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Piedmont Region

Uptown Charlotte Dusk Skyline from First Ward 2

Quality health care, sought-after urban amenities, professional sporting events, convenient travel, and more can all be found in North Carolina’s Piedmont region. What more could you ask for in a future retirement location?

Stretching between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Coastal Plain lies the Piedmont region of North Carolina. This area offers retirees a mix of big-city sophistication, small-town charm, and rolling countryside. It’s a place where world-class health care and universities stand alongside historic downtowns, farmers markets, and cultural festivals.

Certified Retirement Communities 

Several Piedmont towns are recognized as Certified Retirement Communities in North Carolina. Strict criteria must be met for a town, city, or county to achieve this status. One of these requirements is having a hospital or emergency services within 30 miles to provide comprehensive health care for retirees. 

Mount Airy, which may be the ideal of an idyllic small town, is one place that has achieved the Certified Retirement Community distinction. Mount Airy was the hometown of actor Andy Griffith and the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry in episodes of The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D.

Playing golf and fishing are among favorite activities, as well as attending live theater productions, listening to outdoor bluegrass performances, and exploring the downtown area with the popular Snappy’s Lunch and Floyd’s Barbershop. Wally’s Filling Station is just a short walk away. 

A comprehensive public transportation system connects Mount Airy with Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and a selection of hospitals. 

Other Certified Retirement Communities include Smithfield, Jamestown, and the High Point Area, Laurinburg, Lumberton, Reidsville, and Tarboro. A unifying theme among these towns is a strong sense of community combined with the commitment to provide retirees with desirable amenities, services, and opportunities to lead active, productive lives.

Plenty to enjoy

The offerings in the Piedmont region include professional sports such as the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Hornets and festivals celebrating everything from Cheerwine (Salisbury) to the Texas Pete Culinary Arts Festival (Winston-Salem). Plus, Charlotte offers the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Motor Speedway, the U.S. National Whitewater Center, and Billy Graham Library. Additionally, the North Carolina Zoo is in Asheboro; Hickory Furniture Mart in Hickory; and the fabled golf courses in Pinehurst. 

Add in the myriad of art galleries, award-winning chef cuisine, spas, history museums, greenways, multicultural celebrations, film festivals, botanical gardens, and shopping opportunities.

Getting Around

Along with well-maintained highways, including Interstate 40, which runs the length of the state, air travelers will find ease of flight connections by booking flights at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which is ranked as one of the top 10 busiest airports in the world. 

Rail travelers can connect to a range of destinations through the Amtrak train station near downtown Charlotte. It’s an easy way to travel to Raleigh, but it’s also ideal for longer excursions, such as the Charlotte to New York City route.  

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