Carolina Preserve Opens Phase 3

Posted on September 7, 2007 by Chris King

Del Webb Carolina Preserve Phase 3
Del Webb has opened the eagerly awaited third phase of the immensely popular Carolina Preserve in Cary, NC.

contact us for more information about Carolina Preserve

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NC Museum of Art hosts puppet show this weekend

Posted on September 6, 2007 by Chris King

Paperhand Puppet Intervention
This weekend the NC Museum of Art hosts a unique puppet show by Paperhand Puppet Intervention. The show uses huge puppets made of cardboard and household miscellany, shadows, stilts, and dance to create a whimsical mystical presentation to children (and adults) of all ages.

When: Sept. 7th and 8th
-Pre-show event (different each night) 6:20pm
-Pre-show music: 6:30pm
-Show begins at 7:00pm
Where: NC Museum of Art (Click for directions)
Cost: Adults $10, Ages 4-12: $7, 3 and under: Free.

Posted in All Cary Communities, Amberly, Arlington Park, Avila, Best Of All Cary, Blackstone, Carolina Preserve, Kitts Creek, Lexington Park, Lochmere, Preston, Renaissance Park, The Peninsula, Town Center, Twin Lakes, Village Square, Wakefield Plantation, Washington Square | Leave a comment

Lochmere Summer Carnival

Posted on September 4, 2007 by George Wilson

Lochmere Summer Carnival in full swing
The Lochmere community held a Summer Carnival on Saturday, Sept. 1st. The event was a nice collaboration of home brewed games, and commercial bounce houses, grilled food, and the social bonding that many communities lack. It was quite eye opening to see how many people came out to mingle at the social event and reinforced that the community was made up of families with children of all ages. One of the games that caught my attention was a “rubber duck war”. Two kids stood-off on either side of a plastic tray filled with a bit of water and rubber ducks, then proceeded to use “super Soaker water squirters” to try to force ducks to the other player’s side of the bin. There were inflatable water slides, and bounce houses scattered throughout the community center. Many families were escaping the heat of the day by relaxing in the pool and getting to know neighbors. It was yet another aspect of Lochmere that affirms that I made the right choice when I chose the community to live in.

If you would like a tour of Lochmere, or are interested in learning more about the other aspects that make Lochmere such a great community, please contact us.

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Koka Booth Amphitheatre – Tift Merritt

Posted on August 29, 2007 by George Wilson

Tift Merritt

Calling all Tift Merritt fans – the Grammy-nominated singer will be providing a FREE show this Sunday September 2 at Koka Booth. She will be performing with the North Carolina Symphony for Pops in the Park.

Bring your picnic, lawn chairs and blankets. For more info, you can visit Tift’s Ofiicial Fan site (she’s a Raleigh native and UNC-Chapel Hill grad), or the Koka Booth Amphitheater site.

Anyone in Lochmere can easily ride/walk over to the park via the Swift Creek trail past Ritter Park to avoid the long lines.

If we go, we will be the ones pedaling the 2 kids in the double-seat GoBug.

Would love to hear what the fans think after the show! Hit the comment button below at the bottom of the page to register (and get a chance for a free dinner) to leave your thoughts.

Map below.

View Larger Map

Posted in All Cary Communities, Amberly, Arlington Park, Avila, Blackstone, Carolina Preserve, Kitts Creek, Lexington Park, Lochmere, Preston, Renaissance Park, The Peninsula, Town Center, Twin Lakes, Village Square, Wakefield Plantation, Washington Square | Leave a comment

La Farm Bakery Cary, NC

Posted on August 28, 2007 by Chris King

Traditional French Bakery in Cary, NC

We were looking for a good bakery in Cary. We had tried a few “bagel” places, and supermarket bakeries, but they just weren’t of the level we were used to. Then I was told about a bakery in the Preston area of Cary, so we had to try it out. The bakery is La Farm on Cary Parkway, just north of High House Rd. From the moment you open the door, your senses are overwhelmed. The smells of the baking bread, and treats are so wonderful. There are samples of delicious morsels strewn about the tables.

I was fortunate enough to be able to wrangle an online interview with Missy from La Farm this week. When asked what were the three most significant differences between La Farm, and other local bakeries, she responded.

1. “We are an authentic European bakery lead by one of the greatest bakers in our county.” The master baker Lionel Vatinet hails from prestigious “Les Campagnons du Devoir” Guild in France.

2. Lionel and La Farm have a passion for the highest quality bread and bakery items incorporating local ingredients and flavors.

3. Missy suggested that we try the “new” cornbread soufflé made with historic Yates Mill corn meal!!! Sounds intriguing.

Missy was excited to explain that La Farm was being featured on Rachael Ray’s talk show this year and in the upcoming December issues of Food and Wine and Oprah Magazine – so please watch for your local Cary business!!

The Sourdough bread is not just the bland, white bread you find in supermarkets, but the real deal. It is a three day process steeped in tradition for Master Baker Lionel Vatinet to bake his sourdough bread. It is a stunning mixture of just the right tang, and smoothness coupled with a thick, crispy crust and dense bread. We also tried the La Farm Bread, which transported us to a streetside bistro in Paris, where we were enjoying a plate of bread and cheeses, while sipping a deep Bordeaux and ruminating about the days events.

Just as dramatic as the breads, were the treats. I had a blueberry and raspberry tart that was to die for. It had a creamy smooth filling that mixed with the berries had a wonderful contrast of flavours, and the shell was again a dense pastry that complimented, yet contrasted the sweetness of the filling, with a rich buttery overtone. Est Magnifique.

Everything we tried was so wonderful, I can’t see us ever going back to grocery store bakeries again. If you are looking for other recommendations in the Cary area, please feel free to contact us.

