Explore Living in Matthews NC

Welcome to this guide to living in Matthews NC.   Here you'll find 11 things you can do in this quaint small town.

Walk historic downtown Matthews

The focal point of Matthews is its historic downtown where a number of turn-of-the-century buildings have been preserved and are now occupied by quaint shops, restaurants and offices. Ten of these buildings were listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.  Everyone living in Matthews NC loves a casual walking tour of this unique area where you can explore an old-time hardware store, a history museum, unique shops and a variety of restaurants.

Matthews displays its early beginnings in the renovated train station and caboose adjacent to the Town Hall.  The town began in the early 1800s as a small village surrounded by a farming community.  It was first named Stumptown for all the stumps left by farmers clearing the fields.  Later it was called Fullwood after the first postmaster who established a post office and Pony Express office in the village.  In 1874, the railroad came through the town and the train station was built.  The town's name changed again to Matthews in honor of one of the railroad directors.

The Matthews Town Hall is a two-story colonial building in the heart of downtown.  A gem of a library is found on the first floor of this building.  The beautiful Craftsman style interior of the library makes you want to linger awhile.  A beautiful fireplace enhances cozy seating for reading.  Handsome craftsman style columns separate the book stacks.  A train, the centerpiece of the children's department, harkens back to earlier days in Matthews.

History is important in Matthews.  A dedicated group of volunteers has worked for many years to preserve historic buildings in the quaint downtown.  In 2013, the Matthews Heritage Museum opened in the restored Massey-Clark house downtown.  This museum explores town life from the 1800s into the 1940s.  Whether you are a town resident or a newcomer, the museum is a great place to learn about the early days of the town.

Visit the Farmers Market

Is your mouth watering for a home-grown tomato?  Or locally grown vegetables?  The Matthews Farmers Market is a popular Saturday morning destination in downtown Matthews. It is open every Saturday spring through fall and every other Saturday in the winter.  Established in 1991, the market offers produce from farmers and other vendors with 50 miles of the town.

There's more to enjoy at the farmers market than fresh produce.  Chefs from local restaurants offer cooking demonstrations each Saturday. You’ll also enjoy local musicians and special events.  In the early spring, the market hosts a cookbook exchange.  When the tomatoes are ripe, you can sample the offerings of various farmers and choose your favorite.  There's always something new at the market.

Enjoy the outdoors

Outdoor activities are very much a part of living in Matthews NC.  The town is a Certified Wildlife Habitat, a certification earned by only a few North Carolina towns.  The certification campaign was called Matthews Naturally . Points were earned by having a certain number of private yards designated as Backyard Wildlife Habitats, creating Schoolyard Wildlife Habitats, and from environmental projects and programs.

The Town of Matthews has created a number of parks.  Smaller parks near neighborhoods have playgrounds and spaces for relaxation.  A group of larger parks are jewels for residents.  The town parks and recreation department also has active recreational programs for all ages.

Stumptown Park

Stumptown Park, a genuine treasure in the heart of downtown, hosts community activities all year long.  While the Matthews Alive Festival brings the most people to the park, other festivals there include a beach fest and music and movie nights.  The park, enclosed on three sides with a decorative brick wall and wrought iron fencing, has a large open space for lawn seating, an attractive band shell, a small playground, and a Veterans Memorial tucked into one landscaped corner. It's located near the main intersection of downtown Matthews and is within walking distance of shops, restaurants, the farmers market and the library.

Matthews Greenway

Do you enjoy community festivals?  You can find community events throughout the year in Matthews.  The biggest of them is Matthews Alive, the largest Labor Day weekend celebration in the southeast.  Thousands of people descend on downtown Matthews every year for this festival.

What are some of the fun things to do at Matthews Alive?  Take the kids on carnival rides.  Eat your favorite carnival food.  Stroll through the Arts and Crafts Pavilion.  Watch a real home town parade.  Let the kids enjoy making crafts.  Take a break from the heat in the Matthews Community Center where there are music performances and a quilt show.  Bring your lawn chairs to enjoy outdoor performances on two stages.  See classic cars and motorcycles at the Matthews Auto Reunion on Labor Day.

Other community events during the year include the May Beach Fest in Stumptown Park and the Fine Art and Master Craft Show in October.  The beach fest brings the Carolina coast to town with live beach music, shag dancing, carnival rides, arts and crafts, the Sandy Feet 5K run and a cruisin' car show.  The art show is a juried show showcasing fine artists and craftsmen.

Participate in the arts

Painting?  Dance?  Theater?  Living in Matthews NC gives you the opportunity to participate in small town arts groups and classes.  The town is developing a cultural arts district along S. Trade Street that includes the McDowell Arts Center, the Matthews Community Center and Stumptown Park.

McDowell Arts Center

Converted from a former 1920s school agriculture building, the McDowell Arts Center provides gallery space for fine art as well as class room space.  It also is the home of the Matthews Artists Guild which has meetings and several art exhibits there every year.  KidzArt offers children's classes at the facility as well.

