Cary Real Estate Blog» Neigborhoods

Cary NC Greenways

dgoulding — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:46:35 +0000

Last weekend our son Ryan and daughter- in- law Dani took their baby Sadie for a trail walk to see a Lake in Cary. I was curious about the path and Lake since they live in a North Cary neighborhood called Weston Manor. Well upon further investigation, I found the Black Creek Greenway near their home and starting in North Cary Park.

Black Creek Greenway is one of 27 different greenway trails in the town of Cary. It is 1.8 miles long and meanders from the park down along Black Creek to Crabtree Lake.

The Town of Cary describes a greenway on it’s website as a “Corridor of protected open space managed for conservation, recreation and non-motorized transportation”. Black Creek Greenway links several Cary neighborhoods to Crabtree Lake and North Cary Park.

Greenways are linear parks that from a real estate standpoint enhance the beauty and value of the Cary neighborhoods they connect. Here are some of the advantages of greenways the town of Cary lists:

Providing a recreational amenity for walking, jogging, and bicycling in a natural setting remote from traffic;
Preserving pristine open space to enhance Cary’s quality of life;
Linking our neighborhoods with parks, schools, community centers, and other neighborhoods;
Helping control storm water runoff, curb erosion, and minimize flooding which can damage our property;
Improving Cary’s water quality by buffering streams, filtering pollutants, and recharging our groundwater;
Adding value to our property by merit of proximity.

A convenient map of the town of Cary’s greenway and trail system is illustrated on the town’s website. The greenway trails in Cary total 34 miles in length and are open from sunrise to sunset.

I invite you to plan a Cary greenway or trail outing – pack a picnic, grab your bikes or hiking shoes, and enjoy the simplicity and beauty of this wonderful system.

It's great being a grandparent in Cary NC

dgoulding — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:14:13 +0000

Cary NC is a great place to raise a family and of course be a grandparent. Cary is a vibrant community of 132,000 (2008 count) located between The City of Raleigh and the Research Triangle Park. The average age in Cary is 33.7 which means families, children, and of course lots of grandchildren. There are wonderful parks, great schools, beautiful neighborhoods, and plenty of activities for children and grandchildren.

Allie & Ashley

We (Dave & Lenda Goulding) have 2 married sons that live in Cary and 3 precious little granddaughters. Our oldest son Rex and his wife Lora live in the Preston area of Cary and have 2 daughters – Ashley age 6 and Allie age 4. They love swimming at the Prestonwood CC pool and fishing in their backyard which is located on one of the Preston Lakes.

Sadie

Our 2^nd son Ryan and his wife Dani live in the Weston Manor subdivision of Cary. They have a daughter, Sadie Claire, who will celebrate her 1^st birthday in a couple of weeks. Sadie is now walking and loves to explore and play games with GG (Lenda) and G-POP (Dave).

Normally, we as parents follow and locate close to our children so that the grandkids are nearby. We are very fortunate to run a business- LG Real Estate- in a town so inviting and conducive to young families. Our oldest son Rex moved to Cary from Boston in 2003 and Ryan moved here from California in 2007.

Cary Senior Center

So not only is Cary a terrific place to raise a family, it’s also a great place for grandparents to reside. The parks, recreational, and cultural department of the Town of Cary operates the Cary Senior Center. The Cary Senior Center is a 17,000 square foot recreation and education facility designed by and for the adults 55 and older in Cary. The center sponsors such activities as the Senior/Teen Wii Bowling Challenge, Ice Cream Socials, Annual Evening Concert (free), Tai Chi and other exercise classes.

So grandparents come to Cary – the kids and grandchildren will follow!

Walking Kanga (our Labradoodle) on the American Tobacco Trail

lacrowder — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:57:43 +0000

Last weekend, my husband Joe and I took our 1 1/2 year old mini labradoodle , Kanga Ru, for a short drive from our Preston neighborhood in Cary, NC to the American Tobacco Trail. While Kanga had to be on her leash, per the trial rules, we all had a great time just enjoying our walk. We accessed the path at the White Oak Trailhead just off of Green Level Church Road. The actual address is 1305 White Oak Church Road, Apex, NC 27523.

