LIVING IN RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA Views of Raleigh - Run mouse over thumbnails above.

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So here you are. You have made your choice to move to North Carolina, specifically to the Greater Research Triangle area. Good choice! Many people have decided that living here will provide the very best lifestyle available, including buying a home in Raleigh, landing the best employment and even finding the best schools and/or or higher education. Thousands of people have made the decision to relocate to the Research Triangle, just like you. A newcomer will find why the Greater Research Triangle has ranked as one of the best regions in North Carolina to live or work, to buy the best real estate, to start a business, to raise a family, or even to retire.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN RALEIGH
Exploring life in Raleigh is a good decision, and here are fun things to know:
*Andrew Johnson - The nation's 17th President was born in the kitchen of an Inn in Raleigh in 1808.
*North Carolina State Capitol - is the main house of government of of North Carolina. Housing the offices of the Governor of North Carolina, it is located in the state capital of Raleigh on Union Square at One East Edenton Street. The cornerstone of the Greek revival building was laid with Masonic honors by the Grand Master of the State Simmons Jones Baker on July 4, 1833. Construction was completed during 1840.
*Shaw University - was the South's first African-American college, began classes in 1865.
*Progress Energy Performing Arts Center - Experience the most elegant, immersive suite of live-performance venues in the Southeast. Indulge your love of theater, opera, ballet and other live entertainments, in performance halls and centers designed around each unique art.
Fletcher Opera Theatre - The A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater is the epicenter for opera and dance in North Carolina. This 600-seat theater offers an intimacy perfect for such performances; with the farthest balcony seat less than 70 feet from the stage.
Memorial Auditorium - Opened in 1932, Memorial Auditorium is the crown jewel of North Carolina performing arts. Over the years, this richly historic theater has played host to a dazzling spectrum of artists and performances. Just a sample of the list quickly becomes dizzying: Sinatra, Gillespie, Baryshnikov, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughn, Itzhak Perlman, Natalie Cole and Prince. Broadway blockbusters like Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Disney’s The Lion King, Jersey Boys, Miss Saigon, and Rent have also been staged here.
Betty Ray McCain Art Gallery - This unique gallery, nestled within the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, is the proud home of the North Carolina Artists Exhibition, a collection of work by state artists, selected each year by respected local museum and gallery directors from hundreds of submissions.
Meymandi Concert Hall - The North Carolina Symphony calls this remarkable, 1700-seat venue home. And it’s easy to see why. Its 65-ft ceiling, unique shoebox shape, narrow sides, shallow balconies and lack of proscenium all work together to deliver the warmest, clearest and most immersive sound experience possible. National and international artists and performers now speak of this hall’s remarkable acoustics.
Lichtin Plaza - This elegant two-acre plaza in front of the Progress Energy Center is the ideal, open-air space for festivals, concerts and tented social gatherings and functions.
Kennedy Center - The new 170-seat, 40 x 60-foot black-box experimental theater fuses intimacy with energy, the deeply personal with the universal theater experience. The KD & Sara Lynn Kennedy Theatre provides performance space for innovative groups including Hot Summer Nights.
*Walnut Creek Amphitheatre (Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion) - is an outdoor amphitheater in Raleigh, North Carolina that specializes in hosting large concerts. The amphitheater is part of a 77-acre complex located on the west bank of Walnut Creek, southeast of Raleigh near the I-40/US 64/I-440 (Beltline) interchange.
*North Carolina Symphony - is an American orchestra with sixty-nine full time musicians. The orchestra performs in Meymandi Concert Hall and performs occasionally with the Carolina Ballet and the The Opera Company of North Carolina. In 2007, the organization celebrated its 75th anniversary.
*The North Carolina Opera - was formed in 2010 from the merger of Capital Opera Raleigh and The Opera Company of North Carolina. It is dedicated to presenting operatic performances at the highest level throughout the Triangle.
*North Carolina Theatre - has a vision to preserve the unique American art form of musical theatre, to provide broad access to the arts and to entertain and engage diverse audiences. The Theatre's focus on producing major Broadway musicals of universal appeal on the City's downtown stage, Memorial Auditorium.
