The University area was once a cow pasture and rural byways, with University of North Carolina at Charlotte (chartered in 1960) plunked in the middle. Today, the UNCC area spans several miles. New subdivisions and shopping centers dominate the landscape, which has become a bustling residential and employment center, home to more than 65,000 jobs and many new corporate headquarters. Over the past decade this area has developed rapidly, in response to retail and corporate businesses, as well as the growth of the UNC Charlotte campus.Wells Fargo (Wachovia) and IBM are two of the areas largest private employers. The area is surrounded by a wide variety of housing options ranging from golf course communities like Highland Creek and SkyBrook to large apartment communities centered around the University itself.
Recently the shopping has been growing in this dynamic area as well, starting with the addition of IKEA in 2009.