Kangu Ru ready for her walk!

We passed a lot of bikers and walkers. I think next time we will bring along some friends who have a labradoodle as well. In our real estate business, LG Real Estate, plenty buyers are always asking about local things to do in Cary. I can’t believe how long it has taken me to enjoy this option that is so close and accessable to our home. Do you have any ideas for local outings?

Fresh Fruit, Veggies & More at the NEW Western Wake Farmers Market

lacrowder — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:56:50 +0000

Wow! Am I excited. As what seems like a rarity, I am a local girl who grew up around farming and lots of fresh veggies. Many summer nights were spent hanging out under a HUGE old oak tree while the family shelled beans and told great stories; often after a fun evening of baseball. An all veggies dinner is still something that I love!

Veggies for Sale!

One of our favorite neighborhoods which we specialize in at LG Real Estate is Carpenter Village. Just last weekend, they opened a weekly Farmers Market which is open each Saturday until November from 8am- 12pm. You can find out more about the amazing local vendors, fresh from their farms at www.westernwakefarmersmarket.org. The address is 1226 Morrisville Carpenter Road. Perhaps I’ll see you there!

Cary NC Summer Entertainment

dgoulding — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:10:51 +0000

2009 Summerfest Series

The North Carolina Symphony moves outdoors to the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary NC for the summer season. Bring your neighbors and kids, pack a picnic and enjoy the festive atmosphere and vibrant sounds of the summer. You can wear your shorts and flip-flops, sit back on the lawn and enjoy the stars and the music.

11 Summertime events

There are 11 events scheduled on the Sunmmerfesr series and rickets are on sale at the Booth Amphitheatre box office and all Ticketmaster outlets. The complete schedule and pricing can be found on the Koka Booth Amphitheatre website.

4th Of July Concert

One of the highlights of the summer series is the July 4th Independence Day concert and fireworks display. My wife Lenda and I attended the July 4th concert our first year here in Cary in 1994. We were amazed at the number of families and young children enjoying the festivities, picnics and spectacular fireworks over Regency Lake.

Please enjoy the summer series and contact us with any questions about the concerts or real estate in the Cary area.

4 Cary Neighborhoods Among the Triangle's Top New Home Communities

dgoulding — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:18:04 +0000

I read with great interest the TBJ article last week titled “Homes Not So Sweet“. The bulk of the article discussed the stark realities of many financially troubled Wake County new home builders. One aspect of the article written by Triangle Business Journal writer Amanda Jones Hoyle that I found particularly interesting was contained in the last paragraph. It was at this point in the article that Ms. Holye identified numerous Triangle subdivisions that were performing well. Recalling data supplied by Metrostudy, Ms. Holye listed the following Triangle neighborhoods that continue to realize steady new home sales.

Cary Neighborhood of Carolina Preserve of Amberly
Twin Lakes of Cary
The Cary neighborhood of Harmony
Kitts Creek in Morrisville
Brighton Forest in Fuquay-Varina
Battle Ridge at Chastain in Raleigh
Highcroft Village in Cary
McCrimmon at the Park in Morrisville
Sunset Place in Raleigh

Do You See a Pattern in Triangle New Home Sales?

It’s apparent Cary has dominated the Triangle new home sales market for the past 12 months. As Cary real estate experts, we are constantly reminded by local and national publications just how popular Cary is. If you would like to know more about any of these desirable Cary neighborhoods or any other Cary neighborhood, contact LG Real Estate today.

Until our next post,

Dave

Morrisville's Updated Land Use Plan – Your Thoughts?

lacrowder — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:09:15 +0000

At LG Real Estate, we recently recieved this email from a Morrisville resident on the Land Use and Transportation Plan for Morrisville. Although we stay politically neutral, we wanted to offer this letter to our neighbors and we welcome you to comment. Our key point is to increase the awareness of our friends and neighbors of any local government happenings and help you be informed about your neighborhood. We are neither supporting or opposing this opinion, just presenting it. We encourage you to be involved in our community!