*North Carolina State Fair - is an annual fair and agricultural exposition held in Raleigh. The North Carolina Agricultural Society at a site east of Raleigh first held the North Carolina State Fair in 1853; it has been celebrated continuously since then. Held for 10 days in mid-October, the fair annually attracts over 800,000 North Carolinians. As of 2008, the fair has added an additional day and now lasts 11 days. In 2010, the fair broke an attendance record with 1,091,887.
*Carolina Ballet - is one of America’s premiere arts organizations. Launched as a professional dance company in 1997 under the direction of Artistic Director/CEO Robert Weiss, Carolina Ballet has since garnered critical praise from the national and international media, staged 75 world premiere ballets, and toured internationally in China and Hungary.
*Theatre in the Park - is a community theatre located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The theatre's Executive Director is Ira David Wood III, father of actress Evan Rachel Wood. Ira David Wood III is famous for his musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". Wood is also famous for playing Ebenezer Scrooge for all thirty-four years of "A Christmas Carol's" production.
*Marble Kids Museum - is a nonprofit children's museum located in downtown Raleigh, in the Moore Square Historic District. Its mission is to "inspire imagination, discovery and learning through extraordinary adventures in play and larger-than-life IMAX experiences." It was created through the merger in 2007 of two existing children's museums: Exploris and Playspace and today offers "unique hands-on interactive experiences that inspire children to be creative thinkers and active learners."
*North Carolina State University - is a public, coeducational, land grant university with 33,000 students, making it the largest in North Carolina.
*Pullen Park - is a 72-acre public park, west of downtown and adjacent to North Carolina State University. e park features picnic areas, a concessions stand along with several small rides including the Pullen Park Carousel, train, and kiddie boats. Pedal boats are also available for rent seasonally on the park's large pond. The Pullen Aquatic Center, Pullen Arts Center and Theatre In the Park are also located on the park grounds. It is one of the most famous and known parks around the Raleigh/Durham area.
*North Carolina Museum of Art - houses one of the finest collections of art in the Southeast, a collection that includes paintings and sculpture representing 5,000 years of artistic achievements from antiquity to the present. The Museum features more than 40 galleries as well as more than a dozen works of art in its 164-acre Museum Park.
*Downtown Raleigh - has experienced an amazing transformation from a oneway 1960's pedestrian mall to a gleaming and exciting venue of places to work, live and play. The downtown boats a wide array of restaurants, high rise towers, condominiums and regular entertainment.
*Raleigh Convention Center - is a 500,000 square foot convention and exhibition center in downtown Raleigh. The west-facing wall of the new convention center boasts a large public art piece called the 'Shimmer Wall' that contains LED lights in the form of an oak tree, for which the city is nicknamed the 'City of Oaks'.
*William B. Umstead State Park - is a 5,439 acre Park, offering hiking, bridle and bike trails, boat rentals, camping, picnic areas and educational programs
*Oakwood - is a neighborhood in downtown Raleigh, on the National Register of Historic Places, and known for its Historic Oakwood Cemetery, its many Victorian houses and its location close to the Mordecai Plantation Manor. Located near the Governor's Mansion and the State Capitol, during the 19th century Historic Oakwood was home to prominent members of Raleigh's society. Oakwood is also well known for its Christmas Candlelight Tour, which opens private historic residences to the public, and the Garden Tour, which allows the public to see the vast gardens worked on by the Oakwood Gardening Club.
*North Carolina Museum of History - is located in downtown Raleigh. Permanent exhibits focus on the state’s military history, decorative arts, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, and more. Visitors will see a variety of short term and traveling exhibits. Admission is free.
*Carolina Hurricanes - is a professional, National Hockey League franchise team based in Raleigh, playing in the 18,680-seat RBC Center. In 2006, the "Canes" won their first world championship Stanley Cup.
*North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences - This museum is the oldest established museum in North Carolina and the largest museum of its kind in the Southeast. It has about 700,000 visitors annually, making it the most visited attraction in the state.
*Raleigh City Museum - is located in the historic Briggs Hardware Building on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh and has a number of exhibits and programs that are free to the public.
*Cameron Village - is an historic shopping center opened in 1949, and quickly became the premier shopping area in Raleigh. It is also considered the first shopping center to be built between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. It is on the National Registry of Historic Places.

