The Triangle has garnered more than its share of national accolades in the quality-of-life and business-climate categories over the years.
Now Businessweek.com has dubbed Raleigh as simply "the best American city."
Of course you already knew that if you live here, but it's been a tough slog proving Raleigh's merits to your hip friends in Boston, Seattle, San Francisco and Durham.
Now we have Businessweek.com to back us up. Based on a slew of standards that matter to real people, Raleigh edged out Arlington, Va., and Scottsdale, Ariz., for the top ranking.
So there.
If you're one of those people who thinks of New York and Chicago as great America cities, think again. The Big Apple ranked 14th in Businessweek.com's list; The Second City pulled up the rear, in 75th place.
What makes Raleigh so great? How about "a wealth of culture, entertainment, good schools, low crime, and plenty of green space?"
The magazine ranking included the usual measures, like Research Triangle Park (not technically in Raleigh, but close enough). Then there are three world-class universities -- N.C. State, UNC Chapel Hill and Duke -- only one of which is physically in Raleigh.
Raleigh got bonus points for a great State Farmers Market and clean air quality.
Businessweek.com also counted 867 restaurants, 110 bars, 51 museums and 12,512 park acres.
That's right: 51 museums. That's one museum a week for an entire year, with a weekend to spare.
John Murawski has been a full-time newspaper reporter since 1991, with stints at Legal Times and The Chronicle of Philanthropy (both in Washington, DC), The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Palm Beach Post (in South Florida) before arriving at the N&O in December 2004. At the N&O he covers energy (nuclear, coal, renewable, efficiency), hydralic fracturing (or "fracking"), public utilities (both electric and natural gas) and health care. His beat includes Progress Energy, PSNC Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, PowerSecure International, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Biogen Idec and others. You can reach him at 919-829-8932 or
Comments
Raleigh
Thu, 09/22/2011 - 00:21 — MozarteanSo, I like Raleigh well enough and I'm happy for the recognition.
But beyond the Triangle universities (lots of smart people, North Carolina certainly needs them) and the RTP & business spinoffs, I don't see any particular allure.
I mean, is Glenwood Avenue some gorgeous boulevard?
The little skyline, so memorable? Nothing by Cesar Pelli? Even Charlotte and Winston-Salem have that.
The sprawl is frightful. Where's the rail system? How can you possibly call yourselves any shade of green?
Why does Crabtree Valley Mall always flood? (I know it's in a flood plain-why on earth was it built there?)
I'm always reminded about Raleigh that it is a synthetic capital built purely as a landowner's set-aside; one thinks of Brasilia but their architecture is way better. I'm also reminded that Raleigh didn't really build itself; it is in fact a creation of North Carolina's taxpayers. It doesn't take much gumption to spend state tax dollars to create a state capital, though I guess RTP took some vision (thank you, Govs. Hodges and Sanford.)
And as others have pointed out, it's really the region's recognition, not solely the city of Raleigh. Durham sez hey and Stepfordville will say hey as soon as she is through looking at herself in the visor vanity mirror of her SUV. Chapel Hill, of course, doesn't even know the other 3 exist. ;)
Anyway, congratulations. :)
What a great town
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 23:55 — ncdawg09Raleigh is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. Essentially a middle-class city with people who have actual interests beyond the rat race that goes on elsewhere. For those who bemoan non-natives, keep in mind that Raleigh is the state capital - not some small town where time stands still. The trick to keeping "everyone else" out is to get rid of the Universities and good jobs. There are some serious educational requirements for many of the jobs in the triangle. There are plenty of Raleigh natives who are qualified, but not nearly enough. There is currently and always will be a high demand for the cutting edge science and technology jobs in the triangle.
How can you possibly take a
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 22:13 — DaveM28How can you possibly take a list seriously that has Honolulu at #3??? Sorry, Raleigh isn't even the best city in the state, let alone best one in America.
We moved to Raleigh in June.
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 21:04 — RaleighTransplant11We moved to Raleigh in June. I grew up in Georgia; my husband is from Ohio. We lived in the Midwest for 8 years before moving here. I'm actually surprised there's such animosity toward people moving in. It seems to me that the people we've talked to who've moved in aren't about changing things here. They're here, like us, because Raleigh had much of what they wanted in a city. I'm sure there are improvements that could be made (as someone else said, mass transit could be better), but Raleigh's about as close to the perfect place for us as we could get. I'm happy that my children will be among the people who can call Raleigh their hometown!
If you cannot sell in Jersey...
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 19:47 — GabsbyYou cannot move to NC... We don't have any jobs anyway and the unemployment line is around the block.
