Find local information about things to do and places to go in the areas where we build throughout central NC.

Raleigh and Durham Named Best Places to Live in America

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Central North Carolina’s reputation as a wonderful place to work and live continues to grow, as people and companies move to the region.

Among the accolades and recognition: Raleigh and Durham tied for third place as “Best Places to Live in America” in US World News and World Report’s Best Places to Live rankings for 2023-2024.

Green Bay, Wisconsin came in first, followed by Huntsville, Alabama.

The designation was based on life quality, job market, housing affordability, cost of living, and desire to be here.

Among the categories analyzed, Raleigh and Durham scored highest in quality of life for access to museums, theaters, a thriving restaurant scene, parks, greenways, and college and professional teams.

Besides #3 in the best places to live in the country, U.S. News found Raleigh and Durham:

  • #29 in best places to retire
  • #1 in best places to live in NC
  • #13 in best places to live for quality of life, and
  • #21 fastest growing places

Contact Travars Built Homes about building your custom home in one of the most desirable locations in the nation.

Travars Built Homes builds incredible custom homes in Chatham County and surrounding regions extending into Alamance, Durham, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Orange, Randolph and Wake Counties.

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We work with you to build your home the way you want it in Fox Oak, other available homes and land or on your lot in Pittsboro, Chatham County and surrounding regions extending into Alamance, Durham, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Orange, Randolph, and Wake counties.

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Raleigh and Durham Named Best Places to Live in America
Raleigh and Durham Named Best Places to Live in America
Raleigh and Durham Named Best Places to Live in America

Things to do with Kids in Pittsboro NC

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An amazing local play, walk, sports and splash park is now open in Pittsboro! Knights Farm Community Park has 10 acres of fun opportunities.

Creative playgrounds!

Huge splash pad filled with water fountains to cool down summer.

Imaginative “house” and “shop” with play spaces inside and out.

Cool slides!

Wide, concrete walking paths for a casual stroll.

Picnic tables – some under a roof.

Some with grills and water sources.

There’s even a dog park and sports field.

We like Knights Farm Community Park – another great Pittsboro gathering place.

Where can you find an EV charging station in Pittsboro, North Carolina?

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You can plug your electric car into an EV Charging Station at dozens of locations in the Pittsboro and Chapel Hill area – including your new home.

This active map from PlugShare shows where you can find public stations, designated as high power or ‘ in use’ and where they are located. ChargeHub is another great resource for EV Charge Station information, where users can also edit, add comments, and post pictures.

You can find a place to plug in while you sit outside welcoming places like this: Penguin Place – One of the Top Places to Eat in Pittsboro NC.

Nearly all of the dozens of EV Car Charging stations in the Chapel Hill/Pittsboro area are free. A typical electric car can be fully energized in about 3-6 hours, depending on the vehicle.

Talk to your builder about adding a charging station to your new home. It’s a great way to make reducing greenhouse gas emissions simple and easy, with your home as the center for your ability to have a clean alternative to conventional fossil-fuel powered vehicles.

It’s one more way that high quality custom home builders like Travars Built Homes customize your home to fit your lifestyle – along with the ability for your home to perform efficiently with lower utility bills, with your Eco-Select certificate from Southern Energy Management.

Car charging stations can be added to your new custom home during the design phase – one of the most interesting and fun parts of your home build.

Travars Built Homes can build just about anything into your new home. Just let us know what you’d like built in – and where you want your Charging Station! We also help you find a lot in Chatham County or anywhere else within about an hour of RTP.

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Dog Friendly Places to Eat

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Out with your four-legged Bestie, looking for places to eat that are dog friendly? Here are more than 10 options in Pittsboro where you can both drop in for a casual meal.

Here is where you can find some of those top places. All of these eateries will greet you and your dog with a smile. Some even provide water bowls and doggie treats, including, among others, Carolina Brewery, Pittsboro Roadhouse, Root Cellar, House of Hops, and Modern Life Deli & and Drinks.

The Root Cellar, 35 Suttles Rd, Pittsboro, NC 27312.

Outdoor tables at The Root Cellar. Dog friendly patio in Pittsboro at Penguin Place.

Carolina Brewery and Grill, 120 Lowes Dr, Pittsboro, NC 27312

The Pittsboro Roadhouse, 39 West st, Pittsboro, NC 27312

These are great places to socialize for you and your dog.

