Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill Community Guide for Orange County Home Buyers

Located in Orange County, Chapel Hill is known for being a little slice of Carolina Blue heaven.

Although a major component of this town is the flagship University of North Carolina, there is a whole lot to enjoy throughout the rest of the town as well, including unique boutiques and outstanding pakrs.

This community had a population of 57,233 residents as of the 2010 Census, making it the 16th-largest municipality in the state.

Together with Durham and Raleigh, this community helps form the Research Traingle, which was so named in 1959 with the creation of Research Triangle Park, a research park between Durham and Raleigh.

Why Historians Love Chapel Hill

This town has played a prominent role in the North Carolina history books for centuries.

The area was the home place of early settler William Barbee of Middlesex County, VA back in the 1700s.

The community eventually became public land and was partly named because of the fact that Chapel Hill sits atop a hill. That hill was originally occupied by a small Anglican “chapel of ease,” which was built in 1752. That chapel was known as New Hope Chapel.

And here’s a fun fact: The Carolina Inn occupies the site of the original chapel today.

In 1819, the town was founded in order to serve the University of North Carolina and grow around it.

The town was chartered in 1851 and its main street, Franklin Street, was named in memory of Benjamin Franklin.

The community continued to grow over the years, developing a reputation as a mecca for the artistic and culturally-minded. This helped build its resident population as more people sought the unique lifestyle that Chapel Hill has to offer.

Why Those Who Value Education Love This Community

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro school district serves both Chapel Hill and Carrboro. It is recognized nationally for its excellent academic program.

In fact, East Chapel Hill High School, Carrboro High School and Chapel Hill High School have all received national recognition for excellence, with Newsweek ranking East Chapel Hill High as the 88th best high school in the country in 2008.

Why Lovers of the Arts Enjoy Living Here

As previously mentioned, this community is well known for its arts scene.

For instance, the state's main youth orchestra, Piedmont Youth Orchestra, is based in Chapel Hill.

There are also a number of large murals located all around the town, many of which were pained by UNC alumnus Michael Brown.

And for more than 30 years, Chapel Hill has sponsored the annual street fair, Festifall, in October.

This is where booths of artists, craftsmakers, nonprofits and food vendors share their passion with the community. The event is attended by tens of thousands each year.

Meanwhile, this community has a thriving music scene, with an array of local bands and some outstanding music venues.

Why Foodies Love Chapel Hill

More than just a place for the arts, however, Chapel Hill is a place for unique cuisines as well.

In fact, this community was once hailed as one of America’s Foodiest Small Towns by Bon Appetit.

Here you’ll find a range of cuisines represented at such businesses as A Southern Season, Mam Dip’s, Crook’s Corner, Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen and Lantern Restaurant.

Why Employees Love Living Here

There are a variety of corporations headquartered in Chapel Hill. Meanwhile, health insurance provider Blue Cross and Blue Shield is among one of the town’s top ten largest employers.

Other companies located here include:

• USAT Corpo
• Realtime Ops
• Journalistic Inc.
• Alpha Install

Why Scientists Love Living Here

The Morehead Planetarium, which was the first planetarium built on a US college campus, is located here.

Opened in 1949, it is one of six planetariums in the nation and is an important town landmark.

And here’s a fun fact: During the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, astronauts were tained there.

Why Sports Lovers Enjoy Living Here

And, of course, we would be remiss to not mention the sports teams here. From the nationally ranked Carolina men’s basketball team to fringe sports like rugby, this is one excellent place to live if you love watching (or playing) sports.

Explorer Investing in Chapel Hill Real Estate Today

With all of the amenities offered here, it’s no wonder that Chapel Hill was ranked #3 by Newsmax magazine for the Top 25 Most Uniquely American Cities and Towns.

If this sounds like the kind of place that you would like to live year round, please contact us at The Sandy Edwards Team. We would love to assist you by answering any questions you might have as well as providing you with some valuable home buying resources.

We’ll also tell you all about available Chapel Hill Listings!

List Your Current Home With Us!

And please make sure to also connect with us if you’re ready to sell the Chapel Hill home you already own. We would love to help by first helping you determine the true value of your property.