The resident population of Uptown (aka Charlotte’s downtown district) has tripled in 15 years. Similarly, the term “uptown” is used for any city’s primary residential area. [iv], In addition to a directional reference, downtown and uptown also refer to the vertical height of certain areas. Generally speaking, the downtown of a city is often central geographically and commercially situated, with residential neighborhoods along the periphery. On the other side of Downtown is West Sac, which is across the river and in a different county…not part of … Welcome to our city, newcomers. • Categorized under Miscellaneous | The Difference between Uptown and Downtown. Downtown has a compact space for people to live and have a lot of population. Much of northern Manhattan was comprised of residential areas and farms. Downtown became a generic term that referred to any city’s central business and historic district. Downtown. Since the city could only grow north, moving upriver, it became common to use the terms up and down when traveling the island. Uptown areas usually refer to residential districts, specifically those occupied by single-family housing. Some cities that have well-known uptowns include Charlotte, Cincinnati, Chicago, Richmond, Dallas, Hartford, Houston, Minneapolis, Oakland, Seattle, and Atlanta. The term “uptown” originated in New York City in the 19th century. Image: Kyo H. Nam. The terms “downtown” and “uptown” are commonly used to refer to separate and distinct areas of a community, but the difference between the two is often confusing. December 28, 2016 < http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/the-difference-between-uptown-and-downtown/ >. Downtown can be used to reference anything south of where the speaker is standing and uptown can be considered north of where the speaker is standing. These areas are usually densely populated, with condominiums, high-rise hotels and apartments dominating the housing landscape. Downtown. A lot of the best Charlotte-area neighborhoods surround downtown Charlotte where comfort, convenience, and creativity all collide. Downtown. Many of a typical city’s well-to-do residents build houses in an uptown neighborhood to escape the problems associated with the inner city, such as population density, crime and poor social services. But the phrases were confused and thus confusing! This article discusses those differences. On the other hand, because of the compactness of downtown areas, most downtown residents walk or ride a bike to and from work. As the population grew and as the city expanded outward and moved away from the water, that often meant that it moved uphill as well. The Trade Center Twin Towers were downtown. Today, the word refers to Lower Manhattan, including the Financial District, Wall Street, the Flatiron District and SoHo, which are all renowned for being the locations of skyscrapers and for housing numerous multinational companies. “Downtown” is the main business district of a city. “OK. Actually, we never use “uptown” in Sacramento. Uptown is a see also of downtown. In everyday parlance, the word “downtown” refers to the central business district of a particular city. Sign up for our newsletter to get comparisons delivered to your inbox. Downtown used to refer to … Difference between Uptown and Downtown: – Not in Asia, but in most part of Europe or western countries, like the United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, we can see and infect noticed that the terms and uptown and downtown are uses very common in big cities. We have several Queens Roads, downtown is called “uptown,” and street names change on a dime. In the absolute meaning, midtown refers to NYC's main business district, roughly between 34th St & 59th St (where the main concentration of skyscrapers and offices is). Uptown is generally the main residential part of a city, *following the principal path of (original) development out from downtown. I highly reccommend all the hotels and restaurants that I mentioned. As nouns the difference between uptown and downtown is that uptown is (chiefly|north america) the residential part of a city, away from the commercial center while downtown is (chiefly|us) either the lower, or the business center of a city or town. [vii], The term uptown is used less frequently and is exclusive to North America, specifically the United States and Canada. Conversely, the term uptown references the geographical direction north. Uptown Charlotte is located in Charlotte Mecklenburg County and makes up a large part of Charlotte Center City. Charlotte DOES have density and MAYBE and I mean MAYBE a tad bit of size, when comparing to Downtown ATL(excluding the other skylines), but ATL has better architecture overall, and when you DO add the other skylines(as you should), then it's 100% NO CONTEST, that ATL wins. Many cities have a downtown section and an uptown … This gets debated all the time but there is a historical meaning and a PR meaning to this term. Uptown was the Upper East Side where the upper middle class and rich people (those with a lot of disposable income) lived. Hamlet = small collection of dwellings usually has a