RALEIGH'S GOOD LIFE

It has become almost routine for Raleigh to be praised as a wonderful place to live. Residents' testimonials, articles and various organizations bestow glowing reviews and accolades about living here. With these superlatives publicized for so long, the Research Triangle area's fame as a great place to live has been a magnet attracting people, like you, to explore and relocate.

This sense of the Raleigh good life is expressed on the website of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce:
"Nestled among the native long-leaf pines in the heart of the Tar Heel State lies a band of progressive, prosperous communities with a quality of life second to none. We have a quality of life that has landed Raleigh and the families of communities that make up the Research Triangle region of North Carolina among the nation’s best places to live, start a business, raise a family, and earn a world class education.
"The Research Triangle, or Triangle, as we like to call our area of North Carolina, gets its name from our geographic region anchored by North Carolina State University in Raleigh, Duke University in Durham, and the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill - three of the nation’s top research universities.
"At the center of our region is Research Triangle Park, the nation’s largest planned research development community where you’ll find some of the world’s largest corporations, as well as promising start-ups working side-by-side.
"Raleigh and its neighboring communities are centrally located both within North Carolina and along the East Coast of the United States and boast a thriving business community, active arts population, and a quality of life that has consistently been ranked among the best in the country ... but don’t take our word for it.
"Perhaps our best spokespeople are our residents. A recent survey showed an astounding 96 percent of newcomers with children said they would move to the area again if they had it to do all over. And unlike most metro areas in the U.S., Raleigh and the Triangle have all the amenities of big-city life without the high cost of living."

RALEIGH'S NEIGHBORS

Raleigh is one of 32 sister communities in the Greater Research Triangle region:
Angier
Apex
Benson
Butner
Carrboro
Cary
Chapel Hill
Clayton
Creedmoor
Durham
Franklinton
Fuquay-Varina
Garner
Henderson
Hillsborough
Holly Springs
Knightdale
Louisburg
Mebane
Morrisville
Oxford
Pittsboro
Raleigh
Rolesville
Roxboro
Selma
Siler City
Smithfield
Wake Forest
Wendell
Youngsville
Zebulon

WHY MOVE TO RALEIGH?

Raleigh and her neighboring communities share several common benefits. The first great reason to live in the Greater Research Triangle is a wonderful climate. Spring and summer are filled with a bouquet of blossoms that flood the visual and olfactory senses. Parks and beautiful homes treat citizens and visitors alike with colors as if from the palette of a great landscape painter. The fall blazes with glorious colors so awesome that it almost takes your breath away. The winters are mild, and every now and then, the students get a day off for a light snow. It rarely gets below freezing. How could anyone not like the weather and climate in Raleigh, North Carolina?

The second reason to live in Raleigh is that it is a great place to buy a home. Raleigh real estate is affordable. Newcomers can choose between well-established homes for sale or new homes in outstanding new home communities. You can choose a lot and build a custom home. Simply select a homebuilder from the many in Greater Research Triangle. A qualified REALTOR®, real estate agent, mortgage broker or loan officer can assist in the home purchase process and can guide you through the process of finding and buying real estate in Raleigh.

Schools are another reason Greater Research Triangle is a wonderful place to live. Oh yeah - families especially love the schools in Raleigh. In fact, some of the best schools in Greater Research Triangle are found in Raleigh. The Wake County Public School System, frequently cited for several outstanding programs, services Raleigh. Raleigh schools are considered safe places for students. But there are not only excellent public schools in Raleigh, but outstanding private schools, as well.

