Eastland (Charlotte neighborhood)

Demographics

As of 2010, Eastland had a population of 5781. The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 44.1% Black or African American, 18.9% White American, 3.2% Asian American, and 2.7% of some other race. Hispanic or Latino American of any race were 31.2% of the population. The median household income for the area was $34,449.

Transportation infrastructure

Mass transit

The following buses from the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) serve Eastland:

• #9 (Central Avenue)
• #29 (UNC Charlotte/Crosstown)
• #221 (E. Harris & Idlewild Rd)
• #222 (Pence Road)
• #232 (Grier Heights)

Eastland serves as a transit hub with the Eastland Community Transit Center, located in the same lot as the former Eastland Mall. Additionally, the site serves as a future terminus for the CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar, linking the future redevelopment of the previous site of the Eastland Mall with Uptown Charlotte.

Roads

The major thoroughfares in Eastland are Albemarle Road, Central Avenue, and North Sharon Amity. It is also in close proximity to Independence Boulevard, giving direct access to Uptown Charlotte, Matthews, and Monroe.

Rail

Eastland is bordered by the Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway to the north, traveling between Charlotte to Aberdeen, North Carolina and Gulf, North Carolina.

Education and libraries

School systems

Residents of Eastland attend Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, including Lawrence Orr Elementary, Windsor Park Elementary, Eastway Middle School, and Garinger High School. A new Charter School opened in Eastland, occupying the building that was once a Hannaford. The school would later close in January 2015, citing financial difficulties. In April 2016, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System purchased 11.4 acres of the former Eastland Mall site, for a future K-8 language immersion school that would also help relieve overcrowding at the nearby Albemarle Road Elementary and Albemarle Road Middle schools.

Libraries

Although there is no library branch located within the boundaries of Eastland, it is however served by the Independence Regional and Hickory Grove branches of the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, in the nearby neighborhoods of East Forest and Hickory Ridge, respectively.

Sites of interest

• Neal Somers Alexander House is a Queen Anne Victoria estate house built in 1903. It was registered to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
• Campbell Creek Park. There are also future plans to link the park with the existing Upper McAlpine and Campbell Creek greenways.
• Kilborne Park is another nearby park located in the adjacent Windsor Park neighborhood.
• The Charlotte Open Air Market is located in the parking lot of the former Eastland Mall every weekend.

References

References

1. "Matt Newton, District 5 Representative". City of Charlotte.
2. "Neighborhood Profile Area (in acres)". City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and UNCC.
6. "Neighborhood Profile Population". City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and UNCC.
7. "Eastland-Wilora Lake". Google Maps.
8. "Wilora Lake". City-Data.
9. (7 October 2014). "Eastland Mall demolition begins". Charlotte Observer.
10. "Charlotte, NC to Eastland-Wilora Lake".
11. "Quality of Life Dashboard". City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and UNCC.
12. "System Map". Charlotte Area Transit System.
13. "Transits Centers: Eastland Community Transit Center". Charlotte Area Transit System.
14. "CityLYNX Gold Line". Charlotte Area Transit System.
15. "ACW Railway". Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway.
16. "Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools 2015-16 Elementary, Middle, and High Schools". Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System.
17. "Entrepreneur High School". Entrepreneur High School.
18. "Troubled Entrepreneur High charter school closing its doors". Charlotte Observer.
19. "Despite protests from neighbors, Charlotte City Council approves Eastland sale to CMS". Charlotte Observer.
20. "Library Locations Map". Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
21. "Greenway Update 2008". Mecklenburg County.