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 and with the new light rail extension going from UNCC to downtown Charlotte the area has become one of the fastest growing parts of Charlotte. University area als supports the Wells Fargo processing center campus, IBM and other companies as part of the Research Park. 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 and the light rail stops heading into downtown.
Recently the shopping has been growing in this dynamic area as well, starting with the addition of IKEA in 2009, and Furniture Row just to mention a few.
