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About Uptown
Uptown The center of Charlotte is known as Uptown but locals still call it
downtown. In the 19th century, Uptown was divided into four political wards, and
today the First and Fourth Wards are largely residential, with Fourth Ward
housing the majority of Charlotte's remaining 19th century Queen Anne
architecture. At the center of Uptown is the Square, the intersection of Trade
and Tryon Streets and the point at which all four wards converge. Uptown is home
to the majority of the city's skyscrapers, as well as Bank of America Stadium
(home of the Carolina Panthers) and the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. Johnson & Wales
University, the Museum of the New South, Discovery Place, and the Mint Museum of
Craft + Design are also located Uptown, along with the government district for
both Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte. Uptown Charlotte is currently
in the midst of a construction and developmental boom, with numerous high-rise
buildings under construction, as well as major retail and cultural projects.
Charlotte center city (also known as Uptown Charlotte) is the area comprising
the township and original city of Charlotte, North Carolina. Its numerical
distinction within the county is 1 (of 15). Its official distinction would be
Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., North Carolina.
The area, bounded by the Belk and Brookshire freeways (the I-277 loop), is
further broken down into four wards. Of them, First, Third, and Fourth Wards
have residential areas. The Second Ward is made up primarily of city and county
government offices. The residential population of the center city is
approximately 10,000.
Uptown is where Charlotte's business sector is located, largely made up of
banking and other financial service industries. About 55,000 people work in
Charlotte's center city. The headquarters for the Fortune 500 companies: Bank of
America, Duke Energy, and Wachovia are located there. Museums, sporting venues,
hotels, restaurants, and bars are heavily concentrated in uptown as well.
First Ward was recently one of the most dangerous areas in Charlotte, but
because of recent revitalization under a HUD HOPE VI grant, it has become one of
the more desirable. Many new developments are planned and under construction.
The most noticeable development is the new Charlotte Bobcats Arena. UNC
Charlotte is planning to build a new academic building in the First Ward as part
of an urban village project being developed by Levine Properties. The current
plans for the urban village include a 4 acre park, 450,000 sq. feet of office
space, 2,700 residential units, 250 hotel rooms, 250,000 sq. feet of retail
space, and 450,000 sq. feet of civic space. Current attractions include: Spirit
Square, ImaginOn Children's Learning Center, Levine Museum of the New South, and
the Mint Museum of Craft and Design.
Second ward is the location of Charlotte's "Government District" and will be the
location of the new NASCAR Hall of Fame. Second Ward used to be the location of
the predominantly African American neighborhood Brooklyn before urban renewal
took place. Many new developments are under construction or proposed. EpiCentre,
a mixed use entertainment and retail complex, is under construction on the site
of the old Charlotte convention center.
Third Ward is a namely residential neighborhood that boasts Johnson & Wales
University and Bank of America Stadium. A 1.5 million sq foot mixed-use
development. Wachovia is currently working on a very ambitious project that will
include cultural, office, and residential.
Fourth Ward is mostly residential and has many beautiful Victorian homes. New
development is occurring with high rise condominium towers and the North
Carolina Music Factory, an entertainment complex.
Though many feel that the term "Uptown Charlotte" is a new term in the last 10
years, local residents from three or more generations past will attest to having
called the center city area Uptown their entire lives. This is due to the main
intersection in the original center city, Trade St. & Tryon St., having been the
point of highest elevation. When people would come from outlying areas to the
city, they would say they were going 'up to town', a phrase that was eventually
shortened to 'Uptown'. Despite this, there are many who steadfastly believe that
center-city Charlotte was called "Downtown" up until 10 years ago when there was
a concerted effort to rename it "Uptown" by various groups that had come from
outside Charlotte. These people feel that this was an attempt to improve the
city's image. Unfortunately, that argument is illogical due to the history of
calling the area Uptown that exists throughout the region.