The South's Best Comeback Neighborhoods

We’ve scoured the South to find these neighborhoods that were once down on their luck but are now resurging with community pride. Learn from their inspiring stories.

Best Neighborhoods: Train service in Charlotte, NC

Photo by Van Chaplin, Article by Rex Perry

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Wilmore/South End: Charlotte, NC

Take the Light Rail Home
In the nineties, as Dilworth became more expensive, people looking for affordable places began to reclaim neglected houses and shuttered warehouses in Wilmore and the South End. “I got in a 1931 bungalow for $50,000,” says 12-year resident Kirk Callahan.“It was fun watching brake lights as people slowed to watch me work.” When Charlotte added train service to the area in 2007, the neighborhood turnaround found new energy. “For these up-and-coming areas, the new rail service has been like throwing kerosene on a fire,” says local real estate broker Terry McDonald.

Learn more about the Wilmore Neighborhood Association