Chapel hil was featured in the 1999 USA Today as one of the top 10 places in America to soak up a campus culture."

Greg Zoroya writes:"Franklin Street is the social fulcrum, with shops, restaunrants, movie theaters, ice-cream
palors, pubs, clubs, and historical sites."

Chapel Hill Town Hall.

Chapel Hill, the largest municipality in Orange County, has been
referred to as the "Southern Part of Heaven." It can best be
summarized as having the best of small town living in a unique
cosmopolitan environment.

Chapel Hill was named after the New Hope Chapel, which stood
upon a hill at the crossing of two primary roads. Town lots were
auctioned in 1793 when work began on the first building of the
university, although it was 1795 before residents occupied any
permanent homes.

Today, Chapel Hill is anything but a typical southern town. In fact,
some say it's really not southern at all, with so many residents
coming from other parts of the country. The population of 45,000
is diverse, consisting of professors, students, business people and
retirees from all over the world, not to mention the native Chapel
Hillians.

In addition to the prominence of the nation's first state university,
another attractive feature of downtown Chapel Hill is Franklin
Street, named after Benjamin Franklin. This is the most vibrant
downtown in the state. Day and night, the streets are filled with
people enjoying a multitude of shopping, dining and entertainment
options.

Ask people about the Chapel Hill area, and what you'll inevitably hear is "I love it." Why? Because the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is home to more than dynamic careers: it's home to one of most rewarding lifestyles you'll find anywhere in the nation.

It begins with the campus itself - a dynamic fusion of natural beauty, historic architecture and a friendly, collegial atmosphere. It extends through the diverse and welcoming community of Chapel Hill to the Triangle region - one of the nation's fastest-growing high-tech centers - and to the many cultural amenities of nearby Raleigh-Durham.

And beyond, the Chapel Hill lifestyle encompasses all that North Carolina has to offer, from the breathtaking scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the gentle, breaking waves of Carolina's eastern shores.

The ultimate result is a rich quality of life that few regions can match...and a growing reputation as one of the nation's best places to live and work. In recent years, Fortune magazine has ranked Chapel Hill the "#1 Best City for Knowledge Workers;" Sports Illustrated has named Chapel Hill the "#1 College Town in the United States;" and Money has recognized Chapel Hill as the "#1 Best Place to Live in America." We invite you to come to Chapel Hill and discover why for yourself.