University City

University City

University City is a semi-urban area in the northern reaches of Charlotte. It is an "edge city", a sprawling, suburban area with a population of 160,000 (2012) centered around a "downtown" area at the intersection of N. Tryon St. and W.T. Harris Blvd. University City is home to contains major establishments such as the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) and Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.

Get in

Driving is the only realistic way to explore University City because of its sprawling commercial districts. The large spaces between attractions and busy thoroughfares make walking prohibitive outside the very core of the district. The LYNX Blue Line light rail development on N. Tryon St (US-29) is encouraging more pedestrian-friendly crossings at the stations.

When coming from central Charlotte, the "gateway" to University City is the complicated intersection of U.S. highway 29 and N.C. highway 49; these roads create an unusual "weave" that can be troublesome for first-time visitors. Other major avenues include I-85, I-485, and large thoroughfares such as University City Blvd. and Mallard Creek Church Rd.

The light rail's northern terminus is located in University City. Visitors can ride the light rail from Uptown into University City. Stations in this neighborhood district include University City Blvd, McCollugh, J.W. Clay Blvd, and UNC Charlotte Main. Park-and-Ride garages can also be found on US-29 for transportation from University City into Uptown Charlotte and other light rail accessible neighborhoods.

The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) bus service also provides an option for those coming from central Charlotte, though their usefulness is limited. Routes #11 and #29 serve University City. They are most effective when used in conjunction with a car (park-and-ride) or taxi.

Finally, University City is accessible from the Mallard Creek and Toby Creek Greenways. This greenway system serves the local residential neighborhoods located to the northwest of University City along Mallard Creek Rd and Prosperity Church Rd. The paths feed from these neighborhoods into the main campus of UNC Charlotte and the commercial district nearby the intersection of US-29 and I-485. The greenways are entirely paved with hard asphalt or soft limestone and follow the watershed stream systems of North Charlotte. Foot and bicycle traffic is allowed.

See

• 1 University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., ☏ +1 704-687-8622. The city's public university, located in the growing northern side of the city. It is a rapidly expanding suburban campus, but still lacks the on-campus vibrance of a larger state school. From a traveler's point of view, there's not much to see there on an ordinary day. (updated Aug 2023)

Do

• 1 PNC Music Pavilion, 707 Pavilion Blvd., ☏ +1 704-549-1292. Located in the University area, this is the location of Charlotte's summer concert series. Seats up to 20,000 including general-admission lawn space; larger concerts will typically sell out. If you purchase lawn seats you may rent chairs, but for a larger show you will probably not be able to use them. (updated Aug 2023)
• 2 Smokin' Cue, 10901 University City Blvd #10, ☏ +1 704-548-0882. Daily 2-11PM. A pool hall that takes the game seriously. One of the city's best places to find a competitive game, as well as a reliable cue retailer. (updated Aug 2023)
• Charlotte 49ers. The teams representing UNC Charlotte are members of the American Athletic Conference. The 49ers are largely in the shadow of the city's pro sports teams, as well as the state's higher-profile athletic programs (namely Duke, NC State, North Carolina, and Wake Forest). Also, while UNC Charlotte had a football team when it was founded in 1946, that team was shut down in 1948, not resuming play until 2013 (by which time the school had changed its athletic brand to "Charlotte"). Also, the football stadium, 3 Jerry Richardson Stadium, seats barely over 15,000—although the 49ers haven't exactly covered themselves in success, having played in only one bowl game since their revival. Nonetheless, plans are in place to double the stadium's capacity. Basketball has traditionally been the most popular sport, playing on-campus at 4 Dale F. Halton Arena. The banner image for the district page features the 49ers' baseball park, Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium. (updated Aug 2023)

Buy

• 1 Belgate Shopping Center, 7105 University City Blvd., toll-free: +1-877-225-5337. A large, mixed-use community that will feature a 356,000-square-foot IKEA, the first store in the Carolinas. (updated Aug 2023)
• 2 The Shoppes at University Place, 8931 J M Keynes Dr. (From North: I-85 South, Exit 45-A. Go to 2nd traffic light & turn left onto J.W. Clay or to the 3rd light and turn left at J.M. Keynes Drive.
  From West: I-85 North, Exit 45-A. Go to the 1st traffic light and turn left onto J.W. Clay or to the 2nd traffic light and turn left onto J.M. Keynes Drive.
  From South: I-77 North to I-85 North. Exit 45-A. Turn left at the 1st traffic light onto J.W Clay or the 2nd traffic light onto J. M. Keynes Drive.
  From East: I-85 South to exit 45-A. Follow the remaining directions as from the North.), ☏ +1 704-549-4811. Designed around a pedestrian lake, this unique shopping center includes a mix of retailers and offices, including Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Michael's, Sam's Club, TJ Maxx and Ross. (updated Aug 2023)

Also, Northlake Mall and the large outlet Concord Mills Mall are only a few minutes away by car.

