Cary, NC: One of the Best Places to Live?
Cary, North Carolina is a suburb of Raleigh where I have lived for most of my life. It is the largest town in North Carolina, and CNN names it as the 5th fastest growing city in the country. In 2006, Money magazine listed Cary as the 5th best place to live.
If ethnic diversity, mixed-income housing developments, architectural variety, and accessible public transportation make an area healthy, Cary has none of the above. The town seems to be almost solely white, middle or upper class families. (The 2000 census recorded about 80% white population, and the median family income is $98,360.) The architecture is mostly bland. The typical Cary house is described as “five over four with a door,” meaning five windows over four windows with a front door
Public transportation is essentially non-existent, or at least not used by Cary residents. The town is mostly comprised of affluent suburbanites. Because of Cary’s proximity to both the Research Triangle Park (the largest research park in America) and many prominent universities (UNC Chapel Hill, Duke), many residents of Cary have jobs in academia or research.
It is clear what makes Cary an excellent place to live. There is a lot of new development; new grocery stores, shopping centers and restaurants are at every corner. There are many good public and private schools. The average resident is well-educated and well-off. The weather is warm and sunny, and the landscape is pretty.
It also clear to me what Cary is lacking. It does not have socioeconomic or ethnic diversity. In one word, it is boring.
Cary brings one central question to my mind. Why are the standards used for magazines and newspapers in ranking the best places to live not the same standards used by social advocates? Although it has many advantages, I don’t consider Cary a healthy town. How can we change this? Do the same things that make Cary lack diversity also make it an attractive place to live?