If the everyday "hustle and bustle" of the city does not sound appealing, perhaps a home in northeast Charlotte is more welcoming. This area of Charlotte offers challenging elementary and secondary schools for kindergarten through 12th grade students and is the home of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the North Carolina Research Campus. This research campus is a massive scientific and economic revitalization project that was made possible by cooperation among several campuses of the University of North Carolina, including UNC Charlotte.

New neighborhoods are quickly being developed due to the high housing demands in this area, but there are also older, more traditional homes. There are plenty of older farmhouses still in use, offering a peaceful, rural feel to this part of Charlotte. From these neighborhoods, people can easily get to the popular "NASCAR" automobile race track called Lowe's Motor Speedway, live music concerts at the outdoor Verizon Amphitheater and shopping at many new enclosed "malls," such as Concord Mills Mall. When you want to get back to the "hustle and bustle" of things, Uptown Charlotte is just a 15-minute drive south on Tryon Street.

Do you long for the "cosmopolitan lifestyle"? Charlotte's Uptown offers modern restaurants, museums, nightclubs and multi-story "high-rise" condominiums. The morning commute to work for people who live here is made easy by free trolley-like buses that run throughout the center of the city. Business professionals of all ages and races commute to uptown Charlotte from surrounding neighborhoods to work or enjoy a wide variety of entertainment. But commuting from a distant neighborhood does not appeal to everyone; some people prefer to live Uptown. The residential buildings offer a modern approach to living in a condominium. The first "high-rise" came to Charlotte in the early 2000s. By early 2007, there were 16 projects under way for new residential and business complexes. Just south of Uptown is an area known as the South End. This area was started in the 1850s with Charlotte's first trolley line that created the first "suburb" for the growing city. The South End's industrial area declined during the 1970s and 1980s. It later revived in the early 1990s as restaurants, shops, and home design-related industries began to renovate the old mills and warehouses. In this neighborhood you will find the Historic Charlotte Trolley Museum. Now, the restored trolley system has been replaced with Charlotte's first modern "light rail" train. But future plans include brining the historic trolleys back to run along the same tracks during non-rush-hour periods to blend nostalgia for the past with the demands of today.

Tree-lined streets, "cozy" homes, and "mom-and-pop" restaurants. Do you like the sound of that?

If it does sound appealing, then you must visit the Queen City's Selwyn, Dilworth, Sedgefield, Freedom Park, Elizabeth, Grier Heights and Chantilly historic neighborhoods. The streets of these neighborhoods feature stately, mature oak trees, sidewalks and houses with front porches, where home-owners often sit in rocking chairs and greet their neighbors as they walk by. The homes are primarily "bungalows" with many larger, two-story homes in the "Colonial Revival" architectural style. Because these neighborhoods were developed in the early 1900s, the trees have had time to mature, creating an inviting canopy over the streets. Many of the roads in these neighborhoods are "pedestrian-friendly" with sidewalks wide enough for runners and families with children to walk comfortably out of the way of the automobiles. But do not let the outer appearance deceive you! Although the outside may be over 100 years old, many new owners have kept the original frame and structure of the house and renovated the inside by polishing the original hardwood floors, adding granite counter tops in the kitchens and adding rooms to increase the size of the home. Some of the homes in this community are registered historic landmarks.

"Welcome. Willkommen. Bienvenidos. 欢迎. Bienvenue Benvenuto. ようこそ. Saúdo. 오신 것을 환영합니다"

These welcoming greetings in nine languages appear on signs along the main road leading from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, located on the west side of town, toward the center of the Queen City. The signs provide a glimpse of Charlotte's welcoming Southern hospitality. Among the neighborhoods in Charlotte's western area is Biddleville, one of the oldest predominantly African-American neighborhoods in Charlotte. Biddleville is located two miles west of Uptown and Interstate 77, along Beatties Ford Road. The community is home to Johnson C. Smith University, a historically black college once called the Biddle Institute. The Institute was founded with funds donated by Mary Biddle, the widow of an officer from the Northern state of Pennsylvania who died in the Civil War between Northern and Southern states that lasted from 1861-1865. The initial purpose of the school was to educate African-Americans to become "preachers" and teachers. Biddleville grew into a supporting community of the Institute and was distinctly separate from Charlotte until it was annexed by the city in the early 1900s. Biddleville's population continues to be predominately African-American.