Matthews Community Center and Fullwood Theater

Are you old enough to remember a school room with creaking wood floors and big dusty blackboards? How about tall windows reaching to the ceiling? Wooden stairs carrying students from floor to floor? If you can picture your school days in a building like this, you’ll want to step back in time at the Matthews Community Center.

Built in 1907, the Matthews Community Center was the second public school in Matthews. It replaced a three-room school that quickly became too small for the rapidly growing town. The new school was considered a modern facility. Built of brick, it had three classrooms on the first floor and an auditorium on the second floor. The first graduating class was in 1911. The school was expanded in the 1920s and in 1924 became Matthews High School.

By the 1990s, the Matthews Community Center faced demolition. It was taken over by the Town of Matthews and restored. The beautiful classrooms once again hold classes for the Matthews Parks and Recreation Department and community groups. The restored auditorium at the back of the building houses the Fullwood Theater. A two-story entrance to the community center welcomes everyone to the facility.

The Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts provides theater education and opportunities for young people.  It offers several productions each year for the public as well as summer camps for youngsters.

Grab a bite to eat

With a population of approximately 27,000 people, Matthews has many restaurants.  You can find a fine dining restaurant, a barbecue place, a Thai restaurant, a coffee shop and a tavern in the downtown area.  A number of sandwich shops offer quick meals in the business areas that surround the downtown.  Familiar fast casual restaurants line Independence Boulevard which bisects the town.  Walking or driving, you won't go hungry in Matthews.

Like food truck cuisine?  Matthews has its own Food Truck Fridays every week from the beginning of March to the end of September.  You can relax to live music and hang out at Stumptown Park while enjoying a variety of food and desserts from the trucks. 

You don't have to leave Matthews to shop.  Windsor Square, Matthews Festival and Sycamore Commons are filled with shops and big box retailers.  You can find your favorite stores including Target, Costco, Lowes, Best Buy and Home Depot.

If you prefer unique stores that remind you of living in Matthews NC in days gone by, try Renfrow Hardware.   In business for over a 100 years, Renfrow's offers everything you would expect from an old-time hardware:  wooden floors, a pot-bellied stove and shelves loaded with items you've haven't seen in many years.

Where will you shop for groceries?  A home-grown company, Harris Teeter is the most popular grocery store in Matthews.  You can also find Food Lion and Aldi in the town.

Find an affordable home

Living in Matthews NC means that you can find an affordable home whether you are looking for single family home on a generous lot or a townhome.  The current median home price in the town is $457,500.  In the 1970s, Matthews was a village with small homes near its downtown and larger homes on estate-size lots along its country lanes.  Growth in the 1980s was explosive.  Many single family neighborhoods were built on third acre and larger lots.  Townhome development in the downtown began in the 1990s and continues today.  You can find homes at or below the median price in all these areas.

Find a luxury home

Want luxury living in Matthews NC?  You can enjoy a luxury life style in Matthews.  Luxury neighborhoods within town limits (28105 zip code) tend to be smaller infill communities.  If you like golf, there are several golf course communities in the Matthews 28104 zip code.  In this zip code, you will find a number of larger newer neighborhoods with rich amenities.  While gated communities are not common in the area, there are some available.

Enjoy an active senior lifestyle

Baby boomer, active adult, over 55 or senior?  No matter how you describe yourself, living in Matthews NC is perfect for your active adult lifestyle.

What makes Matthews so attractive to seniors?

• Its location in the North Carolina Piedmont with its mild weather and four seasons.  The mountains and beaches are just a few hours away.  A number of golf courses are found within a 20 to 30 minute drive of the town.
• The quaint town center that offers fun destinations such as the farmers market and Renfrow Hardware.  You can walk to the library or a coffee shop, get a sandwich or eat at an upscale restaurant in downtown Matthews.
• Matthews seniors have a thirty-year history of organizing for fellowship, sharing and activities.  One senior group worked for twenty years to create a senior center in town.  Their dream was realized when the Levine Senior Center on 9.8 acres opened.  Members can choose from exercise and fitness classes plus a fitness room, water aerobic and other classes in the heated pool, massage therapy, a library, arts and crafts, dance and computer classes and a meditation room.  The center's cafe is open daily for lunch.  The center also sponsors holiday celebrations and dances.
• Matthews has numerous community shopping centers with grocery stores and pharmacies as well as regional shopping destinations with big box retailers.
• Active adults can find a variety of neighborhoods whether they prefer golf course communities, patio home communities, or retirement centers.
  

Appreciate a variety of medical facilities

Where is the closest hospital?  It's an important question for those new to living in Matthews NC.

Novant Matthews Medical Center is located in the heart of Matthews.  Built in 1994 on an attractive campus, this hospital has 102 private patient rooms, intensive care and emergency rooms.  The new Womens Center provides health care for women of all ages.  A number of doctors have offices in the complex.

Because of the hospital, Matthews has attracted many other physicians' practices.  You'll find family practitioners as well as specialists with offices in the town.