Join us as we explore the 28150, Downtown Shelby, North Carolina.
The city sits about 50 miles outside of Charlotte and in size is pretty small, a plus for the people who live here.
“You’ve got that hometown flavor, you don’t feel like you’re in a great big town.”
Coincidentally, when Shelby was built in the early 1840s, contractors went to one of the biggest cities in the nation to get landscaping ideas.
“They actually went to Washington, DC,” said Mayor Stan Anthony. “You notice Shelby has very wide streets you have wide sidewalks. It’s laid out on a grid with a central square for the courthouse, making it a very way place to get around.”
At any given moment you’ll find people walking to some of their favorite places around town like the Earl Scruggs Center-Scruggs, a native of Shelby, was a popular bluegrass musician known for his unique way of playing the banjo.
In the 1960s he and his band became mainstream after writing the theme song for one of the most popular shows on TV, “The Beverly Hillbillies.”
“This put Scruggs in households everywhere,” said Marybeth Martin, Director of the Scruggs Center.
Also, you can’t come to Shelby and not try the food. Another big hi-light is the barbecue at Alston Bridges. Earlier this year the joint earned the number one spot on USA Today’s ranking of the best barbecue in North Carolina.
From construction all the way to the food—you see Shelby is built on tradition but there are a few new things coming to the city soon.
“We’re adding rail-trails that would connect from Shelby all the way to upstate south Carolina- Gaffney area,” said Mayor Anthony.
The trails are literally old railroad tracks converted into a greenway space for biking, walking, and hiking.
It's expected to be completed in the next four years.
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