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Southend
 The Historic South End (AKA SouthEnd) is a residential and commercial neighborhood located immediately south of the Uptown. With its beginnings found in the mid 1800’s, the neighborhood was a result of the city’s first railroad line which connected Charlotte with Columbia and Charleston, SC. As time passed, the Southend developed into a bustling industrial area with mills dating back to the early 1900’s. Following the decline of the industrial products market in the 70’s and 80’s, the area began to transform itself into a retail and design district. One of the features of the neighborhood that makes this area stand out is the presence of restored and converted mills from the early 1900’s. The use of these buildings varies from both residential to office space to retail uses. The character of the restored buildings provides a unique look and feel that is impossible to duplicate. Two of the most popular residential condos in the Southend are the Factory South and Atherton Lofts. Both feature exposed wood beams on the ceiling, classic exposed brick walls, and open floor plans. There are many newer properties in the Southend as well to fit whatever lifestyle you deserve.  The neighborhood has seen a surge in popularity most recently from the opening of the new light rail line (called the Lynx). With five stops in the neighborhood, there is ample access to all that the Southend has to offer. This section of the light rail, called the Blue Line, is the first section of a larger transportation plan that will ultimately provide mass transit to the major corridors of the city. This first phase of 9.6 mile track connecting Pineville to the Uptown was the center of much controversy during its development. The controversy reached its peak in the year prior to completion as the actual cost of construction doubled the projected cost. In spite of the cost overruns, the success of the Lynx is undisputable. The success has provided momentum to accelerate the other lines of the Lynx for the city as well. In the first quarter of 2008, ridership on the Lynx nearly doubled the projections by averaging 13,000 passenger weekday trips. Support of the Lynx and the higher than projected ridership can be accounted for largely by the spike in gas prices and the convenience it provides to commuters by avoiding the increasing congestion of the interstates that is a result of the large amounts of growth the city has seen over the last decade.  Part of the success of the Lynx has been the in residential and commercial development surrounding each stop along the Lynx. The developments along the light rail tend to be focused on residential with commercial components focused on servicing the residents and commuters. The largest new development along the light rail is a redevelopment of a shopping center adjacent to the train station located on the corner of Scaleybark and South Blvd. This redevelopment will encompass 30?? Acres of land in an environmentally friendly development called Crosland Green. The development will focus on providing low carbon footprint housing and green commercial/retail components to service the surrounding neighborhood. The development will contain the only full service grocery store on the Lynx that is both commuter friendly and a landmark of the neighborhood.One of the features of the neighborhood that many people find attractive is the boutique shopping and active street life in the Southend. Local artist have art on display in the Southend publically along the light rail as well as the boutique street level art shops. Whether your interest is art galleries or live concerts, the Southend has a little something for everyone. Two landmarks for live entertainment are Tremont Music Hall and Amos’ SouthEnd. Both are regular venues for live concerts of both Indi bands and those on a label.
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