Keeping your dog close by and always on a leash at all of these establishments is the best practice. Use good Dog Etiquette and make sure Sam/ Fido/ Miley are being polite.

Want to build a dog friendly home in Pittsboro, Chatham County or the Raleigh region? There are hundreds of floor plans we can build for you – with whatever you’d like us to create for your entire family – including your pets.

Contact Travars Built Homes with your building questions. And learn more about what Pittsboro has to offer.

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Top Things to Do in Pittsboro – Visit Rock Ridge Park

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Wondering where to go to play frisbee golf in Pittsboro, NC? Getting outside and going to the park has a whole new meaning at Rock Ridge Park, just a few miles from the center of Pittsboro.

Things to Do in Pittsboro - Visit Rock Ridge Park

Things to do in Pittsboro at Rock Ridge Park include an 18 hole disc golf course, paved jogging trail, picnic area and play ground. Rock Ridge Park is a fifty two acre neighborhood park set in rolling hills of mature hardwoods.

Things to do in Pittsboro - Disc Golf at Rock Ridge Park

This is a terrific frisbee golf course that winds through scenic rolling terrain, designed by John Houck. He’s the Head of Course Design for the International Disc Golf Center, and has designed more championship disc golf courses than anyone else living today, so you know this is going to be good!

Bring something to write with if you want to keep score – cards are provided. If you’ve never played before, it’s a great time to start! Keep it simple at first, borrow a couple discs from a friend or pick up a “starter” disc, even Walmart carries them in the sports section. You’ll enjoy following the trails and seeing how close to the goal you can send your disc.

Rock Ridge Park picnic area - things to do in Pittsboro

Top things to do in Pittsboro include some great ways to stay in shape, for adults and for kids. Check out the teeter totter, trolley, slides, and benches, which can augment your CrossFit routine. Not pictured is a wonderful playground for the kids, with a very creative “natural theme” play structure, a trolley to ride, and much more.

Exercise and play area at Rock Ridge Park

Living in Chatham County can offer a relaxed environment. You can enjoy the peaceful setting of the countryside, much closer to the amenities of the Raleigh metro area than you might think. Check out some other top things to do in Pittsboro, here:

Considering building a new home in the Pittsboro area? Travars Built Homes can help you find a lot and work with you to create your custom home in Chatham County or anywhere within about an hour of RTP.

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Top Things to Do in Pittsboro NC – Haw River

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Haw River offers a great opportunity for outdoor fun that makes you feel like you’re in the mountains – right in the heart of Pittsboro, NC – with more than 1,000 acres to explore by foot, bike, canoe, or kayak.

North Carolina State Parks offers some of the top things to do in Pittsboro and Chatham County. The park areas extend along both sides of the Haw River, with its Lower Haw River State Natural Area – with access points where you can park in designated places along Hwy 15-501 and Hwy 64 and put in your kayak, walk a trail or snap some photos.

Hiking

Lower Haw River State Natural Area Trail follows the Haw River. It’s 7 mile stretch and is rated as a “moderate” hike, along a path that is not always clearly defined.

The trail includes 3 creek crossings (with water that could be waist deep, depending on time of year) as well as a mix of dirt and rocky terrain that is popular as a training run.

  • Lower Haw River Southern Trailhead: Look for a gravel parking lot just east of the bridge on eastbound Hwy 64. The trail is under the bridge.
  • Lower Haw River Northern Trailhead: Look for parking just below the trailhead on Bynum Church Road. The trail starts at the gate.

Kayaking/canoeing

Top things to do in Pittsboro include kayaking and canoeing. The 3 and a half mile stretch of the Haw River starting at Bynum Beach consists of Class I and II rapids.

Heavy rains can greatly impact this stretch, so whitewater paddlers need to be cautious and aware of conditions.

  • Hwy 15-501 Bynum Dam parking lot allows access for canoes and kayaks above the dam, where the water is typically flat for about a mile.
  • Robeson Creek has a full boat launch. The Haw River can be reached in about a mile, via Robeson Creek.
  • Hwy 64 Haw River Canoe Access has a parking lot, but is recommended for experts due to the more challenging navigation at that point.

Photography

Bring your camera, you might capture some of the wildlife, flowers or changing of seasons. Things to do in Chatham County include some great opportunities for photos.

