APEX
Town officials took less than 36 hours to put plans in motion to celebrate being named Money magazine’s No. 1 place to live in the United States, from organizing a party to replacing outdated welcome signs.
Money magazine released its annual rankings Monday, saying the western Wake County town has “small-town charm, plus all the benefits of being close to a big city.”
This year’s rankings focuses on small towns while other years are devoted to bigger cities.
Apex was No. 9 on the small town list in 2013. But this year it took the top spot after the magazine crunched data on the economy, real estate, taxes, safety and health and then dispatched a reporter to the town to get a sense of intangibles, such as traffic, parks and community spirit.
The cover features a family from Apex, and an accompanying story and video tout the town’s character, parks, affordable housing and proximity to Research Triangle Park and area universities.
“The community is friendly, and there are a variety of activities for residents to enjoy, from the youngest to the oldest,” the magazine said.
Town officials, as well as many residents and business leaders, were giddy Monday when the news broke, taking to social media to praise their town.
Apex Mayor Bill Sutton and other officials said the distinction could bring new residents and jobs to town. When talking to media outlets, he talked about trying to recruit new businesses.
“We know we can get people to come live here, and that’s fine,” he said. “But we would like people to come do business here. It’s not only a great place to live, it’s a great place to do business.”
This year’s list considered towns with populations up to 50,000. Apex has a population of 42,000. Its downtown has flourished, and new parks and roads have been built as new shopping centers have opened on the outskirts of town. The town is expected to double in size in 15 years if growth continues at the current rate.
Joanna Helms, the town’s economic development director, said Monday the town is actively recruiting several businesses.
“I’m sending them links to this story, hoping that’s the tipping point,” she said. “Because the kind of companies we want in Apex, they want a high quality of life for their employees.”
Shannon Flaherty, president of the Apex Chamber of Commerce, said existing businesses will benefit from the new residents and visitors the magazine listing could bring.
“When you have folks moving in, and coming to Apex, that increases their sales and profitability,” she said.
Celebrating
After Apex ranked No. 9 in 2013, Apex put up six signs on roads around town to brag about the honor. Those signs didn’t last long.
By Monday afternoon, officials had begun forming plans to take down the signs and update the ranking. Town leaders might also soon decide to add one or two more such signs.
Stacie Galloway, the town’s public information officer,. said the town likely will put a wrap around the signs with the new honor, rather than replace them. The cost of that work wasn’t immediately known, nor was the timeline to get it done.
Tuesday night, when the council gathered for a regularly scheduled meeting, they unanimously approved a $20,000 budget for a victory party.
The party is scheduled Sunday, Oct. 11 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Apex town campus on Hunter Street, where Town Hall and a recreation center are located.
This year’s party will be called Peak-a-Palooza. The 2013 shindig was called Party in the Peak.
Peak-a-Palooza will have music, food trucks, bounce houses and game booths sponsored by local churches and civic groups, Galloway said.
The town will also have at least one of the new “Best Place to Live” road signs at the party for people to take pictures with.
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