pub village = bigger than a hamlet usually has a church town = bigger than a village has two or more churches city = bigger than a town, and has a cathedral (with a couple of exceptions) suburb = area on outskirts of towns and cities where ratio of houses to business favours houses. However, because of their relative distance from workplaces, uptown residents need their own cars or public transport to get around. If you are looking to tour any museums, theater district, or arts & cultural activities, then staying downtown will be great because you could ride the metro train to the museum district. Uptown Charlotte (aka downtown Charlotte) is fun, walkable, and filled with interesting things to see and tempting restaurants to enjoy. Special thanks to … According to NYCSubwayGuide, Uptown is the northern part (anything north of 59th Street), Downtown is the southern part (anything south of 14th Street), and Midtown is the part in between (between 59th Street and 14th Street). Both terms originated in New York City. Philadelphia refers to its central business district and historical district as the City Center, while New Orleans uses the term Central Business District, or as it is commonly called, the French Quarter. Downtown refers to the city’s central business hub, whereas uptown refers to the residential region of the city. When in any major city, there are often different regions. uptown : to or in the northern area of a city or town, or in the area where the richer people live: the adams live uptown. What are the differences between uptown and downtown? [ix] The word uptown has fewer references in the media; however, the most common one, a song from Billy Joel called Uptown Girl, is incredibly well-known.[x]. Downtown is a shortening of "Down-into-town," because that's where businesses were set up. People usually use the word downtown to an area situated in the south region, and anything that goes towards north from that area is called uptown. Difference between Urban, Suburban, and Rural, Difference between a Townhouse and a Duplex, Difference between Seltzer, Club Soda, and Tonic Water, Difference between a Broiler, Fryer and Roaster Chicken, Middle-class and lower middle-class residents, Most residents walk or bike to and from workplaces. Downtown was where the businesses were located on the waterfront of the Mississippi River. "The Difference between Uptown and Downtown." But this is not absolutely accurate, because Center City Charlotte not only includes Uptown, it also includes the Historic South End. As adverbs the difference between uptown and downtown is that uptown is (us) to or in the upper part of a town while downtown is in, or towards the downtown area; southward. Both terms, downtown and uptown, are distinctly American. Uptown and downtown are terms commonly used in the United States to describe certain areas of the country. This includes music, television, and film. Many people just refer to Charlotte Center City as Uptown. The terms are not generally used in British English because, in Britain, people generally use the term City Centre instead. It dated back to when Charlotte was just a trading post at Trade and Tryon. [vi], Since the terms are distinctly American, it is no surprise that they are most commonly used in that country. It has urban amenities like New York, but it also has the qualities you get from being a little bit smaller. According to history, the usage of these two terms started in New York City. Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English-speakers to refer to a city's commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart, and is often synonymous with its central business district (CBD). The main differences between the two areas lie in the way the land is used and, to some extent, the social classes of the people who live there. If I said "I'm going down into town" in the 1800's it would mean the same as "I'm going shopping" today. Some cities that have well-known uptowns include Charlotte, Cincinnati, Chicago, Richmond, Dallas, Hartford, Houston, Minneapolis, Oakland, Seattle, and Atlanta. Also on the same street, Roxbury Nightclub plays 90s tunes and serves strong cocktails to clubbing crowds. The term "Up-Town" referring to the geographic location of Tryon and Trade Street, “uptown” actually does sit at a higher elevation than the rest of the city, was recorded as early as 1895 in the Charlotte Observer but fell out of use around 1929 for reasons unknown. The downtown area has great restaurants as well. 5. downtown : to or in the centre of a city or a town: do you wprk downtown? Many use the terms “uptown” and “downtown” to refer to the northern and southern areas of a city, respectively. In this sense, rather than denoting a specific area, downtown refers to the geographical direction of south. Uptown vs. Uptown areas usually refer to residential districts, specifically those occupied by single-family housing. On the other hand, downtown areas are marked by high-rise buildings used as corporate offices by companies or as condominiums or apartments by residents. Please note: comment moderation is enabled and may delay your comment. Kyle