Extending from the southern side of the I-277 freeway loop south of Uptown, Historic South End extends along South Boulevard toward I-485. Just a few minutes south of Uptown Charlotte, it has been reborn as an arts and entertainment district. It is currently one of the city's fastest-developing districts, primarily due to the placement of a light rail line along South Blvd.

 

The South End has its beginning in the 1850's with Charlotte's first railroad line, connecting the Queen City to Columbia and Charleston, SC. As time passed, a thriving manufacturing community sprang up along the tracks centered on the booming textile industry. The industrial area declined during the 1970s and 1980s, only to be revived in the early 1990s as restaurants, shops, and design-related industries discovered the old mills and warehouses. The area is notable for the number of renovated factories and eclectic mix of retail, commercial and high end residential construction. The Design Center of the Carolinas is located in the Historic Nebel Knitting Mill.

 

For more information about the area, please visit the Find Your Center website about the South End area.