Andrea and Cris Areskog were introduced on her very first night in Charlotte. Years later, after a wedding, three children and a long attachment to a Dilworth church, they moved into Dilworth in late 2023.
For Andrea and Cris Areskog, home in Dilworth has never been just an address. It has been about finding a community where their family can flourish, and the route they took to get here ran through a church long before it ran through a front door.
Neither of them is from Charlotte. Cris grew up in Atlanta and graduated from the University of Georgia. Andrea grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and later finished graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill.
Their paths crossed on Andrea's first night in town. Mutual friends introduced them at an Alive After Five event at the Epicentre, and neither could have guessed that one evening would lead to a marriage, three children and a life in one of Charlotte's most beloved neighborhoods.
The church came first
The couple has called Charlotte home for many years, but their tie to Dilworth started well before they moved in. Early in their relationship, Cris lived nearby, and together they became active members of Dilworth United Methodist Church, known around the neighborhood as DUMC. As the family grew, so did the connection. Their children attended DUMC's Child Development Center, and the family began to dream of living within walking distance of the church that had become so central to their lives.
When the chance to move into Dilworth came in late 2023, it felt like the perfect fit.
Today the house runs on the energy of three young children: a rising second grader at Dilworth Elementary who fills her weeks with soccer, dance, Girl Scouts, choir and friends; a 5-year-old starting kindergarten this fall who keeps busy with soccer, taekwondo, tee-ball and choir; and a 3-year-old who starts each day "with a song in his heart" and already loves swimming and soccer. Blue, their 11-year-old rescue dog, adopted just after Andrea and Cris got back from their honeymoon, completes the family.
Work, church and the PTA
Both have built careers while staying deeply invested at home. Cris recently marked 20 years with a consumer products company, where he is senior sales director. Andrea is vice president of corporate strategy and development in healthcare administration. Cris also serves on the Dilworth Elementary PTA.
The two share a commitment to the community they call home. At DUMC they teach Sunday school. Cris also leads outreach through Kairos Prison Ministry and volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Carolinas.
When they are not volunteering or cheering from the sideline at a soccer game, the Areskogs are likely exploring Charlotte's parks and playgrounds, spending time with friends, going to concerts or traveling. Their favorite family tradition is the simplest one: an evening walk through the neighborhood.
Why Dilworth
Ask Andrea and Cris what they love most about Dilworth and the answer is not just the walkability or the restaurants, though they appreciate both. It is the sense of belonging. As transplants with no extended family nearby, they have built a life on friendships, faith and shared experiences.
Dilworth, they say, is where they have put down roots, made lifelong friends, strengthened their faith and given their children the gift of growing up in a place where neighbors become friends.
This story appears in the August 2026 issue of Stroll Dilworth.