6 amazing reasons to move to Lake Norman, NC
Just 20 minutes from the heart of Charlotte, the beautiful Lake Norman area is known as the "Inland Sea." If you love the outdoors, you'll relish all 520 miles of its shoreline. . Today, the largest manmade lake in North Carolina touches four North Carolina counties (Catawba, Iredell, Lincoln and Mecklenburg), with endless possibilities for finding your new home. Nearby you'll find Cornelius, Davidson, Denver and more.
While it started as a weekend resort area for Charlotte residents, today Lake Norman features real estate communities with hundreds of homes ranging from small lake cottages to multi-million dollar lakefront mansions. With interstates 77 and 40 close by, travel to uptown Charlotte, the mountains and the beaches is easy and convenient.
Here are six amazing reasons to move to Lake Norman:
#1: Fishing and boating year-round
Lake Norman State Park has two bank fishing areas and eight public boating access areas along the shoreline. You can catch catfish, crappie, bluegill and yellow perch, plus striped, largemouth and white bass, along with turtles. Lake Norman hosts one of the International Jet Sport Boats Association (IJSBA) tour stops. Team Tweek, a race team headquartered in Mooresville, helps promote and coordinate the annual event. There also is the Lake Norman Yacht Club, which hosts many South Atlantic Yacht Racing Association (SAYRA) sailboat races throughout the year.
#2: Wide-range of restaurants
In the Lake Norman area, you’ll find the charm and hospitality of Southern cooking, waterfront dining, small-town diners and award-winning restaurants. There also are breweries and wineries nearby for every taste. In Cornelius, check out the Acropolis Café and Grille, Choplin’s fine dining and El Paraiso, which offers a taste of Mexico. Davidson offers everything from Millstone Bake House to Ming’s Bistro to the Pickled Peach. And in Mooresvile, there are more than 60 restaurants, ranging from sushi and tapas at Mona’s Lounge to Eddie’s Seafood and Raw Bar to the Black-Eyed Pea for traditional Southern fare.
#3: Favorites for nature and culture lovers
Davidson’s Arts District, the Cornelius Arts Center, the Art Glass Works and House of Jazz are just a few to visit. Davidson College has the Davidson College Belk Visual Arts Galleries, sculpture garden, Gallery at Business Center, arts “sanctuary” and Davidson Community Players. There are concerts on the green, Music @ St. Alban’s, Our Town Cinemas, and live music at Summit Coffee. The Cornelius Arts Center offers exhibitions plus art classes for youth and adults.
Within a 5-mile drive of Beatties Ford Road, you'll find 18 historic sites. The 200-year-old Hopewell Presbyterian Church, the Hugh Torance House and Store (started in the 1770s, it is the oldest surviving store in Mecklenburg County) and Latta Plantation Nature Preserve are some of the best-known. The nature preserve is the county's largest green space with hiking trails, nature center, equestrian center, boating and fishing.
#4: Hit the links
There are numerous golf courses in the Lake Norman area, ranging from public daily fee 18-hole courses to private courses. Big names abound: The Peninsula has an 18-hole golf course designed by Rees Jones; golfing legend Greg Norman designed The Point’s course; Birkdale’s was designed by Arnold Palmer. Members of The Point Lake and Golf Club also share privileges with 11 country clubs from Florida to Arizona to Texas. Members can play at The Rim Golf Club or Chaparral Pines in Arizona, Jack Nicklaus’ course at Grand Haven in Palm Coast, the Arnold Palmer course at North Hampton in Fernandina Beach or Fred Couples’ course at Twin Creeks Country Club in Austin, among others. There’s a fun miniature golf course, too!
#5: Shoppers paradise
The most-popular visitor attraction in the state, according toVisitNC.com, Concord Mills Mall has more than 200 stores. And just a short drive away are Northlake Mall, SouthPark Birkdale Village is an upscale outdoor shopping and dining center with more than 60 retail shops, 10 restaurants, service providers, a 16-screen theater and a one-of-a-kind interactive fountain. On warm nights, stop by the village square for live entertainment. Check out the Hugh Torance House & Store in Huntersville: It’s one of the few remaining 18th-century structures in Mecklenburg County and the oldest standing store in North Carolina.
#6: Big business
According to Business NC, LKN Region is a marketing cooperative composed of the five economic development organizations whose communities are located near Lake Norman’s shores: The Catawba County Economic Development Corp.; Lake Norman Regional Economic Development Corp.; Lincoln Economic Development Assoc.; Mooresville-South Iredell Economic Development Corp.; and Statesville Regional Development. Home-improvement retailer Lowe’s is based in Mooresville, and Ingersoll-Rand bases its North American operations in Davidson. Other large and global companies in the Lake Norman area include Sulzbach and Forbo Siegling LLC.