Cary Superlatives
Town Government
Hottest Town
The Town of Cary was named the “hottest town” over 100,000 in the East by Money Magazine in 2004 and one of the six most desirable places to live in America. In 2006, Cary was again recognized by Money Magazine as one of the Best Small Cities in America, ranking fifth on the magazine's list of Best Places to Live. Cary also ranked second on Relocate-America.com's annual list of America's Top 100 Places to Live in 2006.
Finance
Best possible financial position
The Town of Cary is one of seven municipalities in North Carolina with the best possible credit ratings from the leading New York investment firms - Moody's, Fitch, and Standard & Poor's.
Commitment to sound budgeting
The Town of Cary is a perennial recipient of the Government Finance Officers award for Distinguished Budget Presentation, demonstrating the highest principles of governmental budgeting.
The highest standards in government accounting and financial reporting
The Government Finance Officers Association of United States and Canada annually recognizes the Town of Cary for excellence in comprehensive financial reporting.
Continuing excellence in accounting and financial management
The State Treasurer's office has honored Cary with its Governmental Award for running innovative and progressive programs.
Sports & Leisure
Where people know how to have a good time
The Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department was the first parks department in the Triangle to receive national accreditation.
Where future Olympians will swing for the fences
Construction of USA Baseball's National Olympic Training Center at Thomas Brooks Park is scheduled for completion in 2007.
Home field advantage for championship soccer
WakeMed Soccer Park is the home of professional men’s soccer team the Carolina RailHawks, a United Soccer League expansion team. The soccer park is also host to world class soccer, including the ACC Championships and NCAA Men’s and Women’s College Cup tournaments.
An oasis in the midst of the city
Fred G. Bond Metro Park, located geographically in the center of town, hosts annual community
events such as the Easter Egg Hunt, Kite Festival and the July 4th Olde Time Celebration.
A place for man’s best friend to run and play
The Town of Cary’s first dog park, located adjacent to Godbold Park, provides pets and their owners with a safe place to interact.
The best place to spend a lazy summer Saturday
The Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival is the top rated one-day festival in the nation as ranked by Sunshine Artist Magazine, September 2006. It has become one of the Southeast's largest premier festivals during the past three decades, with an estimated 60,000 people gathering in downtown Cary.
National draw for tournament softball
Cary will once again host the PONY National Fastpitch Softball Tournament in 2007, drawing teams from as far away as Alaska and the West Coast. The tournament brings in millions of dollars to the area's economy.
A great place to serve and volley
Awarded the United States Tennis Association’s Outstanding Tennis Facility of the Year for 2006 and Racquet Sports Industries’ Municipal Facility of the Year, Cary Tennis Park is one of the premier facilities in the Southeast for recreational and tournament play.
Where stars of professional golf tee it high and let it fly
The WakeMed Championship of the Professional Golfers Association's Champions Tour returns to Prestonwood Country Club in September 2007.
Home of Cary Band Day
Since 1959, the oldest marching band competition in the southeast includes an annual downtown
parade and field competition.
Summer home of the N.C. Symphony
Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park is a state-of-the-art outdoor performance center nestled on 14 acres of trees where the N.C. Symphony performs its annual Summerfest concert series.
Creative programming for teens
Cary’s Teen Council was named the Most Diverse Council at the 2006 State Youth Council convention, becoming only the second youth council in the state to receive the award. Cary’s Teen Forum was awarded the 2004 Innovative Program Award by the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Association.
Meeting the recreational needs of all age groups
Sk-8 Cary was the first public skate park in Wake County.
The place to tour on two wheels
With its safe cycling classes for children, annual Cycling Celebration and a growing bicycle network throughout the Town, Cary has received national recognition as a “Bicycle-Friendly Community” by the League of American Bicyclists.
Where celebrities "play a little golf" and raise money for cancer research
Top names in the sports and entertainment fields gather each August at Prestonwood Country Club for the Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic in memory of Jim Valvano, N.C. State University basketball coach and TV commentator.
Host to Special Olympians from throughout the world
Cary was a host of the 1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games, holding two road cycling events through the heart of Cary in addition to golf at Prestonwood Country Club. Embassy Suites in Cary was the main media center, accommodating 1,500 media members from throughout the world.
