Auston Grove Apartment Homes Blog

What a great weekend to live in an apartment in Raleigh, NC. This weekend Raleigh hosts the Downtown Raleigh Gourmet Food Tour on Saturday, Feb 18 and on Sunday, February 19th is the 5th Annual Raleigh Blues Festival.

Raleigh is home to some of the most exciting restaurants in the country. Amidst modern architecture and historic buildings, Raleigh is a Mecca of fine dining and eclectic eateries. If you live here you will have a great time talking with chefs and owners who are offering up innovative southern cuisine, local beer, and organic wine.

The Raleigh Blues Festival returns with a line up which includes: Bobby Blue Bland, Sir Charles Jones, Mel Waiters, Floyd Taylor with the Johnny Taylor Revue, Latimore, Theodis Ealey, Ms. Nellie "Tiger" Travis.

If you love live music and great food, you are in for a fantastic weekend. Great food that celebrates Raleigh and live music that celebrates blues around the world will fill the RBC Center and this weekend. There is so much to see and do in Raleigh and these fun events are just another reason why this city is a great place to work and play.

Three of the state’s most happening cities: Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, make up the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. Research Triangle Park is a collection of international companies and private and public research facilities. Living in an apartment in Raleigh, NC means great job opportunities in many fields, and also first-rate cultural events as well. Here are some of the best things to do in the Research Triangle Area.

Raleigh
There are dozens of museums in Raleigh, including the North Carolina Museum of Art, the African American Cultural Complex, and the Gregg Museum of Art and Design.

Great shopping and restaurants can be found throughout the city, including the Glenwood South, Fayetteville Street and Warehouse districts.

Located just a short drive from Raleigh, the Falls Lake Recreation Area offers hiking trails, swimming, fishing, boating, picnicking and camping.

Durham
Home of Duke University and its own hive of activities, Durham hosts lots of cultural and entertainment options. The North Carolina Museum of Life and Science offers amazing interactive exhibits and a wildlife sanctuary.

In the heart of downtown Durham, adjoining the Durham Athletic Park and home of the Durham Bulls, the American Tobacco Complex houses the Durham Performing Arts Center, as well as restaurants, shops and events held throughout the year.

Chapel Hill
For the smallest city in the Triangle, Chapel Hill has the biggest rep as a center of learning. Birthplace of the country’s first state university — the University of North Carolina in 1795 — the town is alive with all kinds of culture, music and fun things to do.

The Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is a great place to both take in the stars and watch live science demonstrations appropriate for children and adults. Take in more of nature’s wonders at the North Carolina Botanical Garden, just a short trip from downtown. It houses the largest collection of native plants in the Southeast, in addition to a carnivorous plant section.

UNC’s Dean Smith Center hosts basketball games, live concerts and many other events. For a more intimate experience, check out the many smaller venues and bars for good music, such as the Cat’s Cradle, the Cave, the Art Center and Mansion 462.

If you are thinking of relocating to the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, contact Auston Grove Apartments.

Original article- Moving Today

Auston Grove Apartments, an community of apartments in Raleigh, is asking our residents for community help this holiday season.
 
Along with the Gobbles to Go meal deliveries this Christmas Eve, the other goal of the Raleigh Rescue Mission is to have each meal recipient receive a bag of groceries to enjoy over the holiday weekend with their family.  Those Gobbles to Go meal recipients who are Meals on Wheels clients will not receive their normal meal deliveries over the weekend and The Raleigh Rescue Mission wants to give them and all of the Gobbles to Go meal recipients some extra groceries to get them through the holidays.

The Raleigh Rescue Mission is still in need of 200 Holiday Groceries to Go bags in order to have enough for all of our Gobbles to Go meal recipients.  Auston Grove Apartments would like you to know that besides groceries, they also need hams, cranberry sauce, apple juice and chicken broth for our Gobbles to Go meals.  Please bring Holiday Groceries to Go bags to Raleigh Rescue Mission at 314 E. Hargett Street by Friday, December 23.

How do you control your spending in a marketplace you can access nearly all the time? Online buying is so easy and gratifying that it can be all too easy to overdo it. Your friends at Auston Grove, apartments in Raleigh, NC, would like to share with you some of our budgeting secrets.

Here are some examples of how to manage your online spending and regulate your buying habits on the Internet during the holidays and everyday.

Track your spending

It’s easy to overspend on your favorite shopping site, even if (especially if) it offers bargains. Seemingly small purchases add up over time, especially if they’re frequent, and can land you in debt before you know it.

Find out where your biggest money drain is with a site like Mint.com. An easy and free online budgeting and money management tool, Mint lets you sync all your accounts so you can see how much you’re spending with credit and debit cards. You can even set up alerts to notify you if you spend more than you’ve budgeted for.

BudgetTracker is another free expense tracking tool that lets you sync and follow your accounts per transaction. You can even use it to track your small business expenses.

Know yourself

As counterintuitive as it might sound, avoid subscribing to daily deal sites. There’s something about seeing all those great bargains come into your inbox everyday that can inspire the purchase of stuff that you don’t really need. Fifty-percent off of a restaurant tab is great, but you still have to spend money to save money.

Limit your access

You can prohibit your own access to your online buying weaknesses using Leechblock, a Firefox add-on that blocks specified sites. If your have too much surfing time at specific times you can choose sites to block during those times. You can even block all sites during certain hours to get your work done.

Pay as little as possible

Constant exposure to bargains can be tempting, targeting discounted ways to buy essentials is a must. Search for SPECIFIC deals on bargain sites, focusing on coupon codes for things like free shipping. RetailMeNot is a great site for finding available discounts with most major retailers; FreeShipping.org is another good one to try. To look for the lowest prices on what you want, PriceGrabber.com and Google Product Search will show you the best deals both online and in stores around Raleigh.
 
