Editor’s note: In this series, local author David Aaron Moore answers reader-submitted questions about unusual, noteworthy or historic people, places and things in Charlotte. Submit inquires to davidaaronmoore@post.com.
I’m moving to Charlotte in March. My cousin has suggested a number of different areas that might be good options, but I was curious as to what inner city areas you know that offer the most for the least? – Teresa Spring, Columbia, S.C.
It depends on what you’re looking for and what kind of amenities you like to have around. Charlotte has a lot to offer in many varying locations, so it’s hard to point to just one. Here’s a list of my favorites.
Wesley Heights/West Charlotte
Wesley Heights is only about five minutes west by foot past Uptown’s Gateway Village. There’s some amazing architecture here and views of the city skyline that can’t be beat anywhere else in town. Like the other suburbs of the day that surrounded the center city core, the Heights was an experiment in presentation. Unlike its sister neighborhood Myers Park to the east, all of the original houses and streets were not planned as large and grandiose, though there clearly are some aspects that are quite impressive. The first house (and perhaps most significant) was completed in 1911 and is known as the George Pierce Wadsworth House. Much of the property in the area was owned by the same family and was developed into Wesley Heights over the next two decades, with a mixture of grand, upscale homes and modest, yet tasteful, bungalows on wide main streets and narrow side streets. During its initial heyday, the neighborhood was serviced by a trolley (some of the tracks are still present).
Today the streets are lined with beautiful mature oaks, and you can still find affordable rental and purchase properties, despite the increasing popularity of the area. Extra bonuses for Wesley Heights include close proximity to Uptown restaurants and clubs, and the West Morehead strip, which also boasts a number of other popular eateries. Although Wesley Heights is – in my opinion – the most historically significant on the west side, other neighborhoods are becoming increasingly popular with young pioneers, artists, musicians and the LGBT community: Camp Greene, Ashley Park, Enderly Park and others offer extremely affordable prices and access to the city’s premier Bargain Boulevard, Freedom Drive, which includes a bevy of discount grocery, department and thrift stores.
- David Aaron Moore
- These ceramic and stone kiosks on the far west edge of Wesley Heights (designed by artist Cheryl Foster) welcome residents and visitors to the city’s west side
Plaza Midwood
Charlotte’s Plaza Midwood neighborhood has a bit of a bohemian feel ,and it’s just a few minutes east of Uptown. Originally developed in the 1920s as Chatham Estates, two leading Charlotte families were at the forefront of the concept: the Victors and the Van Landinghams. One of several “streetcar suburbs,” most of the original residential spaces date from the 1920s, though the Depression and World War II halted a good deal of further construction until the 1950s, resulting in a broad mix of architectural style from Craftsman Bungalows to expansive Ranches. The area begins at Hawthorne Lane and Central Avenue and continues down Central to Briar Creek and Country Club and includes various neighborhoods on either side of Central. There’s a map on the neighborhood’s website that shows the specific details. Rental apartments can be very affordable, although homes for purchase lean toward the pricey end, especially if you’re a first-time buyer. There’s much to like about this area: It’s got restaurants and clubs, antique shops, parks and a diverse community that is active in arts and music.
NoDa
The North Davidson area, or NoDa, as it was rechristened during its rebirth at the turn of the 21st century, was a thriving mill district from 1903 to 1975. In the years that followed, much of the area fell into disrepair until the mid 1980s when a couple of young artists started a movement to reclaim the district. Today, it is frequently referred to as the place to be in Charlotte for its cool quotient, music and arts scene, charming retro housing that dates back to the 1900s, and a mix of old and young residents that make it one of the most popular places to live, work and play. Former mills converted to lofts and old-style mill housing add a much needed patina to the city’s otherwise glossy inner core. Residential prices can be high, but bargain fixer-uppers are still to be found.
Dilworth
Dilworth has some of the most amazing stately homes in the city. Originally conceived in 1891 by Edward Dilworth Latta as the very first streetcar suburb, the neighborhood experienced a second boom in 1911, resulting in a significant expanse full of (quite likely) the city’s best examples of Victorian and Tudor Revival homes. It was considered a prime residential district until the 1960s, when, like many other historic urban neighborhoods, it began to decay from lack of upkeep and original residents heading for the ‘burbs. By the 1970s, district planners, area business people and home owners banded together to refocus the Dilworth Community Development Association in an effort to revitalize the historic neighborhood. Purchase prices in Dilworth can be steep, but easily affordable rentals abound and access to the light rail, along with a mix of posh restaurants and shops, make it another good choice to live in the Queen City proper.
David Aaron Moore is the author of Charlotte: Murder, Mystery and Mayhem. His writings have appeared in numerous publications throughout the U.S. and Canada.
