Charlotte then and now

Posted by Cindy on October 5, 2009

Charlotte, North Carolina is a beautiful, warm and charming place to visit. I was surprised at how friendly everyone was, every where we went. I can not argue that southern hospitality is not alive and well in Charlotte.

Our stay in a Charlotte luxury hotels was perfect and relaxing. Everything was right from the friendly staff, the clean and nicely decorated rooms made for a nice stay over all.

Charlotte is a quaint city with a beautiful and varied architectural styles. Beginning in 1755 with the building of a house by Thomas Polk at the intersection of two native trading paths. The north south path was part of the Great Wagon Trail that stretched from the northern states through to Florida. This route brought many new settlers though the area, some which stayed, on their way further south. The east west rout is approximately where Trade Street runs currently. The settlement grew steadily in the subsequent decade and became known as Charlotte Town and was incorporated in 1768. By 1770 surveyors had marked off the grid pattern that is the basis for the street layout in Charlotte today.

Charlotte latter served as encampments for both British and American soldiers during the Revolutionary War. Charlotte was nearly destroyed during the Civil War. Post Civil War Charlotte experienced its first boom with the combination of cotton production and being a rail hub. The boom has reinvigorated the city once again as it is referred to as the Wall Street of the South, as many large financial institutions have headquartered themselves there.

Today Charlotte is a mixture of pre Revolutionary quaintness, Antebellum charm and modern high tech. Plain steel and glass towers are contrasted by carved stone and ornate wooden Victorian architecture. Charming streets line with magnolia streets carefully manicured lawns and gardens of  southern splendor abound just out side the cities core. Charlotte is a wonderful city to visit for culture, history or business.