Featured Town & Lifestyle: Cary

By Jane Paige

MCI Building & Lake Crabtree. Photo courtesy of Cary Chamber of Commerce.

As newlyweds, Beth and Ziggy Struna were looking for their ideal first home. Wanting to live in west Cary to be close to both their jobs, the young couple soon found what they wanted in the new Twin Lakes subdivision.
The first Martha Stewart-branded project in the nation, this neighborhood features a variety of designer-style homes with numerous amenities. It was exactly what the couple wanted with a whole lot of extras.

“I just fell in love with these homes from the very beginning,” says Beth, an elementary school counselor in Chatham County. “The neighborhood is just perfect and we really enjoy living here.” The Strunas are just one of many newcomers that continue to find exactly what they want in Cary, a former sleepy railroad town that has grown into the seventh largest city in the state. Yet, despite all the hustle and bustle of today, Cary still retains its original small town charm, according to the town’s mayor. And it is this close-knit community appeal that continues to draw families to Cary in record numbers.

“While Cary has seen tremendous growth, it still has a welcoming attitude and warm atmosphere,” says Mayor Harold Weinbrecht. “We have had a lot of good things happen here, but a lot of people have worked hard to keep the town a very special place.”

A lot has changed in Cary since it was incorporated in 1871, several years after the Seaboard and North Carolina railroads formed a junction west of Raleigh. With the development of the Research Triangle Park in the 1960s, subdivisions started sprouting up where dairy cows once grazed. Industries soon followed and national retailers discovered the town. Through the years, Cary has been best known for its record growth. With a population of 3,356 in 1960, the town today is home to more than 135,000. In the 1970s, the town’s population more than tripled and then more than doubled in the 1980s and 1990s. Now, the majority of the growth is toward the west along N.C. 55 with new subdivisions and shopping centers continuing to flourish.

Harmony Reserve Clubhouse

For Weinbrecht, the challenge continues to be working to manage the town’s growth while maintaining the special qualities that draw newcomers to Cary. “Cary has had excellent leaders with a clear vision that have shaped the town into the award-winning community it is today,” he says. “We continue to work on improving the town, especially our roads, parks and schools.” Cary has earned numerous accolades for its quality of life. It has been recognized by top publications as one of the best small cities, as one of the safest cities and as one of the best places to begin or expand a business.

Some of the town’s earliest neighborhoods still flourish today. MacGregor Downs, Kildaire Farms, Regency Park, Lochmere and Preston developments all helped transform the once small community into a town well known for its careful planning and quality development. New neighborhoods continue to boom all across town. Attracting a lot of new residents to Cary is KB Home’s Twin Lakes, where the Strunas bought their first home. The main entrance is on McCrimmon Parkway which is located off Davis Drive. It will include 767 individual homes – 367 single-family homes and 400 townhomes.

“Cary remains one of the most attractive areas in the Triangle,” says Mike McGivney with KB Homes. “We are just opening a new section of Twin Lakes with new, exciting floor plans. It is a great community for all homeowners.” Amenities in Twin Lakes include a community clubhouse, lap pool, spray pool, picnic shelters, playground and walking trails. Single family homes begin at $218,990 and range in square footage from 1,553 to 3,872. Townhomes begin at $148,990 and range in square footage from 1,378 to 1,695. Pulte Homes is developing two new neighborhoods in Cary – Creekside at Tryon Village and Harmony Reserve. Located near the intersection of Tryon Road and Walnut Street, Creekside features three-story townhomes ranging from 1,731 to 2,221 square feet. Starting at $190,000, the townhomes feature two or three bedrooms. Harmony Reserve, located off Turner Creek Road in west Cary, features single-family homes ranging from 3,091 to 3,380 square feet. Starting at $380,000, the homes are located on one-third of an acre lots and larger. Options can include a third side garage or a finished basement. Amenities include swimming pool, tennis courts and clubhouse. Also located in west Cary is Hortons Creek, near Panther Creek High School. Baker Residential is the developer and builder of the single-family homes averaging 3,500 square feet. Starting at $400,000, the homes are located near the town’s greenway system. In the southern part of town, DR Horton developed West Lake, a single-family homes neighborhood in southern Cary. The homes range from 2,286 to 3,055 square feet and prices start at $239,900.

Located closer into town, Renaissance at Regency is offering three upscale communities on 165 acres in Regency Park located off Tryon Road. Overlooking Symphony Lake, the site of the Koka Booth Amphitheater, the communities offer cottage homes starting at $700,000, manor homes at $900,000 and estates homes beginning at $1.5 million.

Whether a spectator or participant, Cary residents can choose from many activities and events. Koka Booth Amphitheater. Koka Booth Amphitheater photo courtesy of Cary Chamber of Commerce.

While many new neighborhoods are coming to Cary, world-class businesses continue to be attracted to the growing region. The town’s largest employer is SAS Institute, Inc., the largest privately-held software company in the world.

Education always has been an important part of Cary. In 1907, Cary established the first public high school in North Carolina on the site of the current Cary Elementary School. The town plans to use the former main building at the downtown school as part of a cultural and performing arts center.

Playing in Cary is a lot of fun too for its many residents. The town has more than 20 public parks, over 30 miles of trails and numerous cultural arts programs during the year. The Koka Booth Amphitheater at Regency Park serves as the summer home of the N.C. Symphony and has become a popular concert destination year-round. Concerts and cultural events are regularly held at the Page-Walker Arts and History Center located on the Town Hall campus.

The Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival is one of the top rated one-day festivals in the nation, drawing an estimated 60,000 people to downtown Cary the last Saturday in August. Hemlock Bluffs Nature Park, Bond Park, public skate park and dog park also are other popular attractions. In recent years, Cary has become a popular destination for amateur sporting events. WakeMed Soccer Park is the home of the professional men’s soccer team, the Carolina Railhawks, and hosted ACC and NCAA soccer games. The USA Baseball’s National Olympic Training Center is located in west Cary.The Cary Tennis Park, with 30 courts, has been awarded the United States Tennis Association’s Outstanding Tennis Facility of the Year. And golf rules at three championship courses at Prestonwood Country Club, MacGregor Downs Country Club and Lochmere Golf Club.

For Beth and Ziggy Struna, all these special amenities make Cary a great place to call home. “We are so glad we decided to make Cary our home,” Ziggy says. “I think it is a great place to live.”

JANE PAIGE IS A FREELANCE WRITER