EDUCATION IN RALEIGH

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

To better help you select the best schools in Raleigh, North Carolina, read what the Wake County Public School System says on its website:
"WCPSS is North Carolina's largest school district. In recent years, Wake County's school population has grown by thousands of new students each year. As a result, WCPSS is constantly opening new schools and it has had a direct impact on where many children attend school. In the past, student assignment was a yearly decision aimed at filling new schools, reducing crowding at existing schools, minimizing bus rides and promoting diversity goals. This year for the first time, the Board of Education approved a three-year assignment plan for 2009-2012. By using better technology to predict growth and information from our school construction program, this new plan will provide families with more advanced notice of school assignments for their students.
"WCPSS offers a wide variety of magnet school programs offering innovative approaches to learning (Creative Arts and Sciences, Gifted and Talented, Active Learning & Technology, International Baccalaureate, Leadership, Montessori, Museums, and Year-Round programs, for example). Entry into these programs is by lottery. You should familiarize yourself with the available programs to determine if there's one particularly suited to your child."

Wake County Public School System

PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH A RALEIGH ADDRESS:

Elementary Schools:

Baileywick Road Elementary School
Banks Road Elementary School
Barwell Road Elementary School
Brassfield Elementary School
Brentwood Elementary School
Brier Creek Elementary School
Brooks Elementary School
Bugg Elementary School
Combs Elementary School
Conn Elementary School
Dillard Drive Elementary School
Douglas Elementary School
Durant Road Elementary School
Forest Pines Elementary School
Fox Road Elementary School
Fuller Elementary School
Governor Morehead Elementary School
Green Elementary School
Harris Creek Elementary School
Hilburn Drive Elementary School
Hunter Elementary School
Jeffreys Grove Elementary School
Joyner Elementary School
Lacy Elementary School
Lead Mine Elementary School
Leesville Road Elementary School
Lynn Road Elementary School
Millbrook Elementary School
Mount Vernon Elementary School
North Forest Pines Drive Elementary School
North Ridge Elementary School
Oak Grove Elementary School
Olds Elementary School
Partnership Elementary School
Pleasant Union Elementary School
Poe Elementary School
Powell Elementary School
River Bend Elementary School
Root Elementary School
Smith Elementary School
Stough Elementary School
Swift Creek Elementary School
Sycamore Creek Elementary School
Underwood Elementary School
Vance Elementary School
Wakefield Elementary School
Washington Elementary School
Wilburn Elementary School
Wildwood Forest Elementary School

Middle Schools:

Carnage Middle School
Carroll Middle School
Centennial Campus Middle School
Daniels Middle School
Dillard Drive Middle School
Durant Road Middle School
East Millbrook Middle School
East Wake Middle School
Governor Morehead Middle School
Leesville Road Middle School
Ligon Middle School
Martin Middle School
Moore Square Museum Middle School
Mount Vernon Middle School
River Oaks Middle School
Wakefield Middle School
West Millbrook Middle School

High Schools:

Athens Drive High School
Leesville Road High School
Millbrook High School
Needham Broughton High School
Phillips High School
Sanderson High School
Southeast Raleigh High School
Wake Early College of Health and Science
Wakefield High School
William G. Enloe High School

CHARTER SCHOOLS IN NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina charter schools are independent public schools that exist to offer Raleigh students, parents and educators choices in teaching, learning methods and environments. An emphasis is placed on innovation and accountability with improved student achievement the common goal.

There are now nearly 5,000 public charter schools in 39 states and the District of Columbia, educating more than 1.6 million public charter school students. North Carolina public charter schools are intended to improve North Carolina's traditional public school system.

Any Raleigh charter school, while independently operated, must meet four requirements, like any other North Carolina public school:
*Tuition-free and open to every student who wishes to enroll;
*Non-sectarian, and do not discriminate on any basis;
*Publicly funded by local, state and federal tax dollars like other public schools;
*Held accountable to state and federal academic standards.

