Streetcar suburbs offer diversity and history

There's a great reason to live in one of the historic “streetcar suburbs” that ring uptown Charlotte – walkability.

I've lived in Elizabeth for five years. It's one of the neighborhoods built originally to accommodate trolley commuting. A trolley is headed back to Elizabeth, as the many restaurants and businesses along Elizabeth Avenue in front of Presbyterian Hospital can attest (don't let the road construction scare you – the restaurants are worth visiting).

More development is promised in the area, though the economy has stalled plans for a first-run movie theater and other amenities.

Without getting into a car, I can be at any of a dozen or so eateries or live music venues, including the Visulite Theatre, 1615 Elizabeth Ave. I can also walk to my favorite nail salon and video store, Visart on Seventh Street. The city's oldest park – Independence Park, home to a beautiful rose garden – is my front yard. Central Piedmont Community College is a neighbor.

I'm also charmed by the mix of housing, including many renovated historic homes and new townhomes, and the ample greenery and gardens maintained by the tight-knit residents. I can be at work in five minutes, and I'm also convenient to a bus line.

Charlotte has many beautiful outlying neighborhoods, but you'll find that in the streetcar suburbs you're close to every amenity the others offer (thanks to the big-box shopping now available at Metropolitan at Midtown, home to a Target, Best Buy and Trader Joe's, among others). The other streetcar suburbs include:

This former mill neighborhood has been transformed into a funky arts district with galleries, eateries and performance venues. On the first and third Fridays of the month, Friday Gallery Crawl is a great time to pay a visit (combined with dinner at Cabo Fish Taco and wine at Dolce Vita wine bar, both on North Davidson Street).

The city's oldest streetcar suburb, it's known for its renovated bungalows, churches and leafy streets. East Boulevard, its main road, is home to the annual Yiasou Greek Festival each September. The South End district follows South Boulevard and the city's light rail line.

This neighborhood of turn-of-the-century bungalows has been up-and-coming for urban pioneers, mostly due to its proximity to trendy South End.

There is no better introduction to Charlotte than a drive down Queens Road in Myers Park, where some of the city's grandest homes are framed by a canopy of willow oaks. Myers Park emerged from a cotton farm in south Charlotte in 1911, when landscape architect John Nolen was hired to create a "garden suburb."

Close to the million-dollar homes of Myers Park, this community of renovated bungalows, public housing and boarded-up buildings is the city's oldest surviving black neighborhood. The nearby Metropolitan Midtown has helped jump-start a revival here.

Developed on two dairy farms southeast of center city, Eastover was the first Charlotte suburb with driveways for "motorcars." Residents over the years have included banker Hugh McColl Jr. and the late department store scion John Belk. A landmark is the Mint Museum of Art, 2730 Randolph Road.

East of uptown, Plaza Midwood is a hip neighborhood of restored bungalows, funky shops and eateries. On Central Avenue, you'll find tattoo parlors, antique shops, pawn shops, clothing boutiques and a bookstore. Try fried dill pickles at The Penguin, 1921 Commonwealth Ave., or breakfast at Zada Jane's, 1601 Central Ave.

Developed around 1920, this neighborhood on Charlotte's northwest side is a designated historic district in the shadow of the city's skyline, with Dilworth-style bungalows.

This northwest Charlotte suburb off Beatties Ford Road was developed in 1913 for middle-income blacks. It's home to the historic Excelsior Club at 921 Beatties Ford Road, a gathering place that has nurtured generations of black leaders since it opened in 1944.

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