Bridges moved to Uptown from Manhattan 19 months ago and says, “Charlotte is the perfect mid-level city. Even though it was commonly used, the word was not actually included in dictionaries until after the 1880s, Though, by 1900, it was established as a proper term within American English, referring to a city’s central business district. Some of the more popular references for downtown include Downton Abbey, which is a contemporary British television series, and Downtown Train, a 1985 song by Tom Waits. [ii], As populations started moving west through the United States and as additional major urban centers were established, the terms downtown and uptown started to take on a new meaning outside of New York City. Uptown residential areas usually occupy large tracts of land; thus, coupled with the number of single-family residences, they usually have low population densities. There is no need to resubmit your comment. (Hence the Trade street name) Trade and Tryon sits on a ridge between Irwin and Sugar creeks. Rikki Roehrich. This contributed to the widespread use of the terms as vertical references, with downtown literally meaning downward and uptown literally upward. Usually where office and government buildings are. These residential areas are typically less crowded and have better infrastructure. We are thoroughly delighted to begin confusing you. [v], Most major cities that use the terms downtown and uptown also use the term midtown to reference a section of the city or district that would be located midway between downtown and uptown. Uptown vs. While these terms are used by most major cities, both Philadelphia and New Orleans do not use them. * So Minneapolis' Uptown is south of downtown because almost the whole city is south of downtown. The term downtown is also frequently used in Canada, and some of the major Canadian downtowns are Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. Land Use. Similarly, the term “downtown” originated in New York City in the 1830s. Make A Difference Build bridges to STEM education Discovery Place Education Studio provides customized professional development in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to educators across the region at our state-of-the-art facility in uptown Charlotte or delivered right to your school. Uptown and downtown usually have more to do with the characteristics of the district than with their strict location. "Uptown" does not mean up on a map; the meaning is social. Anything north of this area became uptown and is sometimes called Upper Manhattan. Many executives and employees choose to live downtown to be closer to the action, as everything is within walking or biking distance. During the second half of the 19th century, the term moved through other cities across the United States and even into Canada. For the last time. The only place I've ever been to where the locations were referred to that way was Manhattan. As nouns the difference between uptown and downtown is that uptown is (chiefly|north america) the residential part of a city, away from the commercial center while downtown is (chiefly|us) either the lower, or the business center of a city or town. Residents of Manhattan used the term to refer to the land at the north of the island. While the lines between uptown and downtown lifestyles have been blurred significantly, uptown areas are perceived to be more affluent, particularly because of access to recreational facilities and better education. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail, Written by : Rikki Roehrich. DifferenceBetween.net. Cite There, Dandelion Market , Connolly’s on Fifth and Rí Rá Charlotte keep the strip rocking into the wee hours. Main Differences Between Downtown and Uptown. Uptown also has a collection of Irish bars set up along 5th and Tryon streets. While this might be true for many cities, other towns might have downtown areas to the north and uptown areas to the south. [i], Eventually, that original settlement area, which contained the only major commercial businesses at the time, became known as downtown. Filmmaker. This term was not entirely just made up though. Published: 28 Mar, 2019. It is true that in the 1980’s the leaders in Charlotte wanted to make downtown sound really cool so they started promoting it as “Uptown”. As most local businesses built their buildings on the southern tip of Manhattan Island, locals used “downtown” to refer to the central business district of the city. If not, then the Uptown area will be better. Views: 243. And while East Side versus West Side is certainly a common debate, it’ll never match the ferocity of Uptown vs. This isn't really an answer to your question, but I thought I would add it anyway, since it's quite interesting. A collection of headlines and photos from The Charlotte Observer circa 1974-75, when Jack Wood was waging war against "downtown" in favor of "uptown." Charlotte has along way to go to catch up with ATL. There is some confusion brought about by the use of the terms "Uptown" and "Downtown" for Charlotte's center city area. Residents often drive their own cars or take public transportation to get to the rest of the