NC Metros/Cities Unique

[architect77]

Around much of the country large cities act like magnets resulting in dozens if not hundreds of smaller towns clustering around them, while leaving vast other areas of the state completely desolate.

NC is unique with a fairly uniform "sprinkling" of towns from one end to the other. I'm sure living off the land in earlier days partly explains the phoenomenon.

And it seems no matter how big NC cities get, they manage to retain their single-entity nature with at least a sliver of "wilderness" and trees signifying their outer extents.

I doubt if Cary, Wake Forest, Concord or Mathews were settled specifically for their proximity to Charlotte or Raleigh. So NC's suburb towns are unique in a sense.

This contrasts completely with California where LA's and SF's suburbs can only be differentiated with a sign along a busy thoroughfare. Neighboring VA, TN and GA also feature clustered metros.

Just a dull observation of mine...

[krazeeboi]

I think this can be explained in large part by NC's liberal annexation laws.

[orulz]

You're right. Cary was founded as a railroad junction town, and at its founding, there were miles and miles of countryside between it and Raleigh. Even Morrisville and Holly Springs were a rural depot village in its own right before it became an outgrowth of Cary and RTP.

A couple examples of towns incorporated explicitly as suburbs can be found near Asheville. Biltmore Forest and Woodfin both share a border with Asheville, and both municipalities owe their existence to their proximity to the city.

Biltmore Forest was incorporated in 1923, and Woodfin was incorporated in 1971.

[davidals]

A couple examples of towns incorporated explicitly as suburbs can be found near Asheville. Biltmore Forest and Woodfin both share a border with Asheville, and both municipalities owe their existence to their proximity to the city.

Biltmore Forest was incorporated in 1923, and Woodfin was incorporated in 1971.

[JDC]

Around much of the country large cities act like magnets resulting in dozens if not hundreds of smaller towns clustering around them, while leaving vast other areas of the state completely desolate.