Rats, more of 'em moving in
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 19:21 — gispunditYou know, it's getting really hard to find Raleigh natives these days, and those few of us left who are don't really appreciate becoming an endangered species. Last thing we need is for the flood of transplants to keep on increasing. There is such a thing as too big. If I wanted to live in a big city, I wouldn't be living here. There aren't enough jobs to go around now as it is - don't need more people coming here looking to take over the ones we do have.
The city/county political structure has been 'owned' for years by the likes of paving contractors and real-estate developers, which is why we have so much ugly sprawl with a strip mall on almost every other corner and endless subdvisions of cookie-cutter dwellings elsewhere. Not to mention the fact that there are almost no decent public transit options to speak of. We need to get those issues under control and fixed with realistic high-density, mixed-use urban development rules and developer fees that are adequate to cover the costs of the added pressures our infrastructure will have to absorb before yet another horde of outlanders decends upon us. I wish the business magazines would just stop with all the 'best city for x' awards they manufacture every year.
I'm guessing you don't
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 19:55 — hdog007I'm guessing you don't travel much. Every city in the South suffers from urban sprawl. That's what happens when land and taxes are cheap. Personnally, I think we should design tax rates based on how far you live from downtown. Of course, that would never pass because the council members don't live near downtown either.
By the way, people also move around these days. Besides very small farming communities, most cities you go to these days everyone is from somewhere else. Most people who don't travel claim it only happens in "their" town.
Easy to toss stones
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 18:56 — tbone85No place is perfect. I've lived here 10 years now, and I had lived and worked in over a dozen similarly sized cities before. On balance, this is the best city of its size that I have been in to raise a family. Of all the other typical cities listed, the only places I'd be interested in are Austin and possibly Columbus. Instead of focusing on the negatives, how about listing the cities that are superior in your view and why you aren't looking to get to one of them?
Agree
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 23:12 — willncsuAbout Austin. I love it here but Austin is great.
...not to mention...
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 18:51 — ahmbdm...our "School Board" with its bloated (aka self-indulgent) majority who, not coincidentally, set THE WORST examples imaginable for our students...am relieved and thrilled that mine graduated before the influx of shamefully unqualified "mentors." [Obesity epidemic, anyone?]
Perhaps if you had stayed in
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 19:51 — hdog007Perhaps if you had stayed in school you may have better reading comprehension. This article isn't about the schoolboard. If you want to put forth your agenda, please contact Rev. Barber. (Oh, but wait he's morbidly obese!).
Ahem...
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 18:40 — baconmInternal consistency is a plus in an article.
"Of course you already knew that if you live here, but it's been a tough slog proving Raleigh's merits to your hip friends in Boston, Seattle, San Francisco and Durham."
. . . is an awfully odd thing to say about this article, considering . . .
"The magazine ranking included the usual measures, like Research Triangle Park (not technically in Raleigh, but close enough). Then there are three world-class universities -- N.C. State, UNC Chapel Hill and Duke -- only one of which is physically in Raleigh."
Yes, Raleigh has proved itself better than Durham . . . by taking credit for things in Durham. Awesome.
I thought the Durham comment
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 21:02 — RaleighTransplant11I thought the Durham comment was supposed to be a joke. Before we moved here (yeah, we're those jerks!), we talked to a lot of people about the area, and people in Raleigh, Durham, & CH all made points about why *their* part of the Triangle was better than the others. I thought the writer was making a joke about that sort of "sibling rivalry."
True, that
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 20:11 — FlowerpowerAnd Durham Downtown is pretty impressive these days. There is, of course, the lovely Durham Performing Arts Center, West Village, the unparalleled Amtrak station and city bus station, the re-habbed historic store buildings, the re-paved, cobblestone-like streets--it is sensational to drive downtown. And, we don't forget the elegant and revered Duke University and the surrounding restored historic urban neighborhoods. Did Business Week even visit Durham? Just wondering.
again....
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 16:58 — dlnorrisAnd I have been seeing a lot of out-of-state plates. Not like in the late 80's/early 90's (yet), but I doubt they are here for vacation. This means more yankees relocating.. Most of whom will settle in the lifestyle and benifits of life here... and a few who will want to change things to be more like the crap-hole they just left....
If they only knew the truth
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 16:52 — FSandYOUThose who are reading this bull that is.
What's missing
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 16:33 — FlowerpowerGuess Businessweek did not bother about the lack of mass transit offerings. Good thing Raleigh kept the reps away from the Amtrak station, not to mention the Greyhound bus station. Dismal.