Matthews Matthews could be called the Little Town That Could. It might have chosen to bask in the shadow of Charlotte; instead, Matthews decided to welcome the inevitable changes that come with growth while maintaining the integrity of small-town life. With 24,000 residents, Matthews has doubled its population since 1990, and is expected to reach 31,000 by 2015. The picturesque town is succeeding with conviction. Recently, downtown Matthews underwent considerable construction to produce Matthews Town Center near the old train depot. The center is home to the new town hall and a library three times the size of the old one. You can get a feel for Matthews’ small-town origins at community events: there are free outdoor summer concerts and movies at Stumptown Park; a local farmers market on summer weekends; a Fourth of July parade that welcomes kids, dogs, bicycles, wagons and wheelchairs; an ArtFest weekend in the fall; and a Labor Day celebration – called Matthews Alive! – with entertainment, arts and crafts, games, rides and food that brings upwards of 100,000 people each year. Just outside downtown, N.C. 51 (Matthews Township Parkway) is a magnet for business growth. It includes Presbyterian Hospital Matthews, a 240,000-square-foot facility on 55 acres. The Independence Boulevard intersection is characterized by huge shopping complexes that include major big-box retailers, smaller shops and discounters – and more are on the way. I-485 is attracting its share of development, including retail establishments, restaurants, offices, and residential plans. Businesses such as Harris Teeter and Conbraco have anchored their headquarters in town, and longtime firms such as PCA International and Family Dollar employ thousands. The town’s early fortunes were founded on the cotton industry. So many trees were cleared for cotton fields, the town was originally known as Stumptown, but green space is not absent today. Mecklenburg County’s Col. Francis J. Beatty County Park on Weddington Road illustrates the area’s appreciation for the outdoors. The park offers walking and mountain biking trails, basketball and tennis courts, soccer fields and picnic shelters within its 265 acres. The commercial development is both responding to tremendous growth in housing. New communities both inside and outside the town limits are cropping up everywhere. Some of the pricier new developments include Deerfield Creek, Providence Hills and Sardis Plantation. While part of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system, Matthews prides itself on highly active fund raising and volunteerism at its local schools. Higher education is also part of the community. Charlotte-based Central Piedmont Community College’s 48-acre Levine Campus lies at the intersection of U.S. 74 and I-485. A branch of Wingate University calls Matthews home as well. The ever-expanding Siskey YMCA Branch on Weddington Road serves families who enjoy an outdoor pool and waterpark, plus indoor pool, fitness center and day camps.