▁companies ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States <0x0A> </s> ▁Camer on ▁Village ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁planned ▁community ▁to ▁be ▁developed ▁in ▁R ale igh , ▁North ▁Carolina . ▁Development ▁was ▁started ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁when ▁J . W . ▁York ▁and ▁R . A ▁Bry an ▁bought ▁ ▁of ▁und e velop ed ▁land ▁two ▁miles ▁west ▁of ▁dow nt own ▁R ale igh , ▁near ▁the ▁North ▁Carolina ▁State ▁University ▁campus . ▁The ▁" v ill age " ▁was ▁to ▁consist ▁of ▁a ▁sho pping ▁center , ▁apart ments , ▁and ▁single ▁family ▁homes . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁sho pping ▁center ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁and ▁quickly ▁became ▁the ▁premier ▁sho pping ▁area ▁in ▁R ale igh . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁considered ▁the ▁first ▁sho pping ▁center ▁to ▁be ▁built ▁between ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁and ▁Atlanta . ▁The ▁sho pping ▁center ▁is ▁an ▁open - air ▁sho pping ▁m all , ▁but ▁unlike ▁a ▁strip ▁m all , ▁the ▁stores ▁are ▁divided ▁into ▁blocks ▁with ▁some ▁on ▁two ▁levels . ▁Several ▁par king ▁de cks ▁were ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁although ▁most ▁of ▁these ▁were ▁removed ▁in ▁later ▁renov ations , ▁to ▁give ▁a ▁more ▁open ▁feel . ▁ ▁Camer on ▁Village ▁grew ▁quickly , ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁the ▁community ▁had ▁ 6 5 ▁stores , ▁a ▁movie ▁the ater , ▁more ▁than ▁ 6 0 0 ▁homes ▁and ▁apart ments , ▁and