There are a thousand little things to be grateful for in our hometown: The friendly neighbors, the historic buildings, the farmer’s market, the events, the breweries, the bakeries–there isn’t enough space to list everything.
In the spirit of the season of gratitude and thanks, we asked Caryites to share one thing they are most thankful for in Downtown Cary. It could be a childhood memory, a favorite park bench, a festival shared with grandparents, a local restaurant or business, or even a single person who makes our town a better place.
From people who have lived here 50 years, to the ones who have only recently discovered Cary, here is an exploration of everything we love about our home.
Growing Up in Downtown Cary
1.) “Cary has been our home since we moved here in 1965 and built our home where we still reside. There are so many things we love about Cary, but a sweet memory is taking our three little sons to Ashworth’s for lunch and waiting ‘for the train’ to come by. We still go to Ashworth’s and have taken our grandsons. It feels so special, the same good food, great people waiting on us in the cozy and very familiar atmosphere. Sometimes, if we’re lucky, we even hear the train going through.” – Eileen
2.) “Ashworth’s Drugstore. Nothing better than stopping by for a Vanilla Coke before walking home from elementary school.” – Susan
3.) “Saturday mornings spent downtown at Mitchell’s Pharmacy, grabbing the latest 10 cent Superman comic book, a nickel pack of baseball cards and a 15 cent cherry smash from the fountain. A hot dog from Ashworth’s. Baseball games at Franklin Field. Basketball games on cold winter Saturday mornings at the Elementary School gym. Fourth of July celebrations at the ballpark. Firemen’s Day and fish fries and street dances. Band Day and pancake breakfasts. Stopping by Cary Clothiers to buy a new shirt from Randy. A plate of BBQ from Johnson’s or a hamburger steak from Rogers’. A cold drink from Mack’s Fruit Stand. Those were the times that we all knew one another or at least knew of one another. What’s not to be thankful for about coming of age in Cary, the ‘Gourd Capital of the World’ and ‘Where Better Living Begins.'” – Jimmie
4.) “Charlie Gaddy. Hopefully he still has a street named after him after whatever they do to that area. Seeing him in the Christmas parade is missed.” – Jay
5.) “As an old Caryite, there are many memories of our tiny downtown. In the early to mid 1950s I would ride my JC Higgins bike from our home at 410 Page St. to the Cary Theater with a quarter in my pocket for the Saturday afternoon movie. Ten cents for a ticket, soft drink and bag of fresh popcorn for a dime. After the movie went next door to Mitchell’s Drug store with my last nickel and purchased a Sugar Daddy candy on a stick. Now that was an afternoon of entertainment.” – Steve
6.) “As a 9th generation Caryite, I can truthfully say that I enjoyed the wooded areas around the town that are no longer there. And I loved the Keisler farm! We also got eggs from a lady who lived where the mall is now on Maynard road. There was once a drive-in theater on Maynard, too!” -Gail
7.) My Dad was transferred to N.C. when I was at the end of the 8th grade. I loved that the town was surrounded by forests everywhere, and people said hello to you and chatted with you in stores. I couldn’t believe how friendly everyone was, and I loved that it was a sleepy sort of town with a historic downtown. I still like to drive down the main street of Cary and look at what is left of the historic homes and the old elementary school. And, of course, I could always hear the train in the distance from our house, which I have always enjoyed, and can still hear at night when I am sleeping in my old room. – Karen
8.) “There used to be a big house or set of apartments where the old library is now. Out front of it was a large grapevine. On the way to Ashworth’s, we would stop and eat our fill of grapes and do the same on our way back. – Mrs. Yarborough
Small Town Charm & Culture
9.) “The smiles on the faces of people on Academy Street as you walk by and say, ‘Good Day'” – Peter
10.) “The leadership of Koka Booth, who among others, helped carefully guide our towns growth. Ralph Ashworth whose magnificent drug store and hot dogs are the heart of this town.” – Paul
11.) “Ashworth’s Drug Store, where I can go in and Paul or Cory says, ‘Hello Mrs. Lew-how are you doing today?'” – Annette
12.) “Love the walkable areas in DTC, the fountain, great restaurants & breweries & Fresh ice cream. I’ve been walking here since my daughter Kristen had her downtown business & we look forward to living downtown with the purchase of a house here!” – Darla
