by Joshua Greene

Created on: April 26, 2009   Last Updated: November 08, 2010

In Mecklenburg County of North Carolina, there lies the 19th largest city in the United States. With a proper population of 716,874; and a metropolitan area population of an estimated 1.7 million people, Charlotte, NC has become an important and crucial part of North Carolina.

With the housing market in turmoil and the economy taking a turn for the worse, real estate has truly become a buyer's market, as there are more people who are sadly unable to afford a new home as they must cut back spending. This has left plenty of opportunity open to people seeking a new home however, and Charlotte, NC is ripe with these opportunities.

Charlotte has become a very important city to many circles of individuals. It was the birthplace of Billy Graham and is known locally by many as "The City of Churches". Charlotte proper even claims to have more the 700 places of worship. As you could guess, there are a majority of evangelical and protestant Christian churches in Charlotte, the faiths that find Billy Graham the most popular. There are also a good share of Catholic churches, as well as Islamic mosques and Jewish temples.

Many recognize Charlotte for its importance to NASCAR. It is the home to Lowe's Motor Speedway and the soon to be finished NASCAR Hall of Fame. Thousands of people attend the Speedway for Race Day. They also attend over 350 other events held at the raceway every year. Along with the speedway, Another interesting thing in Charlotte is the North Carolina Transportation Museum. This museum is home to a collection of over 30 maintained locomotives. It also has a heritage railroad, where the past is reenacted in front of your eyes while riding an older locomotive.

Many interesting neighborhoods and subdivisions exist in Charlotte. A key one is Sherwood Forest. This neighborhood is home to many ranch-style homes, often time with a brick or wood exterior. It is quite a nice neighborhood with homes that currently have an asking price in the $300,000 range. Not only is the neighborhood nice, but it also has fun with it's street names. In Sherwood Forest, you will find some streets that are named based from the stories of Robin Hood. You might have to drive down Nottingham Dr. to fill up your tank.

Found south of Uptown/Downtown Charlotte, you'll find Dilworth, a neighborhood consisting of many Bungalow type homes, and also a few bigger 2-story Colonial houses. These houses usually have asking prices between a high $100 or a low $300 for a more modest priced home in comparison to Sherwood Forest. Dilworth is also home to the largest hospital in Charlotte, "Carolinas Medical Center"

For anyone's shopping needs there are more than 8 shopping malls in Charlotte proper alone, with many more existing in the neighboring subdivisions. Also, many of the suburban areas have their own downtowns that host a good amount of shopping opportunity, and might I add a number of quality dining options.

Charlotte is a very important city in North Carolina, has a rich culture standing behind its pride in sports and its history, and good homes in good neighborhoods. It has a lot to offer to any individual trying to buy a home.

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