Love the Town of Cary! The food options are fantastic and there's so much range in types of cuisine…read morehere-- and it was a pleasant surprise as I truly didn't expect that in such a small, quaint town. The art is beautiful here and the downtown park is fantastic. Traffic and parking are fine, so getting around is a breeze. My Favorite Cary Spots: Peck & Plume TaiPei 101 Hank's Downtown Dive Downtown Cary Park SideBar Scratch Kitchen Brunches Lucky 32 The Improv AVA Rooftop Sports & Social Doc B's Paragon Theater Cheers!

During our four years living in Chapel Hill, we were impressed with the Town of Cary. We went to…read moreCary several times, mainly to eat good Asian food and go to H Mart. From my perspective, Cary continues to be a safe, clean, up-and-coming town with a lot of smart people. It seems like a great place to raise a family. I've heard Cary referred to as "Cannot Afford Raleigh Yet" and "Containment Area for Relocated Yankees." Haha. Seriously though, with all the new construction in recent and forthcoming years, I can see the appeal in living here as opposed to Raleigh. Just look at places like Fenton as one example. In this Yelp review, I list my top 10 restaurants in Cary from our time in the Triangle, June 2020 through July 2024: 1. Herons - One of my top two restaurants in the Triangle including Fearrington House. True fine dining for special occasions. https://www.yelp.com/biz/herons-cary-2 2. Szechuan Mansion Hotpot - Best Chinese hot pot in the Triangle. https://www.yelp.com/biz/szechuan-mansion-hotpot-cary 3. Seol Grille - Best Korean barbecue in the Triangle, that we tried. https://www.yelp.com/biz/seol-grille-cary-3 4. Chengdu 7 Sichuan Cuisine - Outstanding Sichuan food. https://www.yelp.com/biz/chengdu-7-sichuan-cuisine-cary 5. Andia's Ice Cream - Best ice cream in the Triangle. https://www.yelp.com/biz/andias-ice-cream-cary-2 6. Taipei 101 - Excellent "authentic" Taiwanese and Chinese food. https://www.yelp.com/biz/taipei-101-cary 7. Guasaca - Terrific arepas. https://www.yelp.com/biz/guasaca-cary-3 8. So Hot - Another solid Chinese hot pot restaurant. https://www.yelp.com/biz/so-hot-cary 9. Milk Lab - Yummy rolled ice cream. https://www.yelp.com/biz/milk-lab-cary-cary 10. Brecotea - Good Asian bakery and bubble tea shop. https://www.yelp.com/biz/brecotea-cary-4 Honorable mention: * Geluna Gelato - Delicious small-batch gelato in downtown Cary. https://www.yelp.com/biz/geluna-gelato-cary * Kung Fu Tea - Probably the best bubble tea in Cary. https://www.yelp.com/biz/kung-fu-tea-cary-cary * Peck & Plume - Good American restaurant located inside The Mayton boutique hotel (formerly known as The Mayton Inn). Ideal for brunch. https://www.yelp.com/biz/peck-and-plume-cary-2 ** Downtown Cary Park - Not a restaurant, so I'm making an exception here, but you've got to check out this new $68 million municipal park. https://www.yelp.com/biz/downtown-cary-park-cary

The Wake Forest Town Hall was built in 2010. It is 44,000 square feet and features LEED Platinum…read morecertification. The building focused on energy conservation from lighting to HVAC to reused materials for the construction. The rotunda provides more natural lighting. Centennial Plaza is what you first see as you approach, and it features engraved bricks and a time capsule to be opened in 2059. Parking is available in front of Town Hall on Brooks Street or behind it on Taylor Street.

I was staying in downtown Raleigh, meandered away from my hotel and found myself in the middle of…read morethe Cuegrass Festival. Lucky me. I just wandered in, looked at some selections from local artists, listened to some blue grass, and grabbed a pulled pork sandwich. There was so planning, I kept smelling food, turned left, and there was a festival in the streets. I. Love. That. It is so charming and welcoming. No cover charge to get in, a saxophone player jamming out to Whitney Houston on his speakers, BBQ everywhere, local artists, and a stage with wonderful people performing blue grass. I was lucky to have stumbled upon it, and it just makes me like Raleigh more.

More like sh**ty plaza. Nah not really, it's quite nice and fancy…read more This is the financial center of Raleigh and there are a lot of new trendy businesses popping up in these parts. It's not my favorite part, probably because it's too new, corporate, fancy, and un-Carolinian. But it is a nice sight to see and is a lot more modern than you would imagine for this historical region, the Triangle.

