North Carolina's Affordable Town Boasts A Walkable Downtown, Buzzing Food Scene, And Outdoor Thrills

A quaint, centrally located city, Wake Forest sits in the rich eastern state of North Carolina, known for its great outdoors, the Blue Ridge Mountains and their European-style resorts, college basketball, a vibrant music scene, barbecue, and Southern cuisine. Just 19 miles north of the state capital, Raleigh, and 166 miles northeast of Charlotte, it's within easy reach by car of two thriving tech hubs with booming diversity, as well as respectable art and culture districts.

Home to over 55,000 people, Wake Forest has a very walkable downtown and core with an easy excursion through the center of the city, from east to west and north to south, bisecting a buzzing food scene. It stands proudly as a beautiful town with plenty of outdoor thrills shaped by a landscape of waterfalls, creeks, and rivers, originally seeded by a 19th-century plantation and farm, later expanded by a local Baptist church and the Raleigh rail. 

Stroll through the historic downtown district and you'll come across the centrally located Wake Forest Historical Museum, a tribute to the town's founder, Calvin Jones. Housed in his beautifully preserved 19th-century home, the museum is a haven of personal and historical artifacts, from photographs and books to original furnishings. A couple of times a year, it also hosts a variety of temporary exhibitions.

Similar to another lush North Carolina oasis, the edges of Wake Forest are defined by a scattering of trails and parks, from the 117-acre E. Carroll Joyner Park to the north, to Mill Bridge Nature Park in the east. To the west lies Forest Ridge Park, a natural gateway to the serpentine Falls Lake, with its dramatically fractured coastline. Popular in the summer months, the area is ideal for picnicking, hiking, and mountain biking, with the Go Ape Zipline and Adventure Park and a marina offering swimming access and boat launches situated nearby. Southeast of the town center in Rolesville, the Little House Museum & Gallery offers a heritage home experience, complete with a two-room gallery and a neatly curated collection of local artifacts.

Shopping in Wake Forest is well catered for, with a mix of boutiques, bookshops, and cafés, alongside an attractive gastronomical scene that spans casual Western-influenced spots to elevated fine dining. Reliable eateries are clustered throughout downtown and along the town's central spine, with highlights including Lonerider at Wake Forest brewpub and diner; the understated yet sumptuous Amalia's Authentic Italian Restaurant; Over the Falls bar and grill; the small-batch ales of White Street Brewing Company; and the refined offerings at Bodega Tapas, Wine, and Rum. A particular standout is the beautifully quaint, European-style Lafayette Village next door in Raleigh, perfect for boutique shopping and gourmet dining, complete with its very own Little Eiffel Tower replica, not a far cry from a certain cute Texas town with its own take on the Eiffel Tower.

Wake Forest is home to a charming community of creatives driving the local arts and culture scene, showcased in spots like the Amanda Wilson Art Studio, the artistic marketplace and gallery The Cotton Company, The Makery art center, and the specialist Wake Forest Art & Frame Shop. And just 30 minutes south, you'll find the renowned North Carolina Museum of Art, in case you're looking to discover even more works of art.