Raleigh Apartment Living

After a fire or break in, many renters find themselves without insurance and their belongings. You can say that will never happen to you, but you never know. That’s why you need insurance – for the “just in case” situations that hopefully will never happen. Still not convinced? Check out the following information to learn why it’s important to insure your Raleigh apartment and belongings.

Photo by: tree & j hensdill

Who needs it?

Obviously renters need it, but many people don’t get it. Some apartment complexes require you to get at least the minimum apartment insurance coverage for liability purposes such as if someone is injured in your apartment.

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There most likely are very few people that have chestnuts roasting on an open fire during the holiday season, but almost everyone has a pleasant connection with that tender, nutty smell. You might also feel that way about an aroma of vanilla, cinnamon or peppermint. There’s also the famous and favorite holiday scent of a fresh Douglas fir.

Photo by: Dondon

That Christmas Smell

These are the smells of Christmas, filling the air. And, they’re an easy way to make your Raleigh home feel instantly warmer and ready for Christmas.

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Photo by: abbyladybug

The “City of Oaks” as it was called by its founding fathers; Raleigh breathes southern charm with its large oak trees and beautiful historic buildings. With a population of over 350,000 residents, Raleigh is the largest city of an area in central North Carolina known as the Research Triangle. The city is a college town, being home to North Carolina State University and at least nine other colleges and technical schools.

For the past two decades, Raleigh has been one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Besides being a college town, Raleigh is the state capital and is a major U.S. research center. The city offers a variety of entertainment options, including theaters, art galleries, and symphony and of course college sports, AAA baseball and a professional hockey team, the Carolina Hurricanes.

Raleigh’s Climate

Besides prospering as an education, research and development center, Raleigh’s moderate climate encourages year-round outdoor activities. With more than 7,300 acres of park land and green spaces and 1,300 acres of water, Raleigh citizens take pride in their extensive park system providing camping, boating, fishing, swimming, and hiking. For more information about Raleigh, check out the arts and culture, sightseeing and attractions, apartments and more listed below!

Photo by: Brendan

The Research Triangle

You cannot talk about Raleigh economics, without talking about the research triangle. The Research Triangle is a region in the Piedmont of NC which includes Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. Located in this triangle are the major research universities, University of NC at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, and Duke University. These research universities facilities and educated workforce have attracted major high tech companies to this region such as IBM, Cisco Systems, Nortel Networks and NetApp, and life science companies GlaxoSmithKline, Biogen Idec, Merck & Co. and Wyeth, just to name a few.

A few of the major employers in this area include General Electric, American Airlines, Fidelity Investments, Sony Ericsson, Kroger, and Verizon. Also this area includes nationally known research hospitals such as Duke University Hospital. The presence of these major learning centers draws people from around the world, who come to Raleigh and “The Triangle” for an education or for jobs.

Photo by: Smythe Richbourg

Raleigh Arts and Culture

Raleigh has an exceptionally diverse art scene: Broadway, theatre, symphony, opera, ballet and arts, something for everyone. The downtown arts district is a collection of galleries in a three-block area around the historic City Market. This includes a variety of galleries including Artspace, Inc., which is a 26,000 square feet of studio and gallery space where you can see the artists at work. The Visual Arts center at NCSU features changing exhibits and they also have the largest campus-based crafts facility in the southeast, the Crafts Center, where members and the public can attend classes, workshops and exhibits.

The North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, the National Opera Company, the Raleigh Chamber Music Guild, and the Raleigh Oratorio Society all provide a vast variety of musical performances throughout the year. The performing arts are flourishing in Raleigh, with performances by the Carolina Ballet, the Raleigh Ensemble Players, the North Carolina Theatre and the Raleigh Little Theatre, which has been performing for more than 50 years. With the opening of the BTI Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh now has three new theatres to provide more choices for the arts enthusiast.

Sightseeing and Attractions in Raleigh

1. North Carolina Executive Mansion, which was completed in 1891.
2. Historic Oakwood, a 20-block neighborhood of restored homes.
3. Mordecai House, which is the birthplace of President Andrew Johnson.
4. Haywood Hall built in 1799 is the oldest residence still on its original site.
5. MLK Memorial Gardens with a life-size bronze statue of Martin Luther King Jr.
6. The State Capitol built between 1833 and 1840.
7. The Wakefield/Joel Lane House built in the 1760’s is Raleigh’s oldest dwelling.
8. The North Carolina Museum of History displays more than 100,000 artifacts such as furniture, fashions, military artifacts and toys reflecting the history of the state.
9. The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences has the only Acrocanthosaurus dinosaur fossil in existence.
10. The North Carolina Museum of Art houses an outdoor amphitheater, Exploris (children’s museum) and the IMAX Theater.

Photo by: Jason Adams

Raleigh Sports

Sports fans can find plenty to cheer about in Raleigh! For hockey fans there is the Carolina Hurricanes ,who won the Stanley Cup in 2006, for baseball fans there is the Durham Bulls (a AAA minor team of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays) and the Carolina Mudcats (a AA minor team of the Colorado Rockies), and for soccer fans there is the Carolina Railhawks.

With Raleigh being a college town, don’t forget college sports! Sports Travel magazine has rated Raleigh as one of the “hottest sports cities” in the country. In Raleigh and the surrounding Triangle area you have, the North Carolina State Wolfpack, the University of North Carolina Tarheels, and the Duke University Blue Devils.

For amateur teams, Raleigh hosts the following:

• Raleigh Vipers (men’s rugby)
• Raleigh Venom (women’s rugby)
• Raleigh Sidewinders (quad rugby)
• NC Tigers (USAFL)
• Carolina Rollergirls
• Carolina ANZAC’s (cricket)

Raleigh has something for every sport’s fan to cheer about with their broad spectrum of high quality entertainment.

Housing Options in Raleigh

A great source for apartments in Raleigh is ApartmentGuide.com. With over 140 apartment listings to choose from, your options are limitless. Check out some of the featured apartments below or visit ApartmentGuide.com to view additional apartment listings.

Cheap Raleigh Apartments

• Pines of Ashton Apartments – From $461
• Walnut Creek Apartments – From $430
• The Reserve at Lake Lynn Apartments – From $446

Luxury Raleigh Apartments

• Perry Point, A Greystar Community
• 712 Tucker Apartments
• Apartments at Oberlin Court

Pet-Friendly Apartments

• The Crossings at Alexander Place Apartments
• Falls Creek Apartments & Townhomes
• Providence at Briar Creek Apartments