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Uptown The center of Charlotte is known as Uptown. In the 19th century, Uptown was divided into four political wards. Today the First and Fourth Wards are largely residential, with Fourth Ward housing the majority of Charlotte's remaining 19th century Queen Anne architecture. At the center of Uptown is the Square, the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets and the point at which all four wards converge. Uptown is home to the majority of the city's skyscrapers, as well as Bank of America Stadium (home of the Carolina Panthers) and the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. Johnson & Wales University, the Museum of the New South, and the Mint Museum of Craft and Design are also located Uptown, along with the government district for both Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte.

A trolley line in Charlotte's South End.

A trolley line in Charlotte's South End.
South End takes its name from South Boulevard, its main thoroughfare, as well as its location just south of Uptown. An area of light industry and cotton mills for much of its history, today its former industrial buildings and mills are loft condominiums, restaurants, breweries, shops, and offices. Charlotte's historic trolley also originates in the neighborhood. Dilworth, Charlotte's first streetcar suburb, was developed in the 1890s on 250 acres (1 km²) southwest of the original city limits. Planned largely with a grid pattern similar to the city's original four wards, it was initially designated the Eighth Ward. Centered on East Boulevard, today Dilworth is popular with Charlotte's young professionals drawn to its historic turn of the century architecture and traditional neighborhood feel. Elizabeth takes its name from Elizabeth College, a small Lutheran women’s college founded in 1897 on the present-day site of Presbyterian Hosptial. Elizabeth began to develop rapidly after 1902, when a trolley line was completed. Elizabeth was annexed by Charlotte in 1907. Independence Park, the first public park in the city, was created in the neighborhood, and Elizabeth became one of the most fashionable residential areas in Charlotte. John Nolen of Boston in 1911. Like most early American suburbs, Myers Park was initially a "streetcar suburb" whose residents commuted to town on the electric trolley car. Nolen discarded the original grid street pattern of Uptown and Dilworth and instead planned curving avenues following the area’s topography. Myers Park is largely a product of the building boom of the 1920s. Plaza Midwood, conceived as a complement to nearby Myers Park, never quite matured in the same way that Dilworth, Elizabeth or Myers Park did. By the 1970s and 80s, it was considered an "at-risk" neighborhood, and has only recently enjoyed a revival that has made it a sought-after, more bohemian alternative to other higher-priced city neighborhoods. SouthPark, located in south central Charlotte, is both an upscale residential and commercial neighborhood. The area's name derives from the fashionable SouthPark Mall, located at the intersection of Sharon and Fairview Roads. Luxury retailers such as Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Nordstrom, and Tiffany & Co. can be found here, as well as upscale restaurants The Palm, Morton's, Ruth's Chris, and McCormick & Schmicks. Eastland, a neighborhood that developed primarily during the 1960s and 70s, comprises a majority of the east side of the city proper, including the namesake Eastland Mall. Demographics have changed much over the years and currently Eastland is home to one of Charlotte's largest Latino communities. Ballantyne, another upscale area, is a planned mixed-use development that has grown exponentially in recent years and lies in the southernmost part of Charlotte, along the North and South Carolina border. Like SouthPark, Ballantyne has a high concentration of both impressive homes and commercial development. The Arboretum is situated a few miles southeast of Uptown and developed primarily around the Arboretum Shopping Center. The area also is home to Providence Plantation and the country club community of Raintree. NoDa is the city's "arts district" on and around NOrth DAvidson Street, located just north of Downtown. Formerly an area of textile manufacturing and mill workers' residences, the area has seen a rebirth as a center for arts and entertainment. NoDa is often the name given to the neighborhood, although NoDa technically refers to the business district in North Charlotte, as the neighborhhood itself is known. University City comprises the northeastern part of Charlotte. If autonomous, "University", as it is commonly known, would be one of North Carolina's largest cities with nearly 200,000 residents. The primarily suburban University City is the home of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. University City is also home to University Research Park, a 3,200 acre (13 km²) industrial park. The outer edges of University City stretch into Cabarrus County and it is also home to Lowe's Motor Speedway and the state's largest tourist attraction, Concord Mills. Biddleville is a neighborhood just west of Downtown. At the heart of Biddleville is Johnson C. Smith University, a historically black college, once called the Biddle Institute, where blacks were trained to be preachers and teachers. Biddleville came about in the 1870s as result of its proximity to the college, distinctly separate from Charlotte.

