Atlanta calls itself the “City in the Forest”. I also personally like the Smithsonian of the South, but every time I say it to a nonRaleighite, I get a funny look.
But yes, I think our ties to nature and surrounding amenities (beach and mountains) is a big selling point for those relocating to the area.
Sorry, gotta pull out the geologist cap for min… Denver elevation is 5,280 feet (Mile High City), Raleigh elevation is 315 feet. 
Denver has blizzards, Raleigh has Hurricanes