Uptown Charlotte

Charlotte's central business district is referred to as "Uptown" by locals, although the term "Downtown" is understood and used by native Charlotteans since it references the same area of the city.

ptown Charlotte is the central business district of Charlotte, North Carolina. The area is split into four neighborhoods (wards) by the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets, and bordered by Interstate 277 and Interstate 77. Uptown Charlotte is the largest business district in Charlotte and the Carolinas.

Several Fortune 500 companies have their headquarters in the district, including Bank of America, Duke Energy, and the east coast operations of Wells Fargo. Uptown contains over 28 million square feet of office space. Athletic and event facilities located in Center City include Bank of America Stadium, Spectrum Center, BB&T Ballpark, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Museums, theaters, hotels, high-density residential developments, restaurants, and bars are heavily concentrated in the Center City, with over 214 restaurants and 50 nightspots.

There is some confusion brought about by the use of the terms "Uptown" and "Downtown" for Charlotte's center city area. The term "Up-Town" referring to the geographic location of Tryon and Trade Street, “uptown” actually does sit at a higher elevation than the rest of the city, was recorded as early as 1895 in the Charlotte Observer but fell out of use around 1929 for reasons unknown.

The term "Downtown" was commonly used up until the mid-1970s by residents, media, and city leaders for the Center City. In 1973, a massive campaign was launched by local businessman Jack Wood to revamp the image of the downtown area and embrace the historic and arguably uniquely Charlotte term "Uptown" by reintroducing it to the general public.