Ballantyne is located south of Charlotte with a commute of approximately 18 miles to both uptown and the airport. Ballantyne was developed by the Bissell and Harris families and had a prior history as farmland. Building in Ballantyne finally began in the 1990’s after over a decade of planning and infrastructure work. Today, Ballantyne has become one of the most identifiable and desirable areas of Charlotte with something for everyone including shopping, entertainment, restaurants, and employment.
The sprawling Ballantyne Corporate Park is located on approximately 535 acres and is home to a number of well-known companies including ESPN and Lending Tree. Ballantyne Medical Park is a more recent addition with a variety of offices including OrthoCarolina and Carolina Asthma and Allergy. These businesses offer residents of Ballantyne the convenience of a live/work/play community without the daily commute to Uptown.
Ballantyne Village is located at the heart of Ballantyne and features plenty of boutiques, restaurants, and shops to suit your tastes. From the stone baked pizzas at Mellow Mushroom to red velvet waffles at Terrace Café to sushi at Jade, there really is a restaurant here to please just about anyone. After lunch or dinner, check out Rush for espresso or latte. Regal Ballantyne Village Stadium 5 Theater is a great spot for the adult crowd where you can enjoy a glass of wine with your movie and even view those hard to find indie films.
Just across the street is Ballantyne Commons East with even more choices including Fox & Hound, McAlister’s, Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, and Zapata’s. Carmen!Carmen! Salon can take care of your coif and let Dr Joe take care of your smile at Ballantyne Center for Dentistry. Other nearby shopping centers include Ballantyne Corners, StoneCrest, Blakeney, and Toringdon.
Residential housing options in Ballantyne are just as varied as the restaurant options. If low maintenance living is appealing, there are a number of townhomes and condos available from three level plans like Sterling Heights to single level midrise flats in Belle Vista. Ballantyne Country Club offers upscale single family homes starting in the mid $400,000’s and going up into the millions. A similar nearby golf club community is Piper Glen. Other popular neighborhood options include traditional homes in Kensington and Bexley starting in the $300’s and Ballantyne Meadows and Providence Pointe starting in the $200’s. There are apartments available for those waiting to make the move to permanent homes.
Public schools in the area include Ardrey Kell High School with over 2,000 students, Community House Middle School with over 1500 students, and several smaller elementary schools such as Hawk Ridge, Elon Park, and Ballantyne Elementary School. All of these schools have been recognized as Honor Schools of Excellence from the state of North Carolina. Nearby private schools include the British American School of Charlotte, Charlotte Catholic High School, St Matthew Catholic School, and Charlotte Country Day.
The Ballantyne Hotel and Lodge is one of the most exclusive overnight options for visitors to Charlotte. Recently, Michelle Obama caused quite a stir with her purported stay at the resort during the DNC when the surrounding roads were closed for security. There is a spa, restaurant, bar, golf course, Dana Rader golf school, indoor and outdoor pools, as well as meeting and banquet facilities. The resort also hosts a variety of fundraising events throughout the year. Other points of interest in Ballantyne are the Morrison Family YMCA for exercise classes and sports leagues, the Lower Providence Community House for its lectures and fall festival, and the Hall Family Farm for the corn maze in the fall and strawberry picking in the spring.
Fall 2013 Updates:
- Roadwork is set to begin this month at the corner of Ardrey Kell and Community House Roads. Crews will be widening the intersection and adding turn lanes, bike lanes, and pedestrian crossings. Construction is set to end Fall 2014.
- Wingate University is opening over 13,000 square feet of educational space in Ballantyne to include 10 classrooms, offices, and a computer lab. Check out classes offered at www.wingate.edu/ballantyne.
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- Publix will open first N.C. supermarket in Ballantyne (charlotteobserver.com)