Monday, November 30, 2009

Living in the Heartland: Raleigh, Cary, and Research Triangle Park

Superbly situated between the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, Raleigh and Cary both have convenient location, comfortable four-season climate, abundance of good jobs, greenway system and family-friendly atmosphere that make these cities a mecca for transplants from around the nation. Once a sleepy Southern capital, Raleigh -- “The City of Oaks” -- now constantly ranks among the best places to live in the U.S.

New Homes North Carolina

“I love it,” says Heidi Tyson, a self-described housemother who moved to North Raleigh from a Chicago suburb with her husband and three daughters. “The people are really friendly and helpful. It’s a very easy town in which to get around.”A compromise choice for North Carolina’s capital after much political wrangling, Raleigh is actually the only state capital in the nation established on land purchased for a government seat. Founded in 1792, it was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, a 16th-century English explorer close to Queen Elizabeth I.

Rich in history, culture, education and the arts, Raleigh has been called “The Smithsonian of the South.” Among its acclaimed museums are The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (the largest natural history museum in the Southeast), the North Carolina Museum of History, Exploris (an interactive museum with programs for all ages), the Contemporary Art Museum and the North Carolina Museum of Art.The performing arts also thrive. Raleigh is home to the North Carolina Symphony, the North Carolina Theatre, Walnut Creek Amphitheater and Raleigh Little Theatre, among other professional companies. Its seven colleges and universities provide additional entertainment with dozens of productions each year. The seven schools include North Carolina State University, one of the country’s top research institutions, and Shaw University, the South’s oldest African-American university.Known as a big sports town, Raleigh boasts one of the state’s two major-league franchises, the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, the 2006 Stanley Cup Champions.

The Research Triangle: Chapel Hill ~ Raleigh ~ Durham

Put three world-class universities together and you've got all the elements of great research and ground-breaking technology. Back in 1959, the Research Triangle Park was established as a joint effort by Duke University, the University of North Carolina, and North Carolina State University. They wanted to attract research, and with so many superlative minds in close proximity, success was a sure thing. Today, the Park employs almost 50,000 people and has been honored with three Nobel Prize winners. There also are more colleges and universities around here, creating even more of a draw for the finest minds of our time. (This area has the highest concentration of PhDs in the nation.)

Relocate to The Research Triangle

Of course, there's more to this area than research and technology. Those three schools and surrounding towns, including Cary, have spawned some pretty fabulous sports, including the ongoing basketball rivals of UNC and Duke in the highly competitive ACC.

New Homes North Carolina

About the Author:
Alan Breznick is primarily a business and technology writer, editor and analyst based in Raleigh, N.C. He has written for scores of newspapers and magazines, including The Washington Post, New York Newsday, Business Week, Business North Carolina, Triangle Business Journal, Sport and Parenting. He can be reached at albreznick@earthlink.net.

Article Source: Carolinaliving.com – Raleigh and Cary and Research Triangle Park