A jewel in the crown of Mother Nature
Hands-on exhibits, Nature’s Niche Gift Shop, native wildlife garden, and environmental education programs are just a few of the natural experiences awaiting you at Stevens Nature Center at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve. Eastern Hemlocks, usually found more than 200 miles away in the Appalachian Mountains, thrive on the north-facing bluffs of Swift Creek in Hemlock Bluffs.
Health & Safety
Safest city in the Southeast
Cary ranked as the 14th safest of 378 large cities in the Morgan Quitno Safest (And Most Dangerous) Cities report in 2007. Cary has been among the 20 safest large cities during all nine years that it has been rated.
Proactive in fire protection
The Cary Fire Department became the second department in North Carolina to earn national accreditation.
Progressive in law enforcement
The Cary Police Department became nationally accredited in 1992 by voluntarily demonstrating adherence to professional standards. It is one of four accredited police departments in the Triangle.
Statewide leader in emergency medical care
Cary Emergency Medical Services was the first agency in the state to have a federally certified ambulance service.
Environmental Protection
Leading the way in reducing what we throw away
Cary's curbside computer recycling program was the first in the state.
Protecting water quality by controlling storm water runoff
The N.C. Sedimentation Control Commission granted Cary its Erosion and Sedimentation Control Award.
Keeping Cary green
The Town received its 23rd Tree City USA award in 2006, demonstrating its long-term commitment to urban forestry. Cary was one of the first towns in the state to get a tree protection bill through the N.C. General Assembly.
Conserving our natural resources
Cary was the first in the state to save drinking water by reclaiming treated wastewater for irrigation.
Where careful planning preserves high quality of life
The Town has received the Outstanding Planning Award from the N.C. chapter of the American Planning Association for its Open Space & Historic Resources Plan.
Putting the brakes on stop-and-go traffic
Cary is the largest municipality in the state to fully fund its own traffic signal system, reducing air pollution caused by frequent stops and delays. The system includes closed circuit cameras at key intersections, allowing the Town to change signal timing and keep traffic moving smoothly, and real-time traffic information via dynamic message signs at Town gateways and rush-hour programming on Cary TV 11.
Education
Groundbreaking in public education
North Carolina's first public high school was on the campus of what is now Cary Elementary School.
A public school system with boldness and vision
The Wake County Public School System is poised to lead the nation in narrowing the achievement gap and attaining remarkably high academic goals for all.
Technology
The Technology Town of North Carolina
Ninety-four percent of Cary's citizens have access to the Internet at home or at work — about twice the national average. The town's top employer is WakeMed Institute, Inc., the largest privately held software developer in the world. The Town of Cary Web site, townofcary.org, has more than 55,000 files. Connected by more than 80 miles of fiber optics, Cary has the most advanced traffic timing and monitoring program in the region.
Award winning Town government Web site
Townofcary.org has received two Golden Web awards from the International Association of Web Masters and Designers.
History
Where history and heritage come alive
The Page-Walker Arts and History Center is located in Cary’s oldest and most historic building. Built by Town founder Allison Francis “Frank” Page as a railroad hotel, it is one of Wake County’s best examples of Second Empire-style architecture, which was popular in 1868 when the hotel was built. It is also home to the Cary Heritage Museum.
A "friend of Britain in her sorest need"
Walter Hines Page, son of Allison Francis Page, was an editor and public education proponent. He was also ambassador to Great Britain from 1913-1918 and is honored with a tablet in Westminster Abbey for advocating that the United States side with Britain and its allies during World War I.
Commitment to historic preservation
Cary is fortunate to have three National Register Historic Districts that recognize the past and provide incentives for preservation. Those districts are the Cary Historic District around Academy Street; Harrison Avenue in downtown Cary; and the Carpenter and Green Level Historic Districts in west Cary, which recognize farming communities from the last century. In addition there are two individual listings on the National Register of Historic Places: the Page-Walker Hotel (now the Page-Walker Arts and History Center) on the Town Hall campus and the Nancy Jones House on Chapel Hill Road.