Charlotte/University City



University City is a semi-urban area in the northern reaches of Charlotte. It is an "edge city", a sprawling, suburban area with a population of 160,000 (2012) centered around a "downtown" area at the intersection of N. Tryon St. and W.T. Harris Blvd. University City is home to contains major establishments such as the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) and Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.

Get in
Driving is the only realistic way to explore University City because of its sprawling commercial districts. The large spaces between attractions and busy thoroughfares make walking prohibitive outside the very core of the district. The LYNX Blue Line light rail development on N. Tryon St (US-29) is encouraging more pedestrian-friendly crossings at the stations.

When coming from central Charlotte, the "gateway" to University City is the complicated intersection of U.S. highway 29 and N.C. highway 49; these roads create an unusual "weave" that can be troublesome for first-time visitors. Other major avenues include I-85, I-485, and large thoroughfares such as University City Blvd. and Mallard Creek Church Rd.

The LYNX Blue Line light rail's northern terminus is located in University City. Visitors can ride the light rail from Uptown into University City. Stations in this neighborhood district include University City Blvd, McCollugh, J.W. Clay Blvd, and UNC Charlotte Main. Park-and-Ride garages can also be found on US-29 for transportation from University City into Uptown Charlotte and other light rail accessible neighborhoods.

The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) bus service also provides an option for those coming from central Charlotte, though their usefulness is limited. Routes #11 and #29 serve University City. They are most effective when used in conjunction with a car (park-and-ride) or taxi.

Finally, University City is accessible from the Mallard Creek and Toby Creek Greenways. This greenway system serves the local residential neighborhoods located to the northwest of University City along Mallard Creek Rd and Prosperity Church Rd. The paths feed from these neighborhoods into the main campus of UNC Charlotte and the commercial district nearby the intersection of US-29 and I-485. The greenways are entirely paved with hard asphalt or soft limestone and follow the watershed stream systems of North Charlotte. Foot and bicycle traffic is allowed.

Buy


Also, Northlake Mall and the large outlet Concord Mills Mall are only a few minutes away by car.