"Uptown" v. "downtown" w/meaning: "main shopping district"

[sagehen]

>In Marshall, Texas, my birthplace, the county courthouse stands on the
>highest point in town, facing the main shopping district, which is
>referred to as "uptown" by the locals. Everyplace else that I've ever
>lived - various places in Missouri, California, Illinois, &
>Massachusetts, the main shopping district is referred to as "downtown."
>So, wrt Marshall, it's obvious that downtown is referred to as "uptown"
>because it quite literally is _up_town, as any fool can plainly see.
>However, an article in the NYT Travel section noted that, in
>Charleston, SC, too, downtown is referred to locally as "uptown," but
>provided no further information. Does anyone know how the Charleston
>usage came to be?
>
>-Wilson Gray
~~~~~~~~~
There was some discussion of these expressions on this list several years
ago.  You might consult the archives.  I do remember that "uptown" was
found in quite a few places, and that it didn't necessarily relate to
topography.
A. Murie