Lake Wylie is becoming Charlotte region’s latest new housing hot spot!

People who’ve lived for generations in Mecklenburg, York and Gaston counties and newcomers to the region are choosing Lake Wylie for its competitive prices, upscale neighborhoods, good schools, lower taxes, recreation opportunities and quiet lifestyle a short drive from the culture, sports, shopping and workplaces of Charlotte. Once the widening is completed of N.C. 49 from Charlotte to the lake and the opening of a local leg of the Interstate 485 outer belt has helped growth into an even higher gear.

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“LakeWylie used to be a secret, but it’s not anymore,” says the president of the Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce. “Now people all around the lake are discovering what we’ve known all along — the quality of life, the beauty, the lower taxes and the lifestyle are so nice here. You can have a resort lifestyle with the amenities of a big city a short drive away.”

Everywhere around the lake you can see growth, in neighborhoods both inland and along the shoreline; in mixed-use retail, residential and office complexes along the N.C. 49 corridor; in roads being built and widened; in new businesses catering to new residents; and in community services from churches and schools to museums and recreational facilities.

Lake Wylie is accessible for people to get to and from work and to get around. The demographics are showing more of a shift to higher income families, and businesses see that as a great opportunity to come into a new market. Then the publicity of events like the Bassmaster Classic last year and HomeArama this year fuel interest. Events like this draw awareness to LakeWylie in the Charlotte region.

Because of the proximity many folks can get to work in Charlotte from LakeWylie and YorkCounty faster than they can from other parts of the city. A lot of that is due to the work YorkCounty has done to roads and to recent improvements on the MecklenburgCounty side of the BusterBoydBridge. The convenience just makes it even more enticing to build.

Service providers including new businesses are making the choice to move to LakeWylie. What used to be an area where people had weekend getaways and fishing cabins is now a place where they want to live and spend all of their non-working time. People aren’t just coming to boat or fish; they’re coming to stay.”

Lifestyle options also are attracting new segments of the residential market, business officials say. In Tega Cay and the planned community of Baxter, families are drawn to the strong school district, recreation and amenities such as restaurants, shops, community centers and a YMCA.

Lake Wylie offers recreation, beautiful waterfront access and a quieter atmosphere. The whole face of southwest Charlotte is going to go through a dramatic metamorphosis in the next five years with developments like RiverGate and Ayrsley. And with 485 opening, you’re 15 minutes from the airport, 25 minutes from SouthPark and 25 minutes from Ballantyne.

A privileged lifestyle brimming over with southwest Charlotte's most outstanding resources and the Lake Wylie area most enticing attractions. HuntingtonForest is a community designed to make your life luxuriously easy. Nestled amid wooded groves and peaceful glens it will bring nostalgia of an old-fashioned, people-friendly community, complete with welcoming streetlights and tree-lined sidewalks. And, just for fun it has desired amenities at your front door, including a Junior Olympic Pool, clubhouse, community playground, scenic walking trails and places to gather.

DR Horton already is responsible for several local developments including Baxter, Lake Shore at Lake Wylie and Waterstone in York County and Huntington Forest, among others, in MecklenburgCounty. The company represents the nation's largest home builder in the last three years and the Charlotte division alone accounts for more than 500 of the homes built locally within the last year according to the company's divisional office in Charlotte.

The RiverPointe subdivision in SW Charlotte is a Waterfront Community on Lake Wylie and has been there for approximately 17 +  years. RiverPointe is an upscale community of approximately 195 homes and with Private Marina, Swimming Pool, Clubhouse and Tennis Courts. It is located 3/10 of a mile past the entrance to McDowell Park and the Nature Preserve. The main entrance is RiverPointe Drive, which is off of NC Rt 49 and directly across the highway from the new "waterfall" entrance to The Palisades

Lake Forest at Lake Wylie: Things are changing rapidly at LakeWylie; a developer is planning two YorkCounty subdivisions valued at a combined $55 million on LakeWylie.

Nu-South Builders Inc. has plans to build 66 homes in Lake Forest. The community will include a lakefront park and about 97 townhomes.

The Lake Forest community will be built on 19 acres near the crossing of S.C. highways 49 and 557, not far from The River Rat Restaurant & Pub. Citizens South Banking Corp. is providing financing for Harper's Green. To be developed on 35 acres off S.C. Highway 49 it will feature a lakefront park that will include a swimming area and a fire pit.  About 12 homes will offer views of the water.   Homes will measure 2,750 to 3,500 square feet and sell in the $390,000s. The project will take about two years to complete. American Community Bancshares Inc. is financing the development.

Townhomes in Harper's Green will feature brick and stone construction and sell for about mid $200,000. Amenities will include walking trails and a pavilion with a fire pit.

River Hills at Lake Wylie, on S.C. 49, is one of the most established neighborhoods in the area, with homes ranging from condominiums to mansions on LakeWylie. The neighborhood of cedar and cypress-framed homes includes a gated entry, tree-lined streets, an 18-hole golf course, 10 tennis courts and a 221-covered-slip marina.

There is plenty of new construction on GastonCounty’s Belmont peninsula, including waterfront communities and less expensive contemporary housing.

As the Fort Mill area experiences exciting growth, more and more new businesses are choosing to call Baxter home. The Village of Baxter’s Town Center now features a wide variety of businesses including retail, restaurant, medical, and corporate. Living up to the community’s vision of a traditional neighborhood that combines the best of the past with the technology of the future, Baxter’s Market Street has become a gathering place for locals seeking great food, shopping, and more.

Tega Cay , another established upscale lakeside community, is off I-77 and Gold Hill Road on a peninsula of LakeWylie in South Carolina. The neighborhood was begun in the 1970s and was originally modeled after a Polynesian resort.