A list of all Charlotte neighborhoods

Economy

Charlotte has become a major U.S. financial center, and both the nation's second largest (Bank of America) and fourth largest banks (Wachovia) call the city home. Their headquarters, along with other regional banking and financial services companies, are located primarily in the uptown financial district. Thanks to the continued expansion of the city's banking industry, the Charlotte skyline has mushroomed in recent years and boasts the Bank of America Corporate Center, designed by César Pelli. At 871 feet (265 m), the 60-story post-modern gothic tower is the 23rd tallest building in the United States, and the tallest skyscraper between Philadelphia and Atlanta.
The following Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the Charlotte metropolitan area:

Bank of America
Duke Energy
Family Dollar
Goodrich Corporation
Lowe's
Nucor Steel
Sonic Automotive
SPX Corporation
Wachovia

Other major companies based in Charlotte include Belk, Meineke Autocare, Carlisle Companies, Compass Group USA, and Royal+SunAlliance.

People and culture

Demographics Charlotte

Population by year 1940
100,899 1950
134,042 1960
201,564 1970
241,178 1980
314,947 1990
395,934 2000
540,828 2005
594,359 As of 2004, census estimates show there are 594,359 people living within Charlotte's city limits, and 801,137 in Mecklenburg County. The county's population is projected to reach 1 million in 2010.
Figures from the more comprehensive 2000 census show Charlotte's population density to be 861.9/km² (2,232.4/mi²). There are 230,434 housing units at an average density of 367.2/km² (951.2/mi²).
Charlotte's population is ethnically diverse. The city's breakdown by race is as follows:

58.26% white
32.72% black
7.36% Hispanic or Latino of any race
3.41% Asian (including Indians (largely Gujarati), Chinese, and Vietnamese)
0.34% Native American
0.05% Pacific Islander
3.56% from other races
1.66% from two or more races.

The median income for a household in the city is $46,975, and the median income for a family is $56,517. Males have a median income of $38,767 versus $29,218 for females. The per capita income for the city is $26,823. 10.6% of the population and 7.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 13.8% of those under the age of 18 and 9.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Religion

The birthplace of Billy Graham, Charlotte was once known as the "City of Churches." Of those who practice a religion, most Charlotteans are Christian of various Protestant denominations, with (principally Southern) Presbyterians and Methodists being the two dominant denominations in the region. In total, Charlotte lays claim to more than 700 places of worship.
Charlotte's Catholic and Jewish population surged during the 1980s when a series of corporate relocations brought thousands of northeasterners into the area. Catholic congregations continue to expand with the growth of Latino immigration.
The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America is headquartered in Charlotte, and both Reformed Theological Seminary and Gordon Conwell Seminary have campuses there.
Jewish synagogues (Temple Beth El, Reform, Temple Israel, Conservative, and an Orthodox congregation) are located in Shalom Park on Providence Road.
The Charlotte area has five mosques: The Islamic Society of Greater Charlotte, Islamic Center of Charlotte, Masjid Ash-Shaheed, South Musallah, and the Islamic Society of Gastonia.
Hindus meet at the Hindu Center or the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) temple.
There are also several alternative religious institutions in the Charlotte area, with the Unitarian Universalist Church perhaps being the most prominent and popular.

Media

The dominant newspaper in the region is The Charlotte Observer.
The Charlotte television market is the 27th largest in 2005, according to Nielsen Media Research. Television stations serving the market include:

WBTV, Channel 3 (CBS affiliate)
WSOC-TV, Channel 9 (ABC affiliate)
WHKY-TV, Channel 14 (Independent)
WUNE-TV, Channel 17 (PBS/UNCTV affiliate)
WCCB-TV, Channel 18 (FOX affiliate)
WNSC-TV, Channel 30 (PBS/SCETV affiliate)
WCNC-TV, Channel 36 (NBC affiliate)
WTVI, Channel 42 (PBS affiliate)
WJZY-TV, Channel 46 (UPN affiliate)
WWWB-TV, Channel 55 (WB affiliate)
WUNG-TV, Channel 58 (PBS/UNCTV affiliate)
WAXN-TV, Channel 64 (Independent)

The metro area is also served by a 24-hour cable news channel, News 14 Carolina, available on Time Warner Cable.

Shopping

Carolina Place Mall opened in the early 1990s and is located about 12 miles south of uptown in suburban Pineville, North Carolina. Carolina Place offers over 1.1 million square feet of retail, and its proximity to the South Carolina border draws many shoppers from the Palmetto state.
Concord Mills is a sprawling retail and entertainment outlet mall about 10 miles northeast of uptown. Concord Mills has over 200 outlet stores and a 24 screen theater within its nearly one-mile interior radius and is North Carolina's largest tourist attraction.
Eastland Mall was constructed in the mid-1970s as an alternative to then five-year-old SouthPark Mall; its claim to fame being an indoor skating rink in its central atrium. But while SouthPark has flourished and transformed itself into the region's source for high-end merchandise, Eastland has experienced a general decline over the years with many stores vacating the mall. Efforts to reinvigorate the mall and surrounding area are currently being discussed.
Northlake Mall opened in September 2005 and is located 8 miles north of uptown. Northlake was built to serve the population of rapidly growing north Charlotte and University City, as well as the nearby suburbs of Davidson and Huntersville. Northlake features a variety of both upscale and conventional retailers.
SouthPark Mall, the region's most upscale shopping center, is located about 5 miles south of uptown. SouthPark has over 125 stores, many of which are unique to the Carolinas, including Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Neiman Marcus, and Kate Spade.