LIST OF CHARTER SCHOOLS IN RALEIGH:
Casa Esperanza Montessori, grades K-6
Endeavor Charter School, grades K-8
Exploris Middle School, grades 6-8
Hope Elementary Charter School, grades K-5
Magellan Charter School, grades 3-8
PreEminent Charter School, grades K-8
Quest Academy, grades K-8
Raleigh Charter High School, grades 9-12
Torchlight Academy, grades K-5

PRIVATE SCHOOLS WITH A RALEIGH ADDRESS

Private schools, also known as independent schools or non-state schools, are not administered by Raleigh, North Carolina, or the Federal government; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students tuition, rather than relying on public funding. Raleigh students can get a scholarship into a private school, which makes the cost cheaper, depending on a talent the student may have, such as a sport scholarship, art scholarship, academic scholarship.

List of Private Schools in Raleigh:

Advent Christian Academy, grades PK-12
Al-Iman School, grades PK-8
Atlas International School, grades PK-8
Body of Christ Christian Academy, grades K-3
Bonner Academy, grades 5-8
Cardinal Gibbons High School, grades 9-12
Cathedral School, grades PK-8
Chesterbrook Academy North Raleigh, grades PK-3
Faith Lutheran School, grades K-9
Follow the Child Montessori School, grades PK-5
Friendship Christian School, grades PK-12
Gethsemane SDA School, grades K-8
Grace Christian School, grades PK-12
Love Christian Center Academy, grades K-12
Mass Jewish Community Day School, grades K-2, 4-5
Montessori School of Raleigh, grades PK-9
Neuse Christian Academy, grades K-12
North Raleigh Christian Academy, grades K-12
Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School, grades K-8
Raleigh Christian Community School, grades PK-8
Raleigh Christian Academy, grades PK-12
Ravenscroft School, grades PK-12
Rejoice Academy and Performing Arts School, grades K-12
St. David's School, grades K-12
St. Mary's School, grades 9-12
St. Raphael Catholic School, grades K-8
St. Thomas More Academy, grades 91-2
St. Timothy's School, grades K-8
Stevens Prep Academy, grades 5-12
Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities
The Fletcher Academy, grades 1-12
The Franciscan School, grades K-8
The Raleigh School, grades PK-5
The Trilogy School, grades 2-12
Trinity Academy of Raleigh, grades K-12
Upper Room Christian Academy, grades K-8
Vital Link is Cross Link, grades PK-1, 3-4
Wake Christian Academy, grades K-12
Word of God Christian Academy, grades K-12

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES IN AND NEAR RALEIGH

Higher education in the Greater Research Triangle region is another great reason to live in Raleigh, North Carolina. The local colleges and universities contribute more than just classrooms, by also bringing the best in sports and cultural offerings to the Research Triangle communities at large. If your life calls for upper level learning, choose from the following list of universities, colleges and community colleges:
Duke University
Raleigh Technical Community College
Johnston Community College
Raleigh College
Meredith College
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina State University
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
St. Augustine’s College
Shaw University
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Vance-Granville Community College
Wake Technical Community College
William Peace College

VIEW THE COMPLETE EDUCATION DIRECTORY:

PUBLIC & PRIVATE SCHOOLS

New Movers Magazine provides a full listing of the schools in the Greater Research Triangle region: all public schools, most private schools and all institutions of higher learning. You can review each school's website, enrollment figures and phone numbers. But that's not all. You can save a ton of time because we have already done the digging for you. Those hard to find school test scores and safety data are at your fingertips for each public school. The facts are the most current available. It's now fast and easy to compare schools and even school systems.

Need to find the right school and then the right home in that school's district? In an Internet first, New Movers Magazine offers Home Report©, found throughout New Movers Magazine. You can learn about homes for sale in the attendance zone of any Raleigh public school, or even private schools by desired distance from your potential new Raleigh home. Home Report© is free, with no obligation. Your name and information is private and secure.

Home Report© can be accessed on the top of the frame surrounding this article.

So, whether you are researching the Greater Research Triangle region and getting a feel for living here, or if you are learning about your education options, or if you have definitely decided to purchase a home in Raleigh, even if only from across town- congratulations.

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