Thanks,

Lee Ann

**********************************

Dear friends and neighbors,

Our community is at a critical juncture. Town Staff has recommended, and the Planning and Zoning Board has now approved, a new Land Use and Transportation Plan for Morrisville. This plan is now before the Town Council for evaluation and approval.

My View: Morrisville’s Land Plan on Wrong Track

By Ty Elliott

Morrisville’s planning department has spent more than a year developing a new Land Use and Transportation Plan (LUTP) to guide the town’s growth and road improvements for decades to come. Area residents and commuters will be impacted by the recommendations in this document. The LUTP will set the stage for a number of critical balanced growth issues, so it is important to learn more about these plans at: http://www.morrisvillelutp.org

As a representative of MorrisvilleAction.org, we support responsible growth of a density appropriate to residential communities. Morrisville does not need over-scaled, massive retail/commercial complexes with insufficient roadway infrastructures located atop of its quiet residential areas. We believe the LUTP misrepresents the expressed wishes of the community to maintain our small town atmosphere.

One key issue is the expansion of three Regional Activity Centers (RACs), a designation that allows high-density development of retail, apartments, and other commercial uses to 14% of all land in Morrisville. In Cary, RACs cover only 4.7% of land. Of particular note, the Southern RAC around Park West Village on NC54 will be expanded from 95 acres to 282 acres. Over 800 of us signed a No Park West petition prior to its approval last January. Even more people will oppose tripling its size, which paves the way for more dense development in our community.

The long opposed plan to extend Crabtree Crossing Parkway, eventually connecting it with Triangle Parkway/I-540 via Town Hall Drive, remains in this new LUTP. This extension would funnel large volumes of traffic down Crabtree Crossing Parkway into Preston since it would become a direct access from RTP to Cary Parkway. Rather than fix NC54’s problems, Morrisville’s answer is to send its commuter traffic through established neighborhoods.

Recently the Morrisville Town Council also approved a highway connector for the new Triangle Parkway that will direct high volumes of traffic through the Kitts Creek neighborhood. Sending high-speed traffic through any residential neighborhood sets a poor precedent in the name of “connectivity” and will make Morrisville less desirable as a residential community.

With so much land being reclassified as activity centers where multi-family units are an allowed use, the citizens’ expressed desire for no additional apartments has been ignored. As proposed, the LUTP designates 24% of our total land as RAC, Neighborhood Activity Center, Business Activity Center and Corridor Commercial. By comparison, only 9% of town land is presently designated as Mixed Use, Retail, Service, and Lodging. Re-zoning the underlying land is still required, but once new designations are approved, it is difficult to deny the more intense land uses.

Also, the LUTP does not allocate any additional public green space outside the town center; and even though 22% of Morrisville’s population is under 18, it fails to reserve any land for schools.

Morrisville residents should look carefully at the proposed land designation maps because there are many areas throughout town where more dense uses are planned, and the resulting increase in traffic will impact their own neighborhood streets. Larger maps and more about these plans will be available from Town staff at an Open House on December 9^th. The current schedule is:

December 9, 2008 – Town Council – Open House (5:30 PM) – 1st Briefing (6:30)

December 17, 2008 – 6:30 PM – Public Hearing

January 13, 2009 – 6:30 PM – Town Council – 2nd Briefing

January 27, 2009 – 6:30 PM – Possible Decision by Town Council

These meetings are at Morrisville Town Hall, 100 Town Hall Dr.

Ty Elliott lives in Morrisville, NC

What do you think?

Did you know you can lunch at the NC State Fair before opening day?

lacrowder — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:52:17 +0000

Well…LG Real Estate did just that! Our team went to the NC State Fair on Wednesday, October 15th, the day prior to the opening this year. A few years ago when I worked for various software development companies, I was introduced to this tradition.

What’s fun about going to the fair early?

For us, it’s the fact that you can get “fair food” early and just relax with your friends from work! The weather was 87 and perfect. Lenda provided each of us some “Fair Spending Money”. I splurged on a polish sausage sandwich, from one of about 10 vendors that are open a few days before the fair begins. You can get in the gate free (front gate only facing Blue Ridge Road), get your foot long hotdog, polish sausage and fries and walk around the busy midway. A few vendors are also open with cotton candy and candy apples.

