Abberly Green - Mooresville, NC

Originally settled in the 1700s, today's Mooresville was once a farming community known as Deep Well (named for a natural well in the area). One local farmer, John Franklin Moore, was lucky enough to own some land around the time the railroad came to town in 1856. He set up a small depot on his land and named it Moore's Siding. After the Civil War, Moore decided to incorporate his thriving little town and named it Mooresville. Lake Norman was created around 1959 and is the state's largest man-made lake. With its 520 miles of shoreline, it is a beautiful recreation area. Lake Norman State Park was established by the state in conjunction with Duke Power. The park offers fishing, boating, swimming, camping, and water skiing. Residents interested in local history should visit the Mooresville Museum. Exhibiting local artifacts as well as a DVD archive of oral histories, the museum preserves Mooresville's history dating back to its early years as a cotton mill town. The annual Working Fingers Craft Show showcases the work of local artists. A juried show, the event features the best of Mooresville’s local artists, photographers and crafters.

Abberly Green lies near many unique local restaurants, ranging from burger joints and takeout to international cuisine. The primary restaurant districts can be found along Charlotte Highway and Main Street. Huang’s Chef brings a surprising option for Chinese food to Mooresville. Located in an unassuming storefront, Huang’s appears as a typical Chinese takeout restaurant. While the restaurant does provide takeout options, complete with online ordering and delivery within a three-mile radius, it also houses an elegant dining room perfect for a night out. With an extensive menu, dishes like the chicken curry and crab Rangoon prove popular. I Bambini serves Italian comfort food in a relaxed atmosphere. The friendly and inviting staff welcomes first-time customers and quickly learns the names of regulars. The cannelloni proves a customer favorite, though with an extensive menu of pastas and seafood, diners can always try something new. The Bathtub Gin serves as Mooresville’s premier nightspot. The bar features live music most nights, from local artists who play every week to regional touring bands who come in for weekend shows, and every Sunday invites patrons onstage for karaoke night. With cheap drinks and bartenders well-versed in classic cocktails, The Bathtub Gin creates a unique and energetic nightspot every night of the week.

With few sidewalks and located several miles from centers of commerce, pedestrians find navigating Abberly Green difficult. Though no bike lanes exist, cyclists are regularly seen along main roads, and drivers know to share the road. Most residents find cars necessary. Fortunately, ample free parking exists near all residential and commercial areas. Abberly Green lies on Charlotte Highway, which connects to I-77 and to NC-115. I-77 provides the best route into downtown Charlotte, though commuters to Mooresville, Davidson, Cornelius or Huntersville typically take NC-115 to avoid rush-hour traffic on the interstate. ICATS, the Iredell County Area Transportation System, operates limited buses near Abberly Green. The Mooresville Main provides service to the general public, running multiple loops around the city weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For seniors and people with disabilities, ICATS offers demand-response and subscription services. Riders may use the service for any medical appointments in the county as well as one personal trip per week. Every Tuesday, ICATS also provides a shuttle to the VA Medical Center in Salisbury, available to disabled veterans. Uber operates in the area, as do several taxi services and airport shuttles, though all taxis require passengers call ahead; hailing a cab isn’t an option in Abberly Green.

The Town of Mooresville maintains many small neighborhood parks, featuring basic amenities such as playgrounds, picnic shelters and softball fields. The Mooresville Golf Course serves as the area’s public 9-hole golf course. Greens fees range from $24 on weekday evening to $35 on weekends, with discounts available for youth and seniors. Managed by two PGA professionals, the golf course hosts intermittent tournaments throughout the year. The Talbert Recreation Center provides a 26,000-square-foot athletic facility. Open Monday through Saturday, the center features an indoor basketball court and fitness center and offers athletic programs and classes. Gym fees run $1 on weekdays or $2 on Saturdays, or residents can purchase annual memberships. Throughout the year, the center hosts tournaments and camps for sports including basketball, volleyball and wrestling. The Mooresville Recreation Department hosts regular indoor concert series at the Charles Mack Citizen Center. Tickets sell for $5 for adults and free for children under 10.

The cost of living in Abberly Green is comparable to the average cost of living throughout Mooresville, which runs two percent higher than Charlotte. Abberly Green apartments averaging $792 per month, compared to the typical Mooresville price of $860. Riding the local Mooresville Main bus or ICATS demand-response bus costs a dollar per ride. Drivers find gas prices comparable to the national average. Local pubs routinely offer draft beers for $2.

Abberly Green lies within reach of many local boutique shops, most of which can be found in downtown Mooresville. Big Hat Larry’s Guitars, Music & More serves the needs of all area musicians, from students to professionals. A wide selection of instruments and gear in stock means musicians can usually find anything they’re looking for, or they can have the shop place a special order. With an array of collectible vinyl, audiophiles can get lost for hours exploring the shop’s collection. In addition to the retail shop, Big Hat Larry’s also offers on-site repair services and guitar lessons. The Quilters Loft Company stocks everything needed for quilting, sewing and embroidery. With over 4,000 bolts of fabric in stock, quilters always find unique prints to complete their projects or inspire a new piece. A certified Pfaff sewing machine dealer, the Quilters Loft offers free unlimited classes to everyone who purchases a machine, as well as repair services and a trade-up program for sewers wishing to upgrade their machine. Every summer, the shop also offers a Kids Beginning Sewing Camp, where kids can learn basic sewing projects and take home their own new machine. Many supermarkets operate near Abberly Green, including Aldi, Food Lion, Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods. Josh’s Farmers Market, open 7 days a week, carries fresh local produce brought in daily, as well as seafood, local honey and baked goods.