Number One

http://raleighskyline.com/content/2009/04/03/new-welcome-to-raleigh-sign/

This year, Raleigh, North Carolina was ranked the number one place to live in Businessweek.com’s Best Cities rankings.  With the right combination of wealth of culture, entertainment, good schools, low crime, and green space, Raleigh beat out the likes of Las Angeles and New York to become the place to be.  Living in Raleigh my whole life, I was not surprised to hear that.  Raleigh is a great place to grow up, and I cherish many of my favorite memories in various places in Raleigh.  Not only is Raleigh special to me, but also it is special to my whole family.  In order to fully understand what makes Raleigh so important me, you have to know how much Raleigh as affected the growth and development of my family.

Not only does Raleigh play an important role in my immediate family, but also to my extended family.  My grandfather was born about an hour away from Raleigh, in a small town called Norlina.  However, when he went to college he chose to go to North Carolina State University, which is in Raleigh.  He became a huge supporter of the school and went to many of the social and athletic events even after he graduated, moved back to Norlina, and had children.  These children, my mother and two uncles, grew up going to Raleigh all the time.  My mom always said it was a huge deal to go to Raleigh, and there was always much excitement surrounding their visits. 

All three of my grandfather’s kids fell in love with Raleigh, and decided to attend school there.  Both of my uncles attended N.C. State University, while my mother attended Meredith College, a women’s college right down the road from N.C. State.  While at Meredith, my mom met my dad, who at the time went to North Carolina State.  My dad, who was from Charlotte, also could not resist all that Raleigh had to offer and decided to go to school there.  Raleigh was where both of my parent’s received their educations, as well as where they decided to get married.  Raleigh is the birthplace of my immediate family.

            Once my parents were married, my father got a job in Florida.  While they were reluctant to leave, they said they would eventually come back.  And once they decided to have kids, they did just that.  A year before my older sister was born, they moved back to Raleigh, where my dad started his own company.  Both my sisters and I were all born in Rex Hospital, which is located in Raleigh.  My parent’s career, as well as their family, began in Raleigh. 

            As I grew up in Raleigh, the only time we moved was to another house in the same city.  My parents would not leave, as they knew there was no better place to raise their kids.  Many kids grow up and want to leave the place that they are from, and go far away.   This was not what I felt, however.  So many childhood memories take place in Raleigh, including my schools, neighborhoods, and friendships.  Going to the State games with grandparents, uncles, and cousins was something we all bonded over and something I will always cherish.  When the time did come to choose where to go to college, I knew that I could not go far.

Raleigh always had so much to offer me growing up.  From the countless days going to the countless parks, the numerous museums and other entertainment downtown, to the athletic events, to the fantastic schools, I had the best experience a kid could ask for.  The amount of crime was so low, that I was never affected by it, and always felt safe wherever I went.  Raleigh is a big enough city that I feel like I met a lot of different people from a lot of different walks of life.  However, it was small enough that it had that small, Southern town feeling that was as welcoming and comfortable as a place could be.