by Cindy Savoldi
In 1997, the population of Holly Springs was about 6,700. Twenty-five years later, it is close to 44,000, with 7.9% of the population foreign. What draws people to Holly Springs? What makes people want to move here? Suburban Living talked to a few families that made international moves and now call Holly Springs home.
The Barclay family moved to Holly Springs in June 2022 from Denmark. Rene and Christina have always had an adventurous spirit and dreamt of moving to America from a young age. After getting married and having their two children, they decided it was time to make their dreams come true. “We had a family meeting and talked to the kids about moving to America. We had decided if they did not want to, we would not do it,” says father, Rene. Both Carla, age 13, and Benji, 9, were on board immediately and plans were made to move to the United States. Rene set up an extension of his business in Holly Springs to get the pieces in place for them to move.
The Laportes, a family of three, moved to Holly Springs in December 2022 seeking a better quality of life from their native home of Puerto Rico. Tania was looking for a place that was safe and had good schools for her young son. They decided to move to Wake County before she secured a job but felt like the Raleigh job market was strong enough to take the chance. She found a job in Raleigh soon after relocating.
The Dinakaran family of eight got a job change that mandated their move from Ottawa, Canada, to a city on the east coast of the United States. During this time Canada mandated a 14-day quarantine every time you left the country, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, they were unable to visit any cities before moving. Doing exhaustive research online, they searched for the perfect area that matched their criteria. Their new home needed to have good universities, more moderate weather than Ottawa, a solid job market, a good standard of living, a strong housing market, cultural diversity, and potential future job opportunities in the tech industry. They relocated to Holly Springs in August of 2021.
All three of the families chose Holly Springs once their search narrowed to Wake County. The Laporte family liked the proximity to Raleigh. The Dinakaran family felt like Cary only had older homes that they feared would have maintenance issues (considering they were buying sight unseen), Fuquay was too rural, and Apex didn’t have a house at the time that fit their needs. They also love being within 30 minutes of downtown Raleigh and close to universities, while still being near lakes and trails. The Barclays signed the lease for their house long distance as well. They had a very tight timeframe to get a local address that would allow them to register their kids for school before it was capped.
“Long story short,” says Dina Dinkaran, “we bought a house we had never seen, in a town we had never been to, and cannot believe how wonderfully everything has worked out!”
The Barclays agree. “We visited the area in November 2021. We could not believe how friendly people were. People are very open here. It makes you feel welcome. After moving here, we love how people wave as you drive down the road, and how they talk to you in the store or say hello as you walk by. It’s a very inviting place.”
Tania adds, “I love how Holly Springs still has the qualities of a small town yet has everything I need. It is very well located in the Triangle.”
When asked what things surprised them about Holly Springs, Tania responds, “Holly Springs feels very family centered. It seems that most families seem to have the same composition of a husband, wife, a child or two, and a dog.” That consistency was unexpected for her.
For the Barclays, things that they hoped for were better weather and a better environment for their children. Both were achieved by moving to Holly Springs. “My ‘winter’ jacket here in Holly Springs is my summer jacket in Denmark!” says Christina. “Summer high temperatures in Denmark only reach the 80s. Also, it rains 171 days per year in Denmark. We love seeing the sunshine and blue skies more often!”
She adds, “We love all the activities available for our children, and the teachers have been fabulous with helping my children learn the language. We looked at this move as a grand adventure. We love having our kids in sports and dance, serving in the PTA, having their friends over to our house, and sharing our Danish food and culture with them.”
“Having a community full of transplants has been a rich experience for our family,” says Dina. “Making new friendships and having our home and yard overflowing with neighborhood kids has been wonderful.”
“I love the contact I have had with nature since moving here,” says Tania. “Bass Lake and Sugg Park are my favorite places.”
The Dinakaran family enjoys the amenities Holly Springs offers as well. “We love the library, downtown Holly Springs restaurants, Bass Lake, Harris Lake, tennis and basketball at Ting Park, and the sports available to the kids. We also love Target being so convenient! Having a welcoming and diverse neighborhood and a welcoming church community has made this move wonderful for our whole family,” Dina explains.
“I miss the warm weather of Puerto Rico. North Carolina weather can be a bit unpredictable!” says Tania. “I do miss the diversity of Puerto Rico. I like that I see police cars wherever I go. It makes me feel safe.”
“We appreciate the level of respect shown in the United States,” say both Barclays. “In Denmark, children do not show as much respect to teachers, parents, coaches, etc. We like that kids here are held to a higher standard. In Denmark, most children have a phone by age 3 or 4. It exposes them to things too young. With more involved parents here, it allows kids to be kids longer. We also love how parents are so involved with making fun activities in the schools. That did not happen in Denmark. Another thing we love is how you can get medical attention so quickly. We were on a 3-year waiting list for our daughter to get orthodontic treatment. Here, you can just drive down the street!”
What makes Holly Springs so magical? When asked how she describes Holly Springs to her family, Tania responds, “We describe it as ‘campo.’ It doesn’t necessarily mean “country” but it implies clean air and contact with nature, and most importantly, quietness. It is the opposite from a city-like place.”
The Barclays couldn’t be happier with their choice to settle in Holly Springs. Both agree that everything is bigger in the United States. Not just the country, but the holiday celebrations, the stores, etc. They look forward to road trips across the country to explore as much as possible. “Denmark has a population of 5.7 million,” explains Christina. “North Carolina alone has 10.7 million people. We look forward to as many adventures as possible to see as many states as we can!”
Like Christina, Dina gives the weather in Holly Springs high marks. “I love that the daffodils bloom in February here. In Canada, we had snowfall until April and the snow didn’t melt until May. How can you not be happy with daffodils blooming? The flowering trees are the happiest sign of warmer weather coming! We are very happy our family landed in Holly Springs!”
Whether folks flock to Holly Springs because of a business opportunity or by chance, it’s clear that they stay for all of the reasons that make our town special.
