Plaza Midwood

What makes Plaza Midwood unique

Plaza Midwood got its start in the early 1900s as one of Charlotte's first streetcar suburbs, laid out along the trolley line that ran up Central Avenue toward The Plaza. The neighborhood declined after mid-century. In the 1970s residents organized to stop a proposed highway and protect their tree-lined streets of bungalows and Craftsman homes, and the city designated a local historic district in 1992.

Central Avenue is the main stage, where dive bars, international kitchens, vintage shops and live-music rooms share a few lively blocks. The newest energy is The Commonwealth, a mixed-use district at Central and Commonwealth Avenues with apartments, offices and restaurants, and the future headquarters of Scout Motors. Plaza Midwood's appeal now lies in how it blends that new energy with its long-standing character.

Why people are talking about it

• About one mile northeast of Uptown
• CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar ends at Sunnyside Ave station, just southwest of the business district
• The Commonwealth mixed-use district brought new apartments, offices and retail to Commonwealth Ave
• Scout Motors chose 1710 Commonwealth Ave for its headquarters, with 1,200 jobs planned by 2029
• Midwood Maynia each May and the Fall Crawl costume parade each October
• Local historic district since 1992; the Briar Creek Greenway runs along the eastern edge