Relocating to Charlotte or RTP, looking for a Mayberry! (Raleigh: crime, homes)
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Blue_belle, I love Saxapahaw, but from your description I think you're looking for Hillsborough. If you're wanting an artsy hippie-ish renovated former mill town with less than 2000 residents you'd like Saxy, but if you're wanting all the stuff you say in your first post it's Hillsborough you're looking for. Many old historic properties there, too (far more than in Saxy, which has nice newly renovated condos, and small mill houses in various states of repair and restoration).
Pittsboro would be worth a look, too, but I do think Hillsborough is going to match your description better. Love P-boro and H-borough. I live in Chapel Hill and have friends in Pittsboro, Hillsborough, Saxapahaw and am in Carrboro daily. All are well worth a look, but Hillsborough matches your want list best.
And it was Siler City Aunt Bea retired to, but that was many years ago and it was a different place then. It's changed greatly.
One thing you left out is whether you are looking for a town with a large percentage of No. Carolina natives, or towns made up of primarily transplants. This has a large bearing on the 'feel' of the town.
I didn't catch that you were in Colorado prior to the UK until I re-read your post. Chapel Hill/Carrboro is a college town(s) not unlike Boulder (but w/o the Rockies) — progressive, granola, lots of college t-shirt shops, etc. Great schools for kids. We love it here, but it's not exactly Mayberry. We do have lots of great town events like the annual people's parade for the 4th of July in Carrboro. Everyone gathers on the lawn of the local natural foods co-op (Weaver Street Market) and uses streamers and balloons, etc, provided by the town and other stuff from home to decorate their trikes, bikes, scooters, wagons, wheelchairs, boats, etc., in their best red, white and blue. There's a contest for best decorations and best costumes and then everyone walks the quarter mile or so to the Town Commons where the village band plays patriotic songs and there are games for the kids and other entertainment. Here are some pix from a few years ago I found online (not mine, although I did see myself in one of the parade pix): Starting the parade | Flickr - Photo Sharing! .
Hillsborough is quaint with a lot of Revolutionary War era history. Population is about 6000, so small enough that you're bound to run into someone you know almost any place you go. Lots of authors call Hillsborough home. They have an annual "Hog Day" festival and a couple of farmer's markets. Good schools. Nice library and parks. Very small town feel. It's the county seat so the courthouse is there which maybe gives the town an air of Andy's sheriff's office from Mayberry. Several excellent restaurants, a branch of the great Carrboro-based natural foods co-op, Weaver Street Market, as well as several regular chain stores including WalMart.
Saxapahaw is very, very small. They almost closed the Post Office a year or two ago. No library, no park that I can think of, but they do have a fabulous Saturday afternoon farmer's market with music and two excellent restaurants (one in a gas station) and a superb music venue and a lovely river. No grocery store, but the gas station restaurant also doubles as a General Store and carries a variety of items (some local produce, meat, tofu, plus your regular chips & sodas) all in a gas station sized store. I'm in Saxy daily, too, during the school year. I have one child that goes to a charter school there and another child in elementary school in Carrboro.
Lots of gardeners and locavores throughout the area.
If you're looking for Mayberry, the old RKO backlot in Culver City is at the corner of Higuera and Jefferson. Pretty sure it's mostly an office park now, though.
Ahh, am thinking twice about Saxapahaw now, sounds too small and although the farmer's market is what caught my eye, I don't think it would have much to offer in terms of community for my family.
Yes, I know Mayberry is fictional, ha ha J. Pederman As I'm sure most people figured out, I was using that to illustrate the safe, friendly, small town feel we're after, vs. planned community, tract homes, cookie cutter, (and by all means not suburbs!) or the other end of the scale, hipster mecca! I grew up the next town over from Boulder CO, and see what it has become today. Yuk. Although beautiful, imo it's become too self-important and full of trustifarians and hipsters, or uber wealthy pseudo hippies. No thank you!
Hillsborough sounds very nice, we'll definitely have to check that area out! Pittsboro and Carrboro too.
Charlotte is sounding just too big I think, and there would be a huge commute to add to it.
Happy 4th everyone
One thing you left out is whether you are looking for a town with a large percentage of No. Carolina natives, or towns made up of primarily transplants. This has a large bearing on the 'feel' of the town.
As we will be transplants ourselves, I probably don't have a right to be picky about this one!
I'll tell you that we like to get stuck in to the community, know our neighbors, join local clubs (4H, Scouts, etc) and are not the kind of people that move someplace only to sit around complaining about how it's not as good as the place we left. Or at least we try! haha
Ahh! thanks for this! Looks like we'll need to re-learn planting/growing seasons etc! A little sad about the clay soil, but we'll cope. Have been spoiled here, nice peat-rich black soil.
Ahh, am thinking twice about Saxapahaw now, sounds too small and although the farmer's market is what caught my eye, I don't think it would have much to offer in terms of community for my family.
Yes, I know Mayberry is fictional, ha ha J. Pederman As I'm sure most people figured out, I was using that to illustrate the safe, friendly, small town feel we're after, vs. planned community, tract homes, cookie cutter, (and by all means not suburbs!) or the other end of the scale, hipster mecca!
If Saxapahaw's too small, you might want to look into Mebane. It's become a bedroom community for RTP the past few years, but hasn't been entirely yuppified yet.
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As I'm sure most people figured out, I was using that to illustrate the safe, friendly, small town feel we're after, vs. planned community, tract homes, cookie cutter, (and by all means not suburbs!) or the other end of the scale, hipster mecca! I grew up the next town over from Boulder CO, and see what it has become today. Yuk. Although beautiful, imo it's become too self-important and full of trustifarians and hipsters, or uber wealthy pseudo hippies. No thank you!
