One thing newbies in Charlotte find exceptionally confusing about this city is just driving around it. There are lots of ways to get from one place to another but it seems like Charlotte just loops around.
Take a drive on any of Charlotte’s major thoroughfares and you will find that you’ve driving on three, four and maybe even five different streets without ever once taken a turn. You could start on Idlewild Road then Rama Road find out you are on Sardis Road and before you know it Fairview which changes to Tyvola. There are other roads that abruptly change names without any rhyme or reason like Alexander Road and Rea Road.
A lot of streets in Charlotte have similar names, which is also confusing. There are Providence Road, Providence Lane, Sardis Road and Sardis Lane. New drivers in Charlotte will find that these road cross each other just to make things more crazy. Looking for a specific address? Make sure you know whether its north, south, east or west or you will find yourself on the other side of Charlotte. There are actually same number addresses on North Tryon Street and South Tryon Street so you’d better know which direction you’re going in before you head out.
Take a quick trip around Myers Park and you find yourself at an intersection in which Queens Road East, Queens Road West and Queens Road all intersect. And there isn’t just one street in Mecklenburg County that has these problems. Even Queens Road and Providence Road cross each other but if you want to continue on one road and not the other, you will have to make a turn to stay on the road you want, otherwise you’ll be on an entirely different one.
Some streets are named for the town and the direction you’re going in. For example, Matthews Township Parkway is inside Matthews city limits but travel one way the road becomes Pineville-Matthews Road and Matthews-Mint Hill Road in the other. Not sure if you are still in Charlotte or that maybe you’ve crossed into one Mecklenburg County’s neighboring towns? Check the street signs. If you see a white crown on them, you are still in the Queen City.
I-485 is a wonderful way to loop around Charlotte but take the inner loop when you need the outer loop and you’ll find yourself circling nearly the entire city. Most of the time if you are inner loop, you are closer to Charlotte, while the outer loop tends to bring you closer to the other cities in the area, like Matthews, Mint Hill, Huntersville, Concord and Pineville. However, this isn’t always the case either.
Instead of driving Charlotte, you could ride the LYNX Blue Line, the 9.6 mile light rail. Park for free at any park and ride stations starting at I-485 and South Boulevard and ride to the end of the rail line, which is ImaginOn. Round trip tickets are inexpensive and children under 5 ride free.
The Gold Rush, a trolley replica, is a fun and free way to tour Charlotte’s Center City weekdays from 7 am to 6 pm. Someday a streetcar may ride the tracks on Elizabeth Avenue but this project has yet to get the green light.
Charlotte has also recently started the largest urban bike sharing program in the Southeast. There are 200 bikes located at 20 stations located near uptown Charlotte. Other unusual ways to motor around Charlotte is the pedicab, which is available Wednesdays to Saturdays after 7 pm or even horse drawn carriage rides in Center City. Tour Charlotte on a segway if you’re feeling a little more adventurous.
One of the busiest airports in the world is the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which is located in southwest Charlotte, close to I-485 and I-77. Want to take a train instead? Ride Amtrak’s Piedmont to Raleigh or take the Carolinian to Washington D.C. or New York.
Still want to brave the mean streets of Charlotte and drive around the city but are still confused about which direction to go? Then the best traveling companion you’ll have is a GPS.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
Helen Adams Realty
Cell: 704-519-7895
www.davedicecco.com
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