Burlington, NC

Burlington is a northern North Carolina city that resides within both Alamance and Guilford counties. With 48,000 residents, it's the largest population center in the area, as well as a major regional center for the arts, shopping, and tourism. Burlington originally came about in the mid-19th century, largely due to the efforts of the North Carolina Railroad Co., which required an operations station from which to perform maintenance on nearby tracks.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Burlington is home to several prominent businesses, including LabCorp, which is among the world's largest clinical laboratories and is the largest employer in Alamance County. Honda Aero, a subsidiary of the Japanese vehicle and technology firm, is in the process of moving its headquarters to Burlington, where it also plans to build a major jet engine factory.

The Burlington Square Mall, also serves as an important linchpin of the local economy, though increased competition in recent years has put the shopping center's prospects in question.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Neighborhoods and districts of Burlington accommodate around 19,000 houses, out of which more than 18,000 are occupied. Of the occupied houses, more than half are owner-occupied while renters occupy the rest.

The city proudly preserves several historic districts, including:

• Downtown Historic District: This Burlington residential neighborhood has been well maintained over the course of some 130 years, earning the area a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. As home to dozens of residences built over a period of half a century, the Historic District serves as a convenient destination for those who'd like to visit a large variety of classic American architectural styles all in one place. Colonial Revival, Victorian, and American Four Square homes are among the structural types on display, and many may be viewed from within on the city's popular walking tours of the neighborhood.
• West Davis-West Front-Fountain Place Historic District: This area represents the urban growth and development which occurred in Burlington between 1890 and 1930, transforming it from a sleepy, pre-industrial community dependent on the railroad, to a prosperous city whose economy, though based on the textile industry, was beginning to undergo diversification.
• Lakeside Mills Historic District: This semi-rural residential district represents what was once the main portion of the original Lakeside Mills village, built in the 1890s. The district is composed of 16 one-, one-and-a-half-, and two-story frame houses.

FOR VISITORS

• Burlington Square Mall: Opened in 1969, Burlington Square Mall features more than 50 retailers. Although several of the mall's anchor stores have closed in recent years, other large retailers are scheduled to replace them in the near future.
• Alamance Crossing: Alamance Crossing was founded in 2007 to serve as a high-end alternative to Burlington Square Mall, as well as to cater to the city's increasingly affluent residents amid general economic growth. The shopping center includes 70 retailers and four large anchor stores, a movie theater, and other attractions.
• Alamance Historical Museum: This museum offers a comprehensive depiction of 19th-century life in the region by way of a restored home that once served as the residence of textile pioneer Edwin Michael Holt, a prominent figure in the Burlington area's economic history. The structure includes rooms complete with items and artifacts of the age, and the second floor is given over to exhibits on the region's history, crafts, and life in general. The museum offers both guided and audio tours of the main structure as well as several outlying buildings.
• Company Shops Depot: Before Burlington took on its present name, it was known simply as Company Shops, due to the site having served chiefly as a railroad service area centered around stores operated by the North Carolina Railroad Co. Today, the railroad's 19th-century depot is a key attraction of the downtown business district, acting as a social center as well as a venue for concerts and other local events. The depot also contains items and documents of historical interest, including information on prominent city residents of the 1800s, restored photographs, and other snippets of Burlington's past.
• The Paramount Theatre: Since opening in 1929, The Paramount Theatre has been a major center of Burlington's art and entertainment life. The structure was restored by the city and other organizations in 1998 after a long period of disuse, and today once again serves as the city's most beloved venue for theater productions, concerts, classic movie showings, and an eclectic mix of community events. The main theater space seats about 400, with seating ingeniously situated so that all patrons are reasonably close to the stage.

SPORTS TEAMS

The Burlington Royals: Burlington's own minor league baseball team is affiliated with the Kansas City Royals. The Burlington Royals play in the Advanced Rookie-level Appalachian League throughout the summer months with home games played at the Burlington Athletic Stadium. The stadium was constructed in the 1950s and served as home to the Cleveland Indians Appalachian League affiliate for two decades; the architecturally notable stadium was also used in the film Bill Durham.

FAMILY FUN

• Burlington City Park: The city government has taken great pains to preserve the Burlington City Park, which is still home to several charmingly old-fashioned attractions as a result. The park's carousel, for instance, was built in the first decade of the 20th century and moved from Ohio to its present location in 1948; each of its 48 hand-carved wooden animal seats is distinctive for unusual degrees of realism.
• Burlington Aquatics Center: This recreational facility is centered around a 300,000-gallon pool with a bubble enclosure, providing residents with the opportunity for temperate swimming sessions throughout the year. Other amenities include a water slide, a lap lane, and a swimming lesson program.
• Lake Mackintosh: This body of water is the most popular of the city's three lakes in terms of aquatic recreation, allowing for boating, fishing, canoeing, and kayaking, among other pursuits. Back on land, the immediate area is equipped with picnic facilities and hiking trails. It is also a popular spot for bird watching.