Charlotte Population 2010: 731,424, #17 in U.S., #1 in North Carolina 1950: 134,042, #70 in U.S. 2010
Metropolitan Area: 1,758,038, #33 in U.S. 1950 Metropolitan Area: 197,052, #93 in U.S. Setting Charlotte was incorporated as a town in 1768 at the intersection of two Native American trading paths. The terms “Uptown” and “Downtown” are used somewhat interchangeably to mean the central business district of Charlotte. Buildings Tallest building: Bank of America Corporate Center, 871 feet (1992) List of tallest buildings Stores Charlotte
has no downtown department stores. The EpiCentre is a new development (2008) with shops, restaurants, and entertainment. Trains Amtrak's Crescent goes south to Atlanta and New Orleans, and north to New York City. The Carolinian and Piedmont also go between Charlotte and Raleigh. The Amtrak station (1961) is northeast of downtown. A new downtown station is planned. Lynx Blue Line is a 19-mile light rail system that began operation in
2007. It goes south from UNC Charlotte, through downtown, to the town of Pineville. The CityLynx Gold Line is a 1.5-mile streetcar that opened in 2015.
|  Downtown Charlotte (Photo by James Willamor) Museums The Levine Museum of the New South, the Light Factory Contemporary Museum of Photography and Film, Discovery Place, and the Mint Museum of Craft and Design are located downtown. Theaters The
EpiCentre has a five-screen movie theater. The Belk Theater at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center (1992) hosts the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Opera Carolina, and touring Broadway shows. The Actor's Theatre of Charlotte is also downtown. Sports The Charlotte Knights, Triple-A International League affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, play at BB&T Ballpark (2014). The NFL Carolina Panthers play at Bank of America Stadium (1996). The NBA Charlotte Hornets and the American Hockey League Charlotte Checkers play at Spectrum Center (2005).
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