city. This is from the tradition in the northern hemisphere of referring to the cardinal direction north as "up" and south as "down". In contrast, because of the demand for living space close to workplaces, real-estate developers build high-rise condominiums or apartment buildings in downtown areas to accommodate as many people as they can into a small land area. Uptown is classier and more expensive and more white-collar businesses; downtown is a little grittier and more active and poorer and where the real action happens. Definately ATL. Synonym for downtown in the US, downtown is the center of the city where the skyscrapers are. The southern tip of the island of Manhattan was settled first and so downtown referred to this area. His recent documentary film “Waiting … and updated on December 28, 2016, Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects, The Difference between Uptown and Downtown, Difference between Condition and Warranty, Difference between Monetary and Nonmonetary Assets, Difference Between Central Time and Eastern Time, Difference Between Healthy Aging and Unhealthy Aging, The Difference Between Durable Power of Attorney and General Power of Attorney, Difference Between Abatement and Remediation, Difference Between Digital Nomad and Location Independent, Difference Between Vitamin D and Vitamin D3, Difference Between LCD and LED Televisions, Difference Between Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, Difference Between Civil War and Revolution. It is also sometimes called Lower Manhattan. I had to ask the same thing when I asked directions for some place and someone told me it was "Uptown". This remains true even when technically outside of the bounds of the downtown and uptown areas. “Uptown” is not used in all cities. In the relative meaning, "uptown" means anything north of your current location and "downtown" means anything south of your current location. In contrast, because many residents in downtown areas are working for living wages and do not have much access to recreational and educational facilities, they are considered middle to lower-middle class. It is imprecise: if you’re at 12th Street, 24th Street is uptown; if you’re at 24th Street, 42nd Street is uptown. But if you're short on time like we were, you can also explore this diverse neighborhood in … [iii], In New York City and many other cities with an established downtown and uptown, these terms can be taken literally as references to cardinal directions. As a adjective downtown is Uptown is used more as an antonym to downtown to describe somewhere not in downtown, such as "I need to go back uptown in an hour" Uptown was the nearby residential area where business people lived in a slightly more elevated area a short distance from the River. The term downtown is usually used more frequently than uptown, and there are more well-known downtowns than uptowns. [viii], Since downtowns and uptowns are very common in major urban centers, it is no surprise that they are both found heavily in the media, again more so for downtown than uptown. uptown and downtown are more American terms Many uptown communities are considered “commuter towns” due to their distance from the commercial districts. In New York, “uptown” refers to streets of higher numbers. On the other hand, downtown areas are marked by high-rise buildings used as corporate offices by companies or as condominiums or apartments by residents. Charlotte is the perfect destination for a weekend getaway. There are several uptowns that are well known in Canada, including Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. Uptown is usually to the north of downtown, where there can be some offices, but not nearly as many as the cluster that is downtown. Downtown. The only other three countries that have a downtown are Mexico (in Tijuana), the State of Qatar (Msheireb Downtown Doha), and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Al-Balad, Jeddah). In most large cities, the original settlement was located on the coastline of a major body of water, such as an ocean, lake, or river. In the United States, some of the commonly recognized ones include New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Anchorage, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Dallas, Honolulu, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Miami, Minneapolis, Oakland, Orlando Phoenix, Portland, St. Louis, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, and Washington D.C. While New Orleans refers to its downtown as the French Quarter, it does have a neighborhood that is referred to as Uptown. I asked them what it meant and which way was uptown. Downtown is the Capitol area, East Sac is the far eastern portion of the city, and Midtown is the part in between. While there aren’t presently large farms on the island, the term “uptown” still refers to residential areas in Manhattan, particularly the Inwood neighborhood, Sugar Hill in Harlem and Washington Heights, with their wide avenues, single-family residences and forested hills. Uptown Charlotte is ‘uptown,’ not ‘downtown,’ not ‘center city,’ not ‘in the loop,’ none of those pitifully lame adjectives.