The Streetcar Suburbs
Dilworth, Elizabeth, Myers Park, Plaza-Midwood and Eastover - “streetcar suburbs” that were part of Charlotte’s first significant expansion south and east of uptown, from about 1898 (Dilworth) to the 1930s (Eastover). Biddleville and Cherry also rank as two of Charlotte’s oldest historical neighborhoods. Highlights: Restored “front-porch” neighborhoods with traditional sidewalks (with a strip of grass between the street and the walk), eclectic shops and eateries, particularly along East and South boulevards in Dilworth (South End, a trendy area of warehouses-turned-retail/restaurants, is the biggest draw), Central Avenue in Midwood and East Seventh Street in Elizabeth. Parts of Dilworth and Midwood have been designated as historic districts.
Myers Park and Eastover were built as the city’s first high-end “suburbs” and still are the best places to run into well-heeled Charlotte natives.
Look for: Freedom Park on East Boulevard, the largest green space near the central city, and Independence Park, a smaller but closer park that straddles Hawthorne Lane along East Seventh Street. Also, the Queens Road labyrinth with its canopy of willow oaks in Myers Park - one of the city’s most beautiful areas. The odd corner of “Queens and Queens” came from connecting the old streetcar lines.
