What with red dirt turning seemingly everywhere in Charlotte, picking a new place to live may seem like a wide-open buffet.
So it was with some trepidation that a soon-to-be neighbor in my University City community asked me what I thought of her choice of a townhome not far from the University City YMCA (8100 Old Mallard Creek Road). Here's some of what I told her:
• If you're in a hunt for a new home, the University City area is one of the best places to be for those of us on a budget and/or single income. Spacious condos, townhomes and houses go for prices considerably less than other areas of Charlotte.
• You can use what you save on mortgage payments for ... shopping! We've got our own malls: Northlake, at I-77 and Harris Boulevard, and Concord Mills mall just over the border in Cabarrus County. We've also got nice shopping centers, such as The Shoppes at University Place at the corner of N.C. 29 and W.T. Harris Blvd., where you can hear live music in the summertime and stretch your legs with a walk around its lake.
• Make a point to meet neighbors. Many of UC's smaller communities -- designed as loops, or with their own sidewalks -- are especially good for mixing. Mine is homey enough for neighbors to hold community meetings at their townhomes or invite you over for closer inspection of their decor in case you want to steal their ideas.
Just don't stay in hibernation. Even though people are busy with their jobs, families and other daily demands, they want to know who's living among them, too.
• Explore on foot. OK, University City still doesn't have all the sidewalks it needs to make long walks feel sensible. (The stop-start sidewalk action down Mineral Springs Road comes to mind, as do Sugar Creek Road and Mallard Creek Road.) But there are some new additions, like the Nevin Road extension, a decent stretch with sidewalks that'll connect you to parts of Derita. And the Thereasea Clark Elder Neighborhood Park has walking trails connecting to surrounding neighborhoods.
• Diversity: You can live with all kinds -- from different cultures to ages -- thanks in part to the relative affordability of homes, and the college influence of UNC Charlotte. My soon-to-be neighbor vowed to return, bringing her moving van -- along with plans to take advantage of what University City has to offer.
Five picks
1. Down to the Bone (7945 N. Tryon St. in the Gold Hill Pavilion shopping center)
For those days when only decadence will do, this soul food restaurant hits the spot. Portions are big enough to split into two meals if you're feeling guilty.
2. Lava Bistro (8708 J.W. Clay Blvd.)
Get dressed up, or not, for Sunday brunch complete with Belgian waffles and omelets along with the all-you-can-eat buffet. The mellow live music keeps you sitting and chatting long after you've cleaned your plate.
3. Area parks
Work off all those extra calories in the area's lovely parks. Take to Reedy Creek Park's trails and you'll swear you're not even in the city. Mallard and Clark's Creek Greenway runs a six-mile stretch, and is accessible throughout University City with its multiple neighborhood entrances. (Info at www.parkandrec.com)
4. University City Regional Library (301 East W.T. Harris Blvd.)
Like all the libraries in the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County network, you can order ANY book or CD available anywhere else in the system, and pick it up at your home library.
5. The African Lady Shop
The shop, on 2506 Sugar Creek Road, has art, African masks, jewelry and kente clothing. It's an unexpected find in the heart of Derita.
Celeste Smith is a reporter for Neighbors of Southern Mecklenburg
