GASTONIA MIXES HOMETOWN FEEL WITH BIG CITY AMENITIES.

• Position: COMMUNITY CLOSE-UP: GASTON COUNTY

When Walker Reid reminisces about his hometown, where he now serves as mayor, he almost always mentions that in a few years it may not look like the same city he once knew. And he's right. Gastonia, whose history is steeped in entrepreneurial spirit, started as a mill town. But it's transforming into one of the region's best places to work, live and play.

Gastonia is growing because it offers modern amenities typically found in big cities while retaining a hometown feel. No where is that mix more evident than downtown, which continues to be a popular choice for location scouts working on commercials, television shows and movies. A quick 20-minute drive from well-connected Charlotte Douglas International Airport, it most recently welcomed FUSE--Franklin Urban Sports and Entertainment District. While office space has been part of the mixed-use development since it was proposed about five years ago, it also is home to plenty of residential space, including Loray Mill Lofts, Trenton Mill Lofts and Center City Crossings, whose 90 apartments are under construction.

The heart of FUSE is CaroMont Health Park. It's where the Gastonia Honey Hunters, one of...