13.) “The development on Academy Street! LOVE the gathering place around the fountain, Cotton House Craft Brewers, the new library, ALL of it! Our town’s planners have worked very hard to develop beautiful, useable spaces in downtown Cary and it shows.” – Jenny
14.) “Great road system – no billboards – low crime rate (compared to neighboring cities).” – Joette
15.) “The Ivey-Ellington-Waddell house and the character of a town, not a city. The Cary Downtown Farmers Market!” – Mary
16.) “My husband and I are from Pennsylvania. Our first time visiting Cary we got coffee from BREW and sat outside just enjoying the June weather. We knew right then we wanted to make Cary our home!” – Kandi
17.) “The small town charm of the immediate downtown area. Seeing friendly, familiar faces as we enjoy a beer, a hot chocolate, delicious Indian food at Kababish or a great movie!” – Jan Fish Powell
18.) “The sense of community. I’ve always loved that Cary feels smaller than it actually is and that the town and the citizens foster that environment.” – Nancy
Downtown Cary Food, Breweries, & Businesses
19.) “The Cofounders Lab! As they often host our Triangle Area Makers Meetups!” – Wes
20.) “Once in a Blue Moon Bakery, the Perfect Piece, Frantz Automotive so many great businesses and the Pimento Cheese Festival along with the breweries – Bond Brothers, Fortnight and Cotton House.” – Siobhan Strange
21.) “Modern Service – honest mechanics at a fair price. And they are just a few steps from Fresh Ice Cream!” – Marjorie
22.) “Dog friendly places like Pharmacy and Bond Brothers!” – Noëlle
23.) “Ashworth’s Drug Store counter. It’s still the same for as long as I’ve lived here (30 yrs). I have wonderful memories of taking my little girls to get chocolate milk shakes. And now I sit at the counter sharing milk shakes with my grandson.” – Esther
Walkable, Scenic, Safe Downtown
24.) “Thankful that I was able to raise my daughter in a charming town where she was within safe walking distance to all schools. Where she was able to grow up with good friends who were raised with good values and manners, and had many opportunities to participate in various programs through the Parks & Recreation department guided by wonderful role models.” – Betty
25.) “Quiet, compact downtown where we can walk from home to the library, Cary Theater, Herb Young Center, Performing Arts Center, a dozen places to drink beer and a bunch of nice restaurants.” – Steve
26.) “The clean, neat, tree lined street with benches, artwork & lighted trees!” – Erin
27.) “Since moving here from the suburbs of Atlanta to be closer to our daughter and her family we could not be happier with our decision to purchase a home where we can walk to downtown Cary. Our realtor told us great things were coming and he couldn’t have been more correct! I am so thankful for everyone who has done so much work to make DTC a wonderful place to live, explore, dine, snack, read, and enjoy the beauty especially evenings at the fountain.” – Jeanne
28.) “I am thankful for the beautiful scenery and art when walking downtown and the fountain. The fountain it seems is what brings everyone together. Enjoying the games and walking around and just being active. A place where you can put your cell phones away and enjoy the moment.” – Andrea
Downtown Cary Events & Art
29.) “Cary Arts Center! So thankful that the beautiful old Cary Elementary building was saved and serves such a great purpose now!” – Leigh
30.) “I love the fountain. It’s beautiful. Our family enjoys the park — we wander over and play fooseball fairly often. Also the Cary Art Center — especially the art vending machine! My kids would say FRESH.” – Liz
31.) “The Page Walker Hotel. The classes that are held there, the concerts, the Victorian Christmas.” – Nancy
32.) “The Downtown Cary Farmers Market and Food and Flea.” – Beth
33.) “All of the fun events that are put on in DT Cary often.” – Amy
34.) “Cary’s keen sense of the need to honor its history during the past 100+ years.” – Martha Glass
Everything Else!
A few places, events, and memories got so many shout outs I just decided to include them in their own category. If you live in Cary, I’m sure you can guess what some of these things might be:
35.)
- Ashworth’s Drug Store.
- Ralph.
- Lazy Daze.
- Serendipity Gourmet Sandwiches.
- The Library.
- The craft beer scene.
It’s striking that some of the most sweetly-remembered stories involve something as simple as listening to the train go through Downtown. How many times have I sat at that same train crossing, anxiously waiting for it to pass so I could hurry and reach my destination?
It’s so easy to get swept up in the hustle and bustle of life that we forget to take a cue from the wisdom of Cary’s small town history — to sit down and enjoy the simple things Cary offers, like a cherry soda, a hotdog, and the sound of a train passing by.