The Triangle is such an incredible place to call home!! We have arts, culture, education, outdoors, and athletics all in one town.  We're spread out a bit but that never bothered me. 

When you drive through the city you can see why the founding fathers nicknamed it "The City of Oaks."  Greater Raleigh Parks & Gardens have the unofficial motto, "Trees, Tees and PhD's," and for good reason. With more than 150 Raleigh, North Carolina parks, gardens, lakes and greenways in Raleigh alone, there are plenty of places to enjoy the scenery and see why the area was dubbed as America's No. 8 Great Garden Cities in an issue of Garden Design Magazine.  But the city's natural beauty is just one of many drawing cards that has transformed this once-sleepy southern town into one of the nation's most desired destinations for business, technology, culture and family life. In fact, Money Magazine named it the Best Place to Live in 2006 and Forbes Magazine named Raleigh the #1 Place for Job Growth in 2007.

The city of 320,000 residents boasts premier cultural centers, including the N.C. Museum of Art and the famed North Carolina Symphony. The museum houses paintings and sculptures representing more than 5,000 years of artistic heritage - from ancient Egypt to the present - as well as traveling exhibits, movies, lectures and workshops.  Others are impressed to learn that Raleigh has a ballet company.   There are several other museums in the area including the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, the North Carolina Museum of History, Artspace, and Playspace all in the same vicinity.  Exploris, a $40 million museum, uses interactive displays to explore other cultures - including an exhibit of a portion of the Berlin Wall.

From events such as Artsplosure, Oktoberfest, the International Festival and the State Fair to the multitude of college and professional sports, there's a wide array of choices for the young and old, the mellow and bold. Falls Lake provides swimming, boating and fishing opportunities year-round, and Umstead Park offers over 15 miles of woodlands for hiking, picnics and nature outings. Alive After Five brings local musicians to the center of downtown each summer, where Raleigh's nightlife has seen a burst of new restaurants, clubs and even several authentic Irish pubs especially in the Glenwood South area.

First Night Raleigh has become an annual family tradition for thousands of residents, who descend upon the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts and Lichtin Plaza each New Year's Eve to watch the giant acorn drop.

Some of Raleigh's most popular restaurants are located in the heart of downtown, from the upscale Second Empire - set in the historic Dodd-Hinsdale House - Cooper's Barbecue, serving up sweet tea and delicious Carolina barbecue since 1928. The Angus Barn steak house on U.S. 70 near the airport and Char-Grill (hamburgers and fries) downtown are considered local landmarks, and newer restaurants offering savory fare of all types can be found in shopping plazas throughout North Raleigh.

Entertainment options range from an evening at Charlie Goodnight's Comedy Club, which draws top-name acts from around the country, to live jazz concerts at Yancey's Juke Joint. Country enthusiasts can two-step on down to the Long Branch off Wake Forest Road for live entertainment and dancing. And theater patrons shouldn't miss the annual production of Theatre in the Park's "A Christmas Carol," a comedic interpretation of the Dickens classic that has become a Raleigh holiday tradition, celebrating 32 years in 2006.  Two summer time favorites include Walnut Creek Amphitheatre.  And, last but not least, don't forget Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary.  This gorgeous outdoor setting offers weekly symphony concerts in the summer with other headline acts. 

The 19,700-seat RBC Center, which is the home of N.C. State basketball and the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes, creates plenty of excitement in Raleigh. Downtown, two additions next to the stately Memorial Auditorium have completed the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts complex.