Charlotte · USA

Overview

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In 1524 explorer Giovanni da Verrazano landed on what is now North Carolina's shore and wrote in his log, "as pleasant and delectable to behold as is possible to imagine." Sixty years later the New World's first English-speaking settlers found their way to the state's eastern edge, which is bordered by 300 miles of beaches, islands, and inlets.

Though Charlotte dates from Revolutionary War times (it is named for King George III's wife, Queen Charlotte), its Uptown is distinctively New South, with gleaming skyscrapers. Uptown encompasses all of downtown Charlotte, its business and cultural heart and soul. It's also home to the government center and some residential neighborhoods. And public art is keeping pace with the city's growing skyline. Examples of this are the sculptures at the four corners of Trade and Tryon streets. Erected at Independence Square, they symbolize Charlotte's beginnings: a gold miner (commerce), a mill worker (the city's textile heritage), an African-American railroad builder (transportation), and a mother holding her baby aloft (the future). Residents of the Queen City won't hesitate to tell you that theirs is the largest city in the Carolinas and the second-largest banking center in the nation.

Heavy development has created some typical urban problems. Outdated road systems make traffic a nightmare during rush hour, and virtually all the city's restaurants are packed on weekends. But the locals' Southern courtesy is contagious, and people still love the traditional pleasure of picnicking in Freedom Park.