The Wake Forest Area When you mention Wake Forest, most people outside the Triangle think of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem. But there’s another Wake Forest well known to Triangle residents. This quaint town located on U.S. 1 just five miles north of Raleigh (15 miles north of downtown) is the actual birthplace of the university. Established in the early 1800s, the town was once the second-largest municipality in Wake County, behind Raleigh. In 1820, the Wake Forest Academy for Boys was founded on 600 acres of land. The school was sold to the North Carolina Baptist Convention in 1832 and was renamed Wake Forest College six years later. While growth continued and the town was chartered in 1909, things slowed when the college moved to Winston-Salem in 1956, accepting a grant from the Reynolds Foundation (of R.J. Reynolds) to relocate its campus. The town still recognizes its academic history with the Wake Forest College Birthplace, a museum that was the home of the school’s first president. It has been relocated to Wake Forest’s Historic District and has undergone several restoration projects. The museum includes photographs, books, college publications, furniture, documents and memorabilia of the school’s early days. Wake Forest has regained something of a college atmosphere with more than 2,000 students enrolled at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, located on the original site of Wake Forest College. Spring also brings the community to the campus with a series of outdoor concerts. Education also has brought fame to the historic town of Wake Forest. In 2000, a middle school teacher competed on ABC’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” and persistently plugged the town. But that national exposure isn’t the only reason Wake Forest is again emerging as a hot spot. Among the town’s attractions are less-expensive land and proximity to Raleigh. Wake Forest’s 17,000 residents find the city has an ideal mix of small-town charm and big-city conveniences. Wake Forest has a certain ambience created by a blend of tradition and progress. Job and business opportunities abound with industries and retail development such as the Capital Commerce Center. Take a stroll downtown and browse in the Not Just For Kids bookstore. Or stop for lunch at the very popular Olde English Tea Room and Gift Shoppe, Burkenstocks or the Forks Cafeteria, offering banquet seating for 400. La Foresta Italian Café and Pizzeria also is a favorite spot, as is historic Shorty’s Famous Hot Dogs (since 1916!). Families throughout the region enjoy the Triangle Metro Zoo, a 30-acre nature and animal park that features lemurs and other primates, a Bengal tiger, Himalayan bears, exotic birds, zebras and an 8,000-square-foot petting barn. J.B. Flaherty Park on North White Street covers 100 acres and includes three lighted ball fields, four lighted tennis courts, a picnic shelter, ponds and a community center with a gymnasium and meeting rooms. Smith Creek Soccer Center also includes three full-size soccer fields. A mainstay of annual events is the town’s “Meet in the Street” arts and crafts festival that’s been going on for over 25 years. In early December, the Lighting of Wake Forest features bands and choirs performing holiday tunes, the lighting of the tree at the gazebo downtown and an appearance by Santa. There are also Arbor Day and July 4th celebrations. Wake Forest is a delightful combination of historic homes along tree-lined streets (Greek Revival, Queen Anne and bungalows), as well as communities such as Stony Bend, Riverstone, The Oaks at Waterfall Plantation and Heritage. Wakefield Plantation, a massive golf course community with homes from $130,000 to over $1 million, isn’t in the city limits but it’s just right across U.S. 1 from Wake Forest. Spread out over 2,200 acres, the community offers single-family homes, custom homes and townhomes. It features the only tournament players club in the Triangle, as well as a sports club, pools, schools and shopping.