Welcome to the area information section for Raleigh and surrounding Wake County areas. When considering what home to buy, the community can be as important a consideration as the real estate itself. This section should help you learn more about our beautiful community and all it has to offer.

Located in southwestern Wake County, Apex combines a relaxing small-town atmosphere with convenience to big-city amenities. It is positioned for future growth and the town planners are working to ensure that the small-town character remains while allowing for many new residents to join our community.

In 2007, Apex was named the 14th Best Place to Live in the USA by Money Magazine. In 1994 Apex was named the state's #1 Small Town in economic vitality by Business North Carolina magazine.

A major streetscape renovation project has restored Apex's downtown and recaptured its historic flavor.

Apex, North Carolina is also home to:

• One of the state’s most intact turn-of-the-century railroad towns with 60 well-preserved commercial buildings and homes dating from 1870-1940.

• New Hope Valley Railway, offering rides on restored trains and the nearby North Carolina Railroad Museum.

• A restored downtown area that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Downtown Apex features antique and specialty gift shops, as well as dining experiences that include an ice cream parlor, a fine dining bistro and more. For more information on downtown Apex visit www.apexdowntown.com

• The annual PeakFest held the first Saturday in May with hundreds of crafters, fine arts, food and more. And while many of the attractions provide a glimpse into the past, Apex continues to grow and change.

We invite you to join the hundreds of newcomers discovering our delightful small town ideally located in southwestern Wake County. Even though new residents relocate to Apex daily, we have maintained the small town character which is so unique in the rapidly-growing Research Triangle Area.

If you are one of our new residents getting settled into our community, or are considering a decision to join those relocating to our area, we hope this information will be helpful and facilitate an easy move to Apex.

Welcome to the southern part of heaven! Chapel Hill is THE quintessential college town, featuring UNC-Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university. From Franklin Street to the Dean Dome, Chapel Hill is one of the best places to live in North Carolina. But, Chapel Hill isn’t just for college kids. Chapel Hill one of the most progressive towns in the south, is filled with art, culture, a vibrant music scene, and is home to an excellent school system.

Franklin Street is the main drag, and borders the northern edge of the University. It literally is “the street of Chapel Hill" and is filled with thousands of people on Halloween, after beating Duke in basketball, or after winning a championship game such as the ACC Championship or the NCAA National Championship,

The 100 block of Franklin St. is the hub of Chapel Hill and is home to many restaurants and shops, many specializing in UNC-themed merchandise. While the legendary Rathskeller closed its doors recently, East Franklin is still full of culinary notables, including Top of the Hill, Spanky’s, Cosmic Cantina, Ye Old Waffle Shop, Pepper’s Pizza, East End and mainstays like Sutton’s Drugstore and the Carolina Coffee Shop. The Varsity Theatre is an icon of Chapel Hill, and its marquee can be seen in pictures and paintings of Franklin Street from the early 1950s. For UNC fans, the Shrunken Head and Johnny T-Shirts are the places to go to turn themselves Carolina Blue. By day, Franklin Street is a parade of students, residents and visitors walking to class, eating, shopping, or just enjoying the scenery. At night, the scene changes and Franklin Street is filled with young people on their way to restaurants, bars, cafes, and clubs.

While not quite as lively as East Franklin, West Franklin, which starts when you cross South Columbia Street, is home to many restaurants and boutique stores. Crooks Corner has been serving southern gourmet food for over twenty years, while the Carolina Brewery serves up local beer at its famed concrete bar. Down the street are Telluhlah’s, a Turkish restaurant and nightclub, Uniquities, an upscale contemporary clothing store, and the Cave, one of the last holdouts of the seventies.Across the street is Patio Loco, serving Latin cuisine, music and drinks and 411 West, known for its Italian pasta dishes,brick-oven pizza and Its Monday night half-price wines. Also on West Franklin is Mediterranean Deli, Italian Pizzeria 3,better known as IP3, Tandoor Indian Restaurant, Internationalist Books, Modern Times, and Local 506. University Square is home to restaurants and boutiques, including Time-Out, a popular 24-hour eatery, and Bon’s Barbecue, where the daughter of Mama Dip serves home-style southern food.

Rosemary Street is second to Franklin Street for people, restaurants and nightlife. Breadman’s, is Chapel Hill’s original 24-hour restaurant, serving tasty breakfast all day. Breadman’s also features a large menu of sandwiches and other items. Just down the street from Breadman’s is Mama Dip’s, a nationally acclaimed restaurant. Mama Dip’s is one of the best restaurants in the south for southern home-cooking. Also on Rosemary Street is La Residence, a popular restaurant and even more popular bar; Los Potrillos is great for Mexican food and margaritas; Pantana Bob’s, is a bar with a porch that is very popular with UNC students. Some other great restaurants in Chapel Hill include: The Flying Burrito, located on Airport Road,(about a mile north of downtown); Captain John’s Dockside Restaurant and Mariakakis, a Greek restaurant-deli and international gourmet supermarket.

There are a few places you just cannot miss when you go to Chapel Hill. First is the Old Well, the visual symbol of the UNC Chapel Hill campus. Modeled after The Temple of Love in the Garden of Versailles, you’ll often find students, runners and bikers stopping to take a sip from its fountain, especially on the first day of classes, when a sip is supposed to bring good luck in the following semester. The Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower, Coker Arboretum, Morehead Planetarium, Old East, Kenan Stadium, Davie Poplar, Silent Sam, the Pitt, and the Carolina Inn are all sites to see on UNC’s campus.

