Experience Raleigh Through the Wolfpack’s Eyes
Wondering what it's like to attend NC State and live in Raleigh? Let us introduce you to the city we call home.
![A close-up of the screen of a cell phone which is pointed toward, and displaying, a group of students standing in front of a large skeleton of a whale.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/NCMNS2_WEB.jpg)
We know moving away from home for college is a big decision. So we hit the streets, the trails and even the paddle boat ponds to help you get a feel for the city we love: Raleigh, North Carolina. The City of Oaks. One third of the Research Triangle. Home to the NC State Wolfpack — which, we hope, will soon include you.
#3 Best Place To Live in the U.S.
U.S. News & World Report
#4 Best U.S. City for Work/Life Balance
CoworkingCafe Study
#5 Best City for Job Seekers
Indeed
![A view of the downtown Raleigh skyline with trees in the foreground.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Skyline-from-The-Willard_WEB.jpg)
Craft a College Town Collage
Raleigh isn’t only home to the Wolfpack. It’s also home to four other universities and a community college.
- Meredith College
- Shaw University
- Saint Augustine’s University
- Wake Technical Community College
- William Peace University
That touring-college-campuses movie montage experience you’re having as you cruise around Raleigh? That’s real life.
![A sculptural mural depicting a pack of running wolves with the Raleigh skyline in the background reads "Welcome to Raleigh, home of the NC State Wolfpack."](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Airport-1_WEB.jpg)
![The facade of a four-story brick building with four white columns and three balconies, which have banners hanging from them that read "Welcome" and "Pacers."](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/WilliamPeace2_WEB.jpg)
![A wall along the side of a street, connecting two elevated walkways, bears a mural that reads "150 Years, Shaw University" and shows faces and a map-like geometric background.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Shaw_2_WEB.jpg)
This abundance of colleges offers more than a strong Gen Z demographic. Thanks to the Cooperating Raleigh Colleges program, enrolled students at NC State can register for courses offered at any of the other five Raleigh colleges — and vice versa — and easily receive transfer credit. So if you’re interested in a subject you can’t find here, be sure to chat with your advisor and browse those other course catalogs.
Embrace Your Walking Era
There are lots of great places you can easily get to on foot from our campus. We’re bordered on the north side by Hillsborough Street, which is rich with local businesses, quick-service restaurants, coffee shops, a bite-size Target and several iconic used book stores.
![A mural on the side of a building reads "Welcome to Hillsborough Street, home to NC State University," and has imagery of NC State's campus and the surrounding area painted inside the letters.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/HillsboroughStreet_WEB.jpg)
![A building with an awning that reads "Coffee House" and two banners hanging from symmetrical balconies that read "Wolf" and "Pack."](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Hillsborough-1_WEB.jpg)
![A mural of the NC State strutting Tuffy logo is painted on the side of a building.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Hillsborough-5_WEB.jpg)
To the east you’ll find Pullen Park, a nostalgic paradise of paddle boats, tiny trains, picnic shelters and an old-timey carousel piping out tinny Victorian music at all hours of the day. It’s easy to cross the street and see the world in sepia tones for a while.
![A line of amusement park train cars full of parents and children ride past trees and bushes.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Pullen-Park-1_WEB.jpg)
![Two students wearing life vests ride a paddle boat in a pond, with a sculpture of two swans and lots of trees in the background.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Pullen-Park-6_WEB.jpg)
We’re also located within walking distance of Raleigh Little Theatre (home to the Raleigh Rose Garden, which is stunning year-round) and Theatre in the Park, for those whose thirst for theater requires more quenching than our University Theatre alone can provide. You can quickly find your way to the Village District for more shopping and dining options, or escape to Lake Raleigh on Centennial Campus for hiking, disc golf and restoration.
![An outdoor amphitheater with stone benches arranged on a curved slope, illuminated at night by lights on poles.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Raleigh-Little-Theatre-Amphitheater_WEB.jpg)
![A single red rose, surrounded by other rose bushes, is illuminated by late afternoon sunlight.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Raleigh-Rose-Garden-1_WEB.jpg)
![A person sits on a picnic blanket holding an umbrella over their head and smiling, with Lake Raleigh in the background.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Lake-Raleigh-4_WEB.jpg)
Seek New Experiences
There’s no shortage of new and interesting things to do in Raleigh, if you know where to look. There are so many festivals here. We’re home to both the North Carolina State Fair and the North Carolina State Farmers Market. Both are essential Raleigh experiences. Both are deeply rooted in our state’s agriculture. But only one will let you taste an ostrich smashburger, a dill pickle donut and something that we suspect is aptly named “the slop bucket.”
![People ride cable cars above colorful brightly lit stalls and carnival rides, while fireworks explode in the night sky.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Fairgrounds_WEB.jpg)
![A ferris wheel with clouds and blue sky providing backlighting.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Fairgrounds-3_WEB.jpg)
![A long table covered in baskets of red, orange and yellow tomatoes, with other produce stands and shoppers in the background.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/FarmersMarket_WEB.jpg)
You can — and we strongly encourage you to — attend plenty of Wolfpack athletic events to cheer on our 22 Division I varsity teams or our 50+ club teams. But for those who view sports as a lifestyle, Raleigh is also home to North Carolina’s professional hockey team, the Carolina Hurricanes, and its professional women’s soccer team, the North Carolina Courage, plus several minor league teams.
