[4] South End has its beginning in the 1850s with Charlotte's first railroad line, connecting the Queen City to Columbia and Charleston, SC.

As time passed, a thriving manufacturing community sprang up along the tracks, centered on the booming textile industry.

Upon the opening of the Lynx Blue Line in 2007, the area has undergone a $2.2 billion transition from abandoned factories to an eclectic mix of office, retail, commercial and high end residential construction, with an additional $1 billion underway.

In 2018, South End was named the fastest-growing submarket in the United States for apartment growth.

Light rail tracks were constructed in 2003 that ran from Atherton Mill in South End to 9th Street uptown.