The Arboretum is an area in the southern part of Charlotte that is home to neighborhoods with names such as Providence Plantation, Hempstead, Beverly Crest and Raintree. The area's name comes from the abundance of trees in the area. Much like other areas of Charlotte, since the early 1990s, the Arboretum has grown quickly. Arboretum residents enjoy the area's mix of shopping centers, restaurants, apartments, office buildings and medical parks. The original Arboretum shopping center is home to Charlotte's first Wal-Mart store. The center of the neighborhood is at Routes 16 and 51, and the community is bordered by the South Park neighborhood to the northwest, the Ballantyne area to the southwest and the towns of Matthews and Mint Hill to the east.

South Park is one of the Queen City's fastest growing neighborhoods. It is adjacent to the historic neighborhoods near the South End and close to many new developments in southeast Charlotte. In this "ritzy" neighborhood you can find different standards of living, such as condos, renovated older homes and new residential and business complexes. The booming business in South Park employs over 40,000 people. The South Park Mall, one of the largest shopping malls in the Carolinas, offers the latest styles in fashion, including internationally-known brands such as Tiffany & Co., Puma, Lacoste, Burberry and Louis Vuitton.

Want to play golf where some of the best players in the world play? Travel southeast along Providence Road or Johnston Road to find premier golf courses. Quail Hollow, one of the prominent neighborhoods in this sector of Charlotte, hosts the Wachovia Championship of the PGA (Professional Golfers Association) Tournament. This tournament is seen around the world and attracts many visitors to the Queen City. Some of golf's big names, including Tiger Woods, visit Charlotte to play on this challenging course. This area also offers some of the best primary and secondary schools in the county.

Words cannot describe Charlotte's historic district North of Davidson Street, artistically known as NoDa. The area is a popular living and entertainment destination for a growing population of young people involved in art and music. During Friday night "gallery crawls," the streets are packed with people from all walks of life "crawling" in and out of the galleries admiring art and live music at the restaurants and bars. The music is usually performed by local bands and artists. And if money is in short supply, there are plenty of street musicians playing music and plenty of undiscovered painters working on their latest works of art to observe for free as you walk around with your friends or pets. If your canine friend "Fido" insists on hanging out, take him to the local dog bar, where you can enjoy a beer and Fido can be a socialite with his kind all at the same time. Formerly an area of textile manufacturing and mill workers' residences, this area has become one of the top picks for housing among young professionals, artists and real estate investors.

Try something new in the east side of Charlotte. Many of the area's small businesses and restaurants are owned by people of international origin. For example, many people from Latin American countries have made the east side of Charlotte their home. Easy access to public transportation and close proximity to Uptown make this area of the Queen City a convenient place to live. Plaza-Midwood, one of Charlotte's most diverse and eclectic neighborhoods, is filled with art galleries, "funky" stores and restaurants representing the ethnic diversity of its citizens. These neighborhoods are a renaissance of the former inner-ring suburbs of old Charlotte. Apartments are a common form of housing where people rent their living space instead of owning it. They are able to use the facilities of the apartment complex, such as swimming pools and machines for washing and drying clothes. Eastbound State Highway 74 offers an easy gateway to reach beach destinations in less than four hours from east Charlotte.

Travel southeast to the Ballantyne area, another one of Charlotte's "posh" neighborhoods. Many of the area's residents are "transplants" from other parts of the United States. These transplants like the Southern charm of Charlotte while enjoying everything a cosmopolitan city has to offer. The The Ballantyne Resort, located on the corner of Johnston Road and Ballantyne Commons Parkway, offers visitors an opportunity to stay in a "five-star" hotel along with famous movie actors. The Dana Radar School of Golf in Ballantyne is rated one of the top 25 golf schools in the country.

North and south of Charlotte you can enjoy fishing or riding a boat, a personal water craft or an inner-tube in the area's lakes. North of Charlotte is Lake Norman, a large man-made lake that is home to major electrical power plants. Lakefront properties here are usually expensive and are likely to have yachts, speed boats or jet skis parked at their private docks. At the other end of the county is Lake Wylie. Much like Lake Norman, Lake Wylie is a man-made lake developed by Duke Energy that has become home to many water lovers. These lakes have several places with public access, so all citizens can enjoy a hot summer day in the water. If you would rather play at night, pack a cooler and head to the lakes for an all-night trout fishing excursion.