell will be offering elegant three-bedroom, 2-bath townhomes opening in South Charlotte's Ardrey Kell Area. Located between Ballantyne and Blakeney, and close to Uptown Charlotte, Ardrey Kell is a unique neighborhood with fabulous cultural opportunities to offer! The Enclave at Ardrey Kell presents lovely townhomes with the owners suite on the main level. Your next home is waiting at The Enclave at Ardrey Kell.