Southern suburbs are jammed with appeal

Schools known for their academic quality. Leafy, affordable neighborhoods. A trove of things to see and do.

Those are among the attractions that help explain the enduring popularity of the city's southern suburbs, where newcomers can find fancy shopping, historic small towns – and some of the headaches that come with rapid growth.

Major areas include:

This fast-growing town of about 28,000 in southeast Mecklenburg has come a long way since the 1800s, when it was known as “Stumptown” for all the stumps the tree-clearing settlers left behind.

Today, it's home to the corporate headquarters of Family Dollar and Harris Teeter – along with an array of good schools and tight-knit neighborhoods. A branch of Presbyterian Hospital opened here in 1994.

The farmers' market is held in the middle of Matthews' historic downtown on Saturday mornings throughout the summer. And on Saturday nights from late May through July, the town hosts free movies and concerts at Stumptown Park.

Each Labor Day weekend brings the Matthews Alive festival, a four-day family event featuring rides, music, food and crafts.

This town in eastern Mecklenburg County, first settled in 1750, is now home to just over 20,000 residents – and a lot of new development. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is scheduled to open a new high school here in fall 2010.

A new mall, The Bridges at Mint Hill, is planned for Lawyers Road near I-485. The mall has been delayed by economic and environmental concerns, but developers say the project is still a go.

Each Saturday evening throughout the month of June, Mint Hill hosts June Tunes at town hall – a chance for residents and visitors to enjoy the sounds of N.C. musicians.

A popular shopping destination, Pineville is home to the six-million-square-foot Carolina Place Mall – and to many antique shops in its historic downtown.

The town's population more than doubled since 2000 – to about 7,400 residents.

History buffs will want to visit the James K. Polk state historic site, a memorial to the nation's 11th president, who was born in Pineville in 1795.

On Friday nights, every two weeks throughout the summer, the town sponsors "Rockin' and Reelin," a free outdoor music and film series.

Be sure to check out the Waldhorn Restaurant, a good place for traditional and contemporary German food from a family with German roots and experience.

Southeast of Mecklenburg, this once-rural area has become North Carolina's fastest-growing county.

From 2000 to 2008, the county's population grew 56 percent to more than 190,000. Affordable homes, relatively low taxes and schools with high academic ratings have helped fuel the growth.

But the expansion has come with a cost: increasingly crowded roads and schools.

The county has 14 towns scattered among its corn fields, chicken farms and horse stables. The towns closest to Mecklenburg – including Stallings and Weddington – are the fastest-growing areas, though eastern parts of the county are also attracting new residents.

Each spring, thousands flock to the southern Union County town of Mineral Springs to watch the Queen's Cup Steeplechase.

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