Posted in All Cary Communities, Amberly, Arlington Park, Avila, Best Of All Cary, Blackstone, Carolina Preserve, Kitts Creek, Lexington Park, Lochmere, Preston, Renaissance Park, The Peninsula, Town Center, Twin Lakes, Village Square, Wakefield Plantation, Washington Square | Leave a comment

Cary Lazy Daze 2007

Posted on August 24, 2007 by Chris King

Town of Cary 31st Annual Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival 2007

The Town of Cary’s 31st Annual Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival was held this past weekend in Downtown Cary, NC. Despite the oppressive heat this year, setting a new record high of 99 degrees, it was a great event. This was my first time attending the event, and we were very impressed by the logistical organization of the festival. Parking was easily accessible, there were frequent shuttles from the parking lots to the actual event, and there were plenty of volunteers to make sure any questions were answered. We will have to wait for the official numbers to be announced, but I would estimate there were at least 40 to 50 thousand people that came out to see the wonderful crafts the artisans brought from all over the state, enjoy food that helps to sponsor local schools and charities, and hear some great music. The weather was a bit torrid, and we ended up leaving earlier than we had hoped, but my wife still managed to find a few treasures that we simply couldn’t live without. We weren’t the only ones that had trouble with the heat this year. According to an article by NBC News 17, the Cary EMS was kept busy treating several people for heat related incidents. All in all, the event was deemed a success. I suppose anytime you can get that many people out of their air-conditioned homes and into the street during a heat wave to mingle and have a good time, that is a testament to the success of the festival. We are very much looking forward to next year, and hope that the weather will be more tolerable, so we can relax and enjoy the last few Lazy Daze of summer.

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Bull of a time

Posted on August 23, 2007 by Chris King

Watching the game.
One of the great things about living in Cary, NC, is the proximity of cultural activities. I was invited by a friend of mine to attend a Durham Bulls game last night. Since the last baseball game I had been to was over ten years ago, I thought it would be great fun to attend, and bring my 3 year old son for some Father-Son bonding time. We got to the park about 15 minutes before the game started, and proceeded to our seats. Being a minor league park, every seat has that “you’re a part of the action” feel, not the “you are so far away from the action that you had better bring your binoculars to see the ants play” seat like some of big league stadiums. The seats we had were right behind the Bulls dugout, about 10 rows back, it was like being on field with the team.

Even though I am not a huge baseball fanatic, there is something about actually being at a game that is magical. The crack of the bat, the snap of the ball hitting the leather mitts, the cheering of the crowd. My son of course was much more interested in the sno-cone than the game, but for about 30 seconds he watched as the players threw lasers at each other, warming up. The best part of the night was when we got home and he excitedly told his mother all about watching “soccer”. I guess I have a little more work to do with him.

Click here for some additional pictures from the game.

If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Cary, NC, please contact us.

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Pictures of Lochmere

Posted on August 23, 2007 by Chris King

Click on the picture for more images of Lochmere
Click on the picture above to see more images of the Lochmere community in Cary, NC.

For more information or to schedule an appointment to view a home for sale in Lochmere, give us a call at (888) 969-8989 or click contact us.

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Pass on the cookies please

Posted on August 20, 2007 by Chris King

In this day and age of low cost cookie cutter developments, there are few developers that are willing to step outside the mold and offer something extra to please the eye. When I have visited some of these monstrous planned developments, I feel like a man stuck in the middle of the Sahara Desert during summer. My mouth goes dry and I start panicking about finding my way out.

But relief is in sight, in Morrisville anyway. Like an oasis on the rise, Kitts Creek is a community where the fundamental design philosophy is “give me identity or give me death”.

By offering a variety of architectural styles and plans, they have been able to greatly diversify the streetscape and allow each home to break free from the restrictive covenant chains and proudly claim it’s identity. For more information on Kitts Creek, give us a call or send us an email to set up a visit. Contact All Cary Real Estate to set up an appointment.

For more information about CBS’s Story on New Urbanism, the backbone of Kitts Creek philosophy, click here.

The locals have set up a website to discuss earthly concerns in their neighborhood. www.kittscreekneighbors.com

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Developers focus on South Raleigh

Posted on August 20, 2007 by Chris King

“South Raleigh is undergoing a renaissance of its own, and we are excited to be part of that process,” said John Myers, president of Wakefield Development Company. “Renaissance Park is influenced by traditional design with a modern twist that gives homeowners easy access to the rapidly growing downtown area of Raleigh.”

Wakefield Development Company announced, in February, the launch of phase one construction in its newest master-planned community, Renaissance Park, located in southeast Raleigh. This initial phase will contain approximately 242 homesites with single-family homes built by W&W Partners and Bedford Builder Group. In addition to the single-family homes,there will be an offering of Federal style townhomes built by 1st American Builders.

Technology-driven features, including touch screens and Wi-Fi access scattered throughout the community, mixed with traditional southern architecture and charm will be the focus of the community. A selection of Federal-style townhomes priced from the $190s and single-family homes priced from the mid-$200s will offer truly individualized living spaces. All homesites in Phase 1 will feature rear alley loaded garages. In addition, over 380,000 square feet of retail space has been reserved for a commercial district within the community.

The community will include a 7,000 square-foot clubhouse with a state-of-the-art fitness center, full-service business center, a large pool with 4,500 square feet of water surface and a playground. At least three additional pocket parks located throughout the community will have Wi-Fi access. While residents will benefit from the community’s close proximity to major highways and easy access to downtown Raleigh, Renaissance Park has also reserved over 49 acres of open space for its residents’ enjoyment

For more information on Renaissance Park, visit them online at www.renaissancepark.com or contact All Cary Real Estate to schedule a visit.

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