Sites of interest

Carolina Raptor Center, dedicated to the conservation and rehabilitation of birds of prey
The Charlotte Museum of History
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, a 111 acre (0.5 km²) botanical garden located just west of Charlotte in Belmont
Discovery Place, a science museum and IMAX Dome theater
Historic Latta Plantation, a cotton plantation turned living history farm
Historic Rosedale Plantation
ImaginOn, cutting-edge educational children's library and theater
Kings Mountain National Military Park, the site of a decisive Revolutionary War battle, located approximately 30 miles (50 km) west of Charlotte
The Levine Museum of the New South
Lowe's Motor Speedway
The Mint Museums, two separate facilities, one dedicated to fine art and the other to craft and design
Paramount's Carowinds, regional amusement park located on the border of North and South Carolina
Reed Gold Mine, site of the first gold find in the United States
U.S. National Whitewater Center, state of the art facility scheduled to open in Spring 2006.
Blumenthal Performing Arts Centre
Spirit Square

Sports

Carolina Panthers helmet.

Charlotte is home to the Philadelphia. In Super Bowl XXXVIII on Feb. 1, 2004, the Panthers were defeated, 32-29, by the New England Patriots. They have been in two other NFC Championship games: in 1996 (their second year) and 2006.

Charlotte was home to the World Football League's Charlotte Hornets during 1974 and 1975. The city has also been home to two Arena Football League teams, the Charlotte Rage and Carolina Cobras. The NCAA football Meineke Car Care Bowl is played annually in December at Bank of America Stadium.

In 2004, Charlotte was awarded its second NBA expansion team named the Charlotte Bobcats. The team plays in the Charlotte Bobcats Arena, which opened in fall 2005 in downtown Charlotte.
From 1988 to 2002, Charlotte hosted an NBA franchise named the Orleans Hornets">Charlotte Hornets. The franchise relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana in 2002 after bitter animosity between the team's fans and principal owner George Shinn led to slumping attendance and ill feelings towards the Hornets.

The WNBA Charlotte Sting have played in Charlotte since 1997. Charlotte is home to the Charlotte Eagles of the United Soccer Leagues and plays host to the annual Wachovia Championship, an increasingly prestigious stop on the PGA Tour.

Charlotte is a hub of stock car racing, with major races being held at nearby Lowe's Motor Speedway. A vast majority of NASCAR teams and race shops are located within an hour's drive of Charlotte, and most NASCAR drivers maintain a residence in or near the city. Seventy-three percent of American motorsports employees are based within two hours of downtown Charlotte.

Baseball has a long, rich history in the Queen City, dating back to 1901 when the Charlotte Hornets were formed. The Triple-A Charlotte Knights, the top minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, currently call the Charlotte area home (the team's stadium is located in nearby Fort Mill, South Carolina).
Charlotte is on the list of cities that the Florida Marlins are considering for relocation; team officials are expected to visit the city in late February or early March 2006 to discuss a move with city leaders and consider a plan to build a privately-funded stadium downtown.

Via the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL are a farm team for the NHL's York Rangers">New York Rangers. The Charlotte Checkers now play in St. Lawrence Homes Home Ice at the new Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

Crime

In general, the occurrence of crime in Charlotte has been decreasing in recent years, as has crime nationally. According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports, violent crimes have dropped from a rate of 1630 occurrences per 100,000 population in 1997 to 1099 occurrences per 100,00 population in 2004 The violent crime rate has decreased steadily from 1997 to 2004, though the 2004 rate was slightly higher than the 2003 rate (1099 compared to 1077). From 1997 to 2002 property crime dropped from 7,779 occurrences per 100,000 population to 6,340 occurrences per 100,000 population. However, since then the rate has risen to 7090 occurrences per 100,000 population as of 2004, a trend not seen in the national statistics.
Direct comparisons to national crime rates are difficult as many different urbanization levels are present across the country. Compared to other cities with population from 500,000 to 999,999 for 2004 (the first year that data was broken down by the Uniform Crime Report in this manner), Charlotte's crime is a bit higher than average. The average for cities in this category was 927 violent crimes per 100,000 population and 5968 property crimes per 100,000 population.

Sister cities

Charlotte has a number of sister cities, including:

Peru (as of 1962)
Baoding, People's Republic of China (as of 1987)
Germany (as of 1985)
Kumasi, Ghana (as of 1995)
France (as of 1992)
Russia (as of 1991)
Poland (as of 1993)