Cary Fact or Fiction.........the real deal. (Raleigh, Holly Springs: HOA, low crime)

[In & Out]

As Cary is known worldwide as a great place to live, it gets a lot of exposure. It is funny to hear some of the things said about Cary. Some things are fact and others are pure fiction, such as:

• Cary has all beige color homes. That is fiction. Cary has a wide variety of home styles and color. Many communities adopt a certain style when being built, so the neighborhood may look somewhat similar, but that does not mean all neighborhoods are the same.
• Cary is boring. This is fiction for most people. True, Cary is not the scene for bar hopping or night clubbing. However, people usually grow out of that stage of their life by the time they are 30. For most everyone else, Cary provides unlimited outdoor activities, dining & shopping. Cary is a place for the active adult that cares about physical and mental health. Cary has miles of greenways to walk or bike on. There are lots of beautiful parks. There are amphitheaters, dance studios, tennis clubs, gold courses, the list just goes on.
• Cary is out of my price range. This is fiction in many cases. Cary does have some large and expensive homes. After all there are a lot of successful people here that have money. However, there are many smaller homes that are well under $275k.
• Cary only has homes in HOA's. Total fiction. Cary has many homes that are not part of HOA's. Many more than most people think. See a Realtor for help when looking for your perfect home. There are many homes on sizable lots.
• Cary controls the HOA's. Total fiction. HOA's are run by the home owners. The town has nothing to do with them.
• Cary does not manage growth properly. Fiction. Cary has had rapid growth due to the fact that the town represents what many people want in life. The growth has been managed very well. There have been challenges, but when you actually live here you will find how well orchestrated everything is.
• Cary is bland looking. False, unless one likes the look of concrete, steel and pavement. IMO, Cary is the most beautiful town I have ever seen. The roads are beautifully landscaped, signage is controlled so it does not look ugly like Capital Blvd in Raleigh.
• Residents of Cary are brainwashed and do not have independent minds. This is fiction. People know what they want in life. Many people have the picture of the American dream as a beautiful home in a really safe town with great schools and lots of amenities. When they find Cary, they find their dream. It is a personal choice.
• Cary has horrible traffic everywhere. Fiction. Most roads have fairly light traffic. There are so many options for travel here that one can always find a way around Davis Drive, which is the most congested. An even at that, Davis Drive is being widened to help.

For me and for thousands of other people, Cary is simply about as good as it gets. There are reasons why Cary is so popular. It is not just hype. If it was false, people would leave, yet the population keeps growing. I did not live in Cary when I moved here, yet fell in love with it once I actually took the time to learn about it. Thank heavens I did. It was the single best decision of my life.

[metro.m]

I have to say I disagree. Cary is all of those. Truman Show? Weeds? Hmm.

[MikeNC29]

Originally Posted by metro.m

I have to say I disagree. Cary is all of those. Truman Show? Weeds? Hmm.

Cary is the epitome of suburban sprawl and everything that is wrong with it.

[CDgrisgris]

Originally Posted by In & Out

• Cary is boring. This is fiction for most people. True, Cary is not the scene for bar hopping or night clubbing. However, people usually grow out of that stage of their life by the time they are 30. For most everyone else, Cary provides unlimited outdoor activities, dining & shopping. Cary is a place for the active adult that cares about physical and mental health. Cary has miles of greenways to walk or bike on. There are lots of beautiful parks. There are amphitheaters, dance studios, tennis clubs, gold courses, the list just goes on.

hmmm, i enjoy "bar hopping" and i'm over thirty, maybe i should just grow up and become an adult who cares about my mental and physical health, maybe i should stop poisoning my body and mind with alcohol, conversation and meeting interesting people...maybe i should just move to Cary and start breeding...

[scorp200]

Originally Posted by In & Out

[*]Cary is boring. This is fiction for most people. True, Cary is not the scene for bar hopping or night clubbing. However, people usually grow out of that stage of their life by the time they are 30. For most everyone else, Cary provides unlimited outdoor activities, dining & shopping. Cary is a place for the active adult that cares about physical and mental health. Cary has miles of greenways to walk or bike on. There are lots of beautiful parks. There are amphitheaters, dance studios, tennis clubs, gold courses, the list just goes on.

Ok I've gotta disagree with this one - I don't go bar hopping (er, all that much) or night clubbing but that doesn't mean I should automatically live in Cary, either. I don't think you can make the generalization that it's fiction for most people - that's not possible and inaccurate! Some people like suburbia and some people don't...those that don't find it boring, it's no more than that. You can live elsewhere and still like nature! And to say all of this is not to insult Cary in any way. Different strokes for different folks...we do not all have to like the same things...

[sacredgrooves]

I will take 1988 Cary over 2008 Cary any day of the week...in fact go ahead and back it up to about '83. IMO the town sold its soul and lost its charm.

[MikeNC29]

McMansions as far as the eye can see!

[metro.m]

Originally Posted by sacredgrooves

I will take 1988 Cary over 2008 Cary any day of the week...in fact go ahead and back it up to about '83. IMO the town sold its soul and lost its charm.

I have to agree. This town is the poster child for sprawl, mediocre architecture, gas guzzlers, white bread heaven, detachment from social reality, environmental ignorance, chain stores, Nazi gov't, socially inept, the list goes on. Sorry for the rant. It's just that this area is being killed of by the blatant lack conscious environmental and social infrastructure.

[theS5]

I have been here for a couple of years now and I have never had a problem with the town or HOA telling me that I could not do something to my property.
Not every town can be everything to everybody. If you are single and need an active nightlife, Cary may not be your cup of tea.
If you are old, miserable cynical and can't stand change (you know who you are), then Cary may not be your cup of tea.
If you like run down neighborhoods with six cars on the lawn, then Cary may not be your cup of tea.
Life is all about choices.

[HappyNCGirl]

Thank you for your thoughtful, articulate perspective on Cary. Many of your observations were spot on with what I've found to be true in the almost 7 years I've lived in Wake County.

Lots of people make fun of the Town of Cary for trying to be clean, safe and beautiful. Like there is something morally wrong with those attributes. This annoys and saddens me.

On the flip side of this, lets look at the Town of Holly Springs for example. We lived in Holly Springs for awhile, and I currently work in Holly Springs. Holly Springs is blessed with a fantastic mayor and town council. It also is a very safe place to live, with a very low crime rate. Many of the older homes you see lining the country roads are inhabited by families who have lived in HS for many many years. Holly Springs isn't all manicured and pristine like some parts of Cary. I can not begin to tell you how many folks visiting the area from other states make downright rude remarks about those older, run down residences. I've had a couple of people demand to know why those old houses are "allowed" next to the new neighborhoods. And why "those people" aren't made to move out. Yes I realize some of those homes look ramshackle, but guess what? They were there FIRST and this is America - you have the right to live in a small old run-down house if you want to! This reaction from people also annoys and saddens me.

So as to not spend my days annoyed and sad , I take pleasure in knowing that Wake County is big, diverse and has a place for everybody.

As a relative newcomer to Wake County, I still marvel at how friendly most folks are, and at the natural beauty that surrounds us.

By the way, the part of Cary I live in is not really all that manicured and pristine. Which is just fine with me.