Located a mere 20 minutes from Charlotte, LakeShore at LakeWylie is a community composed of 1,200 single-family homes and townhomes located on a LakeWylie peninsula. LakeShore boasts of a golf course, beach club, parks and walking trails as well as lakefront property. Prices for LakeShore range from the $170,000s to $1000,000.

The Waterstone community, a 590-home subdivision offers a variety of home styles and prices, is located behind TegaCayVillageShopping Center.

The Landing offers a peaceful atmosphere of nature and waterfront living in addition to its walking trails and park. The developer, Crescent Resources, is well known for its custom designed homes and wooded lots. Another Crescent development, The Sanctuary, is spread over 1,300 acres in southeastern MecklenburgCounty along the shores of LakeWylie. In relationship with Audubon International, The Sanctuary seeks to maintain the natural beauty of the lakefront property, offering massive lots that average 5 acres in size.

The Sanctuary: Average Preserve is five acres! Encompassing over 1,300 heavily forested acres on LakeWylie in MecklenburgCounty near Charlotte, N.C., the Sanctuary is a nature reserve community of fewer than 200 homesites, which have been dubbed “Private Preserves” due to their size. They range from more than two to 13 acres, with the average being more than five acres. Nearly 25 percent of the Private Preserves are waterfront. All are part of a land plan created with Audubon International’s certification for the preservation of wildlife, habitat and water quality. Harmony with the environment In conservation partnership with Audubon International, Crescent Communities has made environmental sensitivity paramount at the Sanctuary. To protect the lake, each Preserve has a 200-foot “conservation corridor.” This is four times what the county requires, an unprecedented example of the Sanctuary’s commitment to the land and its wildlife. To complement these efforts, the community’s Builders Guild is applying the same environmental consciousness and natural aesthetic to homes in the Sanctuary. Amenities at the Sanctuary were also founded on an appreciation of nature. Twenty miles of nature trails lead to meditation areas and wilderness parks. The Camp features the John James Audubon Lodge where the Activities Director and Naturalist can be found and is where residents can requisition ski boats, canoes and kayaks. ...

Berewick  is a 1,000-acre business and residential development located off Steele Creek Road west of I-485 and only about 20 minutes from uptown Charlotte. It is expected to include over 2,800 homes, 2 million square feet of commercial space, and a 215 acre district park. In the middle is the 170-acre town center, containing offices, shops, and restaurants. Western and southern sections will contain various communities of detached and attached residences. On the northeast side will be a 215 acre district park, which MecklenburgCounty bought from the developer Pappas Properties in November. A site also has been reserved for a future school. Construction of the town center is planned. Also see Berewick

The Palisades is a 1,500-acre development located east of LakeWylie and south of York Road (south on NC Highway 49 and 25 Minutes from uptown Charlotte ). It eventually will include 4,145 homes, a golf course, an equestrian center, offices, and retail areas. The primary developer is Crescent Resources, Duke Energy's land development subsidiary, which is preparing the design for the northern portion that will contain the commercial center and mostly attached housing. Early phases of the development will focus on the southern section where the golf course, equestrian center, and most detached homes will be located. Robert C. Rhein Interests is managing construction of roads and other infrastructure. All development is guided by the water quality plan, which property owners will be required to honor through covenants and restrictions. Duke Power built LakeWylie in 1925, and most of the property along the lake shore was sold long ago. Thus Palisades has almost no direct access to LakeWylie. Developers plan to build lighthouse on the lake, however, and hope for it to become a community landmark. Completion of the entire project is expected to take ten years. ... Also see The Palisades

Recreation and Fun  is also offered onthe NC and MecklenburgCounty side of LakeWylie. McDowellPark is located on N.C. 49 just as you approach the bridge. The park offers a sweeping view of some of the most scenic areas of  LakeWylie accessible by car. The 1,108-acre, county-operated nature preserve offers hiking and camping. You can also rent canoes and paddleboats or enjoy the nature center’s displays. On the Fourth of July, LakeWylie is a popular place to see a patriotic display of fireworks. Boats assemble near the bridge and landlubbers park their cars nearby to see the colorful display. During the Christmas season, boaters decorate their rigs with lights and wreaths for the annual Christmas boat parade.During the summer months, the lake is a big draw from around the region. CampThunderbird, a YMCA-operated summer environmental camp, attracts hundreds of school-age children for fun and learning. Boaters and water skiers also flock to the lake. If you plan to go boating or skiing, check the safety regulations imposed by the Lake Wylie Marine Commission. Among other things, the rules require a third person aboard each boat pulling a skier (the third person serves as an observer) and set restrictions on blood-alcohol content for water skiers.

Lake Wylie residents can now have fun at the state-of-the-art YMCA not far from home.Steele Creek Family Branch YMCA recently opened at the I-485 and South Tryon Street interchange, just eight miles from LakeWylie’s shores. The 7,000-square-foot activities center offers youth and family fitness areas, certified personal trainers, after-school programs and group exercise classes. Now, the fun truly never stops

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is located on 450 lakefront acres on South New Hope Road in GastonCounty. The property is the former home of Daniel Stowe, a textile businessman, and his wife, Alene. The couple gave the property, along with $14 million, to establish an endowment to develop the garden. Currently, 110 acres have been developed, but operators have plans to develop the entire property into one of the premier gardens of its kind in the country. The garden recently opened a grand, 13,500-square-foot visitors’ pavilion and extensive new gardens. The attraction includes themed gardens filled with plants that thrive in Piedmont soil and weather, accented with a dozen sparkling fountains and canals. The garden is open seven days a week.