South End, Charlotte, NC

Historic South End, often referred to as South End, is a neighborhood immediately south of Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. It is also one of three Municipal Service Districts in Charlotte. The South End has its beginning in the 1850s with Charlotte's first railroad line, connecting the Queen City to Columbia and Charleston, SC. As time passed a thriving manufacturing community sprang up along the tracks, centered on the booming textile industry. The industrial area declined during the 1970s and 1980s, only to be revived in the early 1990s as restaurants, shops, and design-related industries discovered the old mills and warehouses. The area is notable for the number of renovated factories and eclectic mix of retail, commercial and high end residential construction. South End is the fastest-growing submarket in the United States for apartment growth. Since 2012, there has been a 108% increase in apartment construction in the neighborhood, translating to nearly 9,000 new apartments. The zip code in which South End is located (28203) is the second most-expensive zip code in North Carolina for apartment renters, with an average monthly rent of $1,400 a month.