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, and the area was notorious for abandoned buildings.
Revitalization
Upon the opening of the Lynx Blue Line in 2007, the area has undergone a $2.2 billion transition from abandoned factories to an eclectic mix of office, retail, commercial and high end residential construction, with an additional $1 billion underway. Notable developments include the Design District and Atherton Mill. In 2018, South End was named 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 is the second most-expensive zip code in North Carolina for apartment renters, with an average monthly rent of $1,400 a month.
LoSo
Development was increasing in Lower South End when on January 28, 2019, Beacon Partners announced the 15-acre LoSo Station, which would have 500,000 square feet of offices, plus retail, housing, and a hotel. On June 10, 2019, Beacon announced plans for LoSo Village near the Scaleybark light rail station, next door.
Charlotte Trolley
The Historic Charlotte Trolley Museum is located in the neighborhood and is run by Charlotte Trolley, Inc., a non-profit organization. Originally, Charlotte offered electric streetcar service from May 20, 1891 to March 14, 1938. Later in the century, Charlotte Trolley, Inc. began buying up the old trolley cars which had come to a state of disrepair. Charlotte Trolley, Inc. began partnering with the Charlotte Area Transit System to integrate the vintage trolley service with the rest of Charlotte-Mecklenburg's extensive transit network. Light rail tracks were constructed in 2003 that ran from Atherton Mill in South End to 9th Street uptown. Service was halted in the early 2005 when a new track system began construction for the Charlotte LYNX light rail system. Service resumed on April 20, 2008 but has since been discontinued.