The Carolina Inn is a historic hotel located on the corner of Pittsboro Street and Cameron Avenue in downtown Chapel Hill.With historic charm, and modern amenities, this inn features great service and food. The Carolina Inn’s Fridays on the Front Porch, is a popular weekly music series and makes the Carolina Inn the perfect place to stay in Chapel Hill. Other places to stay in Chapel Hill include: The Franklin Hotel, a brand-new boutique hotel with a plush bar, The Siena Hotel, and the Fearrington Inn.

Basketball is king in Chapel Hill, and UNC’s fierce rivalry with nearby Duke University and other ACC schools provides much fun in Chapel Hill during basketball season. The Dean E. Smith Center, otherwise known as the Smith Center or the Dean Dome, is named after UNC’s famed coach, Dean Smith, who coached such all-time greats as Michael Jordan, Phil Ford, James Worthy, and Sam Perkins. Even though the Dean Dome is one of the largest college basketball arenas in the US, tickets are hard to come by and season tickets are like gold. Roy Williams is the current coach and, with a National Championship already under his belt, he is loved by students, alumni, and fans alike. After a big win, (beating Duke, winning a National Championship, etc) throngs of fans rush to the corner of Franklin and Columbia Street in fervor to cheer and chant, and for the brave ones, to jump over bonfires started in the street.

Durham, North Carolina is located in the central portion of the state, halfway between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the pristine beaches of North Carolina's Outer Banks.

Both residents and visitors alike enjoy the host of cultural, historical, educational, and natural amenities that Durham has to offer. Our reasonable cost-of-living, first-class health care, sports teams, arts, entertainment, shopping options, and an abundance of the natural beauty typical of the Carolina Piedmont all contribute to the high quality of life that "Durhamites" enjoy.

Durham’s diverse community makes it a cultural gem in North Carolina, while its thriving economic base continues to attract new investment from all over the globe. The presence of renowned colleges and universities, as well as the many high tech, biotech, and research based companies make Durham a great place for spin-offs and entrepreneurial start-ups.

Housing options range from downtown trendy loft-style apartments for young professionals and empty nesters to horse farms in the country; from new suburban developments for family-style living to historic neighborhoods in the heart of the city. No matter your preference you can find it here

Durham also offers an abundance of daytime activities for the individual as well as for families of any size. If it’s adventure and outdoor life that you crave, kayak down the Eno River or stroll through the beautiful Sarah P. Duke Gardens. History buffs can take a trip back in time by touring one of Durham’s many historic sites like Duke Homestead, Bennett Place or Stagville. Explore the Nasher Museum of Art or take the hands-on route by visiting the acclaimed Museum of Life and Science.

If sports is at the top of your list, you'll be happy to know that Durham and the Triangle have them all. Spend an evening at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park to enjoy America’s favorite pastime or take a quick 15 minute trip to the RBC Center to check out the 2006 Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes in action. When it comes to college basketball, we are fanatics! Join the Cameron Crazies at Duke University or cheer on the Eagles at North Carolina Central University. With UNC-Chapel Hill just eight miles away and N.C. State 25 miles, you can enjoy collegiate sports nearly any time of the year.

"Live" is the theme for Durham’s vibrant night life. Enjoy a live performance at beautifully restored Carolina Theatre in downtown Durham or a live Broadway show, direct from New York at the new Durham Performing Arts Center. Listen to live music at one of the city’s free outdoor concert series or at one of downtown's new mixed-use developments like West Village, Brightleaf Square and American Tobacco Campus. Either before or after enjoying the live social scene, stop into one of the Triangle's, and the South's, best restaurants which are home to nationally renowned chefs.

Living in Durham is a great opportunity to experience a delightful mix of rich culture, fascinating history, terrific shopping, and an electrifying nightlife.

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Wake Forest is accessible, commuter-friendly and a hub for transportation. Three interstates, part of the largest stated-maintained highway system in the country, intersect nearby providing major thoroughfares to all of the key destinations up and down the East Coast and across the region. A trip to downtown Raleigh, Durham or the Research Triangle Park can be made in less than 30 minutes on relatively uncongested roadways. Transit service began in Wake Forest in July 2008 including a weekday rush-hour express to downtown Raleigh and a local town circulator. It only takes 25 minutes to get to RDU airport, where nearly 5,000 domestic and international flights arrive or depart on 18 major airlines annually. Being situated between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west and the balmy beaches of the Atlantic Ocean to the east creates a climate with four mild seasons, a mean temperature of 61 degrees, more than 200 days of sunshine and zero measured inches of snow.

The residents of Wake Forest enjoy a unique lifestyle that combines the best of a small town sensibility with suburban amenities and metropolitan sophistication. Safe, tree-lined neighborhoods offer surprisingly affordable housing with choices that can include a home in a historic neighborhood, a spectacular golf course community or a bucolic rural setting with a few acres. Low taxes and a lower overall cost of living translate into more discretionary income and spending power.

Wake Forest’s excellent public schools are in the acclaimed Wake County school district. Wake County Public Schools is ranked the #1 school district in the country for certified teachers and has standard proficiency test scores that exceed national averages. SAT scores surpass state and national levels, and 75 percent of students take the test versus a national average participation rate of only 45 percent. There are also exceptional private school options in the area, as well as charter and innovative magnet schools.

An aspiring student does not have to travel far to pursue world-class higher education. Duke University, The University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University are all within the Triangle area as are eleven more highly regarded public and private schools.