36th street station opened on March 16th, 2018, for the NoDa or North Davidson neighborhoods. It was a part of the Blue light rail extension to connect to UNC Charlotte’s campus. 36th Street is part of the art district. The station is decorated with Ruth Ava Lyons and Paul Sires’ art to commemorate the diversity and the neighborhood’s uniqueness. The city chose these artists because they are from the area, and they created murals and paintings for museums and businesses around the city. It is important that the art reflects people from the city. Charlotte is a diverse city with people from different races and socioeconomic statuses. The train is another resource that all can benefit from. The lights, the rails, and the roof are painted red to represent the passion of the residents of NoDa. The artists created murals with flowers of different shapes and brilliant colors. Also, there are murals of new local artists that represent children of other races and ethnicities to reflect the diversity of the station. Children and parents ride the train. Art is everywhere, such as on the seats, and the vitreous, for the Charlotte citizens to enjoy. Next to the train station, there is a bicycle rack. In NoDa, there are sidewalks and bicycle lanes. Darren Goins, a North Carolina native, constructed the bicycle parking. Although NoDa is now filled with artists and musicians, it was not always the most popular area of Charlotte. In fact, it used to be quite dangerous. NoDa was known for its questionable reputation and the place where most fights would start. However, there was a bright side to NoDa: being a miller’s town. Farming lands were essential for those calling NoDa their home, but after the Great Depression, there was a production shift, and the community’s purpose changed drastically. It was not until later on that it transformed into an active, vibrant part of the city. In the area, there was an offer for low-cost apartments for rent as it was meant to foster artists and other diverse communities. This resulted in many artists and musicians wanting to live there, and in this way, it became the home of the arts. Nowadays, it is filled with restaurants, bars, and museums, and there is a more profound sense of community. There are parks that the community loves to visit and open-air movie nights for people to enjoy. NoDa is also very popular among Charlotte’s youth and young adults. The streets are brimming with people going to new clubs or bars at night. This is the liveliest part of town, and it is known for being one of the favorite places in Charlotte.
