I came here for Wake County's early voting and this is a nice community center with sports and…read morerooms for music and other local activities. Everything is clean and I did enjoy looking at the colorful artwork on the walls. There were teens playing basketball in the lower-level gymnasium and then a band was warming up with their instruments. The voting was in one of the rooms on the left and everything was well-organized. Parking is either outside or in the deck nearby.

The Herb Young Community Center has facilities for sports, music, meetings, kitchens, and other…read morecommunity-centered activities. It's got a nice big parking garage that's totally free, which is great even if you just want to stop by downtown and go for a walk. The bathrooms have always been very clean too.

Dogs. Everywhere. This is the biggest organized area dog walk -- it benefits the SPCA of Wake…read moreCounty and is held in April. I've done it twice and love it almost as much as Rex (my min-pin). Come out early for the pre-walk events (best kisser, best trick, best dressed) and browse the vendors (from big-box stores like Petsmart to local breed rescues and organic, gourmet doggie treat-makers). Perhaps best of all -- score swag! Freebies, giveaways, coupons, on-site discounted microchipping and pet portraits! Free water on hand, so pups and people don't get dehydrated. You can pre-register online, and this year they added a nifty and convenient online giving program where walkers can create a unique profile and cultivate sponsors. (Bugging people for money has never been so painless!) The 3K is through the streets of downtown Raleigh. Police help coordinate the walk and stop traffic. There's also a shorter 1K offered for senior dogs. After the walk, they host a Bark after Dog festival with live music and beer. Grab a table at a nearby restaurant patio to listen to the music over dinner. So much fun; and for a good cause too!

What a great event! There was a wonderful turn out even though the weather was a little dreary at…read morefirst...it drizzled a few times but that was nothing compared to the water that was coming down at the finish line of the race! Everywhere you turned there was a cute pup and its owner(s) enjoying the wonderful turn out of vendors and activities. This event is a must for the person who just added a 4 legged friend to the family or for the family who has had their loyal pup for years. From toys to dog massages, they have it all! Plenty of information on everything you could/should know about k-9s.

Historic Oak View County Park currently is on 27 acres. The pecan grove is 11 acres of that. When…read moreOak View was a working cotton farm it was over 900 acres. I took a guided tour of Historic Oak View County Park and learned some of its history. Wake County purchased the land for an office park before learning on the land's history. The property was saved from demolition and has since been added to the National Register of Historic Places. They are still learning more about it from research. Fourteen slaves were owned on the farm before the Civil War. Afterwards, some purchased land on Oak View and became sharecroppers or tenant farmers. The Farm Center History Center is where you can get information before you start exploring the park and it is a small museum. The goats are either found in the livestock barn or at the goat pen near the Tenant House. A cotton gin house can be toured and you can read about the cotton process. A cotton field is outside the building. They also have bee hives to pollinate the plants. A Plank Kitchen built in 1825 is the oldest building remaining on the property. It has a garden near it. The Main Farm House is open to tour, both the original house and the additions. Then there is the Tenant House replica that was brought to the park from Wendell as it had the same features of the buildings that had been torn down. I like that the park had walkways and ramps. The pecan grove is huge and each November the public can take some pecans home. While I was there, some people were fishing and others were having picnics. The goats can be fed carrots and apple slices.

This is a great park to explore with a little one. The space is huge and it's pretty easy to stay…read moresocially distant. They recently did a story book walk through the parks department that was neat. If you get lucky you may catch the goats out, but we haven't been so lucky yet. I've ready that you are allowed to feed them some carrots if the employees okay it. They do have a chicken coop as well which my son loved. He spent quite a bit of time just staring at the chicken walking around. If you follow the path to the left of the entrance it heads to a pond and if you follow it to the right there is a small cotton field and an old cotton wagon in the back of the old gin silo. It's a great spot for family photos, every time we have been we have seen people walking around with their photographer. The pecan trees and historic houses make for great photos. Right now due to COVID the bathrooms are closed. There is plenty of parking here. I know they offer so much more than what is currently available during COVID. Definitely a park to keep on the radar!

I've been to midtown park at North Hills for a few events. Specifically for a few tribute bands on…read moreFriday nights and the North Carolina wine festival which is held on the last Saturday in October. The park is not big but has a fairly large grassy area for lawn chairs, and kids to play (if it is a kid-friendly event). There is also a small concrete area in which to sit, and a stage where the bands play. In the events I have been to there has always been food and drink vendors, and of course, NH has plenty of restaurants to stop after an event if you choose to do so.

