Kid friendly things to do. Cary or Pinehurst? (Charlotte, Raleigh: daycares, house)

[fitch401]

I am considering relocating to NC. One of the important factors I have been researching is the amount of things to do with a 2YR growing up. I am currently from Rochester, NY and although I want to relocate for better weather and change of scenary there are some great things to do here. We have the Strong Museum of Play, indoor facilities for toddlers, baseball, pumpkin farms in the fall....etc. It's not that much, but I need to "trump" this. One of the attractions in NC is for me to drive a couple of hours to the ocean. Something we definitely don't have here. It's been a drag to stay indoor 8 months out of the year.

So..I know I will hear a lot of great things about Cary area and Pinehurst area, but what's the best place for a family to grow up? Somewhere we don't have wonder what we are doing for each day. I am attracted to Cary because of the Raleigh area. I want to expose my son as he grows up to the major univerisities and sports. I don't know too much about Pinehurst or Moore County except for the golf. What things are there to do in the area?

-fitch401

[havin fun]

I have 2 grandaughters who live across the street from us. They've been here in Moore County since they were 6/10. Now they're 12/16. Karate, gymnastics, swimming, soccer, baseball, lacrosse, horseback riding, golf, parks, reservoirs, fishing, and the list goes on. If you look at the population "stats" you'll see that most of Moore County are "newbies", so acceptance is relatively easy for children. In-line skating (and hockey), bowling, 10 theatre movie complex, Fast Food, fine dining.
3 hours to the beach.
Biggest thing for kids? Drivers permit at 15!!

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Originally Posted by fitch401

I am considering relocating to NC. One of the important factors I have been researching is the amount of things to do with a 2YR growing up. I am currently from Rochester, NY and although I want to relocate for better weather and change of scenary there are some great things to do here. We have the Strong Museum of Play, indoor facilities for toddlers, baseball, pumpkin farms in the fall....etc. It's not that much, but I need to "trump" this. One of the attractions in NC is for me to drive a couple of hours to the ocean. Something we definitely don't have here. It's been a drag to stay indoor 8 months out of the year.

So..I know I will hear a lot of great things about Cary area and Pinehurst area, but what's the best place for a family to grow up? Somewhere we don't have wonder what we are doing for each day. I am attracted to Cary because of the Raleigh area. I want to expose my son as he grows up to the major univerisities and sports. I don't know too much about Pinehurst or Moore County except for the golf. What things are there to do in the area?

-fitch401

I don't know anything about Pinehurst, but I can tell you that Cary and the Triangle Area in general is very popular with young families moving to the area. I suggest you post specific questions about Cary on the Triangle Forum for better feedback.

In the end, I think it will be equally important to focus on where you can find a job.

[RGB13]

My sister lives in Rochester and we grew up not far from there. I think the most kid-friendly place in NC is Wilmington, which is why we are here. Closeness to the beach, a university, NPR, enough culture and museums (including the new Children's Museum) to keep you occupied, plus a welcoming and warm atmosphere for kids and families.

[Crazyland]

While doing a search of the area for Aberdeen I found several kid museums and theaters within a reasonable driving distance. There is a fabulous zoo near Charlotte. You have both the mountains and the ocean.
I think that there is plenty for our kids growing up to pick and choose what they want to do.

[trese]

There are museums all over NC. Mountains have skiing, ghost town, hiking, natural waterfalls, pumpkin patches, christmas tree farms, etc... Beach has museums, aquariums, beaches (duh), water parks, etc...
There are quite a few zoos-the best by far is in Asheboro--spend a day and still can't see it all.

Kids can do sports anywhere! NC has a lot of universities.

The great thing about NC is the diversity of it all and most within day trip distance. I say choose something close to the middle of the state. But then it also depends on job as I am sure you or spouse or both have to work, right?

[Rhaven]

I live in Apex, the town next to Cary. We moved down from Massachusetts and the family friendly environment was a huge factor for where we chose to live.

I have a 2 yr old, a 7 yr old and soon to be newborn. I can assure there is no lack of things to do or places to go for your kids in this area. Off the top of my head I can think of 7 parks and playgrounds within a 10 minute drive, 5 indoor playplaces within 10 minutes for those rainy days, 3 great museums my kids adore 2 of which are 15 minutes in Raleigh and 1 25 minutes in Durham. We have a fantastic zoo a straight drive that takes 1 hour, plus a huge lake (Lake Jordan) right down the road for swimming, hiking, and camping.

A lot of the stores here gear themselves towards families. For example, the grocery store by my house offers junior shopping carts for the older kids, free cookies (great to keep them happy while you shop) and a free balloon when you are leaving the store. Food shopping has become a fun activity wheras before it was a boring chore for them.

There are also drop in daycares if you ever need one for a Drs appointment and you can not find a babysitter.

Also in the area there is a website and community forum for moms with kids called trianglemommies.com. I found this gem before I moved and it was a fantastic way to both get a lot of great inside information on pediatricians, school reviews, things to do, as well as find playdates for my kids, meet other moms in the area, and make some new friends: vital if you are moving from far away as I did.


Every area is going to have it's pros and cons. My best advice to you is to check out both areas for yourself in person before you make a final decision. What works for one family may not work for another. Only you know what will make your family happy in the long run. I wish you the best of luck no matter what decision you make!

[monicazim]

Hi,
In Moore County you have a small town atmosphere where you know most of the parents who your kids are playing with, but you are close enough to Raleigh to see the museums, etc.
A good website to see what there is to do in Moore County is SandhillsKids. It has information about things to do for kids and parents.
Good luck!