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Defined by the I-277 freeway loop, this square mile represents the original city.  Almost nothing old remains but the 1790s grid system of streets and the 19th-century names for four political wards.  Uptown is largely shiny, new and bank-oriented.  In the past few years, North Tryon and North College streets have become weekend nighttime hot spots, with restaurants, bars and trendy/artsy clubs.  An even bigger change is the housing rebirth.  Fourth Ward - the Victorian pocket neighborhood with some of the city's oldest remaining homes - has been a show-place for years.  Today, upscale condominiums, apartments and some single-family houses have sprouted uptown, creating a new boom of urbanites.

Dilworth, Elizabeth, Myers Park , Plaza-Midwood and Eastover -"streetcar suburbs" that were part of Charlotte 's first significant expansion south and east of Uptown, from about 1898 (Dilworth) to the 1930s (Eastover).  The area highlights restored "front-porch" neighborhoods, eateries and shops, particularly along East and South boulevards in Dilworth.

South End, a trendy area of warehouses-turned-retail/restaurants and a new trolley line is a big draw.  Shops and quaint restaurants thrive on Central Avenue in Plaza-Midwood and East Seventh Street in Elizabeth.  Parts of Dilworth and Midwood are designated historic districts.  Myers Park and Eastover were the city's first "high-end suburbs" and are still the best places to run into well-heeled Charlotte natives.

Big lake, small towns.  Lake Norman was created in 1963 when Duke Power Company dammed the Catawba River to fuel its hydroelectric power plants.  The past two decades have seen a development explosion of luxury and middle-class housing for three historic towns – Davidson (home of Davidson College), Cornelius and Huntersville.  The center of Cornelius once was a textile mill; today it has moved west to the I-77 interchange, the gateway to Mecklenburg's Lake Norman development.  Davidson has fiercely resisted commercial development and promoted an image of a well-heeled college town.  Huntersville, an old railroad depot, has expanded with commuters, suburban shopping centers & subdivisions.

From the Southpark mall area to Ballantyne, from Matthews to Pineville, this is Charlotte 's "fertile crescent."  It's where to find the city's fancy shopping and golf resorts.  This quadrant continues to attract developers and families alike.  Homes range from 1960s brick ranches to neighborhoods filled with new brick and stucco mansionettes.

Charlotte's link to the South's textile past, dotted with old cotton mills, warehouses, rail lines and trucking depots.  The area's commercial core - around North Davidson and 36th streets - is historic North Charlotte.  The "main streets'' for the old mill villages which sprang up earlier this century are still around.  Here you'll find the NoDa (for North Davidson) artists' district.  As housing and office costs zoom around uptown, artists, new homebuyers and investors have flocked to the eclectic, booming area.

Bordered by the airport on the north, I-77 to the east, the Catawba River/Lake Wylie to the west and South Carolina to the south, the southwestern chunk of the county is beginning to attract developers in both North and South Carolina.  Much of Lake Wylie 's residential development was on the South Carolina side, but has spread to Mecklenburg's lakefront.

Once a cow pasture and rural byways, with the University of North Carolina Charlotte (chartered in 1960) plunked in the middle.  Today, UNCC is spreading with subdivisions and shopping centers opening monthly.  This area is also home to many corporate headquarters, making it a popular area to those desiring a short commute to their work.