Dilworth & Myers Park

Dilworth & Myers Park 

Dilworth

 

A quaint neighborhood of Mecklenburg County, a fun fact about Dilworth was that it was Charlotte's first streetcar suburb—established by Edward Dilworth Latta in the 1890s. It’s been said, Dilworth was born out of the powerful impact that the newly minted streetcar had on Charlotte's original four ward neighborhood. The first streetcars were horse-drawn and later mule-drawn and would eventually be replaced by the Charlotte Electric Railway. Streetcars or trolleys were a popular mode of transportation and made adjacent real estate extremely desirable. The Charlotte Electric Railway trolley became a billboard for the Dilworth community as it prominently displayed, "Buy a home in Dilworth for rent money.” 

 

The streets of Dilworth feature stately, mature oak trees, sidewalks, and houses with expansive front porches. The homes are primarily bungalows, with the occasional Queen Anne, along with some larger, two-story Colonial Revivals lining Dilworth Road East and West. In 1987, much of the neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Dilworth Historic District—encompassing 1,389 contributing buildings and one contributing structure.

 

East Boulevard serves as the main thoroughfare of Dilworth neighborhood—lined with restaurants, offices and shops, with many located in renovated homes. Additionally, Charlotte's largest hospital, Carolinas Medical Center, is in Dilworth. This 861-bed teaching hospital is the region's only Level 1 trauma center. 

 

Myers Park

 

Located in the historic district in Charlotte, the neighborhoods near Myers Park include Dilworth and Sedgefield to the west, Eastover to the east, Charlotte center city to the north, and South Park and Foxcroft to the south. Meanwhile, the Little Sugar Creek Greenway runs along the western edge of the neighborhood, adjacent to Freedom Park. 

 

Additionally, the Myers Park Historic District is a nationally-recognized historic district, encompassing 670 contributing houses and buildings, four contributing sites, and more contributing structures. The district was developed after 1911 and includes notable examples of Bungalow/American Craftsman, Colonial Revival, and Tudor Revival style architecture. Myers Park was even added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

 

Myers Park is home to the "Booty Loop," a popular walking, running, and cycling route, just under three miles. The looped route for avid cyclists follows most of Queens Road and is the original home to the 24 Hours of Booty annual charitable event. The 24-hour fundraising event draws hundreds of cyclists and thousands of spectators each year nationwide. The neighborhood's central location in the city and its wide, tree-lined streets make it a popular choice to include in other event routes too—including local charity runs and the Charlotte Marathon.

 

Residents of Myers Park attend Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, including Myers Park High School, Alexander Graham Middle School, Myers Park Traditional Elementary School, and Selwyn Elementary School. 

 

In terms of higher education, Queens University of Charlotte is a private university located in the Myers Park neighborhood. Established in 1857, the university offers 34 undergraduate majors and 66 concentrations, and 10 graduate programs—including College of Arts and Sciences, the McColl School of Business, the Wayland H. Cato, Jr. School of Education, the James L. Knight School of Communication, and the Andrew Blair College of Health, which features the Presbyterian School of Nursing.

 

The Myers Park borough is also served by the Myers Park Branch of the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. This beautiful and beloved library is located at the corner of Queens Road and Providence Road.