It’s not hard to learn how to manage your online buying habits, but to do it, you have to want to control your spending. Start by limiting your access to shopping sites, tracking your buying habits, and getting the best prices you can find for things you must purchase. Happy saving!

Original article – Moving Today

Relocating to Raleigh gives you the excitement and the attractions of a fantastic city, and the affordability and appeal of a Southern town. , look no further than Greater Raleigh.

Raleigh is known for its world-class museums, best of Broadway shows and live music, Capital area historic sites, sporting events and shopping with 11 major retail areas. Raleigh is the perfect city to live in and  truly offers a variety of entertainment in a beautiful, scenic city setting.

The attractions and entertainment in Raleigh keeps this city continually ranked as one of the best places to live. If you are looking for an apartment in Raleigh, look no further than Auston Grove Apartment community; upscale living, with tremendous apartment amenities in the perfect city.

The economy has changed and it has some college graduates rethinking the traditional "American dream" of buying a house.

Many college graduates and college seniors in Raleigh, NC are more focused on looking for jobs.

It used to be when you graduated that you would get a job, buy a house, and start a family. These days, college grads are either not finding jobs that are paying enough to feel they can qualify for a traditional mortgage, or not feeling like they want to spend all that money on interest, when they can invest it instead. Renting a one or two bedroom apartment seems a better option for many college graduates.

Many people are opting to rent.

Graduates want to feel confident and stable in a job before opting for a mortgage, in this economy, security is a rare commodity for many.

If the economy plummets again, there are many out there who don’t want to be trapped in a 20 or 30 year loan.

The Triangle area does have diverse work opportunities. Auston Grove Apartments has the environment and the location for new college graduate looking for apartments in Raleigh, in the Research Triangle area. Contact us for more information on our apartment homes.

Recently AARP published an article about cities that keep you younger than your chronological age. Raleigh made the list. In fact, it is number eight!

We are proud of our city here are Auston Grove. So if you are thinking of relocating, and you want to look and feel younger than your years, consider looking at apartments in Raleigh, NC.

RealAge.com's list of the 10 "youngest" cities in America looked at metropolitan areas with such healthy lifestyles that on average their residents are physically at least two years younger than their chronological age — and many are years younger than that.

Sample information from 1,000 men and women in each of the 50 largest metropolitan areas was used to come up with the 10 "youngest" cities, based on the health of their residents.

Weather played a factor in some of the cities ranked, but not all of them. What makes more of a difference is living in cities with good public transportation and where it's easier to get to places by walking.

For more information on living in Raleigh and about Auston Grove Apartments, contact us.

The Raleigh- Durham area has thriving biotech and pharmaceutical industries, lots of local arts festivals and college sports

The Raleigh area has made a name for itself in the tech and biotech industries in part thanks to Research Triangle Park, a business campus located mostly in Durham County.
 
A relatively low cost of living helps the area stand out from pricier parts of the country.

Durham is home to beautiful botanical gardens, and North Carolina has great professional and college sports teams.  Raleigh has wonderful museums, restaurants and night life. Annual summer arts festivals and age-old college sports rivalries keep the city active all year round.
 
CNN Money has ranked Raleigh and Durham in the top 100 cities to Live and Launch. Are you relocating to North Carolina? Look at apartments in Raleigh, NC.

If you live in a home or apartment in Raleigh, North Carolina, here's a great hurricane awareness check list  to look at.

Secure Your Home

• Put freestanding objects inside
• Plan for your pets. Make sure you have pet food, collar and leash and crates, if necessary
• Designate a safe room with no widows or exterior walls.

• Keep emergency phone numbers by the phone; include out-of-state contacts for family members.
• Assemble an emergency preparedness kit (enough supplies for three to five days) with bottled water (one gallon per person per day), battery-operated radio or TV with extra batteries, first aid kit, flashlight and packaged snacks. Remember to include baby supplies and food, manual can opener, hand sanitizer or wipes, and extra house and car keys.
• Gather all necessary prescriptions and medical supplies to take at a moment's notice.
• Place all important documents -- including your insurance policies -- in a waterproof bag to take with you. Include documents like wills, deeds, birth and tax records, and marriage certificate, proof of residence, home photos, and driver's license and vehicle registration. Include house and car keys
• Take cash and change
• Listen to media broadcasts, especially paying attention to any calls for evacuation
• Call 311 (Emergency Evacuation Assistance) if a family member needs special care.

• Flood and windstorm insurance are not automatically covered by renters insurance.
• Take photos of your home before the storm.
• Take camera to take photos of damage.

The highlight of any July 4th celebration is of course the fireworks. There are several major fireworks displays in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. So jump in the car and grab your blanket or lawn chair.

Raleigh Fireworks at the NC Fairgrounds
This free event includes an entire afternoon of pre-fireworks entertainment including live music, games and inflatable rides. The Main Stage will be located in the new midway area - best access from Gate 9. Special musical performance by bluegrass band Sweet Potato Pie and the Midway Main Stage will feature country music singer Holland Marie performing at 7:30 pm. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets for main stage concert. Fireworks begin at 9:15 pm.

Durham Fireworks at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park
The city of Durham's fireworks show is at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Gates open to the public after the 7th inning. Fireworks will begin around 9:30pm. Keep in mind, there are also fireworks scheduled at DBAP on July 2nd and 3nd in association with baseball games.

Chapel Hill Fireworks at UNC's Kenan Stadium
In the City of Chapel Hill try to be in the stadium by 7 p.m. for the best seats. There's ongoing entertainment with a band that starts around 8 p.m. Fireworks start at 9:30 p.m. The fireworks are only visible inside the stadium. This event is free.

From everyone at Auston Grove, have a happy and safe Fourth of July.