Aerial photography of downtown / uptown / center city Charlotte, NC, by photographer Patrick Schneider. Photos taken in November 2009 to show the Charlotte skyline with one of its newest skyscrapers that have appeared in the southern city's skyline, including the Duke Energy Center, a 764-foot tall, 49-floor skyscraper (54 floors total with mechanical floors) completed in 2009. Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. An estimated 687,500 people live in Charlotte, making it one of the 20 largest cities in the country.