Durham is a great city. During our four years living in the Durham County portion of Chapel Hill,…read morewe went out in the City of Durham more than the Town of Chapel Hill. Parts of Durham are hip and progressive, reminding us of cities like Asheville and Decatur, Georgia. I think Durham may have the best food scene when it comes to the Triangle cities, even beating Raleigh (and Cary, which continues to rise). We spent a lot of time eating at restaurants in downtown Durham. In this Yelp review, I list my top 10 favorite restaurants in Durham from our time there from June 2020 through July 2024. 1. M Sushi - The best sushi in the Triangle. Try one of the omakases. https://www.yelp.com/biz/m-sushi-durham 2. M Tempura - Outstanding and unique. Get the kaiseki. https://www.yelp.com/biz/m-tempura-durham-3 3. Juju Asian Tapas + Bar - Consistently great food with a fun, comfortable atmosphere. https://www.yelp.com/biz/juju-asian-tapas-bar-durham-3 4. Nana Steak - I love prime rib and theirs is among the best I've had anywhere. https://www.yelp.com/biz/nana-steak-durham 5. Rose's - Exceptional ramen and ice cream sandwiches. Best ramen in the Triangle. https://www.yelp.com/biz/roses-durham-3 6. Mateo Bar de Tapas - Best tapas in the Triangle. https://www.yelp.com/biz/mateo-durham 7. Pizzeria Toro - Excellent Neapolitan-style pizza. https://www.yelp.com/biz/pizzeria-toro-durham 8. Namu - Terrific gimbap and other Korean food/snacks in a neat indoor-outdoor beer garden environment. They serve coffee too. https://www.yelp.com/biz/namu-durham 9. Eastcut Sandwich Bar - Amazing sandwiches. https://www.yelp.com/biz/eastcut-sandwich-bar-durham-durham 10. Viceroy - Fantastic, higher-end Indian restaurant. https://www.yelp.com/biz/viceroy-durham Honorable mentions: * Asian Kitchen - "Authentic" hand-pulled noodles, dumplings, and other Chinese dishes like ong choy (water spinach). https://www.yelp.com/biz/asian-kitchen-durham * Emmy Squared Pizza - Incredible Detroit-style deep-dish pizza. https://www.yelp.com/biz/emmy-squared-pizza-durham-durham-4 * M Kokko - Best Korean fried chicken we tried in the Triangle. https://www.yelp.com/biz/m-kokko-durham * M Pocha - All-around great food, "inspired traditional Japanese cuisine with Peruvian and Spanish influences." https://www.yelp.com/biz/m-pocha-durham-2 * Makus Empanadas - Superb empanadas. https://www.yelp.com/biz/makus-empanadas-durham * The Original Q Shack - I think this was the best barbecue we had in Durham. https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-original-q-shack-durham * The Parlour - Our favorite ice cream shop in Durham. https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-parlour-durham-2 * Saltbox Seafood Joint - Tasty fried seafood and chowder. https://www.yelp.com/biz/saltbox-seafood-joint-durham-3 * Sister Liu's Kitchen - Yummy, small Chinese dumpling and sandwich takeout joint. https://www.yelp.com/biz/sister-lius-kitchen-durham-2 * Szechuan Mansion Hotpot - Absolutely delicious Chinese hot pot. Make a reservation. https://www.yelp.com/biz/szechuan-mansion-hotpot-durham

This is for Stacy who works in Durham department of water services. She was an absolute gem. She…read morewas kind, sharp, helpful, peppy, all of the amazing things you want when you're calling a customer service rep. She got us easily setup in a timely manner. Absolute best person I've spoken to when calling a government service.

Hands down, this is one of the finest Chambers of Commerce in the country!…read more My rep Kim Niskey (919) 360-8665 goes out of her way to make sure that i know about upcoming events and she is an amazing connector if people. If you're in business in Raleigh and you're not a member, you're missing out on fantastic tools offer by the Greater Raleigh Chamber!

This is the new location of the Western Wake Farmer's Market on Saturdays starting in December…read more2016. The former location on Carpenter Village cannot be utilized any more due to a new housing development. This location outside the Chamber has ample parking and the vendors fit in around the parking lot. I have noticed less vendors yet that can also be attributed to the weather and cold and rainy Saturdays. The winter WWFM hours are 9:30 to 12:00.

The North Carolina Fallen Fire Fighter's Memorial is a nice tribute to the men and women who lost…read moretheir lives in the line of duty. The Memorial is in Nash Square in Downtown Raleigh and across the street from a fire station. The large memorial is a bronze statue with four firefighters. Three firefighters are rescuing a fourth that was under a steel beam. The names of the fallen heroes who have died since 1902 had to be redone as they ran out of room as unfortunately more names needed to be added. They also include those who have died of heart attacks and car accidents. If you are near Nash Square make sure to stop by this memorial.

Nice park located in the heart of Raleigh to honor the lost Firefighters that we lost during 911…read more Park it's self is simple piece that covers a sq block that has beautiful landscape and trees. But other than that it has no playground or anything that makes it a place to come hang out and chill.

This small sign near downtown Raleigh recalls a local citizen. The marker reads, "First Episcopal…read moreBishop of the Diocese of N.C., 1823-1830. Active in the revival of the Church. Interred in church 50 yds. south." Online, we learn some more about John Ravenscroft. There is more about his life prior to this, but here is the local part. "In 1823 the newly created Diocese of North Carolina elected John Ravenscroft as their first bishop. Ravenscroft reported to Raleigh were he augmented his bishop's salary by serving as rector of Christ Church. He would serve his home church for half of the year, spending the other half traveling throughout the diocese caring for existing congregations and establishing new ones. During his tenure as bishop, the Diocese of North Carolina doubled in size." [Review 12285 overall, 2069 of 2019.]