Charlotte Region
Charlotte and the surrounding towns have been named some of the fastest growing and most desirable places to live in the nation. Perfectly positioned between the mountains and the beach, the area is a business headquarters, a lifestyle gem, and is abundantly graced by scenic parks and charming suburbs and communities.
Real Estate
Charlotte regional real estate includes a diverse range of housing options and neighborhoods, from urban settings to quiet small-towns. A graceful blend of hot-right-now and treasured history, Charlotte impresses with everything from downtown glass towers to elegant 100-year-old neighborhoods. Homes in Greater Charlotte include fresh suburban developments with new construction homes, historic neighborhoods lined with old oak trees and Victorian-era estates, and condominiums and townhomes reaching for the sky in Charlotte’s Center City.
Lifestyle & Attractions
The Greater Charlotte metropolitan region encompasses North and South Carolina within and surrounding the city of Charlotte. The Charlotte Metropolitan Statistical Area is the largest in the Carolinas and the fourth-largest in the Southeastern region, behind Miami, Atlanta and Tampa.
Greater Charlotte includes seven counties in North Carolina and three counties in South Carolina; these counties include Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, and Union counties in North Carolina, and Chester, Lancaster and York counties in South Carolina. The region is headquarters to eight Fortune 500 and seven Fortune 1000 companies, including Bank of America, Duke Energy, Sealed Air Corporation, Nucor Steel, Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores, and more. Greater Charlotte is the largest manufacturing region in the Carolinas.
The region’s main airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the sixth-busiest airport in the country. The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) operates the local bus service and a light rail line. The varied topography of Greater Charlotte ranges from the Blue Ridge Mountains along the western edge to the coastal plains along the eastern portion. It is an easy trip from Charlotte to basking on a sunny beach or hiking in the serene mountains.
Greater Charlotte is home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, the PNC Music Pavilion, the Charlotte Museum of History, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the McGill Rose Garden, the Mint Museum, Carowinds Theme Park, and the U.S. National Whitewater Center.
Other significant attractions include the Schiele Museum in Gastonia, Charlotte Motor Speedway and the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Concord, the Museum of York County and the Catawba Cultural Center in Rock Hill, and much more. Sports venues in Greater Charlotte include BB&T Ballpark, home of the Charlotte Knights, Bank of America Stadium, home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, and Spectrum Center, home of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets and the NHL’s Charlotte Checkers.
Education
Greater Charlotte has a broad selection of educational options. Charlotte Region districts include Cabarrus County School System, Gaston County Schools, Iredell-Statesville Schools, Mooresville Graded School District, Lincoln County Schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Rowan–Salisbury School System, Union County Public Schools, Chester County School District, Lancaster County School District, and four districts in York County.
Residents have excellent choices for higher education with 31 colleges and universities. Including Davidson College, Queens University of Charlotte, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte School of Law, Johnson C. Smith University, and Johnson & Wales University.
History
In 1755, the area was originally settled at the intersection of a Native American path and the European settlers’ Great Wagon Road. The Native American path was called Trade Street and the Great Wagon Road became Tryon Street. By 1772, traders and settlers had built a number of log cabins in “Charlotte Town,” named for the British queen. Today, financial, healthcare and energy companies have replaced the trading post, and the city and its surrounding communities are growing year after year. The city center is still at Trade and Tryon Streets.