No doubt about it - the Triangle area in central North Carolina is one of the best places to live in the US. Numerous surveys and studies have proven it for many years. I was reading a local Durham blog called Bull City Rising which prompted me to write this post. The blog raises an interesting point - do we feel we need to compete with other towns and cities within the Triangle in order to say our city is best? Some people are quick to say that Cary and Raleigh are better than Durham, but Durham has been getting many accolades too and most Durham residents will tell you that Durham has more character than Raleigh or Cary.
Asking Triangle residents I found that most people feel very strongly that where they live is the best place in the Triangle. Cary, downtown Raleigh (aka Inside the Beltline), Chapel Hill, Durham, Apex, Holly Springs were all mentioned.
While there are some people who say their city or town is best by talking negatively about other Triangle cities, the bottom line is positive. People like living here - a lot. Residents have different criteria for what makes a city the best place to live - walkability, schools, crime data, restaurants, locally-owned businesses, percentage of college-educated residents, parks and recreation, universities, golf, proximity to medical care are all commonly used criteria when people choose to live in the Triangle.
The best part about being in the Triangle is that in a 30-45 minute drive you have a variety of choices of where you want to live and where you can play. Live close to work and play on the weekends. Live out in the country and be 40 minutes to the RDU airport. Live in town and go to a great bed and breakfast for the weekend and be less than 1 hour away. Play golf in a different place every week all summer long. Drive to the NC beaches or mountains in 3 hours.
So, is Raleigh-Cary in competition with Durham-Chapel Hill? No. We're on the same team but it's that healthy competitive spirit that has each city showing its pride.
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