Charlotte NC Real Estate

History
Charlotte is the largest city in the State of North Carolina and is located in the heart of Mecklenburg County. In 2008, the population of Charlotte was estimated at 687,456 residents; making it the 18^th largest city in the United States. The city of Charlotte is nicknamed the “Queen City”, named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who became the wife of British King George III the year before Charlotte’s founding. The town and county names were selected in hopes of gaining goodwill with the crown, however, tensions continued to grow as King George forced unpopular laws on the residents. On May 20, 1775 the residents responded by signing the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, the date of the declaration appears on the North Carolina State Flag. 11 days later the residents formed and sanctioned a set of laws in which to govern the newly independent town, these laws were known as the Mecklenburg Resolves.

Today
The residents of Charlotte enjoy the temperate climate, the famous Carolina blue skies throughout the year and the great location between the Atlantic Ocean, roughly three hours to the south, and the Blue Ridge Mountains, approximately two hours to the north. Charlotte is situated beside the Catawba River and just a short drive to Lake Norman. In addition to the many residential condos, Charlotte’s Uptown boasts a wide spectrum of attractions, such as the Bank of American Stadium, home to the Charlotte Panthers, the Time Warner Cable Arena, home to the Charlotte Bobcats and Charlotte Checkers, the Bojangles’ Coliseum, home to the indoor football team, Carolina Speed, the Bechtler Museum, Discovery Place, Levine Museum of the New South, Mint Museum of Art and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Additionally, the EpiCenter, in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, offers entertainment, shopping, restaurants, hotels, nightlife and more all in one location.

Lifestyle
Charlotte has been recognized numerous times as a great place to live. In 2008, relocate-America chose Charlotte as the “Best Place to Live in America”. CNNMoney.com ranked Charlotte number 8 in their 100 “Best Places to Live and Launch”. Self Magazine recognized Charlotte’s museums, Public Art Walking Tour and nearby outdoor excursions when it named Charlotte as one of “Five Cities with Big Outdoor Appeal”. In 2010, Forbes listed Charlotte as number 17 in their list of the “Best Places for Business and Careers”.

Dilworth is Charlotte’s oldest suburb with construction beginning in 1980 and the grand opening of the community in 1981. Today, Dilworth offers its residents shops and restaurants within walking distance, through the tree-lined streets. Dilworth offers a variety of residential options as well as an array of community events for all ages.

NoDa, short for North Davidson, is also a popular area in Charlotte. NoDa is just two miles north of Uptown Charlotte. This area is home to some of Charlotte’s best galleries and performance venues, great restaurants and more. NoDa offers a variety of retail spaces, attractive bungalows, lofts and other residential options.

Plaza Midwood is among Charlotte’s diverse neighborhoods. Plaza Midwood, located just northeast of Uptown Charlotte, offers a thriving business district, a beautiful historic neighborhood and a prestigious country club. The name Plaza Midwood comes from The Plaza, a tree-lined boulevard that divides the area running north to south and Midwood the major residential neighborhood in this area. Midwood offers an array of bungalow style homes, many of which have been renovated to combine modern conveniences with their original charm and appeal.

Whatever your lifestyle is you are sure to find a home in Charlotte with its many diverse and attractive neighborhoods. From high-rise condo living in Uptown Charlotte to executive style brick homes in planned communities and more you are sure to find the perfect place to suit your way of life.

Parks and Recreation
The Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department is made up of 210 parks and facilities that total more than 17,600 acres. These parks range from small neighborhood parks to large district parks and also range from athletic complexes, nature preserves, water parks, dog parks and more.

Schools
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School district is among one of the nation’s 25 largest school districts. The district consists of 176 schools and more than 133,600 students ranging from kindergarten to 12^th grade. This breaks down to 103 elementary schools, 33 middle schools, 31 high schools, 4 alternative schools and 5 pre-k sites. In 2009, Newsweek recognized 11 of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg High Schools among America’s top 1,500 schools that do the best job of preparing average students for college, out of more than 27,000 high schools that were surveyed.