Wake Forest... BIG CITY ENERGY. Small Town Charm.

The Town of Wake Forest.  My home.  

We have raised a family here.  Coached here.  Played here.  Dined here.  You get the gist.  From being a multiple time past President of the Wake Forest Kiwanis Club to Feeding The Firemen of our incredible Fire Departments to serving on the Wake Forest Chamber of Commerce Board to selling so many their homes in Wake Forest to helping coach too many teams to count.  Worshiping here, serving by picking up roadside trash, cooking spaghetti at the Spaghetti Suppers, helping at the many town events including the 4th of July Parade, the Car Show, Six Sundays in Spring, the 3v3 Basketball Tournament, First Night Wake Forest, Ribbon Cuttings, and so much more.  Sending our children to the schools and playing at the incredible parks, walking the nature trails and enjoying the lake.  Wake Forest is our home.  

When we got here in 2002 (the day of the 1st ice storm) Wake Forest already had that small town charm.  Places like the original Over The Falls, PTA Pizza, Las Margaritas, La Foresta and the original Shuckers on Capital Boulevard provided our entertainment.  It wasn't long before The Village Deli, what would become Farm Table and many others showed up on the scene.  Downtown was nice.  Another way to say quiet.  The Cotton Company and of course Buddy and Joe were doing their thing at B&W Hardware.  But overall....quiet.  That too changed as Albert brought us Wake Forest Coffee Company, and several boutiques begun to thrive!  Capital Boulevard begun it's surge of new retail...mostly big box stores.  

There was no 98 bypass.  Retail Drive had just opened.  There was no overpass.  There wasn't even a hill there where the off-ramp now is.  At that time, it was a simple turn.  No stop sign...no light.  Target had just opened and the old hardware store was still open where Walgreen's now stands.  Wakefield was booming and brought in Kroger (now Galaxy Fun Park).  It was all so new.  There was no Lowes or even Lowe's!  LOL  We had a Food Lion, a Winn Dixie, and that fancy Kroger.  The Target (pronounced Tarjjay) had a grocery store in it and that was BIG TIME.  

The Factory came...game changer.  With 2 hockey rinks, an indoor soccer field, retail, restaurants, etc... it became a hub of family activity and continues to be just that today.  The town has always provided incredible athletic and artistic opportunities through the Parks & Rec department.  That was bolstered with alternative solutions like Baseball at The Factory!  

As the town has continued to grow, the parks and trails system have evolved as well.  The crown jewel being Joyner Park located on the northern end of town.  A trail system like no other, the pecan grove, the old buildings, the pond, and the newest athletic center with an indoor track and basketball court!!  Go visit.  You will be glad you did.  

During our early years here there was one High School.  Wake Forest - Rolesville High.  The Cougars were the only game in town.  Then came Wakefield, Heritage, Rolesville, Franklin Academy and now other charter school options.  Almost enough to have their own league!!  LOL  

So grateful now for all of the places to visit in town.  So many restaurant options... Farm Table, Thai Cafe, Stewart's Bistro, Real McCoys etc...  At this time the line between Raleigh and Wake Forest is so blurred that North Raleigh and Wake Forest are largely the same market.

Why did we choose Wake Forest?  We chose it because it offered a sense of "home".  We are both from small hometowns and loved that sense of feeling home.  A place where you can ground yourself.  While Wake Forest is now in excess of 50,000 people it still has that unique quality that so many are searching for.  BIG TIME ENERGY.  Small Town Charm.