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This article appears in Dec 26, 2012 – Jan 1, 2013.
The old adage is true: ‘Ladies love Tudor Revival housing’. I’d sooner give up my car than give up my recessed entryways, lumbered exteriors, confident massings, and the signature semi-circular terrace steps.
Bargain Blvd. huh. Freedom Drive is a great place to be shot or perhaps run over a jay walking family with kids in strollers. It’s Charlotte’s own version of a third world country.
How often do you visit Freedom Drive, Lynn? Ever been shot at or ran over children in strollers? I haven’t, nor have I seen such. It’s preconceived, snobbish intolerance like this that has perpetuated disdain for Charlotte’s west side since before the dawn of the 20th century. Fortunately there’s a new breed of younger, broad-minded individuals who are welcoming this part of the city into the fold with respect and cultivating the rich character it has to offer. Third World, eh? Climb down off your pompous podium.
I wouldn’t call it visiting Freedom Drive, but I travel it every day. I grew up off of Freedom Drive and I am sickened every day by what it has become. I dodge people every day that I drive up and down Freedom Drive. I’ve nearly run over someone, including parents pushing strollers, on several occassions. I recently was nearly run over myself by police responding to some type of criminal activity taking place during mid day at the corner of Allegany and Freedom. No one has to tell me anything. I’ve been going up and down Freedom Drive for nearly fifty years now. I can see what has happened for myself, and it is not a pretty picture. Nothing is preconceived, nor am I pompous in any way. I was born and raised on the west side. I am a realist who is very capable of seeing for myself. Oh by the way, I haven’t been shot, but my gun was bigger than the carjacker that attempted to get in my car at Shomars on Freedom. Go tell it to someone who hasn’t been there to see it for themselves.
Crime occurs all over the city. People jaywalk, attempt carjacks and (like yourself) apparently feel intimidated by the world around them enough that they want to carry and boast about firearms. Singling out the west side as something less than the rest of the city because it isn’t the Leave It To Beaver World of 50 years ago is unrealistic. If the area disturbs you so much, why not move to a gated community and have your groceries delivered? If that option is unacceptable, in the meantime, consider this…you’re verbally bashing your roots and perpetuating an ugly stereotype. Why not consider doing something positive for the old home place, rather than criticizing it and those that call it home?
You have completely misinterpreted everything I have said. It’s people like you that push stereotypes. I love the west side. It is in my blood. It is everything I am. I am bashing no one. I just pointed a reality that people like you seem to be unwilling to face. That’s too bad. The facts are facts. What I pointed out about the Freedom Drive area is not a misconception. That is the truth whether you or I like it or not. You seem to know very little about why or how that part of the west side deterioated to the level it has. I know the politics of the pompous that intentially chose that corridor as a Section 8 haven. I know why the once prosperous neighborhoods lost their middle class status. My family has roots in that area going back to the 1920’s. Unlike your earlier inaccurate statement, the west side was not chosen to be a step child to the rest of the city until the 1950’s. I don’t know where you’re from or how long you’ve lived in Charlotte, but you would be foolish to judge me or my motives in stating my disapproval of the state of my old neighborhood. We could not fight the politicians when they chose to destroy our neighborhood, but I can surely be honest about the result of their actions.
I guess I should point out one further misguided stereotype on your part Mr. Johnson. I wouldn’t normally carry a gun unless I am traveling to an area where I may need it. The Freedom Drive area is most definitely an area any sane person should be careful and wary of their suroundings. I happen to be a paraplegic thant cannot very well run from from trouble. I am not going to feel intimidated traveling in my old neighborhood either. If my need to protect myself bothers you, too bad. Bury your head in the sand if you like. I’m going to do what I have to do to be as safe as possible.
Can I just say that you both have valid points? One would be dumb to completely sugarcoat the neighborhood and claim that crime isn’t above average there or that there’s not quite a bit of (sub)urban blight, BUT one would also be misleading to characterize it as the most dangerous area around. It is an area that SEEMS to be just starting to take the baby steps towards stabilizing and I think the article was acknowledging that and those people starting to give the area a shot. After all, Wesley Heights wouldn’t have belonged on this list 8 years ago either, but some people thought it was up-and-coming enough to start moving there.
I would totally agree with what you are saying. I have looked at buying in Wesley Heights myself. I saw the potential there 25 years ago. I suppose that unless one can remember the vibrancy of the restaurants and shopping centers as well as Freedom Mall, then you really can’t understand where I’m coming from. It was the best place in the world to grow up.But just yesterday, I saw two men exposing themselves at bus stops on Freedom Drive. I once again dodged a jay walker who has no respect for her own life. These are not things I made up or can ignore. I hope the neighborhood makes a comeback more than anyone. In the mean time, it is not a place I care to hang around with my mother.