I have now been to Midtown Park 3.5 times…read more 3 times for free outdoor yoga - produced by Lululemon. Sundays at 11am. BE THERE. Namaste. .5 times for North Hills Beach Music. I was under the impression that Beach Music was moving to this area. False! It's still at North Hills where it has always been. There is a lot of additional parking by Midtown Park though! The park is located behind Chuy's. There is a lot of green grass and a stage on the other end (hence why I was under the impression that Beach Music was moving there). The stage has a brook of water fountains surrounding it. There is currently construction going on at the apartment complex located right by the park so it can be a bit noisy. I get a wee bit distracted during yoga sometimes. Midtown Park is currently hosting a "Wellness Wednesdays" every Wednesday at 6pm through June 11th. They feature a free workout from different gyms in the area! May 28th - Cardio Kick Circuit -Empower Personalized Fitness June 4th - Iron Tribe WOD High Intensity Training - Iron Tribe June 11th - Tabata - Heat Studios Yoga on Sundays and Wellness Wednesdays are good opportunities to check out the new park and to get a free, outdoor workout in! I love free. Afterwards, there are a bunch of great restaurants nearby to check out. And yelp about :) So far, I have enjoyed Midtown Park. I can't wait to see what other events they will host there! I will definitely be on the lookout on North Hill's Event page.

We just had a Birthday Party here for our 3 and 5 year old. The place was super clean and nicely…read moredecorated. The cooking activity was just right for the age of the kids (mostly 4-5 year olds) and they all had a great time. They were very well staffed and so organized that everything moved along smoothly- even with 10 toddlers!! There is only thing I would say that was less than stellar; there isn't a good area for parents who are staying with their kids. They don't allow outside food- which is reasonable, but something for adults, coffee or whatever, would be an improvement. Anyhow, it was a great all inclusive party package and well worth the money!

My 8 year old was invited to a bday party here and she LOVED it. She helped make lemonade, she made…read morecookies and learned a few cooking tips. It's an immaculate place with lovely employees. They do adult "classes" too- meatballs or pizza anyone?

Great place for toddlers to play!!! Staff is friendly and the coffee is great! When I am in Raleigh…read moreI take my granddaughters! All of the equipment is great for the little ones, you just do not find that much!

There are many options of toys to climb and play with, an infant area, and slides to go down. Good…read moreplace for kids to run around on a rainy day. There is onsite parking and a garage. The cafe offers mostly coffee with some tea and soda type beverages. There are two bathroom and a seating area. I was checked in fast and we were able to start using the space right away for 90 mins for free play. We went on a Friday morning and it was slightly chaotic and over crowded. Many parents really not watching their older kids who were acting up a bit. My suggestion to the business is to have a cap so kids and adults aren't all over each other in a smaller space.

I've been planning on visiting this shop for awhile now and just never made it over. They had a lot…read moreof kids activities and story times but my son was always a bit too young. Enter COVID-19 and I saw on Instagram that their sales were down 75% due to the pandemic. I figured now was the perfect time to finally support this local bookstore. You can place your order online and they offer free proch drop off within a certain radius. I emailed in to the owner, Christine, asking for recommendations for my son who is obsessed with trucks and animals. She came back with a wonderful personalized list of books for him-- many of them I hadn't heard of before! She takes the time to make sure the list fits your child's interests and age. I will say that I added all of the books to my Amazon cart to see what the price difference would be. I purchased four books and the total was only $5 cheaper on Amazon. For only $5 more I was able to support a small biz in my community, receive a personalized recommendation list for my son, and get it dropped off right at my door.

This was such a lovely children's bookstore in downtown Raleigh. After finding street parking lined…read moreacross the surrounding streets you will be greeted by this lovely local bookshop. It's a great atmosphere for children with tons of diverse, interactive books. The staff are so friendly and just add it the welcoming spirit here. It's decorated with such eye pleasing decor for family's and children. And I was pleasant@y surprised by the adult section on the back wall.

Upon a recent day trip in Cary, I stumbled up the Urban Park and decided to take a gander. Located…read moreinside a small wooded, residential area close to downtown, it definitely gives off a neighborhood vibe. It's also easy to miss when driving down Chatham Street as the side of the park that faces the street is a mere 100 feet long. Cary's Urban Park has basketball courts, a water fountain, picnic tables, four swings [two standard and two bucket seats], a sandbox, bike racks, benches and two playground structures [one for older and one for younger ages]. The play structures seemed relatively new, being made of plastic and had some climbing walls, multi-slides and elements that are more modern. I learned from a local that was spending the day at the park with his two grandchildren that the park has been there for quite some time and he'd developed many found memories there, they have updated it in the past five or so years. If you plan to take a trip to Cary's Urban Park I recommend you use the facilities prior as there are no bathrooms located at the park. Also, plan around the sun! Although the park is located in a wooded area, the playground structures aren't very shaded [especially the younger child structure] and the plastic can get very hot. Overall, this is a great spot if you need a kid-friendly break from downtown Cary and is within walking distance. It is relatively quiet and doesn't bring in a large crowd and even adults can entertain themselves on the swings!

This park is a hidden gem. It's a beautiful day and Pullen Park is so packed we can't even turn…read moreinto the parking lot because there is a line of traffic in the street both ways. Just kept driving down Western Blvd and stumbled in this park. Very nice equipment that's relatively new. There were only a few local families here on this gorgeous day which was perfect. Everyone could play on what they wanted too. Lots of shade and seating!!!! Well done neighborhood park.