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| History and Description of the Metropolitan Charlotte, North Carolina Regional Area - Search Home and House Property Listings |
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Charlotte is one of the fastest growing world-class cities with attractive, affordable housing. Its moderate climate provides ample sunshine for avid golfers, tennis players and other outdoor activities. And, if you're a waterfront enthusiast, you'll find a chain of lakes to boat and live on.  The
strong local economy, excellent quality of life and schools are drawing
new residents from all over the country. Home prices are moderate with
a wide selection of housing styles. Prices range from less than $100,000
for a single-family home or townhouse to more than $1 million for custom
homes and estates. As the nation's fifth largest urban region, Charlotte's location in the center of the "Tar Heel" state gives residents nearly unlimited accessibility. Interstates 77 and 85, which intersect in Charlotte, link the city with the Great Lakes region, New England, and Florida. Interstate 40, running coast-to-coast across the United States, is only an hour north of Charlotte. A two-hour journey to the west takes you to the Blue Ridge Mountains; a three-and-a-half hour trip to the east, to Atlantic beaches. Within an hour's drive east of the city are some of the world's best golf courses. With a sunny, moderate climate and a central location, Charlotte has attracted nearly 300 of the top Fortune 500 companies and more than 340 foreign firms. It is the nation's second largest banking center. The same qualities that appeal to visitors have made Charlotte one of the Southeast's premier places to live. More than 500,000 people reside within the city's borders with approximately 1.3 million within the metro area.  Charlotte
serves as an international gateway to the Carolinas with non-stop/direct
service to nine international destinations including Bermuda, Mexico,
United Kingdom, Jamaica, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, the Netherlands and Canada.
The airport, Charlotte/Douglas International, serves over 160 cities
with non-stop service and 500 flights daily. Located just 15 minutes
from the City Center, the airport is convenient to a multitude of sights
and attractions. Charlotte is a virtual cornucopia of restaurants and clubs. For a glimpse of the variety of food and entertainment venues, take a stroll down Tryon Street or a trolley tour through the South End district. If a movie is more your style, check out the Omnimax Theatre at Discovery. And for a really big show, try a concert at one of our numerous stadiums or a Broadway play at the N.C. Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. For sports fans, Charlotte is home to the NFL Carolina Panthers, NBA Charlotte Hornets, WNBA Charlotte Sting, Lowe's Motor Speedway and more. For history buffs, artisans or shop-a-holics, the city has plenty to offer including the Charlotte Museum of History or Historic Fourth Ward; the Mint Museum of Craft & Design and Tryon Center for Visual Arts; or the numerous discount outlet malls and high-end specialty shops in and around the Charlotte area. The history of the city dates back some 250 years when Scots-Irish pilgrims traveled the Great Wagon Road from Philadelphia. They stopped at the crossroads of two Indian trading paths east of the Catawba River and built a settlement. As friends and neighbors joined them, the community grew to several hundred residents.  In
1768, the town was incorporated and named in honor of the wife of King
George III, the reigning English monarch. Local citizens also honored
Queen Charlotte when they named their new county Mecklenburg after her
German homeland. That's why Charlotte is called the "Queen City."The discovery of a 17-pound gold nugget in 1799 began a proliferation of mines and an influx of prospectors here. A Charlotte branch of the U.S. Mint was established in 1837. The boom was short-lived, however, as strike-it-richers and other opportunists followed the call to California a few years later. After gold's boom and bust, the cotton industry brought prosperity to the region, and with it came the railroads, followed by the interstate highway system and the airport. |
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