Nature-themed apartments open in Charlotte's River District
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The Sasquatch wallpaper has been a hit with touring guests, I'm told. Residents can borrow the nature books that are on display. Photo: Alexandria Sands/Axios
The first apartments opened in January at The River District, a master-planned development that feels like a small town forming in west Charlotte.
Why it matters: Even though it's a 20-minute drive to Uptown, NOVEL River District is marketed toward outdoorsy people, with amenities like an ice machine to fill rental coolers, a flavored water station for your "canteen," and a gear wash for bikes, kayaks and dogs.
The big picture: Charlotte developer Crescent Communities built NOVEL as one piece of The River District's much larger, 1,400-acre plan for the city's largest undeveloped stretch of land, between the Catawba River and the international airport.
- The River District, which broke ground in 2022, will eventually comprise 2,300 homes and 2,350 multi-family units, plus offices, retail and more than 500 acres of preserved green space.
- It's Mecklenburg County's largest master-planned development since Ballantyne in the early '90s.
Zoom in: Apartments start around $1,300 for a 587-square-foot studio and go up to about $2,600 for a two-bedroom, two-bath unit.
- There will be 318 apartments in total once construction of all seven NOVEL buildings finishes this summer.
Zoom out: NOVEL is part of The River District's first phase, a 70-acre town center called "Westrow," which includes a playground, 2-acre farm, produce shop and cafe, a two-story retail building, and trail access.
- Westrow's townhomes, cottages and single-family homes range from the high $400,000s to about $1.2 million.
- Eventually, NOVEL will be surrounded by a corporate campus to the southeast, a Waverly-like shopping center and grocery store to the northeast, and a hotel to the southwest.
The intrigue: Community director Ally Sack tells me on a tour that most prospective residents are interested in living close to the airport or are transitioning from busy neighborhoods like South End.
- They're also finding that residents value being close to nature over shops and restaurants, since most of The River District is still undeveloped. But in the next few years, the area will have those commercial uses, too.
- In the meantime, Crescent Communities is turning a grassy lot across the street from the apartments into a stage and lawn for concerts and food trucks.
Take a look around.
