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Get to know the historic neighborhoods
Some of the most famous neighborhoods in Charlotte are the "streetcar suburbs" and the neighborhoods built around them that form a ring around uptown. Built to accommodate trolley commuting, many have front porches and traditional sidewalks that lead to eclectic shops and restaurants.
Dilworth
Dilworth, Charlotte's oldest streetcar suburb, is known for its renovated bungalows, churches and leafy streets. East Boulevard forms the neighborhood's spine, offering restaurants, shops and office space within easy walking distance of nearby homes. The city is encouraging more dense development.Don't miss: 43-acre LattaPark.
North Davidson
The North Davidson Arts District, affectionately known as NoDa, is a former mill neighborhood that has been transformed into a funky arts district with galleries, eateries and performance halls.
Just three miles northeast of uptown, the neighborhood once known as North Charlotte is made up of mostly small houses built at the turn of the century to house workers at textile mills. The district also has an increasing number of condos, including some in converted mills.
Don't miss: the Friday Gallery Crawl, on the first and third Fridays of the month.
Wilmore
Once one of the city's most crime-ridden neighborhoods, Wilmore has experienced a recent revival, mostly due to its proximity to trendy South End.Urban pioneers have been buying and remodeling its turn-of-the-century bungalows, and developers have started to show interest.
Don't miss: Site of the original Bojangles at South Tryon Street and West Boulevard.
Elizabeth
It's home to two major hospitals, North Carolina's largest community college and the city's oldest park. But Elizabeth also has a mix of housing, from brick mansions to new townhomes. The neighborhood was home to department store magnate William Henry Belk, and the city's first neighborhood movie theater, the Visulite on Elizabeth Avenue.
Don't miss: Breakfast at Andersons, where politicians go to be seen.
Myers
Park
There is no better introduction to Charlotte than a drive down Queens Road in MyersPark.MyersPark emerged from a cotton farm in south Charlotte in 1911, when landscape architect John Nolen was hired to create a "garden suburb." Nolen opted for curving streets that followed the landscape.
Don't miss: The baffling intersection of Queens Road, Queens Road, Providence Road and Providence Road.
Cherry
A stone's throw from the million-dollar homes of MyersPark, this unlikely community of renovated bungalows, public housing and boarded-up buildings is the city's oldest surviving black neighborhood. Cherry was named in 1891, but local historians say the neighborhood probably predates the Civil War. In recent years, more white Charlotteans have moved in.
Don't miss: The convent started by Mother Teresa on South Torrence Street.
Eastover
Developed on two dairy farms southeast of center city, Eastover was the first Charlotte suburb with driveways for "motorcars."The neighborhood's stately homes have long attracted the leaders who helped shape Charlotte's growth, including banker Hugh McColl Jr. and department store scion John Belk. A landmark is the Mint Museum of Art.
Don't miss: The Manor, an old-time movie theater that shows art-house films.
Plaza-Midwood
Just east of the center city, Plaza-Midwood is a hip neighborhood of restored bungalows, funky shops and places to eat. On Central Avenue, you'll find tattoo parlors, antique shops, pawn shops, clothing boutiques and a bookstore. Try a burger at The Penguin or pizza by the slice at Fuel Pizza Cafe, in a restored 1936 filling station.
Don't miss: The homemade bread at Nova's Bakery.
Wesley
Heights
Developed around 1920, this neighborhood on Charlotte's northwest side is a designated historic district in the shadow of the city's skyline. It's one of the few places in town to get a Dilworth-style bungalow for less than $150,000. But some renovated homes are selling for more than $300,000.Don't miss: The George Wadsworth house at 400 South Summit Ave., dating to 1910.
Washington
Heights
This northwest Charlotte suburb off Beatties Ford Road was developed in 1913 as a suburb. Today, it's home to a mix of housing, from historic bungalows to new Habitat for Humanity homes and duplexes.
Residents and city planners recently unveiled a plan to revitalize Beatties Ford Road, and a streetcar line is slated for completion in the next decade.
Don't miss: the historic Excelsior Club, a gathering place that has nurtured generations of black leaders since it opened in 1944.
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