Eat

• 1 Ninety's Dessert Bar, 9009 J M Keynes Dr #4, ☏ +1 704-547-1856, info@ninetysicecream.com. Su-Th noon-9:30PM, F Sa noon-10PM. Not fast-food, but not dine-in either. Fast, delicious and super friendly service. Ice-cream there is a perfect treat for summer weather and it is a great place to grab a bite as you sit enjoy the summer concerts. Wonderful place for family. Fantastic milkshakes as well. (updated Dec 2021)
• 2 Zapata's Mexican Restaurant, 8927 J M Keynes Dr. (just off N. Tryon St. in the university area), ☏ +1 704-503-1979, zapatascarlos1212@gmail.com. F Sa 11AM-midnight, Su-Th 11AM-10:30PM. Probably Charlotte's best Mexican (though some Spanish-speaking joints on the east side might beg to differ). Relatively upscale, Zapata's enjoys one of the best restaurant locations in the University area: perched over a picturesque lake, across from the Hilton hotel, and within minutes of shopping destinations. Almost everything on the menu is good, including the drink specials. (updated Dec 2021)

Drink

• 1 Boardwalk Billy's Raw Bar and Ribs, 9005 J M Keynes Dr #2, ☏ +1 704-503-7427, admin@boardwalkbillys.com. Daily 11AM-11PM. Popular beach-themed bar and restaurant. Frequent drink specials. (updated Dec 2021)
• 2 Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, 9605 N Tryon St. A, ☏ +1 704-717-8179. M-Th 11AM-11PM, F Sa 11AM-midnight, Su 11AM-11PM. This is an authentic pub, with lots of beer and quality pub food. The beer Goddesses are cute, and friendly. Come at night for Trivia, Glass night, etc. Check the website's calendar for more info. $4.50 pint, $2.75 specials. (updated Aug 2023)

Sleep

• 1 Comfort Suites University - Research Park, 7735 University City Blvd. Building A, ☏ +1 704-547-0049, fax: +1 704-547-1668. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. (updated Aug 2023)
• 2 Country Inn & Suites, 131 E McCullough Dr., ☏ +1 704-549-8770, fax: +1 704-717-8728. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. (updated Aug 2023)
• 3 Sonesta Select Charlotte University Research Park, 333 W W.T.Harris Blvd., ☏ +1 704-549-4888. (updated Aug 2023)
• 4 Holiday Inn (Holiday Inn Charlotte University), 8520 University Executive Park Dr, ☏ +1 704-547-0999, fax: +1-888-465-4329, clarkb@gfhotels.com. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: noon. (updated Aug 2023)
• 5 InTown Suites (InTown Suites Extended Stay Select Charlotte NC - University), 7410 N Tryon St., ☏ +1 704-599-2380. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Possibly the cheapest hotel in the city. Located off Tryon St. in a somewhat gritty area, but easily accessible to a lot of the city's amenities (you can get to almost anything in Uptown, University City and NoDa within 15 minutes' drive). Most rooms run about $25/night. (updated Aug 2023)
• 6 Sleep Inn, 8525 N Tryon St, ☏ +1 704-549-4544. 
• 7 University Place Hilton, 8629 J.M. Keynes Dr, ☏ +1 704-547-7444. If staying Uptown isn't your cup of tea, consider this one of the best alternatives around. This hotel is one of the vibrant University City area's keystones, and is located adjacent to a major shopping complex. Take a stroll around the lake, try out the paddleboats, eat dinner on a patio balcony only a few minutes' walk from your room. Upper rooms have excellent views of the surrounding area, and most lower rooms have a nice view of the lake. $98-169. 
• Fairfield Inn & Suites Charlotte University Research Park, 535 Collins-Aikman Drive. (updated Jul 2022)

Cope

Worship

• 1 Baha'i Faith Charlotte Community, 3514 Marvin Rd., ☏ +1 704-563-2323. (updated Aug 2023)
• 2 Cambodian Buddhist Society, 219 Owen Blvd., ☏ +1 704-596-6628. In a residential neighborhood, this community is made up mostly of Cambodian refugees. Most communication is in Asian languages. (updated Aug 2023)