A Special Neighborhood in Davidson

Our neighborhood was designed by the award-winning town planning firm of Dover, Kohl & Partners, and approved by the commissioners of the Town of Davidson in 1998. Founder Doug Boone used the slogan “A New Neighborhood in Old Davidson,” so Realtors refer to it as “Old Davidson.” It is no longer so new, and is not in the old part of Davidson. The neighborhood association goes by the name of St. Alban’s Square. St. Alban’s Episcopal Church sits near an entrance to the community, and their facilities host neighborhood and town meetings, as well as a monthly concert series. The “square” itself is the fountain and planter at the intersection of St. Alban’s Lane and Caldwell Lane.

The townhouses were built by the Cunane Group, and single family homes were built by David Weekley, Cunane, and some custom builders.

The design is pedestrian friendly, with trails, parks, and areas for children to play. Davidson College, ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the country, is just to the west of the neighborhood. The downtown is just over a mile down the street. Main street preserves its historic small-town character and affords a view of antebellum structures on the campus. Outdoor festivals and concerts take place on the Town Green which is in front of the public library. The Saturday farmer’s market takes place just west of Main Street. The town recently has become more of a restaurant destination, especially since Bon Apetit magazine featured a restaurant on Main Street as one of the best new ones in the country several years back. Main Street also is home to boutique shops. A very broad choice of retail and eating establishments can be found within an eight-mile radius of the neighborhood.

Michael Swartz has posted a video he made of Davidson, much of it in our neighborhood. Thanks to this young man in our neighborhood for sharing this.

Transportation

The Kannapolis Amtrak station is fifteen miles away. There are four daily trains to and from Raleigh. The Carolinian is the first train north and the last train south. It goes to New York via Greensboro, Raleigh, Richmond, Washington, and Philadelphia. There is ample short-term and long-term free parking at the station. The Crescent, between New York and New Orleans, does not stop in Kannapolis, so it is boarded at the Charlotte Amtrak station.

Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is 27 miles from Davidson. It is a major hub for American Airlines and is served by seven other airlines. Allegiant flies nonstop from Concord to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, New Orleans, and Punta Gorda.

There is express bus service for commuters to downtown Charlotte, 20 miles away. The Davidson circulator bus route 290 runs early mornings and late afternoons on weekdays along Concord Road, connecting with the express bus service.

I-77 comes through Davidson. Express lanes are now open through the Lake Norman area and on to center-city Charlotte. NC Quick Pass, E-Z Pass, Georgia Peach Pass, and Florida Sun Pass transponders are recognized. A switchable model is available to allow free HOV-3 use.

Other nearby interstate highways are I-85, I-485, and I-40. See the metro area map.

Basic information

A revised Newcomers Guide is linked here.There are now kiosks for US Mail in the neighborhood. You should be presented three keys to your box at closing. PO Boxes are also still available downtown. Garbage is collected on Thursdays, and recyclables every other week. See the schedule.

For neighborhood business and other related matters, get in touch with Main Street Management. The HOA 101 articles could be helpful in answering some questions. A revised FAQ page will be added to this site eventually, once it is determined what questions really are asked frequently, besides "Where is the college baseball stadium?" Links for community and area information can be found on this page.

There is a private Facebook group for neighborhood residents. Sign up here.

In April, 2022, we celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the neighborhood. A 40-page booklet that tells much of the story of the founding and development was printed and distributed. You can view the contents of the booklet here.

Opportunities

Bridge groups and book clubs meet in the neighborhood. ACBL-sanctioned duplicate bridge games are held nearby at the Cornelius Town Hall. Monthly men's and women's breakfasts meet at area restaurants. The neighborhood dinners in area restaurants have been resumed. The fall festival is a big neighborhood party in the big Faulkner Square green space.

The Farmers’ Market is held near the Town Hall on Saturday mornings from 8 am to noon from April through October, and 9 am to noon on selected Saturdays, November through March.

Sports, cultural events, and entertainment are conveniently available in this college town. Music @ St. Alban's presents monthly concerts in season at the church in the neighborhood. Davidson Community Players perform at the Armour Street Theater and during the summer on campus. The college's theater department produces four major plays a year and several smaller works. Concerts on the Green happen on summer Sunday nights in front of the public library. The college symphony orchestra, jazz band, and choral groups give regular concerts in season, and there are concert series and the Artist Series. The college welcomes the public to a variety of lectures. Most are free, but some still require tickets.

Davidson plays nineteen different varsity sports, all but two in the Atlantic 10 conference. The baseball team was the NCAA regional champions a few years ago. The men's basketball team plays at a high level, and usually makes it to the NCAA or NIT tournament. The women's basketball team has become competitive in the Atlantic 10 and has avid fans in our neighborhood. The football team was the PFL conference champs in spring, 2021, and played in the NCAA tournament. Teams in several other sports, including lacrosse, have had very successful recent seasons.

Authors and street names

In Dave Smith's newsletters, he wrote excellent articles on the persons for whom streets were named. Most streets and avenues are named for Southern writers, and byways are named for people who owned land that is now part of the neighborhood.

Some maps and diagrams on this site may be helpful in understanding the design and general locale.