Uptown Charlotte

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You may wonder why it called "Uptown" Charlotte instead of "Downtown" Charlotte. The "Uptown" name is a marketing ploy. One of the city's strategic marketing moves was to call its downtown area Uptown in the belief that it is a more distinctive description. Geographically, you must travel uphill to get to Uptown, so Uptown is what most local folks called it until after World War II. With the influx of residents from northern states in the 1950s, however, Downtown became the word of choice. With the exodus to suburban communities, business leaders decided they did not want the city's nucleus to die. One way to help the image was to call it Uptown again. In 1974, Mayor John Belk officially designated the business district "Uptown" with the backing of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce".

Map of Uptown 190k .gif

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