When I say I love living in Raleigh, NC, I’m often asked about the infamous Andy Griffith Show. The show was shot in the 1960’s in fictional Mayberry, NC. Even though the city was made up, there are some definite similarities between Mayberry and Raleigh. There’s a small town, homey feel despite the diverse offerings. Even still, you can bet that Raleigh has come a long way since the days of Barney, Aunt Bee and Opie.

Raleigh is the capital city of North Carolina and is the second largest in population, behind Charlotte. We’re known as the “City of Oaks” because of all the beautiful oak trees native to the area.

You’ll often hear people reference the Triangle, which is the nickname for the three-city area: Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. The nickname came from the 1959 Research Triangle Park, which incorporated the three major research universities in the area: UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University and NC State University.

Most of Raleigh is located in Wake County with a smaller portion in Durham County. Some of the local suburbs and towns near Raleigh are Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Clayton, Wake Forest, Knightdale and Garner.

Raleigh is constantly making national lists that highlight the best places to live, raise a family, build a career, retire … and just enjoy life.

I am very proud to call Raleigh home, and if you live in the Triangle, I’m sure you agree. There’s something enchanting about the area, and I would love to show you all that Raleigh has to offer!