Living in West and Northwest Charlotte

The west and northwest regions of Charlotte include urban areas near Charlotte’s Uptown and extend west to the Gaston County line, northwest to Mountain Island Lake and north to Lake Norman. Real estate listings are in areas 8 and 9. In west Charlotte, you’ll find some of the most reasonable housing prices in the city. As you travel farther into the northwestern portion of the county, you’ll encounter some of the most unspoiled beauty in the entire Charlotte area.

In town, this area offers easy access to Uptown, interstates and other major thoroughfares, including Wilkinson Boulevard, West Trade Street, Beatties Ford Road and Statesville Road. You’ll find reasonably priced bungalow-style homes in some quaint, older neighborhoods near downtown. Wesley Heights, just across I-77 from Uptown, is one of Charlotte’s earliest streetcar suburbs. Named a National Register Historic District, Wesley Heights is characterized by its tree-lined streets and bungalows as well as Tudor and Colonial Revival homes, similar to those in Dilworth. Although home prices in Wesley Heights are nearing those of other urban neighborhoods like Dilworth and Plaza-Midwood, you can still find a fixer-upper for around $200,000. Wesley Heights‘ Lela Court offers new townhomes priced from $160,000 to more than $200,000.

Near the center of town is Johnson C. Smith University, located off West Trade Street. Founded in 1867, the university is a private, historically black, four-year liberal arts institution located on a 100-acre campus within blocks of Uptown Charlotte. The school is hailed by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top ten best comprehensive colleges in the South. JCSU offers 1,500 students academically progressive programs that lead to a bachelor of science, bachelor of arts or a bachelor of social work degree. The school recently completed a $6.6-million restoration of Biddle Memorial Hall, a 120-year-old administration building that has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

City services are brought closer to the community at the Adam Service Area Center on Wilkinson Boulevard. This mini-city hall is an outpost for police, but also is staffed to provide a number of city services, including a place to pay water bills or purchase a pet license. The Beatties Ford Road Library houses a significant collection of print, media and electronic materials on African-American history and culture as well as a community meeting room and computers . Nearby, the Irwin Creek and Stewart’s Creek greenways compose a two-mile trail that winds through the Wesley Heights neighborhood to Uptown, linking Bruns Avenue Elementary to Ray’s Splash Planet and Frazier Park.

Moving westward and northwestward from the city, the area takes on a spacious, rural feel. Coulwood, off Belhaven Boulevard and Mount Holly Road, is a semi-rural area near Pine Island Country Club. There are new developments with moderate to upscale home prices along Mount Holly-Huntersville Road. Further north towards Lake Norman, Hopewell High School, near the intersection of Neck Road and Beatties Ford Road, is the first high school built in the area since 1950, when North Mecklenburg High was built on Old Statesville Road. The new facility eases crowding at North Mecklenburg High School.

In the most northwestern part of the county, you’ll find Mountain Island Lake, the source of water for numerous area municipalities, including Charlotte. The Trust for Public Land has purchased more than 2,000 acres of the Mountain Island Lake watershed in Gaston, Mecklenburg and Lincoln counties to preserve the area from development and protect drinking water. On its shores, Latta Plantation Park covers 1,290 acres off Beatties Ford Road, making it the largest park in Mecklenburg County. Once a vast plantation, the park includes Latta Place, a restored 19th-century federal-style home with interpretive programs to show visitors what life was like on a cotton plantation in early 19th-century North Carolina. Latta Plantation Park also offers hiking and horseback riding trails, canoe rentals and fishing permits. Latta Equestrian Center is a 25-acre facility equipped with show grounds, lighted arenas, horse rentals, trail rides and horseback riding lessons within Latta Plantation Park. Nearby is the renowned Carolina Raptor Center, a rehabilitation facility for birds of prey that includes exhibits, programs and a gift shop.

Lake Norman draws homeowners looking to combine the relaxed atmosphere of lake living with the work opportunities offered in Charlotte. The manmade lake is the state’s largest and it helps generate hydroelectric power for locally based Duke Energy. It also provides boundless recreational opportunities including boating, skiing, sailing and fishing.

As you move up I-77 and closer to Lake Norman, you’ll encounter more shopping and higher-density housing. Many popular subdivisions have sprung up near the exits of I-77, which provides a direct route to Uptown Charlotte. Birkdale, to the west on Sam Furr Road, offers luxury homes in a golf-course community, and Birkdale Village is an urban, mixed-use development of apartments, cafés, shops and restaurants. NorthCross, on Sam Furr Road and I-77, is another popular shopping destination that provides well-stocked grocery stores, restaurants, quaint shops and big-box retailers as well as the North County Regional Library. New road and transit projects will help people get around as development continues. The state is widening I-77, finishing construction of I-485 and anticipates having light rail within the next decade.