UNC is at the heart of Chapel Hill, a sophisticated, friendly community that is widely regarded as the perfect college town. At just about any time, you can walk along Chapel Hill's main street-Franklin Street-and be greeted by people from all walks of life. Lined by restaurants, clubs, bookstores, theaters, coffee houses, and street musicians, Franklin Street caters to Carolina students and has something for everyone. Chapel Hill also offers a historic district, parks, walking and biking paths, and popular shopping malls.
Beyond Chapel Hill are the Research Triangle Park and the Raleigh-Durham metropolitan area, which house many Fortune 100 firms, leading scientific and technology research facilities, cultural and sports events, and entertainment of every type. Carolina is only 20 minutes from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area continues to be recognized as one of the best places in the nation:
- Sports Illustrated has called Chapel Hill "the purest example of a college town that is defined by a university."
- Rolling Stone magazine named Chapel Hill one of the nation's top 10 "campus scenes that rock."
- Collegia, an independent consulting firm, ranked Raleigh-Durham-Chapel the #2 college destination based on the resources and diversity of the area. Click here to learn more.
