I moved to the Triangle in 1991 and have lived in Cary since 1994. I’m practically a native. I’ve watched Cary blossom into and established and well planned community. Here are some of the reasons I love to call Cary, NC home!
Location and Proximity to Research Triangle Park
Many of the Triangle area residents commute north into the Research Triangle Park (RTP) area rather than downtown Raleigh. Now that the widening of two major alternative routes to I-540 (Highway 55 and Davis Drive) has been completed and the first toll road in North Carolina is now open the commute into RTP is a quick 10-15 minute drive to the major employers in the area. Cary is also a quick commute to the RDU Airport and the three major universities in the area.
The Great Outdoors
Cary’s land-acquisition ordinance requires builders to donate land to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department based on the number of houses that will be built. Currently, Cary has 31 city parks, including the Fred G. Bond Metro Park and Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve. There’s also the Kids Together Park with a large playground. In addition to community swimming pools, tennis courts and some of the finest golf courses in the area, these green spaces are what make people from all over the country want to call Cary home. There are 75 miles of paved green way, 148 miles of proposed green ways, and 2,551 of parks and natural areas managed by the Town of Cary. There are also plenty of public sports venues around town including Cary Tennis Park, Triangle Aquatic Center (TAC), Wake Med Soccer Park, and the USA Baseball Park.
Planned Community
Planning, planning and more planning is Cary’s adage. It takes but one drive around the Maynard loop, which circles Cary, to understand the vision: planned neighborhoods with large homes, two-car garages and well-groomed lawns are scattered throughout the town. National Geographic even wrote a great article on Cary a few years back titled “All roads lead to a cul-de-sac in this mushrooming high-tech hometown of transplanted Yankees. A friendly game of Bunco, anyone?”
Business
Cary has earned rave reviews for its dynamic business environment. Cary is home to such leading companies as SAS Institute, the largest privately held software company in the world. Cary has also attracted other key world-class businesses, including Siemens Medical Devices, MetLife, Lord Corporation, Duetsche Bank Global Technologies, Garmin, Fidelity Investments, Epic Games, ABB Inc., and John Deere Company. However, unlike many towns, commercial development is regulated much the same as residential development. While other Triangle towns have rules governing residential neighborhoods, Cary insists on tasteful commercial buildings that match the surroundings. The unemployment rate is 2% lower than the state and national average.
Downtown Cary
Downtown Cary is undergoing a major revitalization over the next few years called Cary Streetscape. The goal is to preserve the days gone past while bringing in businesses and shops that allow residents to live, work, and play in the downtown area. This is also where Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival is held annually, which is considered one of the finest festivals in the state. Page-Walker Arts and History Center, formerly the Page-Walker Hotel, was built in 1868 to serve train passengers is also located in the downtown area and a great destination point.
Entertainment
Koka Booth Amphitheatre is unlike any other venue in the area. Located among 14 acres of stately pines and beautifully situated next to Symphony Lake, the Amphitheatre blends with its natural setting. Booth Amphitheatre boasts the capacity for 7,000 people and hosts 60+ events per year, including the annual 4th of July fireworks.
Built in 1946, The Cary Theater was once home to the town’s first indoor movie theater, which hosted live performances as well as films. Now the marquee lights up Downtown Cary with the mission of providing a unique setting for cinema and live performance to enhance the cultural arts experience in Downtown Cary. The Cary offers independent films, music, and live performance including comedy and improv!
Safety
Cary was rated the #3 Safest City in America – USA Today
Fiber
Cary is one of the only areas in the country with access to both Google Fiber and AT&T GigaPower allowing download speeds over 50 times faster than the normal broadband.
Medical Care
WakeMed is Cary’s top notch hospital and is located near Tryon Road and Kildaire Farm Road. WakeMed has helped to serve the growing population’s need for, and access to, convenient medical care.
Growth of Cary
Attention to detail has proved very beneficial when dealing with the population explosion in Cary. In fact, Cary has doubled its population every decade since 1960. Cary is the seventh-largest municipality in the state and has grown from 43,000 in 1990 to more than 152,800 today and has been named one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.
To handle the expansion, city leaders and developers carefully control development and have built an infrastructure to absorb the growth. In fact, it wasn’t until recently that the voice to slow down Cary’s growth was heard. Lately, Cary officials have been developing innovative growth controls. Some of these include requiring developers to prove there are enough roads and classrooms to accommodate the newcomers, as well a $70 million expansion of the water treatment plant that serves Cary and nearby Apex.
Interested in relocating to Cary, NC?
Reach out to me with any questions.
About Tracy Santrock
Tracy Santrock is a full-time sales associate of the Fonville Morisey Realty Preston Office.
Tracy earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from Louisiana State University, and a certificate in Financial Planning from Duke University.
Tracy has consistently been a top producer at Fonville Morisey. Tracy is a member of the prestigious Founders Club and the 2009, 2010, and 2011 Fonville Morisey Realty Preston Office Listings, Listings Sold, Selling, & Associate of the Year and Company Wide Selling Associate of the Year. Tracy holds several designations including CRS, ePro, ABR, SRES, and CLHMS Million Dollar Guild, which places her in the top 1% of REALTORS® nationwide. Tracy has also been recognized by the Triangle Business Journal as one of the Top 25 Realtors in the Triangle for two years in a row.
Tracy is a member of the Raleigh Association of REALTORS®, the North Carolina Association of REALTORS®, and the National Association of REALTORS®.
For more information about Tracy Santrock and Fonville Morisey Realty, please visit www.fmrealty.com.
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