Instead of crowds of people, you have to dodge the various golf carts, trucks and other moving equipment, but it’s a good way to spend time with your friends from work. I love showing the team around since I am one of the few local girls and can point out my longtime favorites such as Al’s Fries, the pickle booth, the location of the hush puppy samples, FUMC’s ham biscuit kitchen and the homemade ice cream.

Have you been the the fair on one of the pre-opening days? I hope to see you there next year!

SAS Championship at Prestonwood CC in Cary NC

dgoulding — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:18:46 +0000

Come enjoy 3 days of fun and great golf competition at Prestonwood CC as the SAS Champions Tour returns Sept. 26-28th.

Outstanding Champions Tour Golf in the Heart of the Triangle!

The Champions Tour is fun because you get to see many of your favorite players from the past. Even though most of the players no longer compete on the PGA Tour, the golf is every bit as good and very exciting. True, Tiger Woods does not play on this tour, but he’s not playing on any tour until next year. Tom Kite, Bernard Langer, Nick Price, Jay Haas, Fred Funk, and last year’s champion Mark Wiebe head up the field for this years tournament.

Outstanding Amenities Makes Prestonwood Country Club Special

Prestonwood CC is one of the favorite spots for many of the players on the Champions Tour. Tom Kite remarked that Prestonwood men’s locker room is one of the best he has seen anywhere in the world. Many of the players also rave about the food served during the week – especially the renowned Prestonwood buffet.

Home of the SAS Championship

The course layout for the SAS consists of 9 of the best holes from two courses at Prestonwood – The Meadows and the Highlands. This course is called the SAS tournament course and many of us members are amazed at the low scores posted on some of our hardest holes. I guess that’s why we have handicaps and play a 2 dollar nassau on Saturday mornings.

Like to Attend the SAS Championship in Cary?

If you are in the Cary area and would like to experience the SAS tournament, please call (919) 653-2647 or email us for complimentary tickets - LG Real Estate.

Beach Music at Cary's Kooka Both Amphitheatre with the NC Symphony

lacrowder — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:29:17 +0000

Another Great Reason to Relocate to Cary, NC!

As if you needed yet another great reason to move to Cary, our town offers some of the finest entertainment choices you’ll find. It seems the fun never stops in Cary. Last weekend the glorious Lazy Daze festival was held under our beautiful carolina-blue, sun-light skies. The crowds and the fun were plentiful. And this upcoming weekend you and your family will not want to miss the WRAL TV Pops in the Park Labor Day Weekend Celebration this Sunday, August 31!

Outstanding End of Summer Cary Event!

This is one annual Labor weekend event you and your family will not want to miss and it includes a FREE performance by the North Carolina Symphony. Sponsored by WRAL TV, you can also enjoy the sounds of special guest, Legends of Beach featuring five former members of the Embers. These former members include Jackie Gore and Johnny Barker, who penned the hits “I Love Beach Music” and “Summertime’s Calling Me,” respectively.

You can learn more about the Legends of Beach by visiting their website at www.Legendsofbeach.com.

What Can you Bring to this Labor Day Cary Classic Event?

Items that are allowed include:

Lawn Chairs
Blankets
Small umbrellas
Food & Beverages

Schedule of Events for the WRAL TV Pops in the Park!
4:30pm – Gates Open
5:00pm – Local performers
7:00pm – NC Symphony and The Legends of Beach
Fireworks Display at the concerts conclusion.

Remember, this great family-friendly event is “Free” to the public and no tickets are required, so get to the Kooka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park in Cary as soon as the gates open at 4:30pm and claim your space for this wonderful evening of family fun!

Did You Attend Cary’s Laze Daze Festival?

If you did and you brought along your digital camera, we invite you to email us your favorite photos from this special Cary event. We will select a few and we will post them in a future post. Send your Laze Daze digital photos via email to la@lg-realestate.com .

P.S. If Carolina beach music is calling you home to Cary, be sure to checkout our Cary real estate website. There you will find an assortment of Cary home buyer and seller resources along with many useful Cary MLS property search tools and Cary neighborhood maps. Don’t forget to read the Cary Schools article for up to date information on Cary area public and private schools.