![A large pack of football players runs onto the field at night, with fireworks firing in the background.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/CarterFinley_WEB.jpg)
![A group of people sit outside in folding chairs and on picnic blankets at night, watching a movie on a large screen.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MooreSquare_WEB.jpg)
![A large indoor arena with an ice hockey rink and a large crowd of spectators, lit in red and displaying Carolina Hurricanes logos and banners.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PNCArena_WEB.jpg)
Downtown, there’s a lot to explore — parks, restaurants, concert venues, shopping districts, museums, historic neighborhoods and more — plus access to transportation to take you farther afield. The new Raleigh Union Station is a hub for Amtrak routes that can take you to many destinations, including Charlotte, Florida, Washington D.C. or New York.
![An indoor train station with a large neon sign that reads "Raleigh" and stairs leading up and down. The city skyline is visible through the large glass windows in the background.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Raleigh-Union-Train-2_WEB.jpg)
![A group of students stands around the leg of a large model dinosaur, with one student hugging the leg.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/NCMNS_WEB.jpg)
![A brick wall with cutouts for windows through which you can see buildings and outdoor seating.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/WarehouseDistrict_WEB.jpg)
Get Some Fresh Air
Perhaps the most surprising thing about our fair city is just how much of it is green — it’s called a “city in a park” for good reason. Connecting with nature is easy, right here on campus or within a short drive. With lakes, rivers, botanical gardens, parks and over 100 miles of greenway trails, there’s an adventure for everyone here.
![A field of yellow wildflowers in front of a wood and metal bridge with trees beyond it.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Greenway_Neuse-River_WEB.jpg)
![A sunlit, wooded hiking trail surrounded by trees with fall foliage.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Umstead-3_WEB.jpg)
![A creek surrounded by trees with colorful fall foliage.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Greenway_Black-Creek-2_WEB.jpg)
![A close-up of a dense group of bright yellow sunflowers.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DortheaDix3_WEB.jpg)
![Three students take a selfie in a field of sunflowers.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DortheaDix2_WEB.jpg)
Adjacent to Centennial Campus is Dorothea Dix Park. Idyllic picnic spots, skyline views, a dog park, iconic sunflower selfie backdrops and a calendar packed full of events make it a convenient outdoor escape. You can also take a quick trip to Yates Mill County Park to explore the hiking trails, followed by ice cream at our Howling Cow Dairy Education Center and Creamery. Say hi to the cows for us.
![The side of a wood and stone mill, with a water wheel.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Yates-Mill-1_WEB.jpg)
![A hand holds a melting ice cream cone in front of a group of cows.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Howling-Cow-2_WEB.jpg)
Other nearby nature experiences include our JC Raulston Arboretum for anyone who loves a stroll through a beautiful garden, and Lake Johnson for boat rentals and scenic walking and hiking trails.
![A woman walks down a stone path running between bushes, trees and flowers in a garden.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Arboretum-4_WEB.jpg)
![An arbor covered with pink flowers stretches above a bench, with trees and bushes surrounding it.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Arboretum-2_WEB.jpg)
![A paved trail runs alongside a lake at dusk, with people fishing and watching the sunset.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/LakeJohnson2_WEB.jpg)
Unleash Your Creativity
You might not guess it based on our reputation as a strong STEM school, but the arts are thriving and open to everyone here at NC State. We’re also surrounded by a vibrant arts community in the Triangle. Raleigh has art museums and galleries, concert venues and theaters of all sizes, craft studios and fairs, events and networks for creators. When you’re looking for ways to engage your creative side or soak up the creativity of others, you don’t have to look far.
![Two dramatically oversized inflatable flamingo pool floats.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Gregg_Inflatables_2_WEB.jpg)
![A tall sculpture that resembles a wavy kite with a geometric pattern stands in a grassy field with a rainbow in the sky behind it.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/NCMA_2_WEB.jpg)
![A grass-lined path leads toward three large sculptural hoops, as the sun sets in the background.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/NCMA_6_WEB.jpg)
The North Carolina Museum of Art, located near the College of Veterinary Medicine, boasts two buildings that encompass its permanent and visiting collections, plus 164 acres of outdoor parks and trails with works of art to discover along your route. The Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh, Artspace artist studios, First Friday downtown arts showcases, and our own Gregg Museum of Art & Design and Crafts Center are sources of inspiration and reflection.
There’s always music to enjoy in Raleigh, too. The Department of Performing Arts and Technology and NC State LIVE present dozens of music or dance concerts each semester, right here on campus. Venturing farther afield, you’ll find indoor and outdoor venues ranging from intimate to mammoth, the North Carolina Symphony and Carolina Ballet, and annual music festivals like Hopscotch or Dreamville.
![A crowded indoor concert venue, dimly lit, with a man playing the guitar and singing on stage.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Rialto-Inside-1_WEB.jpg)
![A band plays on an outdoor stage as a crowd watches.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Red-Hat-1_WEB.jpg)
And all of this is just the beginning. Raleigh is a city bursting with opportunities for students and young professionals, alike. Come and see for yourself.
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