Visit the South End by etfromnc
The area known as the South End is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Charlotte. It was in decline for many years but is adjacent to several very prestigious neighborhoods and has now become one of the "must visit" areas in Charlotte. Property values have skyrocketed here. In my youth Dilworth, which makes up most of the South End (although the terms are not completely interchangeable), was a mixture of industry (the bus barn and the original Lance cracker factory), professional offices (my pediatrician), rooming houses (our first home in Charlotte was in the very heart of what is now the South End), the original Charlotte "Hornets" stadium (They were a minor league baseball team.), and many deteriorating but still delightful older homes with lots of gingerbread, widow's walks, and other delightful 19th and early 20th Century architectural features. About 10 - 15 years ago someone must have realized that you could get a lot of space and beauty in a home near some of our more upscale neighborhoods at a relatively low cost. (You cannot do that anymore.)
If you do not live there, the primary reason for going to the South End today would be to eat. You can find just about any kind, price and quality of food there, ranging from Thai to Mexican, cheapest to most expensive, and the quality also varies almost as much, although the mediocre food tends to be a bit more expensive here than elsewhere in town.
Others would say the number is greater but I would say that at least two of the top ten restaurants in Charlotte (McIntosh's and Sullivan's) are in the South End. I tend to get very demanding when the prices go up but I have never been disappointed at either of these fine steakhouses, except by the sparseness of decent parking. Both have valet parking available but I cannot help but feel that this is just an unnecessary addition to an already dear price for your dinner, or lunch. There is also a wide range of shopping opportunities in the South End, although the national chains seem to be very conveniently missing.