Living in the Pittsboro area of Chatham County can offer a relaxed environment. You can enjoy the peaceful setting of the countryside, much closer to the frenzy of the city than you might think.

Considering building a new home in Pittsboro or Chatham County? Travars Built Homes can help you find a lot and work with you to create your custom home in Chatham County or anywhere within about an hour of RTP.

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Top Places to Eat in Pittsboro NC – Penguin Place

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At the entrance to Chatham Park, Penguin Place in Pittsboro NC is an interactive restaurant trio provides plenty of space and seating indoors and out, to gather with friends and family.

Penguin Place is a great place to get together, in the town of Pittsboro. Located at 15-501 and Hwy 64, there is something for everyone, with a co-op feel between this trio of venues.

Root Cellar

The Root Cellar offers family dining, from-scratch meals, sandwiches, baked goods and soft drinks. House of Hops, next door, offers over 400 different beers, 24 taps, large screen TVs for sports viewing and even welcomes dogs. Marco’s is just two doors down and offers some of the best pizza in town.

Penguin Place Pittsboro NC

The Root Cellar offers neighborly greetings from the folks behind the counters and a warm décor that will make you feel right at home. But what is Root Cellar? This already popular restaurant, catering company, bakery, and café combines gourmet food with homespun appeal. Their specialty is scratch-made foods, featuring local products with ingredients from nearly a dozen local farms. Their menu has a wide variety of options. Sodas with home-made appeal are refill yourself which is even more enticing – try the rootbeer! Root Cellar is open every day but Tuesday with breakfast, lunch, dinner, baked goods and local coffee. Some of our favorites on the menu are the Daily Omelet Special with grits, the Triple Decker, BLT chicken Ceasar wrap, and the Cubano.

Penguin Place Pittsboro NC

Penguin Place Pittsboro NC

In addition to using ingredients from nearly a dozen local farms, the Root Cellar also sells many items made in North Carolina, including Cloister Honey, Foster’s Market 7-Pepper Jelly, Big Spoon Roasters Peanut and Almond Butters, The Phantom Bakers Bars, and Carolina Grits.

Penguin Place Pittsboro NC

Too busy to cook during the week? You can get a whole week of meals to go, made fresh for you in about 30 minutes. While you are waiting for your order, check out their market with many specialty items like dry pasta, pancake syrup and mixes, spice rubs, marmalades and jams and a whole lot more.

House of Hops

This is the third House of Hops franchise in the Triangle Region, with the other two located in Raleigh. So if you are familiar with the name you know what to expect. House of Hops has 24 beers on tap, and constantly rotate new ones in. Perfer a bottle? House of Hops stocks over 400 different bottle and can beers. Looking for beer to go and not sure you want to commit to something you haven’t tried before? Create your own 6 pack to go and mix and match – such as a mix of IPA, Sour and a couple of Browns.

Along with other certainties in life, it’s good to know that House of Hops has a bowl of water for your 4 legged friends. Dogs are welcome inside at House of Hops as long as they are on a 6′ leash.

A couple of couches provide a home-like setting to lounge in if you don’t want to sit at the high top tables, and there are plenty of activities for everyone, including ping pong, a weekly run club and regular events like trivia, live music and chili cook-offs – even more reason to visit House of Hops!

House of Hops does not offer food but you can place a order next door at Root Cellar and they will bring it over to you!

Marco’s Pizza

Marco’s was founded in 1978 by Pasquale “Pat” Giammarco. The authentic Italian quality is still drawing a crowd, with dough, sauce and cheese all made fresh – never frozen.

Feel like a sandwich or salad? Marco’s menu includes lots of choices.

You can place your order at Marco’s and hop next door to drink a beverage, play ping pong or other games, and hang out with friends while you wait. Marcos will bring your pizza to you at House of Hops – and you can eat it there!

Penguin Place is another favorite top place to go to eat in Pittsboro – in the middle of one of the fastest growing areas in North Carolina. Travars Built Homes is your local Chatham County custom builder – and we love this place.

Search for floor plan?

We work with you to build your home the way you want it in Fox Oak, other available homes and land or on your lot in Pittsboro, Chatham County and surrounding regions extending into Alamance, Durham, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Orange, Randolph, and Wake counties.

Search for plans